Haapalah / Aliyah Bet

Dalin דלין was an Italian fishing boat
Registered Name: Sirius
Officially listed as Dahlia דליה, she was called Dalin דלין.
Built: Monopoli, at the Dormio shipyards
Gross tonnage: 50 tons
Engine: marine engine that had been acquired by Lieutenant Enrico Levi, and hidden in a shed at Masseria Spina
Dalin דלין was the nickname of Eliyahu Golomb, head of the Haganah, who died in June, 1945.
She was the first Haapalah ship, after WWII was over, to bring Maapilim to Palestine.

Dalin דלין was acquired by Enrico Levy for Mossad leAliyah Bet, while under construction at the Dormio shipyards in Monopoli.
He also organized a crew.

In August, 1945, Dalin דלין was prepared for departure in Monopoli, by the crew, including Arieh Chaikind, Yisrael Chovav and Jewish soldiers from Transportation Unit 468 of the British Army.

On August 21, 1945, Dalin דלין sailed from Bari, carrying 35 passengers.
Palmach Information Center cites Dalin דלין sailed from Monopoli, carrying 37 immigrants.
Eric Salerno cites Dalin דלין was the illegal immigration first ship to sail from Italy.
Enrico Levy cites Dalin דלין carried 37 passengers.
Achille Rastelli cites: "Dalin era partita da Bari il 21 agosto 1945 con 35 persone a bordo, ma non si conosce l’origine di questa unità."
Israel Chorev ישראל חורב served as Palyam פלי"ם Commander מפקד aboard Dalin דלין
Enrico Levi אנריקו לוי served as Captain רב-חובל of Dalin דלין
Aryeh Chaikind אריה חייקינד served as Gidoni גידעוני aboard Dalin דלין
The crew of Dalin דלין consisted of an Italian mechanic and two Italian sailors.

Aryeh Chaikind served as Gidoni גדעוני, wireless radio operator aboard Dalin דלין.

On August 28, 1945, Dalin דלין landed at Sdot Yam שדות ים - Caesarea קיסריה, without being discovered by the British.
Tzvi 'Miri' Katzneson cites "On the 29th of that month the ship “Dalin” arrived from Italy with 37 immigrants on board."
Two fishing boats went out to meet Dalin דלין, the first post-war illegal immigrant vessel.
Enrico Levi cites: "On 28 August the Ma’apilim descended on the shore at Caesarea."
Palmach Information Center cites Dalin דלין's passengers were unloaded by five Palyam boats, dispersed and hidden at nearby settlements.
On September 2, 1945, after two days of searching, a kibbutz fishing boat brought ashore 35 passengers.
Palyamniks helped the Maapilim ashore:
* Shmuel 'Samek' Yanai
Tzvi 'Miri' Katznelson cites; "After the immigrants had landed we loaded barrels of diesel fuel on board and she sailed back to Bari."
Dalin דלין's sailed back to Bari carrying:
* Peter Hoffman
* Tzvi 'Miri' Katznelson
* Moshe Rabinowitz
* Avraham Reiss
* Yisrael Rotem
* Eliezer Versh

In August, 1945, Aryeh 'Kippy' Kaplan, Avraham Reiss, Moshe Rabinovitch, Yisrael Rotem, Eliezer Varsh, Peter Hoffman and Tzvi Katznelson sailed to Italy aboard Dalin דלין, to serve on other Haapalah boats.

Dalin דלין landed near Bari, and a truck, loaded with Israeli soldiers, picked up her passengers, and drove them to the camp called Dror, and were received by camp commander, Chaim Chayatt.