Haapalah / Aliyah Bet

HaTikvah התקווה was a United States Coast Guard cutter.
Registered name: Tradewinds
Former registered names: Gresham, US Revenue Cutter Service, T.V. McAlister.
Built: 1897, by Globe Iron Works GIW, Cleveland
Gross tonnage: 1,090 tons
Length: 58 meters
Beam: 9 meters
Speed: 10 knots

As USCGC Gresham, she operated on Lake Michigan.
In 1898, USCGC Gresham saw action in Spanish–American War, and later patrolled along the northeastern coast of the United States.
She returned to the United States Coast Guard, and in World War l, and operated as a U-boat detection ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
She was released from the United States Navy and the Coast Guard, and was converted to a banana boat, renamed Trade Winds.

In July, 1945, a committee of 19 American Jewish leaders was convened as the Sonneborn Institute.
Shepard Broad enlisted the help of Miamians, and negotiated the purchase of two ships, Paducah and Tradewinds, to break the British blockade of Palestine and transport Holocaust survivors.

In 1947, Tradewinds was acquired by the United Fruits Co., on behalf of Mossad leAliyah Bet.
Machal מח"ל‎ crew member, Paul (Kaminsky) Kaye, cites: Tradewinds was "a clunker, with a maximum speed of 12 knots, roughly 15 miles an hour."

In March, 1947, Tradewinds sailed from Miami to Lisboa.
On the way to Portugal, Tradewinds hit rough water at the tail end of a hurricane, but managed to stay on course the Açores.
The British refused to refuel the ship, but the Captain of a ship moored nearby donated fuel.
The Captain cites: "Tradewinds managed to sail 12 knots on average, the ship’s maximum speed."

In April, 1947, Tradewinds docked in Lisboa, next to her sister ship, President Warfield, for more refitting.
When Portuguese police became suspicious of Yehuda Baharav, the Mossad leAliyah Bet agent who directed the repairs, and had him arrested, Tradewinds moved from Lisboa to Marseille, then to Port-de-Bouc, and finally to Portovenere.

HaTikvah התקווה Tradewinds stopped at Bogliasco, near Genova, and Portovenere, at the mouth of the Gulf of La Spezia, and over 2 successive nights, embarked 1,414 passengers (half of the passengers made it to HaTikvah התקווה Tradewinds under cover of darkness; the rest floated to the boat on large rafts the next day), most of whom had entered Italy on foot via the Austrian Alps.
On May 8, 1947, HaTikvah התקווה Tradewinds sailed from Portovenere.
Palyam.org cites: HaTikvah התקווה Tradewinds sailed from Bocca di Magre.
Machal.org cites: "The ship then proceeded to Marseilles and Bogliasco, Italy, where it secretly loaded more than 1,400 passengers on two successive nights."
Eliezer Tal cites: HaTikvah התקווה Tradewinds sailed from near Genova.
Paul H. Silverstone's Aliyah Bet Project cites: HaTikvah התקווה Tradewinds sailed from Bogliasco, near Genova, on May 8, 1947, carrying 1,414 passengers, including 895 men, 479 women, 37 children, 2 newborn babies.
Murray S. Greenfield cites: "At Bogliasco, the Tradewinds anchored in a cove and and the refugees came out to her on rubber rafts in carefully maintained silence...The second night, at another secluded anchorage at the mouth of the Magre River, the passengers came to the Tradewinds in small boats."
Charles Weiss cites: HaTikvah התקווה Tradewinds "picked up our people on successive, moonless nights within sight of the flickering lights of La Spezia, in northern Italy. Each night was an adventure. On the first night we were cruising close inshore, totally blacked out, when suddenly a bright flame flared up on the beach, and we could make out its shape, a Magen David. That was the signal: a large rubber raft with an outboard motor pulled up alongside and quickly left for shore, paying out three long ropes as it scooted away. Large inflatable rafts, each one carrying about 40 people, were ferried out to the ship, with a stalwart Palyam type propelling them through the water hand to hand along the ropes which had been secured on the shore. In an operation that took all of 20 minutes, we loaded about 700 hundred refugees, and they scurried quickly down below. There was no signal the next night. In the pitch-black darkness we suddenly made out what seemed like large shadows gliding, silently nearby. Three fishing boats tied up to port, starboard and stern. Without a word hundreds of mysterious figures tumbled out onto the deck and were quickly shown where they were to bunk. Now we had over 1400 people on board and were setting out for Eretz Yisrael."
Yaakov Ben Israel served as Crew aboard haTikvah התקווה when she sailed for Palestine.

A British reconnaissance aircraft spotted haTikvah התקווה Trade Winds approaching the coast of Palestine.
Charles Weiss cites: "about three days' sail from Eretz Yisrael, a British reconnaissance plane circled slowly overhead. We could make out the photographer in the bubble in the rear of the plane. Our cover was blown and we set about creating obstacles for the British destroyers we knew would appear shortly."

On May 16, 1947, in the afternoon, haTikvah התקווה Trade Winds was intercepted by HMS Venus.
As soon as they saw British warships approach, the sailors changed the name to haTikvah התקווה.
Hatikvah התקווה was prepared for the boarding attempt with handrails and ladders covered in vaseline.
HMS Brissenden joined HMS Venus, after midnight, and tried dummy runs.
At 11:00AM, on May 17, 1947, the following day, haTikvah התקווה increased speed to 13 knots.

On May 17, 1947, haTikvah התקווה was rammed by Royal Navy destroyer, captured, and taken into tow to Haifa by minesweeper, HMS Espiegle.

The passengers and crew of Tradewinds haTikvah התקווה were interned on Cyprus for three months.
The British eventually decided to transfer the prisoners to the Atlit Detention Camp, and the crew members plotted to blow up the prison ship that brought them.
They hit a snag when disembarkation was delayed after the explosive timer was already set, but, after passengers and crew had disembarked, and as the bus pulled away, carrying the passengers to the prison, the ship exploded.

The passengers of Tradwinds haTikvah התקווה, captured by the British, were transferred to HMT Empire Lifeguard, sailing to Haifa.

Adrian Phillips was arrested by the British, held responsible for the sabotage of HMT Empire Lifeguard.

After the declaration of Israel's Independence, haTikvah התקווה was used for bringing interned Maapilim from Cyprus, and new olim from France.

In 1951, haTikvah התקווה was sold for scrap.