The Pans

{{Short description|Common nickname for ships SS Pan Crescent and SS Pan York}}

The Pans was a common nickname for two similar ships, SS Pan Crescent and the SS Pan York, purchased by Mossad LeAliyah Bet in the United States in 1947 and got operational names {{ill|Atzma'ut (immigrant ship)|lt=Atzma'ut|he|עצמאות (אוניית מעפילים)}} ("Independence") and {{ill|Kibbutz Galuyot (immigrant ship)|lt=Kibbutz Galuyot|he|קיבוץ גלויות (אוניית מעפילים)}} ("Ingathering of the Exiles": Kibbutz Galuyot) respectively, to become two largest ships that attempted to take part in the illegal immigration (Aliyah Bet) to Mandatory Palestine. Both could carry about 7,500 passengers each.[https://www.kedem-auctions.com/en/deck-log-book-illegal-immigration-ship-atzmaut-pan-crescent-%E2%80%93-1947-1948-%E2%80%93-filled-captain-yitzchak The Deck Log Book of the Illegal Immigration Ship "Atzma'ut" (Pan Crescent) – 1947-1948 – Filled-in by the Captain, Yitzchak (Ike) Aronowicz][https://www.palyam.org/Hahapala/Teur_haflagot/hf_Panim.php סיפור הפלגת "הפאנים"]

The operation was commanded by Yossi Harel, who sailed Kibbutz Galuyot commanded by {{ill|Nissan Leviathan|he|ניסן לויתן}}. The commander on Atzma'ut was {{ill|Dov Magen|he|דב מגן}}. The captains were {{ill|Gad Hilev|he|גד הילב}} (Kibbutz Galuyot) and Ike Aronowicz (Atzma'ut).Eli Ashkenazi, [https://web.archive.org/web/20080601224018/http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/978096.html Yossi Harel, commander of Exodus, dies at 90], Haaretz, April 28, 2008

Atzma'ut and Kibbutz Galuyot were intercepted by the Royal Navy (by the cruisers {{HMS|Mauritius|80|6}} and {{HMS|Phoebe|43|6}}{{cite web|url=http://www.paulsilverstone.com/immigration/Primary/Aliyah/shiplist2.php|title=Aliyah Bet Project|last=Silverstone|first=Paul H.|publisher=Paul Silverstone|access-date=9 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090107011424/http://www.paulsilverstone.com/immigration/Primary/Aliyah/shiplist2.php|archive-date=2009-01-07|url-status=dead}}) at an early stage of its trip under Panama flags in December 1947, the captains surrendered, sailed to the Cyprus internment camps, and moored there. After the Israeli Declaration of Independence the ships hoisted the Israeli flags and sailed off to Haifa. In early July 1948 the ships carried out emigration from Cyprus{{Cite web |title=⁨4100 מגולי קפריסין חזרו לארץ ⁩ {{!}} ⁨דבר⁩ {{!}} 7 יולי 1948 {{!}} אוסף העיתונות {{!}} הספרייה הלאומית |url=https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dav/1948/07/07/01/article/2 |access-date=2023-10-22 |website=www.nli.org.il |language=he}} In the next months they also brought immigrants to Israel from Italy, Marseille and North Africa.

References

Category:Jewish immigrant ships