REFUGEE SHIP CAPTURED

Chronicle (Levin), 11 February 1947, Page 5

REFUGEE SHIP CAPTURED

Received Monday, S.50 p.m. JERUSALEM, Feb. 10. A Jewish refugee ship named Negev, carrying mcJre than 600 passengers, was captured outside territorial waters today, and will be brought to Haifa touight. It is officially stated that an R.A.E. reconnaissance plane spotted the ship on Saturday. A British destroyer later took it into custody. Government ofiicials said a board party met "some opposition ' '. Reuter's correspondent says the illegal immigrants threw bottles and iron bars at the British naval boarding party whieh tried to board the Negev, a two-masted schooner. One Jew was wounded in the leg by a ricocheting bullet lired as a warning. Sailors from the British destroyer threw tear gas cannisters aboard the schooner, but the refugees threw them into the sea. Several Jews were slightly injured during seuffles before the re.sistance was overcome. »

The authorities sighted three small boats off the coast near Caesarea and arrest ed nine Jews. jfhe police believe the Itoats may have been assigned to assist the landing of the Negev 's passengers. Troops of the Sixth Airborne Division are now moving into Haifa preparing for the arrival of the Negev. The whole port has been cordoned oif, and is heavily guarded by tanks and armoured chrs in case of possible trouble from terrorists. The JeAvisli coinmunity in Haifa deJ clared a two-hour general strike following the British announcement that the Negev would be sent to Gyprus. It is believed the ship came from France. It was flying the Cuban flag. A later message states that a hundred gunners of the Sixth Airborne Division wearing steel helmet and antigas eye-shields and carrying piek handles boarded the Negev without opposition when the vessel berthed at Haifa. The first twenty illegal immigrants to disembark were all women. They were transferred to the Empire Heywood which previously carried illegal immigrants to Cyprus. Fifteen hundred troops of the Sixth Airborne Division are being used to cordon the ' port area. .