The Pans

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 ' and ' respectively, to become two largest ships that attempted to take part in the illegal immigration to Mandatory Palestine. Both could carry about 7,500 passengers each.
The operation was commanded by Yossi Harel, who sailed Kibbutz Galuyot commanded by. The commander on Atzma'ut was. The captains were and Ike Aronowicz.
Atzma'ut and Kibbutz Galuyot were intercepted by the Royal Navy 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 In the next months they also brought immigrants to Israel from Italy, Marseille and North Africa.