Altalena

At the seaport of Marseille, the boarding ramp of the ship Altalena was crowded by Jewish immigrants bound for the newly-established state of Israel. Altalena was the former LST-138, one of the landing crafts used by the Allied countries in the invasion of Germany-controlled France in June, 1944. It was purchased by the US branch of Irgun for the purpose of bringing arms, combatants, and civilians in the land of Israel. The name Altalena was the nom de plume of Zionist leader Ze'ev Jabotinsky.