ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

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The naval train to Israel during the Yom Kippur War was an American-Israeli campaign for maritime transportation of American weapons that arrived at the end of the war and for some time after it. At the same time, Nickel Grass is carried out for air transport of military equipment.

background
The first Israeli application to purchase military and ammunition equipment was transferred to the United States on 7 October 1973. The Americans were not initially inclined to confirm the application in full and on October 9 was pleased with the U.S. ambassador to Israel, again to the Secretary of State on Assistance. After a discussion about Dr. Henry Kissinger and Richard Nixon, President of the United States, an order was issued to the U.S. Department of Defense that military equipment should be arranged for Israel without delay.
At the request of the president, the U.S. Congress approved an emergency budget of $2.2 billion for aid to Israel. The supply of the equipment began on an air train which was organized rapidly and on October 12, landed at the airport in Lod the first U.S. transport aircraft to bring ammunition and snipers. This is how the famous air train (Operation Nickel Grass) began, which lasted until 14 November 1973.

However, the majority of U.S. emergency assistance did not come to Israel on the air, but on the sea, as part of a “sea train” operated by Israeli merchant ships and was secured by the Israeli navy in all the eastern basins of the Mediterranean. The naval train operated quickly and efficiently and the cargo that was scattered on the ground and fell apart in the port of Ashdod and Haifa.

Discussions and Instructions
During the war, there were many meetings in the White House Situation Room, updated and making decisions. The meetings took place in the Washington Special Actions Group or in short WSAG, led by Dr. Kissinger, with a permanent participation of the State Department, the Department of Defense, the CIA, representatives of the combined cargo and the National Security Council. In a meeting held on October 16, it was determined that essential equipment transferred to Israel would be transferred from the sea in 6 weeks.

In the same session, Deputy Defence Minister William Clements reported preparations for delivery including preparations for transporting tanks through the Minneapolis port.

The next day, on 17 October, it was decided and then again that a naval train of equipment would be operated immediately with a large amount of ships that would grow to you without delay.

Between 20 and 22 October, Secretary of State Henry Kissinger made a diploma between Moscow, Tel Aviv and London. On 22 months he met in Herzliya with Prime Minister, Golda Meir. The meeting was also attended by the National Security Council and Chief Executive Officer of the Prime Minister’s Office, Mordici. Kissinger updated the prime minister for twenty ships and 40 Skyhawks and 44 Pantium jets are in charging stages and will make their way to the country soon.

On 24 October, with Kissinger's return to Washington, the White House decided that the transfer of supplies to Israel on the sea would be accelerated and in accordance with its progress it would be possible to decide on the possibility of stopping the air. Deputy Defence Minister William Clemens updated participants in the meeting on the expected schedule. He said he had 20 ships. One in the Boston port that has already been sued and will soon sail. Next you'll get to 25 O'K. The two ships are expected to arrive in Israel on 12 Nov 1973 and this is the beginning of the maritime train. Subsequently, additional ships were issued in permanent intervals, carrying the flag of Israel or waiting and transferring up to 50,000 tons. On November 2nd, Admiral Morer, chairman of the combined cargoes that six ships are on their way to Israel and the total will turn 12 ships in the transfer of equipment.

On November 14, 1973, the Pentagon spokesman sent a press release to the press that the airlift took place but the supply to Israel would continue and only be sent by the sea.

The maritime train
Transfer of military equipment to