The Irgun used trucks, British uniforms, and a large bomb to break out 28 Jewish prisoners from the British prison in Acre (Acco) on this date in 1947. Four captured Irgun “terrorists” had been hanged there by the British on April 19th. The assault on the highly secure fortress involved 34 guerrilla fighters, of whom three were killed (along with six escaping prisoners) and five were captured, three of whom were then executed by the British. To prevent these executions, the Irgun kidnapped two British sergeants; when the Irgun men were hung, so were the British. Palestine’s Jewish Agency called the break “an irresponsible suicidal act.” Irgun commander Menachem Begin called it an act of heroism. In the commotion of the attack, 182 Arab prisoners also escaped. The action took place on the day the UN General Assembly convened to discuss the Palestine issue, which eventually led to Resolution 181, the UN Partition Plan.
“The attack . . . has been seen here as a serious blow to British prestige . . . Military circles described the attack as a strategic masterpiece.” —Haaretz