1715Z 08 June 1967 transmitted message text from
U.S.S. Liberty to Chief of Naval Operations

TO CNO

INFO CINCUSNAVEUR
USCINCEUR
JCS(JRC)
CINCLANTFLT
COMSIXTHFLT
COMSERVLANT

UNCLAS

SITUATION FOLLOWING AIR ATTACK.

1. AT 081205Z WHILE SHIP ON COURSE 283 DEG SPEED 05 KNOTS
POSITION 31 DEG 35.5 MIN NORTH 33 DEG 29 MIN EAST SHIP ATTACKED
BY UNIDENTIFIED JET FIGHTERS. BELIEVED TO BE ISREALI. APPROXIMATELY
SIX STRAFING RUNS. MADE ON SHIP. APPROXIMATELY 081225Z 3 THREE TORPEDO
BOATS, ONE IDENTIFIED AS ISREALI APPROACHED SHIP ON STBD QTR AT HIGH
SPEED. HULL NUMBER OF ONE BOAT WAS 206-17 APPROXIMATELY 081427Z
TOOK TORPEDO BOAT UNDER FIRE WITH 50 CALIBER MACHINE GUNS AT A RANGE
OF 2000 YARDS. TORPEDO BOAT LAUNCHED TORPEDO AND STRAFING ATTACK.
ONE TORPEDO PASSED APPROX 25 YARDS ASTERN. APPROXIMATELY
ONE MINUTE LATER SHIP SUSTAINED TORPEDO HIT STBD SIDE. SHIP IS 10 DEG
STBD LIST. WATER TIGHT BOUNDARIES ESTABLISHED AND HOLDING. AFTER
ATTACK TORPEDO BOAT CLEARED TO EAST ABOUT FIVE MILES.
CLEARING AREA AT 10 KNOTS.

2. PHOTOS OF AIRCRAFT AND BOATS TAKEN. AFTER ATTACK COMPLETED TWO
ISREALI HELICOPTERS ORBITED SHIP. AT ABOUT 081255Z, RANGE 500 YARDS.
ISREALI INSIGNIA CLEARLY VISIBLE. PHOTOS TAKEN. SEVERAL PROJECTILES
HAVE BEEN RECOVERED FROM TOPSIDE AREAS. NUMBER KILLED IS ESTIMATED AT
10. NUMBER SERIOUSLY WOUNDED AT 15. TOTAL WOUNDED 75. NUMBER MISSING
CURRENTLY UNDETERMINED.

3. SHIP UNABLE TO CARRY OUT MISSION. WILL SUBMIT PERSONNEL CASREPS
AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, SEPARATELY

4. EXTENSIVE SUPERFICIAL DAMAGE TOPSIDE. LOWER DECKS SPACES FORWARD
DESTROYED.

5. COMM. CAPABILITIES LIMITED WILL PROVIDE FILM AND PROJECTILES
RECOVERED AS DIRECTED. SHIP WILL REQUIRE DRYDOCK AND EXTENSIVE
REFITTING.

Message subject lineage:

082106Z JUN 67 COMSERVFORSIXTHFLT
122118Z JUN 67 CNO
140045Z JUN 67 CINCUSNAVEUR
141020Z JUN 67 CINCUSNAVEUR
281548Z JUN 67 NAVSCIENTECHINTELCEN

Note: The above message was originally transmitted by USS Liberty via unsecure voice circuit to NAVCOMMSTA Greece, which in turn typed up and transmitted the contents to CNO and other commands.  This example is the CNO file copy.

Message displayed as Document 218 in the Department of State Foreign Relations of the United States, Johnson Administration, 1964-1968, Volume XIX, Arab-Israeli Crisis and War, 1967.

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