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1222Z 06 July 1967 transmitted message text from
Naval Communications Unit, Naples to
Chief of Naval Operations

O 061222Z JUL 67
FM NAVCOMMUNIT NAPLES
TO CNO
INFO CINCUSNAVEUR
USS LIBERTY
BT
S E C R E T US EYES ONLY
FOR CAPT KING, OP0021: INFO ADM MCCAIN, CDR MCGONAGLE
FROM RADM KIDD, LIBERTY
1. REQ ADD FOLLOWING AMPLIFICATION AS APPROPRIATE ADDENDUM
TO LIBERTY INQUIRY PURSUANT YOUR REQ FOR AMPLIFYING FACTS.
2. FOLLOWING ATTESTED TO BY CO LIBERTY CDR MCGONAGLE;
CTC THOMPSON; AND SIGNALMAN DAVID THROUGH CDR MCGONAGLE.
3. VISUAL SIGNALLING NOTED BY C.O. AND SIGNALMAN DAVID (SUB-
SEQUENTLY WOUNDED AND HOSPITALIZED) DURING PT RUN-IN WAS NOT
REPEAT NOT DISTINGUISHABLE THROUGH SMOKE/FLAME.
4. ALLEGED AA FROM PT'S WAS NOT REPEAT NOT READ BY LIBERTY PRIOR
TORPEDO HIT.
5. CTC THOMPSON RECALLS REACHING POSITION ON LIBERTY BRIDGE
SOMETIME AFTER TORPEDO HIT. THOMPSON NOW ESTIMATES TIME
ARRIVAL ON BRIDGE SOME NINE TO TEN MINUTES AFTER TORPEDO HIT.
6. C.O. DID NOT REPEAT NOT ORDER AA SENT TO PT'S SINCE HE KNEW
WHO THEY WERE, HAVING SIGHTED STAR OF DAVID INSIGNIA.
7. THOMPSON SAYS FIRST IDENTIFIABLE VISUAL TRANSMISSION FROM
PT'S READ BY ANYONE ON LIBERTY WAS "DO YOU NEED HELP" FOLLOWED
BY "DO YOU WANT US TO STAND BY" WHEN BOATS HAD PULLED CLEAR
OF SMOKE OBSTRUCTED BEARING AFTER REPEAT AFTER TORPEDO HIT.
8. THOMPSON STATES AFTER ALDIS LAMP UNLIMBERED, WHICH WAS
AFTER HE GOT TO BRIDGE WHICH WAS AFTER TORPEDO ATTACKS, THE
ONLY THING SENT BY LIGHT TO PT'S WAS "NO THANK YOU" IN REPLY
TO OFFER OF HELP.
9. SUMMARY:
   A. FIRST DISTINGUISHABLE PT VISUAL TRANSMISSION WAS OFFER OF
HELP AFTER TORPEDO HIT: ALTHOUGH FLASHING LIGHT FROM CENTER
PT WAS OBSERVED INTERMITTENTLY PRIOR THERETO.
   B. NO AA ORDERED OR ACTUALLY SENT FROM LIBERTY TO BEST OF
ANYONE'S RECOLLECTION AT THIS TIME.
   C. WITH STBD SIGNAL LITE CAPABILITY WIPED OUT IN AIR ATTACK,
ALDIS LAMP NOT BROUGHT INTO USE UNTIL AFTER TORPEDO HIT.
10. PRECISE TIME SEQUENCING CONTINUES MOST DIFFICULT AS
APPARENT FROM ABOVE; HOWEVER, C.O. AND THOMPSON ARE UNSHAKABLE
IN CONVICTION IMPOSSIBLE READ PT'S LIGHT PRIOR ATTACK AND ON
FACT THAT LIBERTY ALDIS LAMP NOT UNLIMBERED UNTIL AFTER
TORPEDO HIT. I AM CONVINCED THESE MEN KNOW WHAT THEY
ARE TALKING ABOUT.
GP-4
BT

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