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1650Z 08 June 1967 transmitted message text from
U.S. Commander-in-Chief, Europe to
Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Naval Forces Europe and
Commander, Sixth Fleet and others

Z O 081650Z JUN 67
FM USCINCEUR
TO CINCUSNAVEUR
COMSIXTHFLT
CTF 60
USS AMERICA
INFO USS LIBERTY
SECDEF
USDAO TEL AVIV
BT
UNCLAS E F T O ECAP 09099.
SUBJ: PUBLIC AFFAIRS GUIDANCE
1. FOLLOWING HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED BY DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE IN WASH.DC:
   A. A U.S. NAVY TECHNICAL RESEARCH SHIP, THE U.S.S. LIBERTY (AGTR-5)
WAS ATTACKED ABOUT 0900 A.M. EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME TODAY. APPROXIMAT-
ELY FIFTEEN MILES NORTH OF THE SINAI PENINSULA IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS
OF THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA. THE LIBERTY DEPARTED ROTA, SPAIN JUNE 2,
ARRIVING AT HER POSITION THIS MORNING TO ASSURE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN
U.S. GOVERNMENT POSTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND TO ASSIST IN RELAYING
INFORMATION CONCERNING THE EVACUATION OF AMERICAN DEPENDENTS AND
OTHER AMERICAN CITIZENS FROM THE COUNTRIES OF THE MIDDLE EAST.
   B. THE US GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN INFORMED BY THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT
THAT THE ATTACK WAS MADE IN ERROR BY ISRAELI FORCES AND AN APOLOGY
HAS BEEN RECEIVED FROM TEL AVIV.
   C. THE INITIAL REPORTS OF CASUALTIES ARE: FOUR DEAD AND FIVE THREE
WOUNDED. THE LIBERTY IS STEAMING NORTH FROM THE AREA AT A SPEED OF
EIGHT KNOTS TO MEET U.S. FORCES MOVING TO HER AID. IT IS REPORTED THAT
SHE IS IN NO DANGER OF SINKING.
2. FOR COMSIXTHFLT/CTF 60: ABOVE SHOULD BE GIVEN TO NEWSMEN AT SEA
ASAP. FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION MAY BE USED IN ANSWER TO IN-
QUESTS: SHIP WAS ATTACKED BY MOTOR TORPEDO BOAT AND AIRCRAFT. ONE TORPEDO
HIT. THE SHIP WAS ARMED WITH FOUR 50-CAL. MACHINE GUNS AND IT IS NOT
KNOWN IF SHE RETURNED FIRE.
THE CREW CONSISTED OF ONE FIVE OFFICERS, TWO SEVEN FIVE ENLISTED,
AND THREE CIVILIAN TECHNICAL REPRESENTATIVES.
DIMENSIONS OF THE SHIP: WIDTH FOUR FIVE FEET, BEAM SIX TWO
FEET, DRAFT TWO THREE, DISPLACEMENT ONE ONE ZERO ZERO TONS. SHE
IS DESIGNATED AN AGTR (TECHNICAL RESEARCH SHIP).
THE MISSION OF THIS TYPE OF SHIP IS TO CONDUCT TECHNICAL RESEARCH
OPERATIONS IN SUPPORT OF U.S. NAVY ELECTRONIC RESEARCH PROGRAM WHICH
INCLUDE ELECTRO-MAGNETIC PROPAGATION STUDIES AND ADVANCED COMMUNICATION
SYSTEMS, SUCH AS SATELLITE COMMUNICATION. YOU MAY NOT GO BEYOND THIS
DESCRIPTION.
SHE IS NOT A COMBAT SHIP. SHE MOVED TO THE MIDDLE EAST TO HELP
PROTECT AMERICAN NATIONALS AS THE POSSIBLE NEED FOR SUCH PROTECTION
BECAME APPARENT. HER LOCATION AT THE TIME OF ATTACK WAS: THREE ONE
DEGREES TWO THREE MINUTES NORTH, THREE THREE DEGREES TWO FIVE MINUTES EAST.
3. FOR ALL: DETAILS OF RESCUE/ASSISTANCE ARE UNCLASSIFIED AND MAY
BE RELEASED WHEN AVAILABLE.
BT

Message subject lineage:

082120Z JUN 67 CTF SIX ZERO
090546Z JUN 67 COMSIXTHFLT
090704Z JUN 67 COMSIXTHFLT
092112Z JUN 67 CTF SIX ZERO
100627Z JUN 67 USCINCEUR
112005Z JUN 67 USS AMERICA

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