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2041Z 08 June 1967 transmitted message text from
U.S.S. America to
Office of Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)

P R 082041Z JUN 67
FM USS AMERICA
TO OASD PA
INFO COMSIXTHFLT
BT
C O N F I D E N T I A L
FLEET PAO SENDS
1. FOLLOWING NEWS COPY FORWARDED FOR YOUR ACTION
2. QUOTE URGENT DPR COLLECT - UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL, WASH-
INGTON, D.C. 2ND NIGHT LEAD FLEET BY HARRY J. STATHOS UNITED PRESS
INTERNATIONAL (UPI) A U.S. NAVY SHIP WAS ATTACKED BY ISRAELI TOR-
PEDO BOATS AND AIRPLANE BY MISTAKE TODAY AND FOUR AMERICANS WERE
KILLED AND 53 INJURED. PARA
THE USS LIBERTY, A 450-FOOT-LONG TACTICAL RESEARCH SHIP, WHICH
HAS A CREW OF 15 OFFICERS, 279 MD AND THREE CIVILIAN AIDES, WAS
HIT BY AT LEAST ONE TORPEDO ABOUT 15 MILES NORTH OF THE SINAI PEN-
INSULA IN THE MEDITERRANEAN. PARA
THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT REPORTED TO HAVE APOLOGIZED FOR THE
INCIDENT WHICH ALMOST TRIGGERED AN AIR STRIKE BY WARPLANES OF THE
SIXTH FLEET CARRIER USS AMERICA. PARA
SHORTLY AFTER THE ATTACK OCCURRED AT ABOUT 3 P.M. (1500 GMT),
TASK FORCE SIXTY OF THE SIXTH FLEET, WHICH HAS BEEN OPERATING IN
THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN DURING THE MIDDLE EAST CRISIS, WAS ORDER-
ED INTO CONDITION TWO, A HIGH STATE OF COMBAT READINESS. PARA
NEWSMEN WERE BARRED FROM THE BRIDGE AS GRIM-FACED PILOTS, WITH
ON BANDOLIERS OF AMMUNITION DRAPED AROUND THEIR DECKS, RUSHED TO MAN
THEIR AIRCRAFT. AT LEAST TWO A-4'S (SKYHAWKS) AND FOUR F-4'S
(PHANTOMS) ARMED WITH SIDEWINDER AIR-TO-AIR MISSILES WERE LAUNCHED
FROM THE AMERICA FOR AN AIR STRIKE BUT WERE RECALLED WHEN IT WAS
LEARNED THAT THE ATTACK ON THE USS LIBERTY WAS AN APPARENT ACCI-
DENT. PARA
THE LIBERTY WAS BELIEVED TO BE STEAMING TOWARDS THE TASK FORCE
AT A SPEED OF ABOUT EIGHT KNOTS (NAUTICAL MILES AN HOUR) THE
TACTICAL RESEARCH SHIP WAS REPORTED LISTING BUT NOT IN ANY DANGER
OF SINKING. PARA
WHEN THE AIR STRIKE WAS ORDERED, BOTH SEGMENTS OF TASK FORCE
SIXTY WERE IN FORMATION, BEING CLOSELY WATCHED BY A SMALL SOVIET
PATROL CRAFT ESCORT. PARA
IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT CARRIER PILOTS ABOARD THE AMERICA WERE
SEEN BY NEWSMEN TO BE WEARING SIDEARMS AND CARRYING BANDOLIERS
OF AMMUNITION. PARA
ONE PILOT SAID GRIMLY, I GUESS THIS IS IT, AS HE RUSHED TO HIS
SMALL BOMBER A SKYHAWK. PARA
OTHER PILOTS JUST RAN TO THEIR PLANES AND AWAITED FOR THEIR TURN
TO BE CATAPULTED FROM THE DECK OF THE 77,600-TON AMERICA.
PARA UNQUOTE
GP-4
BT

Note: See COMSIXTHFLT 081716Z JUN 67 for reason press copy sent to OASD(PA).