Glossary | 14 June Messages | Message Tables | U.S. Messages page

1706Z 14 June 1967 transmitted message text from
Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Naval Forces Europe to
Chief of Naval Operations

O 141706Z JUN 67
FM CINCUSNAVEUR
TO CNO
INFO SECNAV
BT
C O N F I D E N T I A L
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON LIBERTY ATTACK (C)
1. FOLLOWING COMMENTS JUST RECEIVED AND PASSED
FOR INFO:
   "FROM TIME OF FIRST AIR ATTACK ONBAORD
ATTACKERS WERE WELL COORDINATED, ACCURATE AND
DETERMINED. CRISSCROSSING ROCKET AND MACHINE GUN
FIRE FROM BOTH BOWS, BOTH BEAMS AND QUARTERS
EFFECTIVELY CHEWED UP ENTIRE TOPSIDE INCLUDING
SHIP CONTROL AND INTERNAL SOUND POWERED COMMUNI-
CATION NETWORK. POINT HERE IS THAT ORDERS WERE
ISSUED BY MESSENGER, OF WHICH THERE WERE VERY
FEW LEFT ON THEIR FEET. WELL DIRECTED INITIAL AIR
ATTACKS HAD WIPED OUT THE ABILITY OF THE FOUR
50-CAL MACHINE GUNS TO BE FULLY EFFECTIVE. SOUND
POWERED COM WITH THESE GUNS NONEXISTENT AFTER
LINES HAD BEEN CUT.
   "AS PT ATTACK FIRST DEVELOPED FROM STBD SIDE AND
WAS IDENTIFIED AS A HIGH SPEED RUN IN, KEEP IN MIND
FLAG SITUATION. CENTER AND LEAD PT BEGAN FLASHING
SIGNAL LIFT. VERY SHORTLY THEREAFTER CO IDENTIFIED
STAR OF DAVID FLAG ON THE LEAD BOAT. SHIP SIGNAL
LIGHTS HAD BEEN SHOT AWAY.
   "CO HAD PASSED WORD STANDBY TORPEDO ATTACK AND
FWD 50 CAL FIRED VERY SHORT BURST IN DIRECTION
OF BOAT ON GUNNERS OWN INITIATIVE. HAVING SEEN
ISRAELI FLAG ON PT, CO FRANTICALLY WAVED TO FWD
STBD GUNNER TO CEASE FIRING. BUT STBD GUN OPENED
UP AT THIS POINT WITH APPARENTLY NO ONE ON THE
TRIGGER. BRIDGE COULD NOT SEE THIS GUN FOR SMOKE
AND FLAME STBD SIDE SO CO SENT RUNNER TO TELL HIM
CEASE FIRE. BEFORE THIS RUNNER COULD REACH THE
AFT STBD GUN EFFECTIVE HIGH VOLUME FIRE FROM THE
GUN WAS PEPPERING THE MIDDLE PT AREA. BOATS
PRESSED HOME ATTACK IT LOOKS AS THOUGH AMMO WAS GOING OFF FROM FIRE.
GUN WAS SEEN TO BE FIRING WITH NO ONE THERE.
   "ACTION OF ALL THREE PTS IMMEDIATELY AFTER
LAUNCH WHEN THEY STOPPED AND MILLED AROUND CLOSE
ABOARD COMBINED TO INDICATE THIS WAS FIRST TIME
U.S. FLAG WAS POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED. NOT HAVING
SIGNAL LIGHTS CO THEN MADE INITIAL HOIST MEANING
NOT UNDER COMMAND.
GP-4
BT

Glossary | 14 June Messages | Message Tables | U.S. Messages page