1003Z 14 June 1967 transmitted message text from
Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Naval Forces Europe to
Secretary of the Navy and
Chief of Naval Operations

FOR SECNAV AND CNO FROM MCCAIN
LIBERTY CHRONOLOGY EIGHT JUNE (U)

1. APPROACHING LAND FROM THE WEST DURING THE
EARLY MORNING HOURS OF 8 JUNE, PROJECTED
OPERATIONS OF LIBERTY FOR THE MORNING AND
AFTERNOON OF THE DAY WAS TO PROCEED TO A POINT
13 NAUTICAL MILES FROM THE COAST OF UAR AT
31-27.2N 34-00E (POINT ALPHA) THENCE TO 31-22.3N
33-42E (POINT BRAVO) THENCE TO 31-31N 33-00E,
(POINT CHARLIE) RETRACING THIS TRACK UNTIL NEW
ORDERS RECEIVED, SHIP WOULD OPERATE NORTH OF
THIS TRACK LINE AT ALL TIMES, IF FIXES COULD NOT BE
ACCURATELY OBTAINED AS POINT CHARLIE WAS
APPROACHED IT WAS INTENDED TO HEAD DUE NORTH
UNTIL THE 100 FATHOM CURVE WAS CROSSED AND THE
TRACK MOVED TO THE NORTH TO MORE OR LESS MOVE
BACK AND FORTH ON THE GENERAL AVERAGE OF THE
100 FATHOM CURVE. NORMAL STEAMING SPEED WAS
TO BE FIVE KNOTS. NORMAL STEAMING COLORS WERE
FLOWN AND NORMAL NAVIGATIONAL LIGHTS LIGHTED AT
NIGHT. THERE WAS NO INTENTION TO STEAM AT DARKEN
SHIP AT ANY TIME AND THE SHIP DID NOT EVEN
EXERCISE AT DARKEN SHIP DRILL DURING THE DEPLOYMENT.

2. ALL TIMES BRAVO UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED:
   0754 STEAMING ON 130T, SPD 10 KNOTS
   0849 PASSED THROUGH POINT ALPHA CHANGED CSE
        TO 253T
   0850 SINGLE JET A/C (UNIDENTIFIED) CROSSED
        ASTERN DISTANCE 3-5 MILES - CIRCLED SHIP
        FROM STBD TO PORT AND RETURN TO UAR
        MAINLAND. LOCATING TWO TRANSMITTED
        (LIBERTY 080742Z JUN).
   0905 DECREASED SPD TO 5 KNOTS
   1056 ANOTHER A/C CIRCLED SHIP-HIGH
   1126 ANOTHER A/C CIRCLED SHIP LOCATING THREE DRAFTED
        FOR TRANSMISSION AT 081022Z (BUT MAY NOT HAVE
        BEEN TRANSMITTED)
   1132 PASSED THROUGH POINT BRAVO C/C TO 283T
   1310 EXERCISED AT G.Q. DRILL
   1348 SECURED FROM G.Q. DRILL.
   1351 3 SMALL SURFACE CONTACTS HELD ON
        RADAR 32,000 YARDS BEARING 082T - REPORTED
        TO BRIDGE AS 3 SURFACE CONTACTS
   1353 RADAR REPORTS POSSIBLE A/C PASSING OVER
        SURFACE CONTACTS.
   1358 SINGLE A/C SIGHTED APPROACHING SHIP FROM
        135 DEG RELATIVE 5-6 MILES DISTANCE,
        ALTITUDE APPROXIMATELY 7000 FT. A/C
        PASSED DOWN TRACK OF SHIP
   1403 LOUD EXPLOSION - PORT SIDE AMIDSHIPS
   1405 SOUNDED GENERAL ALARM - LARGE FIRE IN
        VICINITY OF FRAME 85, 01 LEVEL WHERE
        FUEL FOR MOTOR DRIVEN FIRE PUMPS ARE
        LOCATED.
   1405 ALL AHEAD FLANK SIGNALLED BY ENGINE ORDER
        TELEGRAPH.
   1405-SHIP UNDER REPEATED AIR ATTACK WITH TWO
   1410 OR MORE A/C MAKING COORDINATED STRAFING,
        ROCKET, AND INCENDIARY RUNS OVER SHIP.
        THREE MAJOR FIRES TOPSIDE COVERING LARGE
        AREAS OF SHIP WITH FLAMES AND HEAVY
        SMOKE A TOTAL OF EIGHT MEN WERE KILLED
        OR DIED AS A RESULT OF INJURIES RECEIVED
        DURING THE AIR ATTACK, ONE KILLED AND
        ONE MORTALLY WOUNDED ON BRIDGE, TWO
        KILLED AT MACHINE GUN 51, ONE KILLED AT
        MACHINE GUN 52, ONE DIED FROM WOUNDS
        RECEIVED ON THE MAIN DECK STARBOARD SIDE,
        AND TWO DIED OF WOUNDS RECEIVED ON THE
        01 LEVEL PORT SIDE. APPROXIMATELY
        SEVENTY FIVE WOUNDED, INCLUDING
        COMMANDING OFFICER, THROUGHOUT TOPSIDE
        AREA FROM SHRAPNEL AND SHOCK
        OF EXPLODING ROCKETS.
   1419 BEGAN MAKING TURNS FOR 18 KNOTS.
   1425 THREE MTB'S SIGHTED ABAFT STARBOARD
        BEAM DISTANCE 4-5 MILES
   1426 NOTICED NORMAL STEAMING ENSIGN SHOT
        AWAY DURING AIR ATTACK. HOLIDAY SIZE
        ENSIGN HOISTED ON PORT YARDARM
   1428 MTB SIGNALLING BY FLASHING LIGHT FROM
        STBD QUARTER. LIGHT OBSCURED BY DENSE
        SMOKE FROM BURNING MOTOR WHALEBOAT.
   1430 ONE ROUND FIRED BY MACHINE GUN 51.
        C.O. ORDERED HOLD FIRE.
   1431 MACHINE GUN 53 OPENED FIRE. COMMANDING
        OFFICER SENT ENS LUCAS AROUND PORT SIDE
        OF BRIDGE TO GET MACHINE GUN 53 TO CEASE
        FIRING.
   1431 WORD PASSED TO STANDBY FOR TORPEDO
        ATTACK TO STARBOARD. MTB COMMENCED
        STRAFING STARBOARD SIDE OF SHIP.
   1434 TORPEDO PASSED 75 YARDS ASTERN OF SHIP.
   1435 TORPEDO HIT STARBOARD SIDE AMIDSHIPS.
        TWENTY SIX MEN DIED AS A RESULT OF THE
        TORPEDO HIT AND MTB STRAFING FIRE.
   1435 LOST ELECTRICAL POWER THROUGHOUT THE
        SHIP.
   1436 LOST STEAM PRESSURE - SECURED ENGINES AND
        BOILERS - MANY GUAGES AND METERS IN
        FIREROOM AND ENGINE ROOM WERE KNOCKED
        OUT. TORPEDO HIT IN RESEARCH COORDINATION
        CENTER WHERE APPROXIMATELY TWENTY MEN
        WERE AT G.Q. STATIONS. THESE SPACES
        FLOODED INSTANTLY AND MOST PERSONNEL
        IN THIS SPACE DIED OF EITHER BLAST OR
        DROWNING. NO SIGNS OF LIFE EMINATING
        FROM COORDINATION CENTER AND ADJACENT
        SPACES WHICH COULD NOT BE OPENED WITHOUT
        DANGER OF FLOODING OTHER SPACES.
   1440 MTB'S STANDING AWAY FROM THE SHIP. ONE
        MTB HAS HULL NUMBER 206-17.
   1503 ONE MTB RETURNED TO SHIP AND SIGNALLED

S E C R E T PART TWO OF TWO

        "DO YOU NEED HELP" IN ENGLISH. COMANDING
        OFFICER SIGNALLED "NEGATIVE."
   1505 MTB'S RETIRED TOWARD SHORE
   1507 HELICOPTER BEARING STAR OF DAVID
        MARKINGS APPROACHED SHIP, PORT SIDE,
        HOVERING AT ABOUT 500 YDS DISTANCE.
   1508 SECOND HELICOPTER APPROACHED SHIP.
        MARKINGS ON HELICOPTERS ARE 04 AND 08
        OR D4 AND D8. HELICOPTER MADE REPEATED
        PASSES AROUND AND OVER SHIP. THEY WERE
        NOT OBSERVED TO PICK UP ANY BODIES, PERSONS
        OR DEBRIS.
   1519 POWER RESTORED TO BRIDGE BUT RUDDER DID
        NOT ANSWER - CONTINUED STEERING FROM
        AFTER STEERING.
   1536 MTB'S APPROACHING SHIP STARBOARD SIDE 7-8
        MILES DISTANT. DURING NEXT HOUR AND A
        QUARTER THE MTB'S RETURNED TO THE SHIP
        SEVERAL TIMES AND BY 1713 THEY HAD RETIRED
        OUT OF SIGHT OVER THE HORIZON.
   1615 TWO UNIDENTIFIED JET A/C APPROACHED SHIP
        FROM THE STBD SIDE AND RECONNOITERED
        FROM A DISTANCE.
   1620 ATTEMPTING TO CLEAR AREA STEERING
        NORTHERLY COURSE AT SPEEDS VARYING FROM
        0 TO 8 KNOTS. PERSONNEL CASUALTIES WERE
        TREATED IN THE WARDROOM ON A CONTINUING
        BASIS, DAMAGE CONTROL AND FIRE FIGHTING
        CONTROLLED FLOODING AND DAMAGE, ENGINEERING
        CASUALTIES WERE RESTORED BUT STEERING WAS
        BY HAND FROM AFTER STEERING.
   1845 ISRAELI HELICOPTER APPROACHED SHIP -
        CIRCLED CLOSE ABOARD AND ATTEMPTED TO
        SIGNAL - THEY APPEARED TO DESIRE TO LOWER
        SOMEONE TO THE DECK - COMMANDING OFFICER
        CONSIDERED RECEIVING HIM ON FORECASTLE
        BUT RULED THIS OUT AS TO HAZZARDOUS,
        REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO COMMUNICATE WERE
        UNSUCCESSFUL. AND AT 1852 COPTER DROPPED
        A MESSAGE PACKET ON FORECASTLE, THE
        MESSAGE, WRITTEN ON A CALLING CARD OF
        THE U.S. NAVAL ATTACHE TEL AVIV, ASKED
        "HAVE YOU CASUALTIES" SHIP TRIED BY
        SEVERAL MEANS TO INDICATE, DURING NEXT
        TEN MINUTES THAT THERE WERE MANY
        CASUALTIES BUT THERE WAS NO INDICATION
        THAT THE MESSAGE WAS UNDERSTOOD,
        THE MUTILATED BODIES OF THREE DEAD
        CREW MEMBERS HAD NOT YET BEEN REMOVED
        FROM THE FORECASTLE AND MUST HAVE BEEN
        OBSERVED FROM THE HELICOPTER. THE
        HELICOPTER DEPARTED THE SHIP SHORTLY BEFORE
        SUNSET (ABOUT 1905) SHIP CONTINUED
        STEAMING THROUGH NIGHT TO RDVU WITH
        ESCORTS DISPATCHED BY COMSIXTHFLT.

3. FOREGOING CONSTITUTES DETAILED RECONSTRUCTION
FROM QM NOTEBOOK, CIC LOG, BELL BOOK AND BEST
RECOLLECTION OF COMMANDING OFFICER, CHIEF
ENGINEER, GUNNERY OFFICER AND BRIDGE PERSONNEL
ALL CONCUR.
GP-3
BT

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