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2228Z 31
May 1967 transmitted message text from
Chief of Naval Information to
Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Naval Forces Europe and
Commander, Sixth Fleet and others
P 312228Z MAY 67
FM CHINFO
TO CINCUSNAVEUR
COMSIXTHFLT
COMMIDEASTFOR
CINCLANTFLT
CTG SIX ZERO PT ONE
CTG SIX ZERO PT TWO
CTG SIX ONE PT SEVEN
BT
UNCLAS
SIXTH FLEET HEADLINE REPORT 31 MAY 67 IS FIRST OF DAILY SUMMARIES
OF NEWS RELATING TO MID-EAST CRISIS AND IS PREPARED FOR
PURPOSE OF PROVIDING COMMANDERS WITH KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT THE NEWS MEDIA
ARE SAYING AND HOW IT IS BEING USED. COMMENTS WILL BE
APPRECIATED.
1. AP AND UPI THIS AFTERNOON REPORT THAT INTREPID WILL PASS THROUGH
SUEZ CANAL TONIGHT, ACCORDING TO A DEFENSE SPOKESMAN. UPI SAYS
STATE DEPARTMENT HAS REFUSED COMMENT ON REPORT THAT INTREPID MIGHT
BE USED TO CHALLENGE THE BLOCKADE OF AQABA. FULL REPORTS SAY SHE IS
HEADED FOR THE WESTERN PACIFIC.
2. MOST NEWSPAPERS, RADIO AND TELEVISION TODAY ATTRIBUTE TO VADM
MARTIN AN INDIRECT QUOTATION THAT U.S. INTENDS TO KEEP INTERNATIONAL
SEA LANES OPEN AND HAS WHAT HE CALLED OPEN-ENDED MILITARY OPTIONS TO
ACHIEVE THAT MISSION. HE IS FURTHER REPORTED AS SAYING THAT HIS
CARRIER STRIKE FORCE IS MANEUVERING A FEW MILES OFF NORTHERN CRETE
AWAITING INSTRUCTIONS FROM WASH., AND MOVEMENT OF SOVIET SHIPS IN
AREA IS AGGRAVATING BUT NOT CLASSIFIED AS HARASSMENT.
3. AN AP STORY ON AN INTERVIEW WITH RADM GEIS WAS WIDELY REPORTED
IN MOST NEWSPAPERS TODAY. HE IS QUOTED AS SAYING SOVIET SHIPS HAD
POSED NO PROBLEMS, BUT ACKNOWLEDGED SITUATION HAD "POTENTIAL
HAZARDS". HE IS FURTHER QUOTED AS SAYING, "WE ARE OUT HERE BECAUSE
OF HEIGHTENED TENSIONS IN EASTERN MED. WE WILL DO WHATEVER
WE ARE DIRECTED TO DO BY THE PRESIDENT AND THAT INCLUDES A WHOLE
RANGE OF OPTIONS."
4. NEIL SHEEHAN, NEW YORK TIMES, REPORTING FROM AMERICA TODAY
WRITES ABOUT CARRIER BEING SHADOWED BY SOVIET SHIPS. HE SAYS
SOVIET DE
[destroyer
escort]CAME WITHIN 700 YARDS OF AMERICA 28 MAY.
5. MOST NEWS MEDIA YESTERDAY AND TODAY REPORTED ISTANBUL SOURCES
AS SAYING SOVIETS HAVE INFORMED THEM THAT 10 SOVIET WARSHIPS WILL
PASS THROUGH BOSPHORUS EARLY JUNE. ACCORDING TO THE REPORT, FIVE
OF THESE SHIPS ARE MAJOR WARSHIPS, WHILE THE OTHERS ARE ACCOMPANYING
DD'S AND PATROL CRAFT. SOME REPORTS INDICATE A NAVAL CONFRONTATION B
ETWEEN SOVIET AND WEST SEEMS TO BE SHAPING UP IN MED.
6. TIME, U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT, AND NEWSWEEK ALL CONTAIN
EXTENSIVE ARTICLES THIS WEEK ON MIDEAST CRISIS. SIXTHFLT IS
PROMINENTLY MENTIONED IN ALL THESE ARTICLES. U.S. NEWS AND WORLD
REPORT QUOTES VADM MARTIN AS SAYING THAT A SOVIET NAVAL BUILDUP
IN THE MED HAS REACHED A POINT WHERE IT IS SIGNIFICANT THREAT
AIMED DIRECTLY AT U.S. FLEET.
7. AP 30 MAY QUOTED EGYPTIAN NEWSPAPER AL AHCAV[?] AS SAYING AN
EGYPTIAN PATROL BOAT FIRED A WARNING SHOT 29 MAY TO TURN BACK AN
AMERICAN-OWNED TANKER ATTEMPTING TO ENTER THE BLOCKADED GULF OF
AQABA. STATE DEPARTMENT WAS QUOTED AS SAYING NO U.S. OWNED
TANKERS WERE IN THE AREA WHERE THE ALLEGED FIRING OCCURRED.
8. EDITORIAL IN 29 MAY NEW YORK TIMES CHARGES SIXTHFLT HAS
DEFINITE LIMITATIONS. THE ITEM SAYS THERE ARE NO MINESWEEPERS
SOUTH OF SUEZ AND THERE IS NO AMPHIBIOUS CAPABILITY OR TROOP
TRANSPORTATION THERE. ARTICLE CONTINUES TO SAY THE FLEET HAS
SHORTAGES IN PLANES, PILOTS, SPARE PARTS AND OTHER ITEMS WHICH
WOULD MAKE THEMSELVES FELT IN ANY PROTRACTED FIGHTING.
9. AP 29 MAY REPORTED THAT 15-20 SOVIET SHIPS ARE SAILING THE
EASTERN MED AND DEFENSE SOURCES SAY THEY COULD PARTICIPATE IN
THE WORSENING MIDEAST SITUATION. AT PRESENT, THE STORY SAID,
SOVIET NAVAL FORCE IS APPARENTLY DOING LITTLE MORE THAN KEEPING
TRACK OF SIXTHFLT.
10. MOST MEDIA REPORTED 26 MAY THAT SIXTHFLT AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT
TASK FORCE OF 2,000 MARINES LEFT NAPLES 25 MAY. CAPT WHITENY IS
QUOTED AS SAYING HE INTENDED TO CARRY OUT PREVIOUSLY PLANNED
EXERCISES. WASHINGTON POST SAME DATE SAID U.S. WARSHIPS IN MED
AND RED SEA WERE CONVERGING ON THE MIDEAST DISCARDING BUSINESS
AS USUAL DEPLOYMENT. REPORT SAID INTREPID HAD BEEN ORDERED TO
STAY IN MED.
11. HANSON BALDWIN, NEW YORK TIMES, REPORTED 25 MAY THAT SIXTHFLT
IS UNDER STRENGTH IN PLANES AND PILOTS, AND THAT IN ANY PROTRACTED
MAJOR SHOOTING WAR, IT WOULD SOON SUFFER FOR LACK OF GROUND
FORCES, REPLACEMENT AIRCRAFT, PILOTS, AMMUNITION AND IN GENERAL
SINEWS[?] OF COMBAT.
12. GEORGE WILSON, WASHINGTON POST, 25 MAY, SAID SIXTHFLT WAS
KEEPING ITS DISTANCE FROM THE MIDEAST CRISIS AREA. NAVY OFFICIALS
WERE QUOTED AS SAYING THE FLEET WAS UNDER ORDERS TO GIVE EGYPT AND
ISRAEL A WIDE BERTH. SEVERAL PAPERS SAME DATE REPORTED ON
COMPOSITION AND LOCATION OF MIDEASTFORCE.
13. MOST MEDIA 24-25 MAY REPORTED IN DETAIL ON MAKEUP AND MISSION
OF SIXTHFLT.
BT
Message subject lineage: 021021Z JUN 67
COMSIXTHFLT
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