Page:DoD USS Liberty Inquiry Press Release 28 Jun 1967.djvu/28

 18.

11135 LOST ELECTRICAL POWER THROUGHOUT THE SHIP.

1A36 LOST STEAM PRESSURE -- SECURED ENGINES AND BOILERS —- MANY GAUGES AND

METERS IN FIREROOM AND ENGINE ROOM WERE KNOCKED OUT.

1AA¢ MTB‘S STANDING AWAY FROM THE SHIP, ONE MTB HAS HULL NUMBER 206-17.

15¢3 ONE MTB RETURNED TO SHIP AND SIGNALLED "DO YOU NEED HELP" IN ENGLISH C.o. SIGNALLED "NEGATIVE"

15¢5 MTB'S RETIRED TOWARD SHORE -

15¢? HELICOPTER BEARING STAR OF DAVID MARKINGS APPROACHED SHIP, PORT SIDE, HOVERING AT ABOUT 5¢¢ YDS DISTANCE.

15¢8 SECOND HELICOPTER APPROACHED SHIP.

MARKINGS ON HELICOPTERS ARE CA and CB OR DA and D8. HELICOPTER MADE REPEATED

PASSED 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 AND BY 1713 THEY

HAD RETIRED OUT OF SIGHT OVER THE HORIZON.

I615 TWO UNIDENTIFIED JET A/c APPROACHED SHIP FROM THE STEB SIDE AND

RECONNOITERED FROM A DISTANCE,

162¢ ATTEMPTING To CLEAR AREA STEERING NORTHERLY COURSE AT SPEEDS VARYING

FROM ¢ 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.

18A5 ISRAELI HELICOPTER APPROACHED SHIP -— CIRCLED CLOSE ABOARD AND ATTEMPTED

TO SIGNAL -- THEY APPEARED TO DESIRE To LOWER SOMEONE To THE DECK -- C.O.

CONSIDERED RECEIVING HIM ON FORECASTLE BUT RULED THIS OUT As TOO HAZARDOUS

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 19¢5) 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 CO/CHIEF ENGR/GUN’ /BRIDGE PERSONNEL. ALL CONCUR

Counsel for the Court: Captain, do you haVe with you today your readiness file and your gunnery procedures?

A. Yes sir, I have.

Counsel for the Court: Captain, do you havé with you information as to the number of bullet marks on USS LIBERTY as a result of the attack on 8 June 1967? Rh