Ahoy - Mac's Web Log

USS Liberty, a modified Victory ship  455 feet long with a 62 feet beam and drawing 22 feet of water, and 10,680 tons when fully loaded, had a crew of 294, arrived off the Gaza Strip on the 8th. of June in 1967, it was the fourth day of the Israeli-Arab Six Day War.

USS Liberty, attacked by Israeli aircraft and Motor Torpedo Boats
for 75 minutes on the 8th. of June 1967 in International waters
in the Mediterranean. 35 dead, 172 wounded.

The ship was in International waters about 12 miles off shore, steaming at only about 5 knots, she had an intelligence gathering role being crammed full of electronic equipment and had cost $40 million to fit out.

Right now, the ship was trying to collect information about Soviet forces stationed in this arena, then as of now, the United States was in an alliance with Israel. Liberty did not carry any offensive weaponry, she had fitted just 4 by .50 calibre machine guns for defence against piracy on the high seas.

The ship was flying a 5 feet by 8 feet United States flag some 100 feet above her bridge, that should have been very evident to any aircraft flying overhead, or to any surface craft near by.

The United States flag flown by USS Liberty at the time
she was attacked by Israeli forces, now displayed
at the Cryptologic Museum at Fort Meade Maryland.

Israeli aircraft and motor torpedo boats attack Liberty.
Shortly after 1400 ( 2 PM ) Liberty  was subjected to air attacks from Israeli Mirage and Mystere jet aircraft. Cannon fire straffed the ship from end to end, rockets were used and, finally these supposedly friendly aircraft dropped napalm cannisters on board the US ship.

All 45 of the ship's communication antennae were destroyed, no call for help could be made immediately. It took 10 minutes for a jury aerial to be rigged, and a message seeking assistance went out, Saratoga launched 4 strike aircraft to go to Liberty's aid, when in Washington DC, it was learned that the attackers were Israeli forces and not from Egypt, Robert McNamara, the then US Defence Secretary ordered Saratroga's aircraft to return to the ship, and no further rescue missions were to be flown.

At 1436, ( 2.36 PM ) Israeli Motor Torpedo Boats loosed off five torpedoes at Liberty, one punched a 40 foot hole in the ship's side and 25 crew members died. Lifeboats that were in the water as survivors prepared to abandon ship, were machine gunned. Somehow the ship was kept afloat and in these murderous attacks, 34 died and a further 172 were wounded.

USS Liberty, dry docked in Malta after being torpedoed
by an Israeli Motor Torpedo Boat on the 8th. of June 1967,
whilst in international waters off the Gaza strip. 25 died from this attack.

Israeli excuses.
Israeli sources later stated that their aircraft and MTB's were ordered to the location of USS Liberty as reports had been received that their forces were being shelled from the sea. They claimed they thought they were attacking an old Egyptian ship, El Quesir, this vessel looked nothing like Liberty, in either silhouette or size.

The proportions of USS Liberty and the ship that the Israeli's claim to have mistaken her for,
the Egyptian El Quesir. In fact there is a huge difference between their respective size.

Why would Israel attack the Liberty?
Was Israel up to something that they did not want the United States to know? We now know that mass graves were later found in the Sinai in about 1995, were Jewish forces liquidating Egyptians there at the time? Both CNN and Time Magazine have reported on this discovery.

Why did the US administration apparently cover up this disaster.
When USS Cole was attacked, US agents were quickly despatched off to Aden in an attempt to uncover the perpetrators, no such attempt to send off agents to Israel was ever made.

The Commanding Officer of Liberty who was a Commander at the time, was at a later date awarded the Congressional Medal. This top US award is usually bestowed at a high powered ceremony at the White House. When the former Commander of Liberty, now Captain William L. McGonagle USN, came to have his Congressional Medal of Honor presented, it was done much more quietly at the Washington Navy Yard. Apparently so as not to embarass Israel!

Captain William L. McGonagle USN. In command of USS Liberty when
attacked by Isreali aircraft and Motor Torpedo Boats on the 8th. of June 1967,
he was a Commander. Later awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Was the attack on Liberty accidental or deliberate?
All of Liberty's survivors are still convinced that the attack by Israeli air and sea forces were quite deliberate. This attack is still a matter of controversy, many influential  government officials in Washington DC, which include former Secretary of State Dean Rusk, and the former Joint Chief of Staff Chairman Admiral Thomas Moorer, have said it was no accident. There has been a book written by US Judge Cristol taking the Israeli side, on the other hand, a former officer in Liberty James M. Ennes, Jr. wrote a book " Assault on the Liberty" in which he graphically describes the attacks on his ship. He is in no doubt at all, for James Ennes this murderous attack back in 1967 was totally deliberate, the Israeli forces knew exactly the nationality of the ship they attacked.

Liberty managed to stagger into Malta several days after the 8th, of June assault on her, in the dockyard there, over 800 cannon holes were counted in her superstructure and hull. She had been through HELL, but somehow survived.

Israel pays compensation.
In all, the State of Israel paid the United States $12 million in compensation, the second half of which was paid in 1980, to ensure that further litigation ceased. Now in 2003 why is this outrage from 1967 still covered up? It is hard in 2003 to justify this outrageous act carried out by an Allied Nation in 1967, and why it happened. It is still all shrouded in secrecy. I am unable to answer my own question, but doubt we will ever learn the truth.

The Egyptian vessel El Quesir which Israel claimed they
believed they attacked on the 8th. of June 1967.