THE ISRAELI ATTACK ON THE USS LIBERTY

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 01218180
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 15
• Document Creation Date: March 16, 2022
• Document Release Date: June 15, 2016
• Case Number: F-2016-01357
• Publication Date: June 13, 1967

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It is to be seen only by ITS nersonnel esnecially indoctrinated
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No action is to be taken on any
hich may be contained herein, regardless of the advantages
to be gained, unless such action is first approved by the Director
of Central Intelligence.
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DIRECTORATE OF
INTELLIGENCE
Intelligence Memorandum
The Israeli Attack on the USS Liberty
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13 June 1967
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WARNING
This document contains classified information affecting the national security
of the United States within the meaning of the espionage laws, US Code
Title 18, Sections 793, 794, and 798.
It is to be seen only by US personnel especially indoctrinated and authorized
tn rerpive
No action is to be taken on any
which may be contained herein, regardless of the advantages to be gained,
unless, such action is first approved by the Director of Central Intelligence.
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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
Directorate of Intelligence
13 June 1967
INTELLIGENCE MEMORANDUM
The Israeli Attack on the USS Liberty
The US Naval technical research ship Liberty
was attacked by Israeli aircraft and torpedo boats
off the Sinai Peninsula on 8 June. The following
account of the circumstances of the attack has been
compiled from all available sources.
1. The Liberty reported at 9:50 a.m. (2:50 a.m.
Washington time) on 8 June that it had been orbited
by two delta-wing jet fighters, presumably Israeli
Mirages...1-2kt 3:05 p.m. (8:05 a.m.) the Liberty was
strafed by unidentified jet aircraft. The Liberty
apparently was not able to establish communications
with other units of the US Sixth Fleet during the
air attack, and the first information available
to the US commanders was after the subsequent attack
by unidentified torpedo boats, which occurred at 3:25
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2. At 4:11 p.m. (9:11 a.m.) the US Commander
in Chief, Europe, notified the National Military Com-
mand Center in Washington that the Liberty was under
attack and was listing to starboard after being struck
by a torpedo. The Commander of the US Sixth Fleet de-
clared the attacking units hostile and sent attack air-
craft from the carriers erica "and Saratoga to-protect the
Liberty. A good part of the ship's communications equip-
ment was destroyed by the crew during the attack but
emergency communications were soon established with the
Saratoga and with the naval communications station in
Greece.iBecause of the tenseness of the situation and
the communications delays, the initial reports from the
Liberty were sketchy and somewhat confusing.
Specifics of the Attack
3. According to these reports, however, the sequence
of events took place as follows. The ship was attacked
at 3:05 p.m. (8:05 a.m.) by unidentified jet fighters, be-
lieved to be Israeli, at position 31-35N, 33-29E. Six
strafing runs were made by the jets. Twenty minutes
later three torpedo boats closed at high speed and two
of them launched torpedoes after first circling the
Liberty. One torpedo passed astern, and the other struck
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the starboard side of the ship in the spaces occupied
by the SIGINT collectors. One of the boats was later
identified as Israeli and the hull number of one unit
was noted as 206-T. Some 50 minutes later two Israeli
helicopters arrived on the scene,i-
Israeli Identification of the Ship
4. None of the communications of the attacking air-
craft and torpedo boats is available, but the intercepted
conversations between the helicopter pilots and the
control tower at Hatzor (near Tel Aviv) leave little
doubt that the Israelis failed to identify the
Liberty as a US ship before or during the attack.
Control told (helicopter) 815 at 3:31 p.m. (8:31 a.m.)
that "there is a warship there which we attacked. The
men jumped into the water from it. You will try to
rescue them."--Although there were other references
to a search for the men in the water and although US
units later searched the area, no survivors were re-
covered from the sea, nor were there any indications
that any of the 22 missing personnel from the Liberty
had been lost overboard.
5. A subsequent message from the control tower
to the helicopter identified the ship as Egyptian
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and told the pilot to return home. Although the
Liberty is some 200 feet longer than the Egyptian
transport El Quesir, it could easily be mistaken for
the latter vessel by an overzealous pilot. Both
ships have similar hulls and arrangements of masts
and stack.JL
6. The weather was clear in the area of attack,
the Liberty's hull number (GTR 5) was prominently displayed,
and an American flag was flying. The 'helicopter pilot
was then urgently requested to identify the survivors
as Eygptian or English speaking (this being the first
indication that the Israelis suspected they may have
attacked a neutral ship). The helicopter pilot re-
ported seeing an American flag on the Liberty. In
another intercept between an unidentified Israeli con-
troller and the helicopter number 815, the pilot re-
ported that number GTR 5 was written on the ship's
side. The controller told the pilot the number had
no significance...1
7. Thus it was not until 4:12 p.m. (9:12 a.m.)
that the Israelis became convinced that the Liberty
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was American. This was about 44 minutes after the
last attack on the ship and the attack had apparently
been called off, not because the ship had been identi-
fied, but because it seemed to be sinking. (The US
Defense Attache in Tel Aviv reports that Israeli heli-
copters and the three torpedo boats searched the area
until 6:04 p.m. (11:04 a.m.).JiThe Israeli offer of
assistance was declined because of the sensitive mis-
sion of the ship. According to US Navy reports, the
ship was saved only through the efforts of her crew4i-
Damage and Personnel Losses
8. The ship suffered heavy material and per-
sonnel casualties. A hole estimated to be 39 feet
wide at the bottom and 24 feet wide at the top near
the waterline was opened by a torpedo. The ship is
flooded below the second deck between frames 52
and 78 (36-inch frame spacing) il.Q-The crew carried
out emergency destruction of classified communica-
tions and radar equipment, but the ship's engineer-
ing plant is intact. Several flash fires and cannon
holes ,throughout the superstructure caused some
minor damage, and the ship's motor whale boat and
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virtually all of its life rafts were lost. Person-
nel casualties include 10 killed, 90 wounded, and
22 missing, most of whom were probably trapped in
the flooded compartments. The wounded and the
dead have been removed from the ship and some addi-
tional crew members put aboard 34 The ship is ex-
pected to arrive in Malta on 14 June for dry dock-
ing and hull repairs. Security precautions are be-
ing taken to protect the classified intercept equip-
ment in the flooded spaces. The US Navy has con-
vened a board of inquiry to look into the incident.
The Ship and Its Orders
9. The USS Liberty is a converted Victory class
merchant ship utilized as a SIGINT collector. The
unit had moved from its normal station off West
Africa to provide additional SIGINT coverage of the
Middle East crisisJ�Z Official US statements, however,
have described the Liberty as an electronics research
ship which had been diverted to the crisis area to
act as a radio relay station for US embassies..11
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10. The Liberty sailed from Rota, Spain, on 2
June under orders to patrol no closer than 12.5 miles
of the UAR coast and 6.5 miles of the Israeli coast.
A modification of orders issued by the commander of
the US Sixth Fleet at 12:17 p.m. (5:17 a.m.) on 8 June
had not been received aboard the Liberty, according
to the ship's commanding officer, before the Israeli
attack. This change, together with messages from
other commands which ordered the Liberty to approach
no closer than 100 miles of the coasts of the UAR
and Israel and 25 miles of the coast of Cyprus, was
delayed in transmission in part because of a misunder-
standing of responsibilities for delivery.Li
11. At annex is a listing of events in chrono-
logical order.
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CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS
(Stated times are local; Washington times in parentheses)
2 June 1967
8 June 2:50 a.m.
(7 June 7:50 p.m.)
8 June 9:50 a.m.
(2:50 a.m.)
8 June 12:17 p.m.
(5:17 a.m.)
8 June 3:05 p.m.
(8:05 a.m.)
8 June 3:25 p.m.
(8:25 a.m.)
8 June 3:27 p.m.
(8:27 a.m.)
8 June 3:28 p.m.
(8:28 a.m.)
8 June 3:30 p.M.
(8:30 a.m.)
Liberty departed Rota, Spain en route to
position 32-00N, 33-00E, to remain 12.5
miles from Egyptian coast and 6.5 miles
from Israeli coast. 12
CINCUSNAVEUR Duty Officer received phone
instructions from Joint Reconnaissance
Center directing Liberty to comply with
COMSIXTHFLEET 100-mile operating area
restriction. 15
Liberty was orbited by two unidentified
delta wing single engine jet fighters, pre-
sumably Israeli Mirages.lE
COMSIXTHFLEET orders Liberty at least 100
miles away from coast of UAR and Israel and
25 miles from Cyprus. This message appa-
rently not received by Liberty prior to
Israeli attack.17
Liberty attacked by unidentified jet fight-
ers which made six strafing runs. Ship at
position 31-35.5N 33-29.0E (25 miles north-
east of nearest land).17
Three torpedo boats, one identified as
Israeli, approach ship. One boat bore
number 206-T. 18
Liberty fires at torpedo boat at range of
2,000 yards. 11
Ship hit by torpedo. Torpedo boats cleared
to east about five miles.21
COMSIXTHFLEET reports Liberty hit by torpedo
at position 31-23N, 33-25E. Three unidenti-
fied gunboats approaching.12
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8 June 3:31 p.m.
(8:31 a.m.)
8 June 3:34 p.m.
(8:34 a.m.)
8 June 3:39 p.m.
(8:39 a.m.)
8 June 3:50 p.m.
(8:50 a.m.)
8 June 3:52 p.m.
(8:52 a.m.)
8 June 3:55 p.m.
(8r55 a.m.)
8 June 3:55 p.m.
(8:55 a.m.)
8 June 3:59 p.m.
(8:59 a.m.)
8 June 3:59 p.m.
(8:59 a.m.)
8 June 4:02 p.m.
(9:02 a.m..)
8 June 4:07 p.m.
(9:07 a.m.)
Hatzor air control (near Tel Aviv) told heli-
copters (two) to try to rescue men who had
jumped into theater from "warship which we
attacked." 20
Israeli helicopter identified ship as "def-
initely Egyptian." Helicopters ordered back
to base. AIL
Hatzor control told helicopter to rescue
men
COMSIXTHFLEET orders carriers to provide
air cover for Liberty.
Liberty reported under attack to
COMSIXTHFLEETal
Liberty reported hit by torpedo star-
board side (National Security Agency
(NSA) follow-up to Critic, probably a
delayed report)22
Two Israeli helicopters orbited ship at
range of 500 yards. Israeli torpedo
boats offered assistance which was re-
fused. 23
Liberty still under air attack (NSA,
follow-up to Critic)
Hatzor control told helieopter to clarify gle
nationality of the first man he brings upel
Helicopter reports (to Hatzor) a big
ship and three small ships about a mile
from the helicopter. (This places the
torpedo boats about eight miles from
Liberty.) 2.
Hatzor told helicopters if men were Egypt-
ians to take them to El Arish; if they
spoke English and we not Egyptians, to
take them to Lydda. �=1
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8 June 4:10 p.m.
(9:10 a.m.)
8 June 4:10 p.m.
(9:10 a.m.)
8 June 4:12 p.m.
(9:12 a.m.)
8 June 4:16 p.m.
(9:16 a.m.)
8 June 5:14 p.m.
(10:14 a.m.)
8 June 6:04 p.m.
(11:04 a.m.)
Hatzor told helicopter again to clarify
nationality. (It appears from the obvious
importance of this question that the Is-
raelis suspected they may have hit an
American or British and not an Egyptian
ship.)-21
Hull number of Liberty seen by Israeli
helicopter pilot who did not recognize
significance.-4a
Hatzor asked helicopter, "Did it clearly
signal an American flag?" and later re-
quested helicopter to make another pass
and check again whether it was really
an American flag. -2.15-
Hatzor orders helicopters to return to
El Arish.-2-6-
Tel Aviv reports Israeli aircraft and'
patrol boats attacked ship at 3:00 p.m.
(8:00 a.m.) at position 31-25N, 33-33E.
Suspecting a US ship, Israel rendering
assistance and expresses deep regret.-22-
The US Defense Attache in Tel Aviv re-
ports that Israeli helicopters and
the three torpedo boats searched the
area until 6:04 p.m. (11:04 a.m.). The
Israeli offer of assistance was declined
becau52 of the sensitive mission of the
COMSIXTHFLEET then recalled the aircraft
launched from the carriers America and
Saratoga and sent two destroyers to as-
sist Liberty. Liberty proceeding north-
west at eight knots. 49
There was no further contact between
Liberty and Israeli forces. Two Soviet
ships have trailed the Liberty, which
proceeds under escort to Malta.
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