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0016Z 15 June 1967 transmitted message text from
Commander, Destroyer Squardon Twelve to
Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Naval Forces Europe

O 150016Z JUN 67
FM COMDESRON ONE TWO
TO CINCUSNAVEUR
BT
S E C R E T
FOR ADMIRAL MCCAIN FROM KIDD. DELIVER AT BRAKFAST
1. REF TELECON, YOUR 141740Z NOT RCVD AS OF 142355Z; HOWEVER
REQUESTED 8 JUNE CHROMOLOGY FOLLOWS:
   A. 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 PASSSED 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 - REJUHED TO BRIDGE AS 3 SURFACE CONTACT
   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 - 1410 SHIP UNDER REPEATED AIR ATTACK WITH TWO OR
   MORE A/C MAKING COORDINATED STAFING, 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 A
   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.
   1424 3 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. C.O. 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 "DO YOU NEED HELP"
   IN ENGLISH C.O. SIGNALLED "NEGATIVE"
   1505 MTB'S RETIRED TOWARD SHORE
   1507 HELICOPTER BEARING STAR OF DAVIS 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 - C.O. 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 CO/CHIEF ENGR/
GUN OFF/BRIDGE PERSONNEL. ALL CONCUR.
GP-3
BT

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