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PRE-ATTACK RECONNAISSANCE
TESTIMONY
[Scott] Yes sir. On the morning of the 8th, I had the 4
to 8 Officer of the Deck watch on the bridge. It was a
routine watch. The only thing out of the ordinary was we
had one reconnaissance plane that flew by us and made a
few circles off our port beam. He circled around about
three or four times, then took off.
Q. About what time?
[Scott] About 0515, I was not able to identify the
aircraft. We looked at it with the binoculars. Due to
the distance we could not see any markings or insignia of
any sort on it.
President: That was local time, Mr. SCOTT?
[Scott] Yes sir. The plane circled around several times
then took off in a true direction towards Tel Aviv. About
30 minutes later I got a call from coordination, sir, and
Chief CT SMITH was on the phone; wanted to know if I had
an air contact that was fairly close in the last half
hour. I told him I did and he wanted to know which
direction it went after it left the vicinity of the ship.
I told him, "Tel Aviv." He said, "Fine, that's all I want
to know." I did manage to take four pictures of the
aircraft with the camera on the bridge. I didn't know what
type it was. It was a double fuselage, twin-engine type.
It looked somewhat like an old P-38 or a small flying
boxcar. That's about the only significant thing that
happened on the 4 to 8.
0850 [LOG] 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).
[McGonagle] During the 0800 to 1200 watch on the morning
of 8 June at about 1030, a flight of two unidentified jet
aircraft orbited the ship at about 10,000 feet three times
at a distance of approximately two miles. It was not
possible to identify any insignia on the aircraft and
their identity remains unknown. A locating two report was
submitted on this sighting. It is not known at this time
whether the sighting report was transmitted from the ship
or not. Records are not accessible at the time.
1056 [LOG] ANOTHER A/C CIRCLED SHIP-HIGH
[McGonagle] At about 1056 in the morning of 8 June, an
aircraft similar to an American flying boxcar crossed
astern of the ship at a distance of about three to five
miles. The plane circled the ship around the starboard
side, proceeded forward of the ship and headed back toward
the Sinai peninsula. A locating three report was
submitted. It is not known if this report was transmitted.
1126 [LOG] ANOTHER A/C CIRCLED SHIP LOCATING THREE DRAFTED
FOR TRANSMISSION AT 081022Z (BUT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN
TRANSMITTED)
[McGonagle] This aircraft continued to return in a
somewhat similar fashion approximately at 30 minute
intervals. It was not possible to see any markings on the
aircraft and the identity of this Aircraft remains
unknown. This aircraft did not approach the ship in any
provocative manner. It made no attempt to signal the
ship. The ship made no attempt to signal the aircraft.
[O'Malley] Yes sir. I had the con on the 12 to 1600
watch. From 1220 to 1230 is when an Israeli twin-engine
plane, well we didn't know it was Israeli, just a
twin-engine plane very similar to a flying boxcar, circled
us once in a long eliptical circle and they drew near. We
found out on questioning, after they went away, Mr. ENNIS
said the plane had come out almost periodically every 20
to 40 minutes, and would make one pass in a high circle
and head back to land.
[Golden] Yes sir. At approximately 1145, I completed
eating lunch, and went to the 01 level forward to sunbathe
along with the Captain and some of the other officers. I
have a lounge chair, most of us do have; while laying on
my back sunbathing, I noticed a plane flying over. I dozed
off, and approximately 25 minutes or so later on, I woke
up and saw a plane circling again coming from the port
beam, crossing the ship. While watching it, I glanced up
and noticed it just crossing over the stack area, and I
noticed a small amount of smoke coming out of my stack,
and also the flag was flying.
[Watson] Then after lunch we went out on the 01 level
forward and most of the officers were around there
sunbathing immediately preceding 1300. At approximately
1245, an aircraft flew over approximately 5,000 to 8,000
feet, and his line of flight took it over the radar mast,
and I was watching it and made a comment about it that it
looked like a C119 flying boxcar.
FINDINGS:
18. Pre-attack overflights of LIBERTY: (First air attack
occurred at 1403 local) Unidentified aircraft circled
LIBERTY at: 0850 ( 5 hours 13 minutes prior to attack)
(080742Z refers) 1056 ( 3 hours 7 minutes prior to
attack) 1126 ( 2 hours 37 minutes prior to attack) 081022Z
refers
Hull markings were clean and freshly painted - ensign was
flying from forwmast halyard.
22. Groups of up to two and three jet and propeller
aircraft begin coming out from shore and circling ship at
altitudes ranging from 500 up to several thousand feet at
about eight hundred local on day of attack. Planes in
question were otherwise active over El Arish on Sinai
north coast which was plainly visible from the ship some
sixteen miles off shore.
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