217. Telegram From the Commander in Chief, Naval Forces, Europe (McCain), to the Commander in Chief, European Command (Lemnitzer)1

081903Z. Movements and position of Liberty.

A.
JCS CFWP JA3 sends DTG 011545Z Jun 672
B.
CINCUSNAVEUR 061357Z Jun 673
C.
COMSIXTHFLT 071503Z Jun 67 PASEP4
D.
JCS 7347 DTG 080110Z Jun 675
E.
CINCUSNAVEUR 080455Z Jun 67 PASEP
F.
USCINCEUR ECJC/JRC 09045 DTG 080625Z Jun 67 PASEP
G.
COMSIXTHFLT 080917Z Jun 67
H.
USS Liberty 021330Z Jun 67
1.
By Ref A JCS directed Liberty to proceed to posit 32–00N 33–00E.
2.
By Ref B CINCUSNAVEUR passed OPCON to COMSIXTHFLT. Movements of Liberty were still guided by Ref A.
3.
At 072350Z CINCUSNAVEUR duty officer received phone call from Major Breedlove, JRC Washington, directing that USS Liberty comply with new COMSIXTHFLT OP area restrictions delineated in last sentence paragraph two of Ref C and not to proceed closer than 100 miles to Israel, Syria or UAR. This was verbal directive with no DTG of message available. Necessary messages were then prepared.
4.
At 080140Z and prior to release of any messages, the USCINCEUR duty officer, Lt Col Wagner, was called and advised of JRC phone call. In view of no written directive at this time, he was requested to obtain DTG of message from JCS because a previous JCS directive was being modified.
5.
At 080325Z USCINCEUR duty officer, Lt Col Russell, was contacted to see what results had been achieved on previous phone call. He called JRC Washington and obtained Reference D, which modified Reference A. (i.e. JCS 011545Z) This was read to CINCUSNAVEUR duty officer.
6.
At 080410Z CINCUSNAVEUR established teletype conference with COMSIXTHFLT duty officer, CDR Slusser, and relayed Reference D, and told him “take FORAC 6 official message follows.”
7.
At 080455Z CINCUSNAVEUR sent immediate message to COMSIXTHFLT directing him to take Ref D FORAC.
8.
At 080914Z CINCUSNAVEUR received USCINCEUR msg, Reference F, directing CINCUSNAVEUR to take Ref D FORAC.
9.
At 080917Z COMSIXTHFLT sent a message, Ref G, directing Liberty to comply with Ref D and remain 100 miles from coasts UAR, Israel, Lebanon, and Syria. Liberty was also info addee on Ref D, sent at 080110Z which directed her to remain 100 miles from belligerent coasts.
10.
Am directing COMSIXTHFLT to investigate reason for non-receipt or non-compliance by Liberty to respond to two messages, Refs D and G directing her to proceed 100 miles from coast.7
11.
Liberty’s movement report Ref H (of Jun second) indicated she would arrive at position directed in Ref A (posit 32–00N 33–00E) at 080300Z.
  1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Middle East Crisis, Vol. V. Secret. The telegram does not indicate precedence, but another copy shows that it was sent Immediate. (National Security Agency Archives, Accession No. 45981, U.S.S. Liberty Correspondence and Messages, 1965–1968) Repeated to CNO, COMSIXTHFLT, CINCLANTFLT, and JCS.
  2. Document 118.
  3. References B, E, F, G, and H are tabs 30, 48, 49, 53, and 23 to the “Report of the JCS Fact Finding Team,” cited in footnote 2, Document 337.
  4. Document 192.
  5. Document 199.
  6. A handwritten note in the margin reads: “Forac means: For action.”
  7. The Liberty did not receive these messages. The reasons for the communications failure are discussed extensively in the “Report of the JCS Fact Finding Team,” cited in footnote 2, Document 337. See also Review of Department of Defense Worldwide Communications, Phase 1: Report of the Armed Services Investigating Subcommittee of the Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Ninety-second Congress, First Session, May 10, 1971 (Washington, 1971), and Chronology of Events, Naval Security Group File on U.S.S. Liberty in Naval Security Group Files, Box 702, CNSG Pre-76 Inactive Files 168, NAVSECGRU File or USS Liberty.