UNCLASSIFIED TRANSCRIPT OF TESTIMONY
Commander William L, McGonagle, U.S, Navy, took the stand as
a witness, was duly sworn, advised of his rights under Article 31,
Uniform Code of Military Justice and examined as follows:
DIRECT EXAMINATION
Questions by counsel for the court:
Q. Please state your name, rank, organization and present duty station.
A. Commander William L. McGonagle, U.S. Navy, Commanding Officer,
USS LIBERTY (AGTR-5).
Let the record show that although the witness is experiencing
considerable pain from shrapnel wounds in his leg, that he willingly
appeared at this hearing.
Q. Captain McGonagle, as you are well aware, this court of inquiry has
been convened to inquire into the circumstances attendant with the armed
attack on the U.S. naval vessel which you command, USS LIBERTY, which
occurred on 8 June 1967. Will you please describe to the court the
circumstances of that incident as you recall it?
A. At the time of the incident, LIBERTY was operating under the opera-
tional control of Commander, U. S. Sixth Fleet, The ship had arrived
in its assigned operating area on the morning of 8 June 1967 after having
departed from Rota, Spain on 2 June 1967. The ship was steaming in
international waters and was so at all times, A "condition of readiness
three, modified," was set. The "condition three, modified" watch consisted
of normal steaming watch, with the exception that one man was stationed
in the forward two .50 caliber machine guns, 51 and 52. Lookouts on the
bridge were designated to man machine guns 53 and 54 in the event of
surprise air or surface attack. Each machine gun had a box of ammunition
attached to the machine gun with a round up to but not in the chamber of
each mount.
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, It was also possible to see on the 8 to 12 watch in the morning
the coastline of the Sinai peninsula, Aircraft activity of an apparent
propeller patrol type flying at very low altitude and parallel to and over
the coast in the vicinity of El Arish was noted. It is estimated that the
