to the 01 level, cross over to the port side, and there release the gasoline
cans. Lieutenant O'Connor, (LT James G. O'Connor, USNR, of Norfolk,
Va.) was still on the bridge and he joined the Executive Officer and both
proceeded to the starboard wing of the bridge, 03 level. Approximately
the time they reached the top of the ladder to proceed down, the ship
received an apparent bomb hit in the vicinity of the whaleboat stowed on the
02 level, starboard side, immediately aft of the bridge. Mr. Armstrong,
Mr. O'Connor, and others in the bridge area were thrown back into the
bridge and other personnel in the pilothouse were blown from their feet.
At this time, I grabbed the engine order annunciator and rang up all ahead . . .
flank . . . (this is an order for maximum speed) . . . At this time I ordered
a person, who I believe to have been LT Bennett, (LT Maurice H. Bennett
of Pittsburgh, Pa.) to report to CNO (Chief of Naval Operations) via the
hicom (high command radio circuit) that LIBERTY was under attack by
unidentified jet aircraft and that immediate assistance was required."
For the next five or six minutes, aircraft made criss-cross attacks
on the ships, hitting her with rockets and machine gun fire. A later count
entered into the Court's record, showed 821 separate hits on the ship's hull
and superstructure.
Testimony failed to establish an exact number of aircraft involved in
the attack. The Court's findings state: "In five or six attacks, from various
angles, two or more jet aircraft at a time conducted strafing, rocket, and
incendiary attacks."
During this period, the ship gradually built up speed from five knots.
Her exact speed during the subsequent minutes -- until she lost all power
at about 2:36 -- is not known. Her maximum speed is 18 knots, but it is
doubtful that she exceeded 11 or 12 while under attack.
The ship's public address system and many of her internal communi-
cation circuits were destroyed by the air attack. The helmsman was
seriously injured by the bomb hit on the starboard side. He was immediately
replaced by Quartermaster Third Class Francis Brown, of Troy, N.Y.,
who later was killed. A few moments later, while on the starboard bridge
wing, Commander McGonagle received a serious leg wound from shrapnel.
"I was not knocked off my feet. I was only shaken up and it made me dance
around a little bit, but my injuries did not appear to me to be of any
consequence," he told the court of inquiry. "I noticed slight burns on my
starboard forearm and I noticed blood oozing on my right trouser leg.
Since I could walk and there was no apparent pain, I gave no further con-
sideration to these minor injuries."
At about 2:24, look-outs sighted three high speed boats approaching
the ship from the northeast (from the ship's starboard quarter, relative
