ENS. Lucas continued: "I had a clear view of mount 53 (the starboard
mount, which was firing) from, say, the waist level up, and there was no
one on mount 53, The flames from the motor whaleboat were coming over
the lip of the mount, I assume that the bullets that were in the gun, or bullets
that were in the ready service ammunition box, very near there, were cooking
off and firing." Apparently by accident, this gun was firing in the direction
of the attacking boats.
At this time, the PT's opened fire with their gun mounts, killing the
Quartermaster Brown at the helm, and in a matter of seconds one torpedo
was noted crossing astern of the ship at about 25 yards. The time was then
2:34. A. minute later, a second torpedo struck the ship on the starboard side,
immediately forward of the bridge and a few feet below the water line.
The torpedo explosion tore a hole in the side of the ship that extended
from a few feet above the water line to below the turn of the bilge. It was
shaped like a tear-drop, and was 39 feet across at its widest point. Its
immediate effect was to flood all compartments on two decks below the water
line, from frame 53 to frame 66. These frames support water-tight bulk-
heads, and mark the location of what was "number two hold" when LIBERTY
was a merchant cargo ship before her conversion for Navy use. LIBERTY
used the spaces for store rooms and her research department.
Twenty-five men died in the blast. Those few not killed outright
escaped from the compartments. The Court heard testimony from witnesses,
including a salvage expert, who stated that beyond a shadow of a doubt those
who died there were killed instantly by the blast. None could have survived,
trapped in the compartment, to die of suffocation or drowning.
The torpedo did not start a major fire, probably because of the
immediate flooding of the affected area. LIBERTY immediately took on a
nine-degree list to starboard. Power and steering control were lost
temporarily, and the ship came to a dead stop.
The three torpedo boats also stopped, less than a half mile astern of
the stricken ship. One signalled in English, "Do you need assistance?"
Commander McGonagle, not being able to signal by light, ordered a signal-
man to hoist the international flag signal for "not under command," meaning
that the ship was out of control.
Two or three minutes later, two helicopters bearing a Star of David
marking approached and circled the ship several times. At 3:19, power
was restored, but steering control could not be regained from the bridge.
It was necessary to give rudder orders by telephone to men in the "after
steering" compartment, and for some time they operated the ship's heavy
rudder by hand. The helicopters departed, returned, and departed again,
and a pair of jet aircraft circled the ship, but there were no further attacks.
