Flashback: Israel Once Attacked US Navy Ship Killing 34 Americans and Injuring 171 Others
- In June 1967, during the height of the Six-Day War, the US Navy ship was attacked by Israeli forces in international waters off the Sinai Peninsula
- The assault left 34 American servicemen and civilian analysts dead, with 171 more wounded, marking one of the darkest incidents in US naval history
- Decades later, the event remains shrouded in controversy, with questions still raised over whether the strike was a tragic mistake or a deliberate act
On June 8, 1967, in the midst of the Six-Day War, Israeli forces launched a devastating assault on a United States Navy signals intelligence ship.
The attack, carried out in international waters off the Sinai Peninsula, killed 34 American servicemen and civilian analysts and left 171 others wounded.
Source: Getty Images
According to Britannica, The US Liberty ship was clearly marked, flying the American flag and bearing its hull number, GTR-5, at both bow and stern. Despite this, Israeli fighter jets and torpedo boats struck the vessel with cannons, napalm, and torpedoes, leaving the ship ablaze and heavily damaged.
The Liberty’s mission and background
The USS Liberty began life as the SS Simmons Victory, an armed merchant steamer launched in the final months of World War II.
After the war, its deck guns were removed, and it served as a civilian cargo ship until 1958. In 1963, the U.S. Navy acquired and renamed it the USS Liberty.
By late May 1967, the National Security Agency (NSA) deployed the vessel to the eastern Mediterranean to monitor radio communications from Arab nations during rising tensions with Israel.
Equipped with dozens of antennas, the Liberty’s mission was strictly intelligence gathering. Importantly, it was not tasked with monitoring Israeli transmissions.
Six-Day War context
The Six-Day War erupted on June 5, 1967, when Israel launched pre-emptive air strikes against Egypt, Syria, and Jordan.
Israel quickly gained air superiority, destroying Egypt’s air force on the ground. The United States remained neutral throughout the conflict.
Six-Day War: Attack on June 8, 1967
On June 8, the Liberty was sailing in international waters off the Sinai Peninsula. Israeli reconnaissance planes flew overhead that morning, with the ship clearly marked by its American flag and hull number, GTR-5.
At 3:05 pm, Israeli Mirage fighter-bombers strafed the Liberty with 30-mm cannons, destroying its limited defences and communication equipment. Soon after, Super Mystère jets dropped napalm, setting much of the vessel ablaze.
By 3:20 pm, three Israeli torpedo boats joined the assault, firing on the ship and launching torpedoes. One strike alone killed 25 men. The attack continued until 4:30 pm, when Israel reportedly realised the vessel was American.
In total, 34 crew members and civilian analysts were killed, while 171 were wounded, Al Jazeera reported.
Israel’s explanation and US response
Israel claimed the attack was a tragic mistake, citing a communication lapse that led its forces to misidentify the Liberty as an enemy ship. However, later investigations revealed that Israeli naval headquarters had known the vessel was American at least three hours before the attack, but this information was not passed down to those authorising the strike.
President Lyndon Johnson initially suspected Soviet involvement. When Israel admitted responsibility, Johnson publicly accepted its explanation. Yet privately, he told a Newsweek reporter that he believed the attack was deliberate, possibly to prevent the Liberty from intercepting Israeli communications.
Six-Day War: Legacy and controversy
The Washington Post later described the incident as “one of the most bloody and bizarre peacetime encounters in U.S. naval history.” To this day, debate continues over whether the attack was a tragic error or a calculated strike.
The USS Liberty remains a symbol of sacrifice and a reminder of the complexities of wartime intelligence operations. Its story underscores the importance of transparency, accountability, and the human cost of miscommunication in conflict.
Source: Getty Images
Iran sends message to Nigeria amidst war
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Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
