PRE-ATTACK RECONNAISSANCE TESTIMONEY: [Scott] Yes sir. On the morning of the 8th, I had the 4 to 8 Officer of the Deck watch on the bridge. It was a routine watch. The only thing out of the ordinary was we had one reconnaissance plane that flew by us and made a few circles off our port beam. He circled around about three or four times, then took off. Q. About what time? [Scott] About 0515, I was not able to identify the aircraft. We looked at it with the binoculars. Due to the distance we could not see any markings or insignia of any sort on it. President: That was local time, Mr. SCOTT? [Scott] Yes sir. The plane circled around several times then took off in a true direction towards Tel Aviv. About 30 minutes later I got a call from coordination, sir, and Chief CT SMITH was on the phone; wanted to know if I had an air contact that was fairly close in the last half hour. I told him I did and he wanted to know which direction it went after it left the vicinity of the ship. I told him, "Tel Aviv." He said, "Fine, that's all I want to know." I did manage to take four pictures of the aircraft with the camera on the bridge. I didn't know what type it was. It was a double fuselage, twin-engine type. It looked somewhat like an old P-38 or a small flying boxcar. That's about the only significant thing that happened on the 4 to 8. 0850 [LOG] SINGLE JET A/C (UNIDENTIFIED) CROSSED ASTERN DISTANCE 3 - 5 MILES - CIRCLED SHIP FROM STBD TO PORT AND RETURN TO UAR MAINLAND. LOCATING TWO TRANSMITTED (LIBERTY 080742Z JUN). [McGonagle] 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. A locating two report was submitted on this sighting. It is not known at this time whether the sighting report was transmitted from the ship or not. Records are not accessible at the time. 1056 [LOG] ANOTHER A/C CIRCLED SHIP-HIGH [McGonagle] At about 1056 in the morning of 8 June, an aircraft similar to an American flying boxcar crossed astern of the ship at a distance of about three to five miles. The plane circled the ship around the starboard side, proceeded forward of the ship and headed back toward the Sinai peninsula. A locating three report was submitted. It is not known if this report was transmitted. 1126 [LOG] ANOTHER A/C CIRCLED SHIP LOCATING THREE DRAFTED FOR TRANSMISSION AT 081022Z (BUT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN TRANSMITTED) [McGonagle] This aircraft continued to return in a somewhat similar fashion approximately at 30 minute intervals. It was not possible to see any markings on the aircraft and the identity of this Aircraft remains unknown. This aircraft did not approach the ship in any provocative manner. It made no attempt to signal the ship. The ship made no attempt to signal the aircraft. [O'Malley] Yes sir. I had the con on the 12 to 1600 watch. From 1220 to 1230 is when an Israeli twin-engine plane, well we didn't know it was Israeli, just a twin-engine plane very similar to a flying boxcar, circled us once in a long eliptical circle and they drew near. We found out on questioning, after they went away, Mr. ENNIS said the plane had come out almost periodically every 20 to 40 minutes, and would make one pass in a high circle and head back to land. [Golden] Yes sir. At approximately 1145, I completed eating lunch, and went to the 01 level forward to sunbathe along with the Captain and some of the other officers. I have a lounge chair, most of us do have; while laying on my back sunbathing, I noticed a plane flying over. I dozed off, and approximately 25 minutes or so later on, I woke up and saw a plane circling again coming from the port beam, crossing the ship. While watching it, I glanced up and noticed it just crossing over the stack area, and I noticed a small amount of smoke coming out of my stack, and also the flag was flying. [Watson] Then after lunch we went out on the 01 level forward and most of the officers were around there sunbathing immediately preceding 1300. At approximately 1245, an aircraft flew over approximately 5,000 to 8,000 feet, and his line of flight took it over the radar mast, and I was watching it and made a comment about it that it looked like a C119 flying boxcar. FINDINGS: 18. Pre-attack overflights of LIBERTY: (First air attack occurred at 1403 local) Unidentified aircraft circled LIBERTY at: 0850 ( 5 hours 13 minutes prior to attack) (080742Z refers) 1056 ( 3 hours 7 minutes prior to attack) 1126 ( 2 hours 37 minutes prior to attack) 081022Z refers Hull markings were clean and freshly painted - ensign was flying from forwmast halyard. 22. Groups of up to two and three jet and propeller aircraft begin coming out from shore and circling ship at altitudes ranging from 500 up to several thousand feet at about eight hundred local on day of attack. Planes in question were otherwise active over El Arish on Sinai north coast which was plainly visible from the ship some sixteen miles off shore.