sr21r2021 Torpedo Running Depth Set for USS Liberty, not El Quseir Torpedo Running Depth Set for USS Liberty, not El Quseir K, J. Halliwell (November 14, 2004 — Revised August 17, 2007) [The torpedo biast-hole, on the starboard side of USS Liberty, was about two-thirds distance back from the bow to the front edge of the superstructure, and extended from he bottom of the second deck to the bottom of the forth (.e., bottom) deck. It was a ignificant attack damage feature and well-documented via many photographs taken from {different viewpoints. Torpedo Hole Viewed Toward Stem Torpedo Hele Viewed Toward Bow Upon close inspection of the photographs, you can see the hull's horizontal weld-lines. iThese weld-lines are placed identically on all Victory Ship hulls (USS Liberty was a onverted Victory Ship). Thus, they provide critical points of reference for analytical purposes. By treating the photographs as perspective drawings and applying basic drawing analysis techniques, the blast-hole's dimensions and center (.e., the approximate point where the torpedo hit) were determined. To validate and enhance the photographic analysis work, .ctual blueprints of a Victory Ship hull were used to obtain dimensional and structural fata. www tS. comlevidenceftorpedaruningdedth him 7sr21r2021 Torpedo Running Depth Set for USS Liberty, not El Quseir (click on image for enlarged view) iThe analysis revealed (as shown below) that the blast-hole appeared somewhat oval- haped with a short "smoke stack" sitting on top. The "smoke stack" or vertical tear was bout 8 feet high. The main hole was at least 33 feet wide and 16 feet high (24 feet high hen including the vertical tear hole). (click on image for enlarged view) In photographs, i's clear that the bottom edge of the blast-hole appears flattened. This as likely due to the strength of the double-bottomed hull resisting and limiting blast force! damage. The vertical tear, at the top of blast-hole, was likely due to a combination of the blast-force's propagation or expansion upward, and the collapse of major frame number 58. The "path of least resistance" expansion of the blast force would have resulted in a large portion of the blast's intense force rapidly projecting upward, along the side of the hip, likely contributing to production of the vertical tear, and finally resulting in a large, ertical water spray in the air. In the images above, the blast-force is idealistically depicted as a perfect circular zone, ith a diameter determined by the horizontal edges and curvature of the blast-hole. The enter of this circular blastforce zone is the approximate focus or center of the torpedo blast -- marking where the torpedo hit and its running level. As you can see, the vertical enterline appears very near one of the ship's major vertical frames or ribs. (There are aims that the torpedo hit exactly on major frame number 58, but upon further analysis of} he strike point , it appears that it hit slightly forward of major frame number 58.) The horizontal centerline appears about 12 feet below USS Liberty's estimated operating draft www tS. comlevidenceftorpedaruningdedth him 216sr21r2021 Torpedo Running Depth Set for USS Liberty, not El Quseir level (21 feet, 6 inches) during the attack. In other words, the torpedo's running depth /as about 12 feet (about 4 meters) below the water's surface. Using a blueprint of one of USS Liberty's major frames, with operating draft level and lorpedo running depth added, a comparison was made with an outline of El Quseir's hull itting at various draft levels. As you can see below, the comparison revealed the torpedo's running depth was too low to reliably strike El Quseir. If El Quseir carried a full load of fuel and cargo (i. e., riding at her maximum 14 feet draft level), then the torpedo ould have likely hit her bottom, but if she carried less than a full load of fuel and cargo (i... riding a few feet less than her maximum draft), then the torpedo would have likely missed. a ae [—tss S$ Liberty Pleol Line [2° ° Basen. Reetcarrie DDE FAL fmabares aritcione |. goa werces ae Drnee PUTING AT EH Thus, to ensure striking El Quseir's hull one would expect the torpedo’s running depth to be no greater than about 7 feet (about 2 meters) or half El Quseir's maximum draft. With he torpedo’s running depth at about 12 feet, it was slightly more than half of USS, www tS. comlevidenceftorpedaruningdedth him a6syesr2024 Torpedo Running Depth Set for USS Liberty not EI Quseit Liberty's maximum draft (22 feet, 6 inches). Set at 12 feet, the torpedo's running depth as optimally set to strike USS Liberty's Victory Ship hull and not El Quseir's hull — as lepicted in the image below. (Note: it's claimed by the IDF that the torpedo boats all rried pamphlets that gave the maximum draft of El Quseir; thus, they had data available to set an optimal torpedo running depth for targeting E! Quseir.) | Water Sutace uss Liberty. €L Quseir Hull Cross Section! Hull Gross Section \ Relative Size and Dratt companson USS Liberty Captain Wiliam McGonagle: "It appears to me that it was not a pure case of mistaken identity." ww tS. comlevidenceftorpedarunningdedth him 46