USS Liberty

USS Liberty (AGTR-5) in Chesapeake Bay on 29 July 1967.
History
United States
Name	SS Simmons Victory
Namesake	Simmons College in Boston
Owner	War Shipping Administration
Operator	Coastwise - Pacific Far East Line (during WW II only)
Builder	Oregon Shipbuilding Corp.
Laid down	23 February 1945
Launched	6 April 1945
Completed	4 May 1945
Fate	Transferred to US Navy in 1963
United States
Name	USS Liberty
Namesake	Localities named "Liberty" in ten US states
Acquired	25 March 1963
Commissioned	30 December 1964
Decommissioned	1 June 1968
Out of service	June 1967
Stricken	1 June 1970
Homeport	Norfolk, Virginia
Fate	Damaged beyond economical repair by Israeli attack in June 1967; sold for scrap in 1973
Badge
General characteristics
Displacement	7725 tons (light displacement)
Length	139 m (456 ft)
Beam	18.9 m (62 ft)
Draft	7 m (23 ft)
Propulsion	Westinghouse steam turbines, single shaft, 8500 horsepower (6.3 MW)
Speed	17.5 knots (32.4 km/h) maximum sustained, 21 knots emergency
Range	12,500 nmi (23,200 km; 14,400 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement	62 Merchant Marine and 28 US Naval Armed Guards as Victory ship[citation needed] 358 officers and enlisted for USS Liberty
Armament	1 × 5 in (127 mm)/38 cal. gun as Victory ship 1 × 3 in (76 mm)/50 cal. gun 8 × 20 mm Oerlikon 4 x M2 Browning .50 caliber machine gun as USS Liberty
Aircraft carried	none
Notes	[1][2]

USS Liberty (AGTR-5) was a Belmont-class technical research ship (i.e. an electronic spying ship) that was attacked by Israel Defense Forces during the 1967 Six-Day War. She was originally built and served in World War II as a VC2-S-AP3 type Victory cargo ship named SS Simmons Victory.^[2][3] Her keel was laid down on 23 February 1945, under a Maritime Commission contract at Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation of Portland, Oregon.^[2]

In 1967, Israeli air force and naval units attacked the research ship during the Six-Day War. Israel later apologized for the attack, stating it had mistaken Liberty for an Egyptian ship, although the reason for the attack has been disputed. USS Liberty would eventually be decommissioned some time after the attack, was sold for scrapping in 1973 as it had been damaged beyond feasible repair.