Gen.Blather, I was in the navy during that time, over in that part of the world (Med deployments on a carrier) and never saw anything like that, ever. I don't buy it. Perhaps on some smaller unattached ships that was possible, but I think we would have gotten wind of it.
There were always incidents regarding surface ships and subs bumping into each other, etc, but not activity like this that I ever saw. I never saw anything even remotely resembling that kind of activity from the air arm of any country.
Supersonic fly-bys between the masts below mast level would not have been tolerated, even during the pathetic Carter administration, IMO. That behavior would have been regarded as a severe hazard to any vessel, and would likely have been addressed.
“Gen.Blather, I was in the navy during that time, over in that part of the world (Med deployments on a carrier) and never saw anything like that, ever. I don’t buy it. Perhaps on some smaller unattached ships that was possible, but I think we would have gotten wind of it.”
I don’t know if this sailor was on the USS Liberty at the time of the Syrian incidents related to me. He was, however, on the USS Liberty when it was attacked by Israeli jets.
Speaking of small and unattached, his version of the story is that the Liberty was supposed to meet an escort ship but the rendezvous never happened and they continued on station alone. The jets appeared and circled the ship several times for some time before they attacked. I gather, and it has been many years since we knew each other, the Liberty was often alone and unattached. He said the jets took out their communications on the first pass. They had a parade flag which they hung over the side. He believed it was impossible for the Israelis not to know the Liberty was a US ship. At the time he was able to give me several points from his observations that differed from the official accounts. So, yes, small and unattached.