Mr. PIKE. But are you telling the committee that the job of writing the orders was never the responsibility of any one person? Admiral JOHNSON. No, sir. In fact, I would suggest in a staff of my size and an operation order of that scope, it would never have been done this way. It would have Mr. PIKE. The trouble is, that when we get into confusing areas like this, we find it very difficult to assign responsibility. Admiral JOHNSON. I am responsible, sir. Mr. PIKE. Well, you are responsible in that you signed it. Admiral JOHNSON. I am responsible for the total scope, the total effort, everything that is in it, sir. Mr. PIKE. And yet you tell us you can think of nothing that would have precluded him from putting the throttle to the wall and getting on out of there in the event of harassing tactics? Admiral JOHNSON. No, sir, not intentionally. Mr. PIKE. We can't find it either at the moment, but we got it. [Laughter.] Admiral, on another subject, you say, and you state quite flatly, that you were responsible in the initial instance for assigning the characterization of minimal risk to this mission. How many surveillance or intelligence missions did you ever have to assign some risk to in your stay as Commander of Naval Forces, Japan? Admiral JOHNSON. Mr. Chairman, all of the missions. Mr. PIKE. Well, how many would this be? Admiral JOHNSON. Well precisely Mr. PIKE. Would it involve hundreds? Admiral JOHNSON. No, sir. It was 19. Mr. PIKE. You didn't have any responsibility for any airborne missions; is that correct? Admiral JOHNSON. No, sir. Mr. PIKE. And you never assigned any risk other than minimal risk? Admiral JOHNSON. That is correct, sir. Mr. PIKE. Had you ever gotten word from the CINCPAC that they won't approve anything if you assigned anything higher than minimal risk to it? Admiral JOHNSON. No, sir. Mr. PIKE. Now, Admiral Johnson, I would ask you to get out your copy of an XP to this famous operation order, 301-68, and read in paragraph 1 the sentence beginning with the words "retirement, under any circumstances." Admiral JOHNSON. Yes, sir. Mr. PIKE. Now, having read that, do you still say there is nothing in Commander Bucher's order that prevented him from putting the throttle to the wall and getting out there if he were harassed? Admiral JOHNSON. Mr. Chairman, would you look at the title of that paragraph? Mr. PIKE. That is right. It says Admiral JOHNSON. This is a classified document Mr. PIKE. Oh, believe me, I know it is a classified document. I am so tired of Navy classifying everything so I can't ask them any questions about it. Believe me I know it is a classified document. Admiral JOHNSON. I was thinking about executive session. Mr. PIKE. I ask you in open session to read that sentence and tell me if you don't think there is something in those orders that prohibited him from putting the throttle to the wall and getting out of there when he was harassed? Admiral JOHNSON. This reads "hostile, harassing or embarrassing tactics, and retirement should be slow and gradual, and at variance of any course prescribed by the nonfriendly unit." Mr. PIKE. Right. Retirement should be slow and gradual. Admiral JOHNSON. This is correct. Mr. PIKE. Well, how on earth can you say, if this was part of his orders, that he hold the throttle to the wall and get out of there as fast as he could? Admiral JoHNSON. Mr. Chairman, a commanding officer, or any officer in the Navy uses directives as a guide, and they are not necessarily binding, firm, restrictive orders when in his opinion and good judgment in order to-in an overriding situation of the safety and security of a ship at stake, he is at liberty, and I would suggest that all of them would know it, to violate it if he wants to, and do anything he wants in order to maintain the security and safety of that ship. Mr. PIKE. What do the words "under any circumstances" mean? Admiral JOHNSON. That is quite all inclusive, but it is a situation of harassment and not boarding. Mr. PIKE. What you are saying is, is it not, that he had the right to violate these orders if he wanted to, and put the throttle to the wall and get out of there fast? Admiral JOHNSON. What I am saying, sir, is that the evaluation of harassing now, at some point in the Pueblo incident, I am sure the commanding officer realized that this was not a harassment, it was something greater than that. Mr. PIKE. Well, he realized Admiral JOHNSON. At that time, he is free to do anything he wants. Mr. PIKE. He realized that at the time they started firing at him; is that so? Admiral JOHNSON. I don't know. Mr. PIKE. At that time you had made a judgment in the sort of situation he was in, and it was your judgment that he was in a harassing situation; was it not? Admiral JOHNSON. Under the Pueblo incident, no; I made no judgment. I made a general judgment based upon a varying number of circumstances or situations to which this paragraph was applicable, but I think, Mr. Chairman, you must realize that harassing has various connotations and there comes a point when it is no longer harassing. It becomes a matter of security of your ship. Mr. PIKE. Did you not send a message to Washington, and when I say you, I am talking about the naval commander of Naval Forces, Japan, saying that you considered it to be a harassing situation? Admiral JOHNSON. I did, sir, on the basis of what we knew, and we did not know the full story, and I still do not know the full story. Mr. PIKE. Well, neither do I, and we are trying very hard to get it out. Admiral JOHNSON. I did, sir; on the basis of what we knew, and we knew practically nothing of what actually happened in the Pueblo incident. Even the operator chatter didn't give a very good picture. As far as I am concerned, it would have been impossible to determine what the situation was. Mr. PIKE. I agree with you, but he was under orders, as I read them, that under any circumstances his retirement should be slow and gradual, and at a significant variance by any course prescribed by a nonfriendly unit, so long as he deemed himself to be in a harassing situation. Admiral JOHNSON. All I can say, again, Mr. Chairman, is that the heading is hostile, harassing, or embarrassing tactics, and it is a matter of judgment as to when it changes from harassing to something more serious, and this we expect our commanding officers to judge. Mr. PIKE. If it were, in his judgment, a hostile, harassing, or embarrassing situation, and if in his judgment in that situation, he had pushed the throttle to the wall and gone full speed ahead to get out of there, he would have been violating his orders, would he not? Admiral JOHNSON. And I would be the first one to pat him on the back and say, fine boy, good judgment. Mr. PIKE. Well, I think now, perhaps, Admiral, you are engaging in some of this lofty hindsight that we have been talking about here. Admiral Johnson. No, sir, I don't think so, Mr. Chairman. Mr. PIKE. I think that is all I want to do at the moment, Mr. Slatinshek. Mr. SLATINSHEK. If I may, Mr. Chairman. At the outset Admiral, I would like you to provide the committee, and for the record, a copy of each of the directives and messages to which you refer in your statement. None of these, or at least most of these, have not been made available to the subcommittee, and they are all pertinent. (The following information was received for the record:) R 220139Z Sep 65 USS BANNER INFO CNO CINCPAC [Deleted.] [Enclosure 3] Concept for Clickbeetle Operations [deleted]. A. CINCPACFLTINST 03100.3B B. CINCPAC 062312Z Feb. 63 Notal. 1. Subject to the concurrence of CINCPAC, U.S.S. Banner (AKL25) will be deployed to the Sea of Japan for a series of 4-6 week patrols, as the initial phase of a trawler surveillance program being developed by the Navy. The mission of Banner will be naval surveillance and intelligence collection in support of high priority national intelligence objectives [deleted]. 2. Cover and codewords A. The unclassified mission/comver stgly: Banner, an unarmed U.S. naval auxiliary, is to conduct technical research operations in an ocean environment to support oceanographic, electromagnetic, and related research programs. B. The following codewords have been assigned relating to Banner operations: (1) The [deleted] codeword, "Clickbettle," has the [deleted] meaning “Banner operations as a naval surveillance ship [deleted]. (2) The [deleted] codewords, "Clickbeetle operation one," has been assigned to designate the initial patrol of Banner, (3) The unclassified nickname, "Sod hut," has the unclas meaning, "availabilities and associated work during refit of U.S.S. Banner fiscal year 66" 3. Concept of operations A. When Rfs on or about 1 October, COMSERVPAC will sail Banner for Japan from Bremerton, Washington, via Midway, upon crossing 160 degrees east longitude. Banner will chop to COMSEVENTHFLT and will remain under the opcon of COMSEVENTHFLT, except while conducting underway surveillance operations in the NAVFORJAPAN area, at which time Banner will chop to COMNAV. FORJAPAN. B. After arrival Japan, and upon completion voyage repairs in October, Banner will be sailed into the Sea of Japan to conduct tactical surveillance and intelligence collection against Soviet naval units and other targets of opportunity. The purpose of the initial patrol of about 4 weeks duration will be primarily to test the platform and equipment in surveillance and in collecting intelligence. C. Upon sailing for patrol station, Banner will check out of the movement report system, and will proceed to her assigned patrol areas in strict electronic silence. Silence will be maintained until Banner is detected and comes under surveillance by Soviet Bloc forces, at which time Banner will break silence and submit periodic reports, when surveillance of Banner by Soviet bloc forces ceases, Banner will resume electronic silence. D. Upon arrival in the assigned patrol areas, Banner will be authorized freedom of movement within her assigned patrol areas to reconnoiter targets of opportunity in the Sea of Japan, and to depart her assigned patrol areas to monitor lucrative Soviet naval deployments or exercises upon notifying COMNAVFORJAPAN. The following restrictions apply: (1) She will remain outside the Soviet-bloc claimed territorial waters (twelve miles) [deleted]. (2) She will exercise care to avoid any actions which could be considered as harassment or which could cause embarrassment to Soviet ships. Soviet ships will not normally be closed closer than 500 yards, except for briefly closing to 200 yards as necessary for visual-photo coverage of unusual interest items. (3) She will avoid or operate within specific areas designated by COMNAVFORJAPAN as may be necessary to prevent mutual interference or to effect mission coordination. E. For the purposes of control and coordination, the following operating areas for Banner [deleted]. [Deleted.] F. Banner is authorized to break electronic silence 24 hours prior entering port as necessary for prearrival logistics. G. In the event of harassing or embarrassing actions by Soviet forces, the provisions of reference A apply. 4. Surveillance tasking Surveillance and intelligence collection will be in accordance with the national and CINCPAC priority intelligence objectives as implemented by the CINCPACFLT collection plan [deleted]. 5. Coordination A. A surface reconnaissance operations message will be submitted in accordance with reference B. B. UNODIR by CINCPAC, SAOMNAVFOR Japan will conduct direct liaison with 5th Air Force Headquarters to develop and submit for approval contingency plans to provide protective air cover to Banner if needed. C. To effect coordination of effort, avoid mutual interference, and for protection in the event of emergency, COMNAVFORJAPAN will insure that COMSEVENTHFLT, HQ Fifth Air Force, COMPAIRWING SIX, and FAIRECONRON ONE are kept informed of Banner movements and inten tions. D. COMNAVFORJAPAN will insure suitable facilities and procedures exist for rapid destruction of classified material. E. COMNAVFORJAPAN will provide intelligence support to Banner as required. 6. Reports A. When under surveillance, a daily secret message report of priority precedence will be sent to COMNAVFORJAPAN info CINCPACFLT, COMSEVENTHFLT and such other addees to be determined by COMNAVFORJAPAN, reporting position, intentions, and a summary of significant events. B. Upon completion of a patrol, a post patrol report will be submitted in the format of the submarine patrol and reconnaissance reports as contained in Paras 332 and 335 of NWIP 10-1 suitably modified to fit the situation. C. Routine [deleted] intelligence reports will be submitted in accordance with current instructions. D. Film will be forwarded, undeveloped, to NAVRECONTECHSUPCEN for processing, accompanied by appropriate photo data sheets. [Enclosure 4] R 021922Z Mar 66 USS BANNER CINCPAC CG FIFTH AF JCS CINCPACAF DIRNAVSECGR [Deleted.] Concept for Clickbeetle Operations [deleted]. B. CINCPACFLTINST 03100.3B C. CINCPAC 062312Z Feb 63 Notal 1. The following paras provide a revised concept for Clickbeetle operations, this concept is effective upon receipt, and cancels the concept promulgated by ref A. 2. USS Banner (AKL25) will be deployed to the Sea of Japan for a series of 4-6 week patrols, as the initial phase of a trawler surveillance program being developed by the Navy. The mission of Banner will be naval surveillance and intelligence collection in support of high priority national intelligence objectives [deleted]. [Deleted.] 3. Cover and Codewords A. The unclassified mission-cover story: Banner, an unarmed, U.S. Naval auxiliary, is to conduct technical research operations in an ocean environment to support oceanographic, electromagnetic, and related research programs. B. The following codewords have been assigned relating to Banner operations: (1) The [deleted] codeword, "Clickbeetle," has the [deleted] meaning "Banner operations as a naval surveillance ship [deleted]. (2) The [deleted] codewords, "Clickbeetle operation (NR)," have been assigned to designate the specific patrol of Banner. 4. Concept of Operations A. Banner will operate under the OPCONHOP COMSEVENFLT except while conducting underway surveillance operation in the NAVFORJAPAN area, at which time Banner will chop to COMNAVFORJAPAN. B. When directed, Banner will be sailed into the Sea of Japan to conduct tactical surveillance and intelligence collection against Soviet naval units and other targets of opportunity. The purpose will be primarily to test the platform and equipment in surveillance and in collecting intelligence. C. Upon sailing for patrol station, Banner will check out of the movement report system, and will proceed to her assigned patrol areas in strict electronic silence. Silence will be maintained until Banner is detected, at which time Banner will break silence and submit periodic reports. |