 I'm Lieutenant Douglas M. Haggott of the Office of Naval Intelligence. This briefing will cover two aspects of the Pueblo incident, the Pueblo seizure and the analysis of the North Korean evidence. The USS Pueblo sailed from Sasebo, Japan on 11 January 1968, according to her own report, which was transmitted on the 23rd of January. And she entered her operating areas, Mars, Venus, and Pluto on the 12th. Pueblo's mission was to gather data on electronic installations along the east coast of Korea. As is clear from her sailing order, the Pueblo had specific instructions that while carrying out her task, her closest point of approach was to be not nearer than 13 nautical miles from the North Korean landmass or offshore islands. All position reports transmitted by the Pueblo with respect to events on or before the 23rd place her more than 13 nautical miles at sea in strict conformity with her orders. Additionally, the North Korean position reports of the seizure did likewise. The first indication that anything unusual was taking place came sometime after 1130 a.m. Korean time on the 23rd when the Pueblo radio operator in Operator's Chatter transmitted more company and said that he intended to keep his circuit open. This radio circuit was maintained continuously during the incident and the first formal report of the incident was sent out at approximately 1 p.m. The Pueblo in describing the incident said that a North Korean SO-1 class subchaser, pennant number 35, had been encountered at 12 o'clock noon Korean time. As the SO-1 class subchaser approached, Pueblo took a radar fix to verify her position. This position was reported as Pueblo's 12 noon position and put her 15.8 nautical miles from the nearest land, the North Korean island of Ungdo. Subchaser 35 reported her noon position to a shore station and this was approximately 2 nautical miles from Pueblo and 17.9 nautical miles from that island of Ungdo. 5.9 miles outside the North Korean claimed territorial waters. Ten minutes later, the subchaser identified Pueblo as G-E-R-2. G-E-R-2 was painted on both sides of Pueblo's bow. The subchaser then reported Pueblo's position as 18.3 nautical miles from Ungdo, 6.3 nautical miles outside North Korean claimed territorial waters. During this period, Pueblo was dead in the water conducting a special hydrographic operation called a Nansen cast which is accomplished by taking simultaneous water temperatures and samples at various predetermined depths. The ship's position must be precise for a Nansen cast in order to make seasonal comparisons with subsequent casts at that same exact position. Pueblo stated in her message that the subchaser had signaled asking Pueblo's nationality to which the Pueblo responded by hoisting the U.S. Nansen and the International Signal for Hydrographer. The subchaser then signaled, Heave to or I'll fire on you. And the Pueblo responded, I am an international water. The subchaser continued to circle the Pueblo. This message concluded by indicating that Pueblo intended to remain in the area if possible. This was in accordance with the standing instructions regarding such harassment. The next message from Pueblo sent just after 1.15 p.m. Korean time described a rapidly worsening situation. The subchaser had been joined by three motor torpedo boats. Several MiG aircraft had appeared overhead and one of the North Korean units signaled follow in my wake and one was backing toward the Pueblo with an armed boarding party. At 1.28 p.m. Pueblo reported her position which was 16.0 nautical miles from the nearest land. This was almost the same position she reported one hour and 28 minutes earlier at 12 o'clock noon and is therefore considered consistent with the captain's 12 o'clock noon intentions to remain in the area if feasible. The first part of Pueblo's 1.15 p.m. message gave the 1 p.m. relative positions of the four North Korean vessels laying two 300 yards away from the Pueblo. The message then changed tone saying motor torpedo boat 604 is backing toward the bow with armed landing party attempting to board. Pueblo all ahead 1.3 right full rudder departing the area under escort. Intentions depart the area. The Pueblo sent no more formal messages but for the next hour and 17 minutes her radio operator continued to transmit a stream of fragmentary reports some of which were sent on instructions from the ship's officers. At 1.26 p.m. and 1.28 p.m. the operator transmitted they plan to open fire on us now. For the next hour the North Koreans fired on the Pueblo with both 57 millimeter guns and machine guns. Subsequent reports from the Pueblo and the North Koreans stated that there were four wounded aboard one of whom later died. Pueblo's position as reported at 1.28 p.m. was 16 miles from Angdo. Boarding was first mentioned when Pueblo reported at 1.15 p.m. that a boarding party on motor torpedo boat 604 was attempting to board her. At 1.29 p.m. Pueblo reported for the first time quote we are being boarded unquote and Pueblo repeated that she was being boarded on two subsequent occasions at 1.30 p.m. and 1.38 p.m. We now know that there were no North Korean personnel aboard the Pueblo until 2.32 p.m. when Pueblo reported have been directed to come to all stop and being boarded at this time going off the air now and destroying this gear. This chart is a compilation of all available information on the positions of the units during the seizure. Pueblo's track is shown by this line and as you can see it proceeds up from the southeast to a point off Wansan. The reported positions of the Pueblo are shown and it should be noted that at no time does this track indicate that Pueblo entered North Korean claimed territorial waters. Her closest point of approach to the North Korean land mass or any of the offshore islands was 15.8 nautical miles. This line is the track of the North Korean SO-1 class submarine chaser which was the principal unit involved in the seizure. Her track plotted from radio positions reported by the North Koreans themselves indicates that during the time of the seizure the closest point of approach to land or offshore islands was 18 nautical miles and that she went out as far as 27 nautical miles. This line indicates the track followed by the North Korean PT boats which also participated in the seizure. It should be noted that their track for the period of time during which the seizure took place shows that they too were outside the 12 nautical mile line which indicates the limits of North Korean claimed territorial waters. Note the position report given by Pueblo at noon local time and that given by the SO-1 class submarine chaser at that same time. Both positions are well outside the 12 mile line. Pueblo was boarded and seized by the North Koreans at 1432 Korean local time. This places the Pueblo and the North Korean units at this position on the chart. Pueblo was then escorted into Wansan Harbor by the North Korean units along this line as shown. It should be noted that Pueblo did not actually enter into North Korean claimed territorial waters until approximately 1535, almost an hour after she was boarded and seized. Pueblo did not pass a beam of the North Korean alleged capture point until approximately 1600 local time, an hour and a half after she was seized. Thus it is perfectly clear that the North Korean allegation that Pueblo was captured in North Korean claimed territorial waters is a complete fabrication. Their own messages show that the Pueblo was seized in international waters over 18 nautical miles from the nearest land and six miles outside of their claimed territorial limit. After broadcasting the initial confessions the North Koreans produced additional material alleged to be quote, documentary proof, unquote, of their key charge that Pueblo had repeatedly intruded closer than 12 nautical miles to the North Korean territory. This portion of the briefing will address this evidence as presented by the North Koreans as supposed documentary proof that these alleged intrusions took place. Among the materials first provided by the North Koreans in an attempt to prove their allegations were four photographs of navigational material. Two of these photographs were slightly different versions of a large-scale nautical chart. One of these is fuzzy and of poor quality since it was a wire photo. The other is of much better quality, so much better that we were able to enlarge it and read the alleged Pueblo positions. Also provided was a photograph of portions of pages of what looks like the ship's position log and a photograph of some documents arrayed on a dark background. This evidence will be treated individually and collectively to refute the North Korean allegations. This photograph is supposed to be, quote, part of the ship's position log directly recorded by Mr. Murphy, the executive officer and navigator and his assistants, unquote. It's actually a photograph of several superimposed photographs rather than a direct photograph of the original document. And close examination of the entries indicates that some of them have been altered and forged. This piece of evidence produced by the North Koreans is a composite array of documents alleged to be true documents captured on the Pueblo. That these documents are also fabrications can easily be shown by examination of them. For example, as shown by the arrows, the visual contact log contains entries which would require Pueblo to travel at 25.2 knots. And this is twice Pueblo's maximum of approximately 12.5 knots. Another pair of entries would require 63 knots. Another entry indicated by these arrows shows two positions 500 miles apart with only 12 minutes difference in time. This would require a speed of 2,500 knots for the Pueblo. Furthermore, one of these positions is actually six miles inland on the island of Kyushu, Japan. There are also two identical positions shown here which, when plotted, show Pueblo to be 32 miles inland in North Korea. The North Koreans first allege that Pueblo intruded into their claimed territorial waters at six points. The sixth is the point at which they say that they captured her. Examination of a photograph of the track chart provided by North Korea reveals that it is intended to represent an official navigational record of the track followed by the Pueblo during the course of her mission. Careful scrutiny of the photograph of the track chart reveals that this chart is not an authentic ship's record captured intact from the Pueblo but a document manufactured after Pueblo's seizure using a blank US hydrographic office chart. This conclusion is based on the following reasons. A chart of this scale covering such a large area would not be used for navigation. A track chart such as this would be plotted only on a chart of this scale to represent a graphic overall history of the Pueblo's mission and would usually be prepared after completion of the patrol. It would not contain a time for each position or course change but would give a date and time for only the first position of each new day. At the bottom right hand corner of the track chart it says, drawn by Edward Rens Murphy Jr., Executive Officer, Navigator, and confirmed by Lloyd Booker, Commander, USN, Captain, USS Pueblo, A G E R 2. A US Navy track chart would not be signed by the navigator and the captain but would be prepared by the quartermaster, approved by the navigator and submitted to the commanding officer for inclusion in the mission report which is the only document which would be signed by the commanding officer. Furthermore, a US Navy navigation document would never contain the phrase drawn by but would say plotted by. The phrase confirmed by is likewise not a normal term for inclusion in a US Navy navigation document. Approved by would be the proper phraseology. Pueblo's position at 0600 Zulu on the 22nd was reported to US authorities by message and would have placed her in this position. This position would have been plotted in order to be reported yet it does not appear on the North Korean version of the track chart. The 0300 Zulu and 0428 Zulu positions on the 23rd are also missing. The positions are within two-tenths of a mile of each other and definitely would have been plotted because the ship was making a Nansen cast and had exchanged signals with the SO-1 class submarine chaser at the 0300 position. The 0428 position was reported in a message that also included a statement that the North Korean vessels planned to open fire and this location would have been plotted for inclusion in the patrol report. A number of gross navigational errors appear in this track chart which further indicates that if it was valid it could not have been prepared by a US Navy navigator or quartermaster or any person trained in even the rudiments of US Navy navigation techniques. For example, the distance between these points 0207 Zulu and 0257 Zulu on the 12th is approximately 25 nautical miles. The track indicates that this distance was traveled in 50 minutes. A speed of approximately 30 knots would be required to cover this distance in that time but the maximum speed of Pueblo is only 12.5 knots. The distance between these points is approximately 22.3 nautical miles. Assuming that Pueblo traveled the shortest possible distance in the area obscured by the black arrow the necessary speed to travel this course in the indicated situation is 19 knots again higher than Pueblo's maximum. This leg of the track is 5 nautical miles long yet was allegedly traveled in 15 minutes which would require a speed of 20 knots. Another time distance discrepancy would have Pueblo travel 17 nautical miles in 35 minutes. This would require a speed of 29.1 knots. This time distance discrepancy also contains two erroneous positions. The distance traveled between the arrows is 27.8 nautical miles in a time of 30 minutes. This section of the track would have Pueblo sailing at 55.6 knots. Also, two positions on the track at 14.15 Zulu and 14.35 Zulu are out of time sequence since they are located between 15.30 Zulu and 1600 Zulu. These errors are further proved that the track chart is not an authentic document. In addition to these navigational errors analysis of the alleged intrusion points reveals the following. The alleged intrusion point off a rang-dang appears in the track chart and in the position log. But there is a contradiction in the evidence. The track chart alleges an intrusion time of 08.45. The position log lists the identical position by latitude and longitude but the time of alleged intrusion is listed as 07.45. Close examination of the entries reveals the probable method by which the intrusion was created. The minutes of latitude and longitude appear to have been altered. The 07.45 time is the time that the North Koreans consider to be the official time of alleged intrusion. It is repeated in several additional propaganda releases and was changed to agree with other evidence on a new version of the track chart which was released as part of a propaganda film after the first version of the track chart was published. This photograph was obtained from a frame of that film. The forged log entries do appear to create an intrusion but the North Koreans failed to detect two inherent errors in the alleged intrusion. The distance between the 07.45 position of alleged intrusion and the 08.10 entry is 7.2 nautical miles. In order to cover this distance in the 25 minutes allotted, a speed of 17.3 knots would be required. This exceeds Pueblo's maximum. The entire intrusion is discredited by the fact that the positions progress from 06.40 to 08.10 then back in time to 07.45, then forward again to 10.20, an obvious impossibility. This is the position and track of Pueblo as we estimate that it actually was. This track is consistent with the general direction in which the ship was traveling and the speed which she was making. The alleged intrusions near Songjin are also proven to be false by contradictions in the evidence which has been provided by the North Koreans themselves. These positions are plotted on the track chart in such a way that adjacent positions cannot be read because the black accusatory arrow covers them. However, a position for Pueblo is shown on the track chart for a time three hours and 40 minutes prior to the time of the alleged intrusion and is shown here by the dot. This position is 67 nautical miles away from the alleged intrusion position and would require a speed of at least 18.3 knots. It is interesting to note that the North Koreans did not claim that Pueblo intruded on this course even though it would go through North Korean-claimed territorial waters. If Pueblo went by any other course between the positions, higher speeds than 18.3 knots would have been required in order to travel between the positions in the allotted time and this is clearly impossible. As shown earlier, the North Koreans also provided a photograph displaying a number of documents supposedly captured on the Pueblo. These supposedly genuine documents contain contradictions which also disprove this alleged intrusion. Specifically, a page of the visual contact log shown here which locates Pueblo at a position shown by the dot 33 nautical miles away from the alleged intrusion only one hour and 52 minutes later. This is impossible since a speed of 17.8 knots would be required to reach this position even if we ignore the other alleged intrusion nearby for the moment. The second alleged intrusion near Songjin is easily disproved in the same manner. The adjacent positions are also obscured by the accusatory arrows but the same position used before would now give only 45 minutes to cover the 37.2 nautical miles and this would require a speed of 49.5 knots. The next alleged intrusion is also disproved by contradictions and discrepancies within the evidence presented by the North Koreans themselves. Pueblo is moving in a general southwesternly direction. The North Koreans alleged that Pueblo departed from the general track at 1800 and moved north nine nautical miles intruding into North Korean-claimed territorial waters at the position shown at 1830. This is clearly impossible since Pueblo would have to make a speed of 18 knots to travel these nine nautical miles in one half hour. The North Koreans then alleged that Pueblo traveled along this line to the 1905 position shown on the chart and other physical impossibility since a speed of 26.5 knots would be required to travel the 15.5 nautical miles in the allotted 35 minutes. As shown once before in the alleged intrusion near Orangban altered entries in the position log seem to be the source of this alleged intrusion. The entry for the minutes of latitude appear to have been altered but once again the position change creates a time distance discrepancy requiring speed which Pueblo is not capable of making. The alleged intrusion of Wansan is the position at which the North Koreans claim that they captured the Pueblo. I have already shown that this allegation is an outright lie. The entire track chart has been proven to be a fabrication and cannot be accepted as evidence of intrusion. Moreover Pueblo's position reports place her well outside the claimed territorial limits of North Korea and the North Korean units participating in the seizure gave position reports which placed them approximately six miles outside the claimed territorial limits at the time of the seizure. It is obvious that the entire encounter took place well outside the claimed 12-mile line and that Pueblo did not cross that line until she was escorted across it by the North Korean units approximately an hour after being seized. Further Pueblo did not pass a beam of the North Korean alleged capture position until approximately 4.05 p.m. Korean time which is one hour and 33 minutes after the ship had been boarded. Thus it is apparent that this alleged intrusion is an outright lie. We must backtrack momentarily to the alleged intrusion off Kaltan which is supported by only one piece of evidence provided by North Korea, the track chart. The North Koreans did not provide any other pieces of supporting evidence to corroborate this charge of alleged intrusion. The track chart is a fabrication and is false as I have just shown and therefore cannot be accepted as valid proof of intrusion. In addition to the previously considered evidence the North Koreans have produced a four-volume series of pamphlets and four short movies which are merely repetitions of the accusations confessions and claims previously made. Analysis of the track chart shown in the motion picture reveals further variations in the evidence as presented by the North Koreans. This version of the track chart is changed with over 46 variations and discrepancies between it and the track chart originally presented to the world as evident. Most of these variations are relatively minor but some such as the change in the time of alleged intrusion near Orang-dan are major and further prove that the evidence presented by the North Koreans is false. On the 12th of September 1968 the North Koreans held a press conference in Pyongyang. At this press conference the standard confessions were repeated by the crew but there was an increase in the ante. Instead of the six alleged intrusions originally charged in January 1968 as the only intrusion the North Koreans now claim that Pueblo intruded 17 times. The only documentary evidence which the North Koreans produced to support these additional 11 entirely new intrusions was a photograph of obviously unauthentic charts similar to those charts which I have just analyzed and proven to be fabrications and false. It is interesting that a high quality photograph of this chart has not been made available more than a year after the seizure nor has any further corroborating evidence been made available. The very fact that the additional 11 alleged intrusions were not even mentioned until some nine months after the seizure only serves to further indicate that the alleged intrusions are completely false. In conclusion the North Koreans charged that the USS Pueblo committed penetrations and intrusions into what they claim as territorial waters but in the production of their evidence the North Koreans created so many inconsistencies discrepancies and contradictions that they have proved their own allegations to be complete fabrications and entirely false from beginning to end.