18 December 1967 0752Z
Operational Orders
(Declassified 31 December 1968)
R 180752Z DEC67
FM COMNAVFORJAPAN
INFO O RUAMWC/COMUSKOREA
RUAMWC/COMNAVFORKOREA
RUABP O/N SAPACOFF JAPAN
RUAUAZ/FIFTH AF FUCHUV USFJ
P R 161006Z DEC 67
TO CINCPACFLT
INFO COMSEVENTHFLT
COMSERVPAC
DIRNAVSECGRUPAC
NAVSECGRUACT KAMISEYA
OCEANAV
USS PUEBLO
SECRET LIMDIS NOFORN
PINKROOT OPERATION ONE (C)
A. CINCPACFLTINST 003120.24A
B. CINCPACFLTINST 03100.3D
1. FOLLOWING SUBMITTED IAW REF A:
A. JUSTIFICATION: SUBJ OPERATION WILL PRIMARILY BE CONDUCTED IN SEA OF JAPAN TO:
(1) DETERMINE NATURE AND EXTENT OF NAVAL ACTIVITY VICINITY OF NORTH KOREA (KORCOM) PORTS OF CHONGJIN, SONGJIN, MAYANG DO AND WONSAN.
(2) SAMPLE ELECTRONIC ENVIRONMENT OF EAST COAST NORTH KOREA, WITH EMPHASIS ON INTERCEPT/FIXING OF COASTAL RADARS.
(3) INTERCEPT AND CONDUCT SURVEILLANCE OF SOVIET NAVAL UNITS OPERATING TSUSHIMA STRAITS IN EFFORT TO DETERMINE PURPOSE OF SOVIET PRESENCE IN THAT AREA SINCE FEB 1966. SECONDLY THE OPERATION WILL BE CONDUCTED TO:
(A) DETERMINE KORCOM AND SOVIET REACTION RESPECTIVELY TO AN OVERT INTELLIGENCE COLLECTOR OPERATING NEAR KORCOM PERIPHERY AND ACTIVELY CONDUCTING SURVEILLANCE OF USSR NAVAL UNITS.
(B) EVALUATE USS PUEBLO’S (AGER-2) CAPABILITIES AS TO NAVAL INTELLIGENCE COLLECTION AND TACTICAL SURVEILLANCE SHIP.
(C) REPORT ANY DEPLOYMENT OF KORCOM/SOVIET UNITS WHICH MAY BE INDICATIVE OF PENDING HOSTILITIES OFFENSIVE ACTIONS AGAINST U.S. FORCES.
B. ESTIMATE OF RISK: MINIMAL, SINCE PUEBLO WILL BE OPERATING IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS FOR ENTIRE DEPLOYMENT.
C. RULES OF ENGAGEMENT ARE AS SET FORTH IN REF A. REF. B IS APPLICABLE WITH REGARDS PUEBLO’S CONDUCT IN EVENT OF HARASSMENT OR INTIMIDATION. CO COGNIZANT OF PUEBLO’S VULNERABILITY TO FATAL DAMAGE DUE TO COLLISION.
D. DIRECT LIAISON CONDUCTED OR WILL BE REQUIRED WITH:
(1) DIRNAVSECGRUPAC
(2) PACOM ELINT CENTER
(3) NAVSECGRUACT KAMISEYA
(4) NSAPACOFF JAPAN
(5) COMUSKOREA
(6) COMNAVFORKOREA
E. OPERATIONAL INFO:
(1) USS PUEBLO (AGER-2)
(2) SASEBO, 8 JAN 68
(3) (A) PROCEED VIA TSUSHIMA STRAITS TO ARR OPAREA MARS APPROX. 10 JAN.
(B) OPERATE OPAREAS PLUTO, VENUS, AND MARS CONCENTRATING EFFORTS IN AREA(S) WHICH APPEAR MOST LUCRATIVE.
(C) DEPART OPAREAS 27 JAN. PROCEED SOUTH ALONG KORAN COAST TO VICINITY TSUSHIMA STRAITS.
(D) INTERCEPT AND CONDUCT SURVEILLANCE OF SOVIET NAVAL UNITS OPERATING TSUSHIMA STRAITS.
(E) TERMINATE SURVEILLANCE TO ARR SASEBO NLT 040001Z FEB.
(4) CPA TO KORCOM/SOVIET LAND MASS/OFF SHORE ISLANDS WILL BE 13NM. PUEBLO WILL OPERATE AT LEAST 500 YARDS FROM SOVIET UNITS EXCEPT TO CLOSE BRIEFLY TO 200 YARDS AS NECESSARY FROM VISUAL/PHOTO COVERAGE. ADDITIONALLY PUEBLO WILL NOT INTERFERE WITH SOVIET EXERCISES. PUEBLO WILL, HOWEVER, MAINTAIN A POSITION ON THE PERIPHERY FOR OBSERVATION PURPOSES.
(5) ARR SASEBO, 4 FEB
(6) ABOVE OPAREAS ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
(A) EAST/WEST BOUNDARIES ARE CONTIGUOUS TO KORCOM COAST EXTENDING FROM 13NM CPA TO LAND MASS/OFF SHORE ISLANDS SEAWARD TO 60NM.
(B) NORTH/SOUTH BOUNDARIES ARE PLUTO 42-00N TO 41-00N; VENUS 41-00N TO 40-00N; AND MARS 40-00N TO 39-00N.
GP-1
BT
161106Z DEC 67
Provided by Ralph McClintock
Operational Orders
(Declassified 31 December 1968)
R 180752Z DEC67
FM COMNAVFORJAPAN
INFO O RUAMWC/COMUSKOREA
RUAMWC/COMNAVFORKOREA
RUABP O/N SAPACOFF JAPAN
RUAUAZ/FIFTH AF FUCHUV USFJ
P R 161006Z DEC 67
TO CINCPACFLT
INFO COMSEVENTHFLT
COMSERVPAC
DIRNAVSECGRUPAC
NAVSECGRUACT KAMISEYA
OCEANAV
USS PUEBLO
SECRET LIMDIS NOFORN
PINKROOT OPERATION ONE (C)
A. CINCPACFLTINST 003120.24A
B. CINCPACFLTINST 03100.3D
1. FOLLOWING SUBMITTED IAW REF A:
A. JUSTIFICATION: SUBJ OPERATION WILL PRIMARILY BE CONDUCTED IN SEA OF JAPAN TO:
(1) DETERMINE NATURE AND EXTENT OF NAVAL ACTIVITY VICINITY OF NORTH KOREA (KORCOM) PORTS OF CHONGJIN, SONGJIN, MAYANG DO AND WONSAN.
(2) SAMPLE ELECTRONIC ENVIRONMENT OF EAST COAST NORTH KOREA, WITH EMPHASIS ON INTERCEPT/FIXING OF COASTAL RADARS.
(3) INTERCEPT AND CONDUCT SURVEILLANCE OF SOVIET NAVAL UNITS OPERATING TSUSHIMA STRAITS IN EFFORT TO DETERMINE PURPOSE OF SOVIET PRESENCE IN THAT AREA SINCE FEB 1966. SECONDLY THE OPERATION WILL BE CONDUCTED TO:
(A) DETERMINE KORCOM AND SOVIET REACTION RESPECTIVELY TO AN OVERT INTELLIGENCE COLLECTOR OPERATING NEAR KORCOM PERIPHERY AND ACTIVELY CONDUCTING SURVEILLANCE OF USSR NAVAL UNITS.
(B) EVALUATE USS PUEBLO’S (AGER-2) CAPABILITIES AS TO NAVAL INTELLIGENCE COLLECTION AND TACTICAL SURVEILLANCE SHIP.
(C) REPORT ANY DEPLOYMENT OF KORCOM/SOVIET UNITS WHICH MAY BE INDICATIVE OF PENDING HOSTILITIES OFFENSIVE ACTIONS AGAINST U.S. FORCES.
B. ESTIMATE OF RISK: MINIMAL, SINCE PUEBLO WILL BE OPERATING IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS FOR ENTIRE DEPLOYMENT.
C. RULES OF ENGAGEMENT ARE AS SET FORTH IN REF A. REF. B IS APPLICABLE WITH REGARDS PUEBLO’S CONDUCT IN EVENT OF HARASSMENT OR INTIMIDATION. CO COGNIZANT OF PUEBLO’S VULNERABILITY TO FATAL DAMAGE DUE TO COLLISION.
D. DIRECT LIAISON CONDUCTED OR WILL BE REQUIRED WITH:
(1) DIRNAVSECGRUPAC
(2) PACOM ELINT CENTER
(3) NAVSECGRUACT KAMISEYA
(4) NSAPACOFF JAPAN
(5) COMUSKOREA
(6) COMNAVFORKOREA
E. OPERATIONAL INFO:
(1) USS PUEBLO (AGER-2)
(2) SASEBO, 8 JAN 68
(3) (A) PROCEED VIA TSUSHIMA STRAITS TO ARR OPAREA MARS APPROX. 10 JAN.
(B) OPERATE OPAREAS PLUTO, VENUS, AND MARS CONCENTRATING EFFORTS IN AREA(S) WHICH APPEAR MOST LUCRATIVE.
(C) DEPART OPAREAS 27 JAN. PROCEED SOUTH ALONG KORAN COAST TO VICINITY TSUSHIMA STRAITS.
(D) INTERCEPT AND CONDUCT SURVEILLANCE OF SOVIET NAVAL UNITS OPERATING TSUSHIMA STRAITS.
(E) TERMINATE SURVEILLANCE TO ARR SASEBO NLT 040001Z FEB.
(4) CPA TO KORCOM/SOVIET LAND MASS/OFF SHORE ISLANDS WILL BE 13NM. PUEBLO WILL OPERATE AT LEAST 500 YARDS FROM SOVIET UNITS EXCEPT TO CLOSE BRIEFLY TO 200 YARDS AS NECESSARY FROM VISUAL/PHOTO COVERAGE. ADDITIONALLY PUEBLO WILL NOT INTERFERE WITH SOVIET EXERCISES. PUEBLO WILL, HOWEVER, MAINTAIN A POSITION ON THE PERIPHERY FOR OBSERVATION PURPOSES.
(5) ARR SASEBO, 4 FEB
(6) ABOVE OPAREAS ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
(A) EAST/WEST BOUNDARIES ARE CONTIGUOUS TO KORCOM COAST EXTENDING FROM 13NM CPA TO LAND MASS/OFF SHORE ISLANDS SEAWARD TO 60NM.
(B) NORTH/SOUTH BOUNDARIES ARE PLUTO 42-00N TO 41-00N; VENUS 41-00N TO 40-00N; AND MARS 40-00N TO 39-00N.
GP-1
BT
161106Z DEC 67
Provided by Ralph McClintock
Mission Orders
Cliff Nolte at plotting table
PUEBLO Op Area Map
from North Korean propaganda film
from North Korean propaganda film
PUEBLO bridge at sea
Op Area Map
Sea of Japan, Korean East Coast
(Source: Bucher, My Story)
Sea of Japan, Korean East Coast
(Source: Bucher, My Story)
the PUEBLO Incident
Copyright © 2018 USS PUEBLO Veteran's Association. All rights reserved.
