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Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

Admiral William S. Benson, Chief of Naval operations, to Rear Admiral William S. Sims

Patrol, movements.

CABLE DISPATCH.

RECEIVED: April 22nd, 1917.             To: Naval Attache, for Sims.

THROUGH:

No. 01022                     FOR SIMS.

     Six destroyers ready to sail immediately upon receiving information as to desired port and best route to follow as they approach Irish coast (period) Give full information.1

BENSON.

NO. OF COPIES.  2.                      REFERENCE NO.

Source Note: C, DNA, RG 45, Entry 517. In a letter to his wife of the same day Sims wrote: “While we [Sims and his aide Cmdr. John V. Babcock] were at dinner about 7-30 in the Grill Room here [Carlton Hotel, London] we received a cable saying that six destroyers were ready to sail for Ireland as soon as we indicated the route the Admiralty wished them to take. Of course I lost no time in getting to Admiral J[ellicoe]’s house, which is part of the Admiralty building, and but a couple of blocks from the hotel[.] I found him just coming in for dinner (8) but he returned at once to his office and gave me the necessary data for the reply, and Babby [i.e., Cmdr. Babcock] and Paymaster [Eugene C.] Toby (a fine man) is now at the Embassy putting it in code—so they will bet the reply the same day in Washington.” Sims to Anna Hitchcock Sims, 22 April, 1917, DLC-MSS, William S. Sims Papers; for the reply, see: Sims to Daniels, 22 April 1917.

Footnote 1: The division sailed from New York for Ireland on 24 April. For more on their departure see, Taussig, Queenstown Patrol: 14.

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