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Naval History and Heritage Command

Captain John K. Robsion, Commander, Huntington, to Commander Charles S. Joyce, Commander, Hannibal

MEJ.                     FLEET FLAGSHIP

TRANSLATION OF CODE DESPATCH

ORIGIN     NO.     Operator Recg.     CHECK    Filing    Date

OPNAV       1                RD        38       Govt.   19/5/18.

VIA Washington Broadcast      FALOS---G

GOVT. HUNTING<ton> FOR Hannibal

U.S.S. NYANZA (cargo transport) Latitude 38 degrees 21 minutes north [latitude] 70 degrees west sent “Allo” and “SOS” period1 Reports being chased period2 Commandant third naval district send destroyer investigate period3 U. S. S. Hannibal investigate,

Huntington COMNAVDIS THREE Hannibal 10019, 2.12 P.M.  <Opnav.>

Note Latitude in advance copy in error.

Source Note: Cy, DNA, RG 45, Entry 517B.

Footnote 1: This message was the first definite news that a German submarine, which proved to be the cruiser submarine U-151, was nearing the coast of the United States. Clark, U-Boats to America: 24.

Footnote 2: Nyanza escaped that attack “by means of a forced draught.” Ibid.

Footnote 3: The commander of the Third Naval District (New York) was RAdm. Nathaniel R. Usher. Later reports put U-151 off the coast of Maryland so the commandants of Fourth and Fifth Naval districts (RAdm. James M. Helm and RAdm. Walter McLean) began concerted action to find and oppose the U-boat. Ibid., 25.

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