Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, 5/6/1918

Documentary Histories

WWI

Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations

Subject Copy. File No <25-9-16>

Cablegram Sent 6 May 1918 RES1

To Opnav Washington Serial No. 7557

Prep. by CS NCT2 D.R.

29 ADR

7557. Naval Attache Rome reports that Chief Italian Naval Staff3 has asked for detail of United States submarine chasers to escort duty for convoys on Tyrrhenian coast, vessels to be manned by United States but Italy to furnish fuel. Request referred also to Ford destroyers.4

Have instructed Attache to inform Italian Chief of Staff that the submarine chasers allocated to Mediterranean service are by recommendation of Allied Naval Council to be employed in offensive operations against submarines and not in escort duty. Also that one hundred ten footers not well adapted for escort work and qualities of Ford destroyers not yet know. On arrival Ford destroyers in Europe some may be allocated as requested if found suitable, but that matter is one for Allied Naval Council to consider. 01407. 7557

Sims

Source Note: Cy, DNA, RG 45, Entry 517B. The time/date stamp at the end of the text was originally at the bottom left of the document and vertically.

Footnote 1: Initials of the transcriber.

Footnote 2: Sims’ Chief of Staff, Capt. Nathan C. Twining.

Footnote 3: Lt. Cmdr. Charls R. Train, United States Naval Attaché at Rome, and Chief of Naval Staff VAdm. Paolo Thaon di Revel. For the original request, see: Train to Sims, 5 May 1918, and Sims to Train, 6 May 1918, for Sims' reply.

Footnote 4: For more on the Ford Eagle boats, see: Sims to Charles R. Train, 6 May 1918.

Naval History and Heritage Command