Admiral William S. Benson, Chief of Naval Operations, to the Bureaus of Ordnance, Construction and Repair, and Navigation
(COPY)
Op-19
CONFIDENTIAL Apr. 25, 1917.
28754-3:52
From: Chief of Naval Operations.
To: Bureaus of Ordnance,
Construction & Repair
Navigation.
SUBJECT:-Requisitioning of guns.
<Enclosure (1)>1
1. The policy of requisitioning guns for the arming of merchant vessels is based upon the following considerations:
First – That the placing on American vessels engaged in trade with the allied powers of armed guards is one of the most effective measures to meet the present war situation.2
Second – That arming all American merchant vessels including those in coastwise trade must eventually be done.
Third – That supplying guns to merchant vessels of the allied powers that have urgent need for them and can otherwise be supplied should be favorably considered.
Fourth – That reserve guns for arming naval auxiliaries are not required to meet the immediate situation.
Fifth – That a large proportion of the torpedo defense guns of battleships and armored cruisers can be removed without materially hurting the military value of those ships.
Sixth – That the torpedo defense batteries of battleships under construction may be diverted for arming merchant ships without materially delaying the completion of those vessels for service.
2. The probable demand for guns to arm merchant ships as far as can be anticipated at this time are:
Ships
1. Vessels at present engaged in trans-Atlantic trade 70
2. Vessels in other trade that may possibly be diverted to trans-Atlantic 175
3. Vessels to be armed for naval service –
Yachts - - 50
Coast Guard - - 12
Army Transports - 14
4. German and Austrian refugee vessels 134
5. Vessels in U. S. Coast trade 165
6. " in Pacific trade 80
7. Vessels of Shipping Board’s Program __1000
TOTAL - - - 1700
Of the total of 1700 ships, those to be provided for in the immediate future are included in Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4, which give a total of 455. To supply this immediate demand, the requisitioning of guns will be based upon the following principles:
All six-pounder and three-pounder guns will be held available for the arming of small craft in naval districts.
Each ship shall be designated to supply a certain number of guns as specified by caliber, the decision as to which guns are to be removed to be left with individual ships.
In determining which guns are to be removed those guns will be taken which interfere most with the firing of guns better placed, or can be best spared, having in view the probable duty of the ship.
The order of requisitioning guns shall follow in the order to meet the demands as they arise,
First – guns held in reserve;
Second – guns of the torpedo defense batteries of battleships building;
Third – guns from ships in coast defense divisions;
Fourth – Guns of the older battleships;
Fifth – guns from scouts and other vessels not dreadnaughts;
Sixth – guns from the torpedo defense batteries of dreadnaughts in commission.
Naval auxiliaries when armed should be supplied with high power guns of not less than four-inch caliber.
All merchant ships should if possible have four guns and never less than two.
3. The attached list shows the guns and vessels from which they are to be removed. It will be used as a guide as to numbers and the order in which they should be requisitioned.
W. S. BENSON.
Copy to Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic Fleet;
Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Fleet;
Commandants, Navy Yards, Boston, New York,
Philadelphia, Norfolk
[Attachment]
Guns now in reserve (including MEMPHIS and MILWAUKEE)
6-inch 5-inch 4-inch 3-inch
43 68 88 88
Guns of torpedo defense batteries for dreadnaughts building
50 cal. 5-inch - - 110 (CALIFORNIA TENNESSEE
(NEW MEXICO MISSISSIPPI
(IDAHO
Guns for the Coast Defense Divisions
SHIP TAKE GUNS LEAVE GUNS
Massachusetts 8 3-inch 4 3-inch
Indiana 8 3-inch 4 3-inch
Iowa 6 4-inch 4 4-inch
Oregon 8 3-inch 4 3-inch
Chicago 6 4-inch 6 4-inch
Totals 24 3-inch 12 3-inch
12 4-inch 10 4-inch
Guns from older battleships.
DIV. 1
Alabama 6 6-inch 4 3-inch; 8 6-inch
Illinois 6 6-inch 4 3-inch; 8 6-inch
Kentucky 6 5-inch 10 5-inch
Kearsarge 6 5-inch 10 5-inch
Totals 12 6-inch 8 3-inch.
12 5-inch
DIV. 2
Ohio 6 6-inch 6 3-in; 10 – 6-in.
Maine 6 6-inch 6 3-in; 10 – 6-in.
Missouri 6 6-inch 6 3-in; 10 – 6-in.
Wisconsin _6 6-inch _4 3-in; 8 – 6-in.
Totals 24 6-inch 22 3-inch.
DIV. 3
New Jersey 4 3-inch 6 3-in; 12 – 6-in.
Virginia 4 3-inch 6 3-in; 12 – 6-in.
Rhode Island 4 3-inch 6 3-in; 12 – 6-in.
Nebraska 4 3-inch 6 3-in; 12 – 6-in.
Georgia _4 3-inch 6 3-in; 12 – 6-in.
Totals 20 3-inch 30 3-inch.
DIV. 4
Minnesota 10 3-inch 6 3-inch; 12 7-inch;
Louisiana 10 3-inch 6 3-inch;
Kansas 10 3-inch 6 3-inch;
New Hampshire _10 3-inch _6 3-inch;_
Totals 40 3-inch 24 3-inch.
DIV. 5
Connecticut 10 3-inch 6 3-inch; 12 7-inch;
Vermont 10 3-inch 6 3-inch; 12 7-inch;
Michigan 10 3-inch 12 3-inch;
South Carolina 10 3-inch 12 3-inch.
Totals 40 3-inch 36 3-inch.
TOTAL BATTLESHIPS 36 6-inch 120 3-inch.
12 5-inch
100 3-inch.
Guns from the Scouts (armored and protected cruisers) –
Destroyer Flotilla, Patrol Force and Train.
Scout Force
DIV. 1
Charleston 12 3-inch 6 3-inch
St. Louis 12 3-inch 6 3-inch
Total 24 3-inch 12 3-inch.
DIV. 2
San Diego 10 3-inch 6 3-inch
South Dakota 10 3-inch 6 3-inch
Frederick _10 3-inch _6 3-inch
Total 30 3-inch 18 3-inch
DIV. 3
Pueblo 10 3-inch 6 3-inch
Pittsburgh 10 3-inch 6 3-inch
Huntington _10 3-inch _6 3-inch
Total 30 3-inch 18 3-inch.
DIV. 4
Saratoga 8 3-inch 0 3-inch; 10 5-in;
Montana 10 3-inch 8 3-inch;
North Carolina _12 3-inch _8 3-inch;_
Total 30 3-inch 16 3-inch.
Patrol Force
Dixie 2 3-inch 8 3-inch
Salem 6 3-inch
2 5-inch 0 3-in. & 5-in.
Destroyer Force
Seattle 10 3-inch 8 3-inch
Train
Prairie 2 3-inch 8 3-inch
Hancock - - - - - 6 3-inch
Buffalo - - - - - 6 4-inch
TOTAL SCOUTS, &C. 134 3-inch
2 5-inch.
Guns from the Torpedo Defense Batteries of
the Dreadnaught Class.
DIV. [6]
Pennsylvania 8 5-inch 14-5 inch
New York 8 5-inch 13 5-inch
Texas 8 5-inch 13 5-inch
Delaware 4 5-inch 10 5-inch
Oklahoma _8 5-inch _13 5-inch
Totals 36 5-inch 63 5-inch
DIV. 7
Arkansas 8 5-inch 13 5-inch
North Dakota 4 5-inch 10 5-inch
Florida 6 5-inch 10 5-inch
Utah 6 5-inch 10 5-inch
Totals 24 5-inch 43 5-inch
DIV. 8
Wyoming 8 5-inch 13 5-inch
Nevada 8 5-inch 13 5-inch
Arizona _8 5-inch _13 5-inch
Totals 24 5-inch 39 5-inch
TOTAL FROM
DREADNAUGHTS 84 5-inch 145 5-inch.
Approximate general total of guns available for use on the basis of the above policy.
6-inch 5-inch 4-inch 3-inch
Reserve 43 67 88 88
For new dreadnaughts 110
Coast Defense 12 24
Older battleships 36 12 100
Scouts, etc. 2 134
Dreadnaughts _____ ___ 84_ ____ _____
79 276 100 346 - - -801
Source Note: Cy, DNA, RG 45, Entry 517.
Footnote 1: This is handwritten into the document.
Footnote 2: For more on the armed guard program, see: Information for Ship Owners Concerning the Armed Guard Program, 13 March 1917. The consensus among historians is that arming merchant ships was not a “most effective” measure. Still, Crisis at Sea: 198.
