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Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

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.

Cablegram Sent     April 12, 1918. SFM

To Opnav, Washington.                           Serial No 6430

Prep by CS                        NCT1

                                      31 ARD

6430. Your 4762.2 Detail of the U.S.S. OLYMPIA for the duty at Mourmansk will be eminently satisfactory.3 Recommend that she proceed via Scapa which is slightly under three thousand miles from New York. She can there fill with coal and arrive at Mourmansk with almost full bunkers. While at Mourmansk coal and other supplies will be furnished by Admiralty lines of communication except such supplies as must come from United States. The latter should be sent to Scapa for reshipment to destination. Details of this will be arranged later, I will ascertain under what orders British Senior Officer4 is operating and will then make further reply to the Department’s query as to what general instructions the OLYMPIA should receive.  6430 23012

Sims.        

Source Note: Cy, DNA, RG 45, Entry 517B. Identification numbers “1/2/3/F/J” appear in the upper right corner in columnar fashion.

Footnote 1: Capt. Nathan C. Twining, Sims’ chief of staff.

Footnote 3: Olympia reached Murmansk 13 May 1918, where it remained until October. THe ship's commander sent Marines and crewmen ashore on multiple occasions to support Allied efforts against the Bolsheviks, but only one sailor from its crew was wounded. DANFS.

Footnote 4: RAdm. Thomas W. Kemp, Commander, British North Russia Squadron. For Sims’ general instructions for Olympia, see: Sims to Opnav, 14 April 1918.

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