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Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels to Captain William D. MacDougall, United States Naval Attaché at London

Cablegram Received August 25, <1917.>

Origin  Daniels, SECRETARY of Navy          Serial No. N A 345

Via N C B B 141                            Date No. 12025

Copies to: C of S, J.V.B., Nav Att2            File No. 25-2-2   

Action referred to:

 Nav, Att.

From  Daniels Secy of Navy.

To    Naval Attache London

407 Commander destroyer flotilla3 cabled paravane no longer used period Departments policy based on your letter May twenty second period4 cable immediately whether situation has altered5 peri<o>d McBride6 understands present policy. 12025-345

Daniels, Secy of Navy.

Source Note: Cy, DNA, RG 45, Entry 517B. Notation in upper left-hand corner: “Subject Copy.”

Footnote 1: “NCB B 14” presumably is Naval Communications Bureau and the code used, B 14.

Footnote 2: “C of S” was the Chief of Staff to VAdm. Willliam S. Sims, Commander, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, Capt. Nathan C. Twining. “JVB” is Sims’ aide, Cmdr. John V. Babcock.

Footnote 3: Cmdr. Joel R. Poinsett Pringle.

Footnote 4: MacDougall’s letter has not been found. On the use of paravanes, see: Ronan C. Grady to William S. Benson, 6 June 1917.

Footnote 5: Paymaster Eugene C. Tobey responded that American destroyers still wanted the “sweep paravane” used to cut the anchor lines of mines, but no longer wanted any “explosive paravanes,” which blew up after making contact with the mines themselves. See, Eugene C. Tobey to Office of Naval Intelligence, 27 August 1917, DNA, RG45, Entry 517B.

Footnote 6: Naval Constructor Lewis B. McBride, Assistant Naval Attaché at London.

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