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Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

Rear Admiral Herbert O. Dunn, Commander, Azores Detachment, to Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters

CONFIDENTIAL

  File 106.

U.S. NAVAL FORCES OPERATING IN EUROPEAN WATERS.

AZORES DETACHMENT.

OFFICE OF DETACHMENT COMMANDER.

                         Naval Base Azores, August 31, 1918.

From:          Detachment Commander.

To:            Force Commander.

Subject:       Report of Operations for week ending 31 August 1918.

Reference:     (a) Force Instructions No. 2 of 22 September 1917.1

1.        FORCES

     (a)  Available.

Monitor TONOPAH2 – Station Ship and Submarine Tender; in fair  condition, requires port propellor.

Tug MONTAUK3 – General Duties: in good condition.

Bark QUEVILLY4 – Tank Ship; in good condition.

Sub. K-15 – Patrol Duty; engines poor, battery good, hull needs dry docking.  Due to the absence of spare parts should make only short patrol trips in vicinity.

Sub. K-66– Duty and condition same as K-1.

Sub. K-27 – Patrol duty; engines poor, battery is nearly worn out, hull excellent.  K-2 is available for harbor patrol only.

          (b) Unavailable for Sea Duty.

Sub. K-1 – Engines Excellent, battery is practically worn out, hull requires dry docking.  E-1 is unfit for any service.

Yacht MARGARET8 – Used as quarters for submarine crews, in poor condition, laid up.

Yacht GALATEA9 – Laid up, in poor condition.

 2. OPERATIONS

(a) 25 August       U.S.S. YANKTON10 arrived from Gibraltar and Lisbon.

     K-1 on night patrol.

26 August       U.S.S. YANKTON sailed for New York, touching at Horta, Fayal enroute to deliver confidential British publications.

K-6 on night patrol.

27 August       Italian S.S. SAN GENNARO arrived from Genoa.

U.S.S. STRINGHAM11 sailed for Hampton Roads, Va.

Portuguese Auxiliary Cruiser PEDRO NUNES and Portuguese Destroyer TEJO sailed for Terceira and Madeira.

K-6 on night patrol.

28 August       American S.S. CAROLYN12 arrived with supplies for this base.  This vessel left New York 10 August, but was ordered to proceed to Boston and subsequently joined a second convoy at Sydney, Nova Scotia.

American S.S. TIDEWATER13 arrived from Genoa via Gibraltar.

Italian S.S GENNARO sailed for New York.

K-2 on night patrol.

29 August       American S.S. TIDEWATER sailed for New York. K-2 on night patrol.

30 August       Portuguese Gunboat ACOR went out for a few hours and returned.

Portuguese Cruiser VASCO da GAMA sailed for Horta, Fayal.

K-1 on night patrol.

31 August       Portuguese S.S. FUNCHAL arrived from neighboring islands and later sailed for Lisbon.   Danish S.S. ARNOLD MAERSK sailed for Norfolk, Va.  This vessel put into this port 30 July on account of typhus on board and subsequently was delayed here until date for lack of a chief engineer.

K-1 on night patrol.

(b)      Marine Guard Detachment and 7-inch Guns Detachment engaged in drills and camp work.

(c)      Aeronautic Company engaged in routine work.  Made following flights during the week; Scouting 26, Practice 10.

On August 27, 1918 seaplane number A-208 was being flown by Sergeant U.E. Linstedt,14 a student and upon landing the machine porpoised hitting a wave and was turned on its nose, the pontoon struts having broken and let the fuselage down so far that the propeller cut into the nose of the pontoon.  In talking a strain on the tail to endeavor to right the machine its back was broken.  This machine has been in constant use for a year and will now be repaired and put in flying condition again.

3.   ENEMY ACTIVITIES.

     (a) Submarines.

     The following information was received from Madeira on 29 August: “The skipper of a fishing boat reports that at 9:00 a.m., 27 August off BUGIO he was taken on board a submarine and questioned in Portuguese as to what English or French vessels and patrol craft were in the harbor.  Submarine about 200 feet long, small gun forward of conning tower.  At 8:00 p.m., 27 August a submarine was sighted south of DESERTAS proceeding south.  Portuguese s/v “GLORIA” was sunk 8:00 a.m., 27 August 30 miles west of PORTO SANTO by a submarine about 230 feet long with overhanging bow and two 15 cm guns, one forward and one aft of conning tower.”15

     Italian steamer LIVIETTA was attached by gunfire by a submarine at 1800 on 29 August in 34.24 N. 14.14 W. Ship is said to have escaped

(b)  Mining. ----------------------

(c)  Miscellaneous ----------------

4.   MISCELLANEOUS Items of Interest and General Recommendations.

----------------------

Source Note: TDS, DNA, RG45, Entry 520, Box 451. Address below close; “Copies to:/ Force Com. (3)/ Operations./ File.”

Footnote 1: See: Sims, Force Instructions No. 2, 22 September 1917. Date in report is typed incorrectly.

Footnote 2: TONOPAH was a U.S. Navy double-turreted monitor. DANFS.

Footnote 3: MONTAUK was a seagoing tug commissioned by the U.S. Navy in December 1917, and assigned to the Third Naval District. DANFS.

Footnote 4: QUEVILLY was a station oil tanker at the Azores. QUEVILLY was loaned to the Naval Overseas Transport Service (NOTS). She was a French vessel operated by a French crew and there is no record that she was ever commissioned in the NOTS. DANFS.

Footnote 5: K-1 was an U.S. Navy submarine. DANFS.

Footnote 6: K-6 was an U.S. Navy submarine. DANFS.

Footnote 7: K-2 was an U.S. Navy submarine. DANFS.

Footnote 8: No further information found.

Footnote 9: GALATEA was a U.S. Navy yacht that served as interisland transport, carrying the U.S. consul from Ponta Delgada for official calls on the governors of Horta, Fayal and Angra, Terceira. DANFS.

Footnote 10: YANKTON was a U.S. Navy converted yacht assigned to section of the Patrol Force protecting Allied shipping in the approaches to the coasts of England and France from German U-boats. DANFS.

Footnote 11: STRINGHAM was a U.S. Navy destroyer assigned to convoy escort and antisubmarine duty through the end of the war. DANFS.

Footnote 12: No further information found.

Footnote 13: No further information found.

Footnote 14: Sergeant U.E. Linstedt.

Footnote 15: No further information on this incident has been found.