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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.

AZORES DETACHMENT,

UNITED STATES ATLANTIC FLEET

                        Ponta Delgada, Azores, August 24, 1918.

From:          Detachment Commander.

To:            Force Commander.

Subject:       Report of Operations for week ending 24 August 1918.

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

1.        FORCES

     (a)  Available.

Gunboat MARIETTA2– Station Ship; in fair condition, has a cracked shaft.

Monitor TONOPAH3– Submarine Tender; in fair condition, requires port propeller.

Tug MONTAUK4– General Duties: in good condition.

Bark QUEVILLY5 – Tank Ship; in good condition.

Sub.K-16 – Patrol Duty; engines poor, battery good, hull needs dry docking.  Due to the absence of spare parts should only make short patrol trips in vicinity.

Sub. K-67 – Duty and condition same as K-1.

Sub. K-28 – 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. E-1 – Engines Excellent, battery is practically worn out, hull requires dry docking.  E-1 is unfit for any service.

Yacht MARGARET9 – Used as quarters for submarine crews, in poor condition, laid up.

Yacht GALATEA10 – Laid up, in poor condition.

 2.           OPERATIONS

(a) 18 August         1 a.m. Portuguese S.S. FUNCHAL arrived from Lisbon. Portuguese Auxiliary Cruiser PEDRO NUNES convoyed by Portuguese destroyer TEJO arrived from Madeira. PEDRO NUNES failed to make turn at entrance of harbor and went ashore on north side of entrance at 11:35 a.m. Sent U.S.S. MONTAUK to assist but her efforts at that time were without success.

         U.S.S. NIAGARA, Army Vessel JAMES S. WHITNEY, American Tug LABOCA, and two barges arrived in convoy from Bermuda.11

        K-1 on night patrol.

        U.S.S. MONTAUK and American Tug LABOCA pulled on Portuguese Auxiliary Cruiser PEDRO NUNES from 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., without result.

19 August          U.S.S. BARRY|12| arrived from Gibraltar.

                   K-1 on night patrol.

                   11:15 p.m., Portuguese Auxiliary Cruiser PEDRO NUNES slid off the rocks.

20 August          Portuguese Collier VIANA left.
        K-6 on night patrol.

21 August         Portuguese S.S. FUNCHAL left.
       K-6 on night patrol.

22 August         Master, American S.S. PATHFINDER13 advised that repairs to his vessel would be completed about 31st inst.
       U.S.S.
BARRY escorted by U.S.S. NIAGARA sailed for Bermuda.  BARRY’S condition is such that escort was necessary.
       U.S.S.
MARIETTA, Army Vessels JAMES S. WHITNEYand LABOCA and two barges sailed in convoy for St. Nazaire, France.
       Italian S.S. VIRGINIA sailed for Baltimore, MD. This has been here since February 16th last on account of broken crank shaft.  A new shaft arrived on August 2nd and repairs were accomplished since that date.

       K-2 on night patrol.

23 August         U.S.S. WICKES14, arrived from Queenstown, and later sailed for New York.

       K-2 on night patrol.

24 August         U.S.S. STRINGHAM15 arrived from Norfolk, Va., and from convoy duty.

       K-1 on night patrol.

(b)     Marine 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 11, Instruction 9.  

3.   ENEMY ACTIVITIES.

     (a) Submarines.

 On 18 August received report from British Naval Vice Consul that Danish Sailing Ship “ORKNEY” was sunk by bombs in 39° 40’ N., 18° W., at 6:00 a.m. 9 August by a large submarine fitted with two guns.16

(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 2: MARIETTA was a U.S. Navy gunboat assigned to escort service in the European patrol force. DANFS.

Footnote 3: TONOPAH was a U.S. Navy double-turreted monitor. DANFS.

Footnote 4: MONTAUK was a seagoing tug commissioned by the U.S. Navy in December 1917, and assigned to the Third Naval District. DANFS.

Footnote 5: QUEVILLY was a station oil tanker at the Azores 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 NOTS. DANFS.

Footnote 6: K-1 was an U.S. Navy submarine. DANFS.

Footnote 7: K-6 was an U.S. Navy submarine. DANFS.

Footnote 8: K-2 was an U.S. Navy submarine. DANFS.

Footnote 9: No further information found.

Footnote 10: GALATEA was a U.S. Navy yacht that served as inter-island transport, carrying the U.S. consul from Ponta Delgada for official calls on the governors of Horta, Fayal, Angra and Terceira. DANFS.

Footnote 11: U.S.S. NIAGARA was an armed patrol yacht that served as an escort for a merchant convoy bound for Bermuda and the Azores. She arrived at Ponta Delgada, Azores, 12 August and departed 10 days later to join the American Patrol Detachment at Grassy Bay, Bermuda. DANFS.

Footnote 12: BARRY was a U.S Navy destroyer. It had escorted merchantmen in the Mediterranean from 20 October 1917 until August 1918 when it arrived home in poor condition. It arrived at Charleston, S. C., 5 September 1918. DANFS.

Footnote 13: No further information found.

Footnote 14: WICKES was a U.S. Navy destroyer that sailed for the Azores on 19 August 1918 to pick up passengers and U.S. bound mail before continuing on to New York. DANFS.

Footnote 15: STRINGHAM was a U.S. Navy destroyer was assigned to convoy escort and antisubmarine duty through the end of World War I. DANFS.

Footnote 16: Danish sailing vessel ORKNEY was stopped and scuttled west of Gibraltar by U-157. Five casualties were reported. https://www.uboat.net/wwi/ships_hit/4584.html Accessed 17 August 2018.

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