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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

DISPATCH TO BE SENT.

Date:  August 17, 1918.

To:    Opnav.

Prep. by:  CS.      Approved NCT                 No.Simben 28

SIMBEN.

     Simben 28. Your Simben 13.1 Matter was referred officially to Admiralty August eighth. No written reply yet received but from discussion with Admiralty Staff I can say that they do not believe that their information service is such as to make the probability great of securing information of the exit of an enemy raider from the North Sea. Similarly I can say that the Admiralty opinion is that battleship escort should be provided for convoys whenever there is thought to be possibility of the escape of a raider2 and that the provision of such escort should not be deferred until the raider is known to be out. 200617.

SIMS.

Source Note: Cy, DNA, RG 45, Entry 517B. Identifiers “3/C/H” appear in the upper-right corner.

Footnote 1: Simben 13 has not been found.

Footnote 2: For a detailed discussion of the possibility of a German raider escaping the blockade, see: Benson to Sims, 6 August 1918.

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