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Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

Admiral William S. Benson, Chief of Naval Operations, to Bureau of Construction and Repair

C O P Y

February 14, 1918.

From:     Chief of Naval Operations.

To:       Bureau of Construction & Repair.

SUBJECT:  U.S. Seagoing Mine Sweepers – Assignment of.

Reference:     (a)  C&R’s letter No. 9-35 16396-A, of Jan. 26,

1918.

               (b)  C&R’s Fd cmd., 9-56, Feb. 1, 1918.1

     1.   The 54 mine sweepers now building will be assigned as follows in order given:-

          1st 12  to Mine Force – Spares to “BLACK HAWK”,2

          2d  12  to 3d District -   "    "  New York.

          3d  12  to 5th   "     -   "    "  Norfolk.

          4th  6  to 1st   "     -   "    "  Boston.

          5th  6  to 4th   "     -   "    "  Philadelphia

          6th  6  to Fleet "     -   "    "  Train Commander.3

     2.   Present sweepers with Mine Force will be available for other assignment when 12 new sweepers report.

/s/  W. S. Benson  

Source Note: Cy, DNA, RG 45, Entry 517B. Identifying number: “28592-S:70/Mat-T-ML 2/13.” Note below close: “Copy to:/Comdr. Mine Force,/CIC/Office of Naval District.” CIC was Commander-in-Chief Atlantic Fleet, which was Adm. Henry T. Mayo.

Footnote 1: Neither of these documents have been found.

Footnote 2: BLACK HAWK was the tender and flagship of the Mine Force. In June 1918 it took station at Inverness, Scotland, for the laying of the North Sea mine barrage.

Footnote 3: Between 1918 and 1920, 49 Lapwing-class minesweepers were built but only 26 were completed by war’s end and only 9 of those were commissioned. Dreadnought Project, Accessed on 31 January 2018, http://www.dreadnoughtproject.org/tfs/index.php/Lapwing_Class_Minesweeper_(1918).

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