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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

CABLE TO BE SENT

Date February 14, 1918

To Opnav.

Prepared by CS1         Approved       Code      No.

HIGHLY SECRET

     My 3561 and 3834, your 2851.2     Committee of Allied Naval Council met in Rome, eighth, adjourned ninth. Committee discussed and accepted British plan for establishing in Straits of Otranto a strong patrol about one hundred fifty miles in depth by a redistribution of Allied forces now in Mediterranean.3United States not affected. Also Committee decided to complete a Franco-Italian mine net barrage now under way.

     American plan4 was presented but no decisions reached. Subject will be discussed at next meeting of Allied Naval Council in early March. In meantime will develop plan in conjunction with Admiralty.

     Believe that cooperation of all governments can be secured but burden of active operations will fall on United States and Great Britain. It is considered necessary to success of plan that troops for landing operations be American or British. Our marines would be especially desirable.

SIMS

Source Note: Cy, DNA, RG 45, Entry 517B. Entries appear to have been entered by hand into “Approved”; “Code”; and “No.” but they are crossed through and could not be read by the editors.

Footnote 1: Sims’ Chief of Staff, Capt. Nathan C. Twining.

Footnote 2: See: Sims to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, 3 February 1917, DNA, RG 45, Entry 517B; Sims to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, 10 February 1918, DNA, RG 45, Entry 517B; and See: Office of the Chief of Naval Operations to Sims, 10 February 1918.

Footnote 3: For the British plan see VAdm. Sir Somerset A. Gough-Calthorpe to British Admiralty, 16 January 1918, Royal Navy in the Mediterranean: 367-73.

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