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Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

Commodore Guy R. Gaunt, British Naval Attaché at Washington, to British Admiralty

TELEGRAM.                No. 146.

From Washington                         Date 26.6.17

To                                       R. 1.40.am.

 

“P”.

          146. Admiralty from Commodore Gaunt. Have seen a confidential report drawing attention to inadequancy of armament of large British ships such as for instance CEDRIC which has one gun dated 1896 and only two trained men as guns crew in comparison to American line ships.1 I told Admiral Benson2 that it was a question of being able to spare guns and personnel for this work and he then asked me privately whether in event of U.S. being able to spare more guns and trained guns crews there would be any objection to placing them on a British ship. I assured him that we would be glad to have them. Please give me your view as I can probably get matter taken up at once.3

Source Note: Cy, UK-KeNA, Ad. 137/656. Below the text a routing list is included I.L./I.S.L./D.A.S.D/D.O.D/D.T.D. That is First Lord of the Admiralty (Sir Edward H. Carson); First Sea Lord (Adm. Sir John R. Jellicoe); Director, Anti-Submarine Division (RAdm. Alexander L. Duff); Director, Operations Division (RAdm. Thomas Jackson); Director, Intelligence Division (RAdm. William R. Hall).

Footnote 1: Cedric was a British merchant ship.

Footnote 2: Adm. William S. Benson, Chief of Naval Operations.

Footnote 3: Benson was a proponent of arming merchant ships cruising independently. Still, Crisis at Sea: 346.

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