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Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, to Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels

CABLE DISPATCH

SENT:  June 29th, 1917.                                                 TO:-Secretary of the Navy

THROUGH: State Dept.                                                              (Operations)

     Fifty: <W>ith further reference to my cables of May requesting tugs for salvage work1 I further report that the need for this type of vessel is extremely urgent (stop) In month ending seventeenth June twenty-one large vessels were saved and assistance was rendered to seventeen others by the British rescue tugs (stop) Many more could be saved if additional tugs were available (stop) The saving which can be accomplished by comparatively small number of rescue tugs will be equivalent to the new construction of several shipyards (stop) Tugs should be equipped with six-pounder or larger gun radio set and portable salvage pump (stop) All tugs which can be brought over will be useful but sea-going tugs are prefered (stop) Request that I be informed as soon as possible of number of tugs which can be sent.

SIMS.        

Source Note: Cy, DNA, RG 45, Entry 517B. Someone later crossed out “State Dept.” and handwrote “Admiralty.” Presumably this same person wrote a capital “W” over the first letter in the text making it impossible to read what was originally written.

Footnote 1: For a list of these cables, see: Sims to Daniels, 24 May 1917, footnote 1. In that same note, the actions of the United States Navy in response to these requests is discussed.

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