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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 Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels

CABLE DISPATCH

Sent: June 11,1917.          To:   Secretary of the Navy

Through:  State Department.

     Eighteen1 Admiralty has requested and I recommend that a U.S. Naval Officer be assigned to me for exclusive duty in Admiralty in connection with convoys and selection of rendezvous and similar important duties concerning movements our government ships as affected by submarine campaign (stop) Officer should be Commander, as head of that Admiralty Department is a Captain. Very important he be carefully selected with view of insuring desirable cooperation and relations (stop) With increase of our military and naval forces in European waters and their attending shipping for maintenance the questions of convoy and routes will become increasingly intricate and important (stop).2

SIMS,    

Source Note: Cy, DNA, RG 45, Entry 517.

Footnote 1: Identifying number of message.

Footnote 2: See: Daniels to Sims, 20 June 1917; and Daniels to Sims, 22 June 1917. There was what Sims’ biographer calls a “partial rejection” of the convoy system by the naval leadership and it was some weeks before they embraced the idea. Morison, Admiral Sims, 356-57. Thereafter, leadership toyed with the idea of a dual administration with routing being done in America for American convoys. Because of this, no American officer undertook the duties outlined in this proposal until late 1917. Ibid., 368.

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