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Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

Captain Nathan C. Twining, Chief of Staff, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, to Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels, second cable of the day

 

SECRET

June 20, 1918.

From:     Force Commander.

To  :     Secretary of the Navy (Operations).

SUBJECT:  Forwarding Planning Section Memorandum No. 29, concerning bases in Europe for United States Submarine Chasers.

ENCLOSURE: 1.1

     1.   Thus far decisions has been reached to Base thirty-six Chasers at Corfu, Greece, Base 25, and thirty-six at Plymouth, England, Base 27. It is probable that the third group of thirty-six chasers will be based at Queenstown, Ireland, leaving the question of basing the fourth group of thirty six open for decision.

     2.   The area at the North of Ireland, including the North Channel, is one in which there are at xxxxxxx nearly all times one or two submarines operating, and it is quite possible that it may be found that our fourth group of submarine chasers operate in that area instead of operating from Brest. The approaches to Brest and to the English Channel will be fairly well covered by the seventy-two boats based on Plymouth and Queenstown, but it may be found desirable to cover the Bay of Biscay with the fourth group instead of sen[d]ing it to the North of Ireland. The Bay of Biscay is not a favorite place for submarines to operate, so that for the present it does not seem advisable to decide to assign thirty-six chasers to that locality.

N.C. TWINING

CAPTAIN U.S. NAVY  

CHIEF OF STAFF     

SIGNED FOR VICE ADMIRAL SIMS

IN HIS ABSENCE.    

Source Note: Cy, DNA, RG 45, Entry 517B. Identifiers “CS <21971>” and “1/3/0/J/K/P” appear at the top of the page.

Footnote 1: This memorandum is reprinted in The American Naval Planning Section, London, Navy Department: Office of Naval Intelligence, Historical Section Publication No. 7 (Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1923), 227-229. The fourth group of submarine chasers was not sent overseas before the war ended.