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Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

Office of the Chief of Naval Operations to Vice Admiral Henry T. Mayo, Commander, Atlantic Fleet

FLEET FLAGSHIP

TRANSLATION OF CODE DESPATCH

PREFIX

ORIGIN

NO.

Operator

CHECK

FILING DATE

NAVY RUSH

OPNAV

23

DN   J

50

12 6 18.

VIA  LAND WIRE BASE TWO [Yorktown, VA]  (TEKAF-F)

GOVT  C-in-C

     Send U.S.S. E-2 on patrol off HATTERAS as soon as possible.1 Two additional submarines will be assigned FIFTH DISTRICT as soon as practicable in order that U.S.S.L-5 U.S.S.E-2 patrol may be maintained continuously until further orders.2ACKNOWLEDGE. –COM NAV DIS FIVE. C- in-C3  18012

<Opnav>       

          RECEIVED ------ 3:48 P.M.

          ACKNOWLEDGED BY - - - 16012

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

Footnote 1: Submarines were considered the best defense against other submarines. See: William S. Sims to Herbert O. Dunn, 18 May 1918. This was to counter the German U-boat U-151, which was known to be operating off the American coast. On the same day, the office of the Chief of Naval Operations sent a report to Mayo, the Naval District commandants on the east coast of the U.S., as well as a number of other officers, giving that U-boat’s location on 8 and 10 June. The submarine was located on 8 June near the entrance of Albemarle Sound, just north of Cape Hatteras, NC, and on 10 June it moved northward toward Chesapeake Bay. Ibid.

Footnote 2: The Fifth Naval District was headquartered in Norfolk, VA, and covered Chesapeake Bay.

Footnote 3: The Commandant of the Fifth Naval District was RAdm. Augustus F. Fechteler; the “C- in-C” [Commander-in-Chief] was Mayo.