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Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

Office of the Chief of Naval Operations to Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters

Chronological Copy.                               File No.

Cablegram Received  June <18, 1918.> 08319        JCM1

Origin Opnav Washington            Ser. No. 7392

     O-1 June 20

40 ADR                        CONFIDENTIAL

Simsadus

7392 Our 6738 and 6827. Referring to British Admiralty letter MO 15700-17, requests following instructions be made to approach route and convoy lanes.2

Paragraph 24. Add following areas Halifax, Nova Scotia,

     Area joining Point

A. Latitude 43°15 North Longitude 58°40 West;

B. Latitude 42°35 North Longitude 59°40 West;

C. Latitude 42°30 North Logintude 47°00 West;

D. Latitude 41°30 North Longitude 47°00 West.

Sydney Area 15 miles on either side of line joining Fleet Island and position Latitude 43° North Longitude 55° West.

Add new paragraph 28 Begin.

Approach Route S.

Cross 55th Meridian between Latitude 43° 30 North and Latitude 45° North.

Cross 60th Meridian between Latitude 47° North and Latitude 48° North.

and   62nd Meridian between Latitude 48° North and Latitude 49° North

and thence to a point 10 miles North True from Fame Point and then to destination. Ships for Sydney to leave (by or for) route as requisite to make land fall off Flint Island at daylight end.

Add new paragraph 29 begin Approach Route T.

List of lines.

Alpha Latitude 43°50 North Longitude 58° West then through Latitude 43°30 North Longitude 61°50 West and thence to destination.

Beta Latitude 43°15 North Longitude 58°40 West then through Latitude 43°10 North Longitude 63°00 West and thence to destination.

Gamma Latitude 42°35 North Longitude 59°40 West then through Latitude 44°15 North Longitude 62°10 West and thence to destination.

Delta Latitude 42°10 North Longitude 60°00 West then through Latitude 43°35 North Longitude 62°50 West and thence to destination.

Epsilon Latitude 41°50 North Longitude 60°45 West then through Latitude 43°20 North Longitude 64°00 West and thence to destination.

     Ships sent by approaching Route T. For Sydney-------St. Lawrence------(Note:two words omitted) passing through outer position and then steering direct for position in Latitude 43°35 North Longitude 61°00 West and thence make land fall in vicinity Cape Breton, ships for St. Lawrence are then to join approaching routes. (End)

Add now paragraph 30 Begin.

Approach Route U.

Cross 42nd parallel between Longitude 65°30 West and Longitude 63° West

and 43rd Parallel between Longitude 65° W and Longitude 64°West

And thence to a point 5 miles south <true from>3 Sambro Light Vessels thence to Halifax Nova Scotia. Ships for Sydney or St. Lawrence sent by this route are to steer from Sambro Light Vessel to join approaching routes in a position

          Latitude 46°North Longitude 58°40 West.

All vessels given approaching route U must be warned of the need of extreme caution when crossing line of traffic for Gulf (of) Maine (end)

Add new paragraph 31 Begin

Approach Route V.

List of Lines

Alpha latitude 43°50 North Longitude 58°00 West then through Latitude 43°10 North Longitude 66°00 West thence west of Seal Island to a position 7 miles West True from Lurcher Shoal Light Vessel thence to destination.

Beta Longitude (sic) 43°15 North Longitude 58°40 West then through Latitude 43°00 North Longitude 67°00 West then to a position 15 miles West True from Lurcher Shoal Light Vessel and then to destination.

Gamma Latitude 42°35 North Latitude (sig) 59°40 West then through Latitude 42°20 North Longitude 66°00 West thence to a position 35 miles West True from Lurcher Shoal Light Vessels and then to destination.

Delta Laitude 42°10 North Longitude 60°15 West then through latitude 42°50 North Longitude 66° West thence to a position 22 miles West True from Lurcher Shoal Light Vessel and thence to destination.

Epsilon Latitude 41°50 North Longitude 60°45 West then through Latitude 42°30 North Longitude 67°10 West thence to a position 30 miles West True from Lurcher Shoal Light Vessel and thence to destination. (End)

     Add new paragraph 32 Begin.

     Approach Route W

     List of Lines

Alpha Latitude 42°00 North Longitude 65°30 West thence through latitude 42°40 North Longitude 69°00 West and thence to Boston Mass.

Beta Latitude 41°40 North then through Latitude 42°20 North (Longitude left out) 68°30 West and then to Cape Cod Mass.

Gamma Latitude 41°20 North Longitude 66°30 West then through Latitude 43°10 North Longitude 68°50 West and thence to Cape Ann. (End)

     Add New Paragraph 33Begin

     Approach Route R

     List of Lines.

Alpha Latitude 33°00 North Longitude 76°00 West then through Latitude 32°00 North Longitude 79°00 West and then to Martins Industry Light Vessel or Charleston S.C. Light Vessel.

Beta Latitude 32°00 North Longitude 76°00 West then through Latitude 32°55 North Longitude 78°30 West and thence to Charleston S.C. Light Vessel whence vessels for Savannah hug coast to destination.

Gamma Latitude 32°05 North Longitude 76°00 West then through latitude 31°20 North Longitude 79°40 West and thence to Martins Industry Light Vessel whence vessels for Charleston S.C. hug coast to destination.

Delta Latitude 31°35 North Longitude 76°00 West then through Latitude 32°30 North Longitude 78°20 West and thence to Martins Industry Light Vessel or Charleston S.C. Light Vessel. (End)

     In Paragraph 7 Line 11 add to Approach Routes QUOTE T V W R UNQUOTE. Paragraph 7 for vessels special positions add to Line Approach Routes QUOTE T V W R UNQUOTE and add to Zone Approach Routes QUOTE 60th Meridian in Route S 42 Parallel in Case Route U UNQUOTE. Paragraph 8 Line E add to Zone Route QUOTE 60th Meridian in Route S and 42 Parallel in Route U UNQUOTE. Add to Approach Route QUOTE T V W R UNQUOTE. Insert at end of Paragraph after United States or Canadian Ports QUOTE by Routes R T V W X Y Z UNQUOTE. Add to Paragraph QUOTE Information required under A Y is also to be telegraphed in case route S and U UNQUOTE.

     Paragraph 10 and 10 A add to ticles QUOTE TVWR UNQUOTE.

     Request Approach Lines be put in force as follows for period stated. To Halifax Nova Scotia from East Atlantic all T; 63 Delta 54 Beta 65 Gamma 66 Alpha 67 Epsilon 68 Beta 69 Delta 70 Alpha 71 Gamma.

     To Halifax, Nova Scotia from West Atlantic approaches Route U.

     To Sydney and St. Lawrence from East Atlantic 63 T Delta 64 T Beta 65 T Gamma 66 T Alpha 67 T Episillon 68 to 71 approach route S.

     To Sydney and St. Lawrence from West Atlantic Approach Route U.

     To Bay of Fundy all V 63 Delta 64 Beta 65 Gamma 66 Alpha 67 Epsilon 68 Beta 69 Delta 70 Alpha 71 Gamma.

     To Boston, Mass All W 63 Alpha 64 Gamma 65 Beta 66 Alpha 67 Beta 68 Gamma 69 Alpha 70 Gamma 71 Alpha.

     To Charleston S.C. and Savannah all W 63 Alpha 64 Gamma 65 Beta 66 Delta 67 Gamma 68 Alpha 69 Delta 70 Beta 71 Gamma

     In view of the large area covered by various approaches to West Indies. Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea and (Note: probably error in coding and should be “it is” instead of “and”) impossible (to) frame approach routes suitable for rapid and effective use of diversion code it is not proposed(to) institute departure from our line approach routes for these locally. Most important however means by available for at once emitted (sic) traffic by diversion code from first passage or land fall to another Therefore request all ships bound as above be given special positions between Latitute 10°North and Latitude 29°59 north within 600 miles of land fall and these limitss be given first code word in column one and three of addenda to diverion code. Necessary to include Island as destination and passage as land fall in column 2 and 4 01018 7392

Benson.

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

Footnote 1: Initials of the transcriber.

Footnote 2: See: Benson to Sims, 1 June 1918. Office of the Chief of Naval Operations 6827; and British Admiralty letter MO 15700-17; have not been found.

Footnote 3: A later note makes reference to this edit: “Note. On Sheet #2 Second line from bottom after ‘south’ and before ‘Sambre’ two words missing.”

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