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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 the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations

CABLEGRAM SENT   3 June 1918.    ALS

To Opnav Washington                 Ser. No. 8959.

Prep by      O-1           SX

33 ARD        

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8959. Please request Army authorities to discontinue destining storeships for Havre. Recently both NANSEMOND and ARTEMIS were destined for Havre by authorities <i>n United States. On account of the value of these vessels neither of them should be permitted to proceed up English Channel.1 Furthermore neither of these vessels can enter Havre on account of their draft. The attempt to divert NANSEMOND to St. Nazaire was unsuccessful and vessel has been sent into Cherbourg. NANSEMOND will be returned to St. Nazaire but delay and additional danger have been caused. I have arranged with Army authorities in France to divert to Havre any ships desired by them regardless of original destination, and this arrangement meets all the needs of the situation and is considered more satisfactory than having destinations to Havre assigned in United States. <21503,> 8959.

Sims.              

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

Footnote 1: Artemis was a 17,837 ton former passenger steamship named Bohemia and owned by the German Hamburg-America line before seized. It served as an U.S. Army transport ship during the war. DANFS. The 25,000 ton Nansemond was also a seized German ship that served as an Army cargo ship during the war. DANFS.

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