Skip to main content
Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

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

Action Copy.                                  File No. <46-3-1>  

Cablegram Received  March <24, 1918,> 21424

Origin Opnav Washington                     Ser. No. Simben One

Ref’d to

Date

ACTION, NOTES and INITIALS.

CS1

Cabled Opnav Simben One

                   NCT

Simsadus

Simben One,

Request that you furnish Department with any authentic information regarding present German drive for use of War Department and Navy Departments only, to be held most secret.—2 12024 Simben One.

Benson.

Source Note: Cy, DNA, RG 45, Entry 517B. The date is handwritten but is confirmed by the time/date stamp at the end of the text.

Footnote 1: Sims’ Chief of Staff, Capt. Nathan C. Twining.

Footnote 2: Twining, by direction, immediately sent a synopsis of the first phase of a German army offensive; see, Sims to Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, 25 March 1918, DNA, RG 45, Entry 517B. Sims also wrote Benson on 25 March that he was sending another report shrotly, but cautioned that the information was fragmentary and cmight not be completely accurate; see: Sims to Benson, 25 March 1918. The commands in France sent regular reports thereafter. See, for example, William R. Sayles to Sims, 29 March 1918 and Richard H. Jackson to Sims, 12 April 1918, both DNA, RG 45, Entry 517B.

Related Content