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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 Commander Joseph K. Taussig, Commander, Little

May 2nd. 1918.    

My dear Taussig,

          Your letter of April 3rd. reached me a few days ago, enclosing a copy of the Department’s order of March 23rd, retaining five or six of the new destroyers on the coast.1

          I regret this decision very much indeed as the need of additional destroyers over here is very severely felt. I have not yet given up hope of inducing the Department to change their mind in this respect.

          I have heard from Wygant2 and he gives me the names of a number of boats that are about ready if it were not for this order holding them up.

          We are slowing [i.e., slowly] making headway against the submarine. The listening devices are turning out to be more and more satisfactory. We are in great hopes that it will enable us to solve the submarine problem.

Very sincerely yours,

Source Note: TL, DLC-MSS, William Sims Papers, Container 23. “Admiral Sims’/Personal File.” appears in the upper left corner, and identifiers “1/3/J” and “10” appear in the upper right. Document is addressed below close “Commander J. K. Taussig, U.S.Navy,/ Fore River Shipbuilding Company,/Quincey, Mass./U.S.A.”

Footnote 1: See: Taussig to Sims, 3 April 1918. The enclosure Sims mentions has not been found.

Footnote 2: Lt. Cmdr. Benyaurd B. Wygant, Commander, Calhoun.

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