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Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

Captain Hutchinson I. Cone, Commander, United States Naval Aviation Forces and Foreign Service, to Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters

Copy.     November 5, 1917.

From:     Commander, U.S.Naval Aviation Forces, Foreign Service, (23 Rue de la Paix). Paris, France.

To:       Force Commander, U.S.Naval Forces Operating in European Waters.

          Subject: Priority in delivery of materiel.

          1.   The question of priority in delivery of materiel to our aviation service is one of great importance and I would recommend that the Navy Department take up with the War Department at home the question of getting us priority on all deliveries of material in France as well as in the United States in order that we may get seaplanes operating on patrol against submarines as early as possible.

          2.   It is easily seen that the more we do against submarines the easier it will be for the Army to get their materiel to France. In this connection I had taken up this matter with Mr. Coffin1 before leaving the United States and he seemed to be favorably disposed to recommend that we be given priority; upon arrival in Paris I took up the same question with Colonel Bolling2 and he impressed me as being favorable also. When it is considered that after all, we will use only a small number of machines as compared with the program that the Army is undertaking it would seem advisable for our Government to establish a policy giving us priority all along the line as far as Aviation is concerned until we are equipped and operating against the submarine to our full program.

/s/ H.I.Cone. 

Source Note: Cy, DNA, RG 45, Entry 517B. Initials “MDH’ in the upper right corner presumably belonged to the typist.

Footnote 1: Howard E. Coffin, chairman of the Aircraft Board.

Footnote 2: Aviator, Col. Raynal C. Bolling, Signal Corps, U.S.A.

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