Commodore Guy R. Gaunt, British Naval Attaché at Washington, to First Sea Lord Admiral Sir John R. Jellicoe, 11/15/1917

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Commodore Guy R. Gaunt, British Naval Attaché at Washington, to First Sea Lord Admiral Sir John R. Jellicoe

TELEGRAM. No. 505.

From Washington. DATE 15.11.17

To Admiralty S. 14th 11.15. pm.

R. 8.0.am

“K”.1

505. Following from Commodore Gaunt.

Secret and personal for the First Sea Lord.

Admiral Rodman expects to sail with 4 ships not later than 24th Nov.2 They have 6 months stores and provisions some of which they will want to land and expect to arrive with sufficient coal to last for some time. He has completed all ships with British Signal Flags and as he expresses it hopes he will be “absorbed into the Grand Fleet at once”.3

Source Note: Cy, UK-KeNA, Adm. 137/659. Notation below close: “First Sea Lord.”

Footnote 1: “S” is sent; “R” is received; “K” is the cypher used.

Footnote 2: RAdm. Hugh Rodman commanded a force of four battleships that was being sent to join the British Grand Fleet at Scapa Flow. For more on Rodman’s command and its voyage to join the British fleet, see: Rodman to Henry T. Mayo, 19 December 1917.

Footnote 3: As Rodman desired, the American battleships were quickly integrated into the Grand Fleet. Jones, “U.S. Battleship Operations,” 60-61.

Naval History and Heritage Command