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Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

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

C O P Y

Cablegram Received.      20 November 1917.

Origin Opnav Washington       Serial No. 1202

Via  N C  B 19 D         Date No. 21019

Copies to ECT1 only

Ref’d     20 Nov.

ECT

VERY SECRET

Simsadus:

1202. Commander Richard Henry Leigh with party of two officers, six men of enlisted personnel who are trained listeners on C tubes and four technical experts are sailing on U.S.S. DELAWARE to report you upon arrival European waters, for testing submarine detection device, developed by Navy Department. Devices taken over are six nets C tubes, six sets C tubes for installation through bottoms of vessels, four sets K tubes, four sets Radio telephones, and one Mason detection device.2 It is requested that arrangements be made to have three vessels as nearly similar to our submarine chasers as possible, made available, on which apparatus may be installed and demonstrated. Time required for installation and demonstration about ten days. It will be necessary to dock at least vessel for installing C tube through bottom. 21019.

Benson             

3.35 AM       

Source Note: Cy, DNA, RG 45, Entry 517B. Document is dated by a later editor to 19 November 1917. Initials “CFS” are found at the top of the document are likely the transcriptionist.

Footnote 1: Paymaster Eugene C. Tobey.

Footnote 2: Physics professor Max Mason served on the Submarine Committee of the National Research Council and invented the Mason Hydrophone, an early sonar device that served to pin point the locations of enemy submarines. “Max Mason,” The Rockefeller Foundation: A Digital History, Accessed on 1 November 2017, https://rockfound.rockarch.org/biographical/-/asset_publisher/6ygcKECNI1nb/content/max-mason?.