General Bulletin #12
[Extract]
U.S. NAVAL FORCES, EUROPEAN WATERS,
London, England. 5 November, 1918.
GENERAL BULLETIN NO.12.
. . . 2. The number of miles steamed by destroyers based on Brest during September was 132,887, an average of more than 4,582 miles for each vessel. The highest steaming performance and time at sea was made by U.S.S. WADSWORTH with 7,041 miles and 65%. The best figure for the other escort vessel during the month was made by U.S.S. MAY, with 4,059 miles steamed, while U.S.S. REMLIK spent 64% of the time at sea.
During the last fiscal year, United States destroyers have escorted 338 convoys, totaling 3,374 ships.
3. On account of the influenza epidemic, drafts of men for the Sixth Battle Squadron1 have been given 10 days’ observation prior to reporting on board. For the same reason visits to the Grand Fleet by officers en route to the United States were temporarily discontinued.
4. The Fourth Liberty Loan subscription by U.S. naval ships and stations in France totals $1,227,650. The Mine Force and Bases 17 and 182 have subscribed a total of $332,800, a per capita average of nearly $50. A dispatch from Washington states that the total Army subscription at home and abroad was $75,540,500. The corresponding figure for the much smaller personnel of the Navy was about $44,000,000.
5. A fair estimate of the amount of labour which has been absorbed in British ports by repairs to U.S.Naval vessels to date is 420,000 men-days. This would be equivalent to the continuous employment of 1100 to 1200 skilled ship-building mechanics.
6. The Force Commander3 has extended his warmest congratulations to the officers and men of the U.S. Naval Air Station, Porto Corsini, Italy, on their successful participation in raids against enemy bases.4
7. Nucleus crews Nos.80, 85, 89, and 90, for new destroyers, have sailed for the United States.
8. Ensign Edwin S. Pou, R.F.,5 was killed October 28 at Ile Tudy, France, in a seaplane accident. Ensign George Warner, R.F., U.S.S. ANTILLA, died of pneumonia at Army Base Hospital No.34, October 29. Ensign Arthur F. Myles, R.F., U.S.S. VALI, died of pneumonia at Army Base Hospital No.6, October 22. Ensign Leon A. Mathis, R.F., U.S.S. LAKE LASANG, died of pneumonia October 28.
9. H-16 seaplane flying from Killingholme, equipped with a Liberty engine, recently remained in the air for 9 hours with a full military load of 280 gallons gasoline, two 230 pound bombs, four men, 2 machine guns, and ammunition. No additional gasoline tanks were carried.
Force Commander’s Office,
Intelligence Section.
Source Note: DT, DLC-MSS, William S. Sims Papers, Box 24.
Footnote 1: The U.S. battleships serving with the British Grand Fleet.
Footnote 2: Base 17 was at Invergordon, Scotland; Base 18 was at Inverness, Scotland. Both bases supported the North Sea mine barrage operation.
Footnote 3: VAdm. William S. Sims.
Footnote 4: The American flyers at Porto Corsini had participated in an attack on the Austrian naval base at Pola on 22 October and had assisted the Italian army in its drive against the Austrians in the lower Piave region of Italy. Rossano, Stalking the U-Boat, 300-1. For more on these missions, see: Sims to Josephus Daniels, 8 November 1918.
Footnote 5: That is, Reserve Force.
