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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 Admiral William S. Benson, Chief of Naval Operations

Action Copy.                                File No.

CABLEGRAM RECEIVED  10 November 1918.

Origin    Simsadus London                   Ser. No. 94

Ref’d. to

Date

ACTION, NOTES and INITIALS.

 

 

          JET/BAC

 

 

 

For Benson

Committee to consider question of clearing sea of mines after the war completed its session several days ago in London but no copy of its report has yet been received.1 In general it was agreed to recommend that the U S be responsible for sweeping up its own mines in European Waters and that it offersits assistance to Central, South America and West Indies if practicable for sweeping any mines which may have been laid in waters adja<c>ent there to. Arrangements are now in hand for making an experiment sweeping in the Northern Barrage with the doublets testing the integrity of the Barrage and of gaining information as to proper sweeping methods. 125210

Sims              

Source Note: Cy, DNA, RG 45, Entry 517B. In the top left-hand corner is printed “Form A.”

Footnote 1: Durning a meeting of the Allied Naval Council at this time the United States accepted the responsibility for the task. Noel Davis, Sweeping the North Sea Mine Barrage 1919 (Washington, DC: North Sea Minesweeping Detachment, 1919), 13.

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