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Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

List of Confidential Books supplied by the British Admiralty to Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, Admiral William S. Benson, Chief of Naval Operations, and Lieutenant Commander John R. Roys, Liaison Officer

FROM WHOM                                       DATE

          Intelligence Division.                   8.10.171

RERERRED TO         SUBJECT

<Deputy 1 S L>          List of Periodical Confidential Books

<C. N. S.>2            supplied to Admiral Sims and Admiral  Benson, U.S.N.

                             __________________________

                             MEMORANDUM AND MINUTE

     Enclosed is a list of periodical Confidential Books supplied to Admiral Sims and Admiral Benson.

     In order to keep accounts clear both at the Admiralty and in the U.S.Embassy it is proposed to issue three copies of each of the books on the attached list, or any which may be added in future, to the Americans:-

              One to Commander Babcock3 for Admiral Sims.

              One to Commodore Gaunt4 for Admiral Benson.

              One to Commander Roys, Liaison Officer in London.

W R Hall          

D.I.D.5          

8.10.17           

List of Confidential Books <returns to be> supplied to Admiral

  Sims and Admiral Benson .

QUARTERLY RETURNS              Admiral Sims  Admiral BENSON

War Vessels and Aircraft,                         <Comr Roys>6

Part II. Quarterly Return. . . . . .    YES . . . <YES>7 <YES>

Reported Destruction of Enemy

Submarines . Quarterly Supplements. .  YES . . . <YES>    <YES>  

MONTHLY RETURNS

War Vessels and Aircraft,

Part I. Monthly Return . . . . . . . .  YES . . . YES     <YES>

Anti Submarine Division,

Monthly Report. . . . . . . . . . . .   YES . . .  NO      <YES>

R.N.A.S.8Anti Submarine Monthly Report  YES . . <YES>    <YES>

FORTNIGHTLY RETURNS

R.N.A.S. Operations Report . . . . . .    YES  . . .  NO   <Yes>

WEEKLY RETURNS

Weekly Return of Enemy, British,

and Allied Ships Abroad . . . . . . .     YES  . . .  YES  <Y>

Weekly Aeronautical Report . . . . .      YES  . . .  YES

BI-WEEKLY RETURNS

Internationa Situation . . . . . . .      YES  . . .  YES

DAILY AND MISCELLANEOUS REPRTS

<Daily return of attacks on shipping       YES        YES/via

                                                Comr Roys>9

Daily Aeronautical Report . . . . .        YES . . . <YES> <YES>

O. X. O. Books (information obtained from

                German prisoners, deserters

                etc. . . . . . . . . . . . YES    NO <YES> <YES>

Typewritten copies . . . . . . . . . . .   YES . . . YES

Source Note: Cy, UK-KeNA, Adm. 137/1437.

Footnote 1: The British method of rendering a date is day, month, and year, thus 8.10.17 is 8 October 1917.

Footnote 2: The British Deputy First Sea Lord (“Deputy 1 S L”) was VAdm. Sir Rosslyn E. Wemyss; the Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (“C.N.S.”) was VAdm. Henry F. Oliver.

Footnote 3: Sims’ aide, Cmdr. John V. Babcock.

Footnote 4: The British naval attaché in Washington, Commo. Guy R. Gaunt.

Footnote 5: RAdm. William R. Hall, Director of Naval Intelligence (“D.I.D.”).

Footnote 6: Someone created a third column headed “Comr Roys” and then added “YES” under that heading for each of the books. Both Roys’ names and the yeses are handwritten.

Footnote 7: In Admiral Benson’s column, someone originally typed “NO” for many of the publications, but then someone handwrote “YES” over top of the “NO.” Where this occurred is indicated by angle brackets enclosing the YES. This was true only in Benson’s column.

Footnote 8: Presumably, Royal Navy Anti-Submarine Division.

Footnote 9: This entire line, set off in angle brackets, is handwritten and appears to have been added later.

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