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.
