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Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

Captain John Halligan, Jr., Chief of Staff, on behalf of Vice Admiral Henry B. Wilson, Commander, United States Naval Forces in France, to All Ships in the Command

U.S.NAVAL FORCES OPERATING IN EUROPEAN WATERS

FORCES IN FRANCE

U.S.S.PROMETHEUS, Flagship.

Brest, France,

22 September 1918.

C O N F I D E N T I A L_

From:     Commander U.S.Naval Forces in France.

To  :     All Ships.

SUBJECT:  Identification marks of surface vessels.

Reference:(a) Comfran letter, File 313 of 25 July, 1918.1

     1.   Reference (a) is cancelled.

     2.   In order to facilitate identification by Allied aircraft, an identification mark as shown on the attached diagram2 is to be painted on all patrol vessels of the U.S.Naval Forces in France. The maximum size of the identification mark is as shown on the diagram. Vessels unable to display the full size mark are to display one as large as possible, maintaining proportions.

     3.   The identification mark is to be painted on a bold white background in the most conspicuous position possible.

     4.   The mark to be used and the period during which it is to remain in force are shown in the following table:

IDENTIFICATION MARK.

          PERIOD IN FORCE

FROM NOON B.S.T.    TO NOON B.S.T.3

No. 3 (Triangles)

 Thurs,1st August –Sun.,1st September.

No. 1 (Circles)

Sun. ,1st SeptemberTue.,1st October.

No. 2 (Diamonds)

Tue., 1st October –Fri.,1st November.

 

     5.   At noon on Friday, 1 November, 1918, the same sequence will commence again unless instructions are issued to the contrary.

J.HALLIGAN, JR.                   

Chief of Staff.              

Source Note: Cy, DNA, RG 45, Entry 517B. Document identifier in top left-hand corner: “FILE 313.”

Footnote 1: This letter has not been found.

Footnote 2: For the diagram, see: Illustration for September 2018.

Footnote 3: Presumably, Brest Standard Time.

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