Stories of the N.A.C.d.M.

[ctwaterman]

RN Headquarters Portsmouth United Norman Kingdom
November 1st 1919

Meeting of the Royal Navy Officers
Present Vice Admiral Sir Alexander Adams Earl of Boston [Director of Signals Intelligence and Security]
Vice Admiral Sir Joshua Forbes 1st Viscount Carnbee, KB [Commanding Officer Home Fleet]
Commodore Harold Fitzgerald [Commander North Atlantic Patrol]

V.A. Adams:   Gentlemen for the duration of this meeting we will forgo the standard protocols.   I will begin by stating I have called this meeting because I have some very disturbing news.   In Late September the HMS Rosebay while searching for SS Britannia, SS Andex, and SS Eridan all of which had been reported as missing.   The Rosebay stopped a suspicious freighter the Ile de France while closing the ship in international waters the ship raised the French Naval Ensign and contacted the Rosebay by radio to indicate that she was a French Auxiliary Naval Vessel.  Her Codes were verified in the Nassau Naval Identification Codes and her marking were verified with the Lloyds ship identifiers.  So I would like your opinions?

V.A. Forbes:  The first thing that comes to mind is that someone took a great deal of trouble to put a fake ship into the Lloyds ship registry.  But the French Codes and the Nassau Identification Codes, that speaks to a serious penetration of the French Navy or even worse the French are penetrated at a level above their Navy?

Commodore Fitzgerald:  So we had raiders and they simply sailed away?

V.A. Forbes:  That is essentially correct the Commanding Officer of the Rosebay should be commended for both successfully locating the raiders and for following appropriate protocols.  He is not at fault for following his orders regarding properly identified ships!

Commodore Fitzgerald:  So what should my Patrol Ships do in the future we simply must be able to trust in the Authentication Codes given us by our Allies?

V.A. Adams:  I agree we must trust the codes given us by our Allies.  On the other hand we can obviously not trust the codes given us by the French!  So here is what we are going to do!  First we will identify and verify every single ship in the French Code Books starting with any and all Auxiliary Warships or Armed Merchant Cruiser?  I want to know where they were laid down and where they are stationed and discrepancies will be reported to my office.  Second we will continue the search for our missing ship someone stole them and someone is going to want to sell them or scrap them.  And lastly as of now the French Nassau Identification codes are suspended.  The Ships captains are to use their discretion but  until I can get new codes from the French and separate codes from out other allies French Ships operating suspiciously will be boarded and visually inspected.

V.A. Forbes:   We will need authorization for that and this will require delicate contact between White Hall and Paris?  The French are extremely sensitive about their pride but they do have the best government that money can buy!

V.A. Adams:  I have a meeting tomorrow with the Prime Minister and some of the Chaps from White Hall!  We will be discussing how to politely inform the French Premiers that someone in their Navy or in their own offices is selling state secrets to Pirates!  We can only hope that it is not one of the Premiers himself selling access to the codes.   Well if that all its time for Tea and I will see both next week at the Exeter Club.