DECLASSIFIED W s-um Authorityu ipj wig MO 9' 1m Prom The Comma Off car To cm In on Sea 'Mntior Soar-t daa to cubic vuugntfon' Eewns 1 In accordance with verbal instructions of 0mm mum an Frontier an investigation of tho subject utter has been conducted by em owning officer and a report of thin investigttlon 1- contained in the following pang-up 2 W the Chicago Tribune reported an board the m my 15 1942 um the nerJohnston In unissued to a room with comm-er am am 6323 tho macutlva Officer of the 13 8 3 cud email 3 8 waxwomn 933 tho Air Officer of the 11 5 3 5 The Commung Officer or the 0 3 8 did not see or speak to m 30th during the p ariod he was on board and the want ornuu- and emanation Of oa- at the 5 3 8 mm only had alight conversation with him and gnu him no information - 4 am to the shortage at qualified of cer pan-normal it as not bun tho practice at the ship to deoodo Fax 83W 3 0 ng which tire not addressed to the ship After the 8 3 3 mxnii f officers raporteci an board the Executive exam of tho Command swam proposed to the cmming Officer tint be 21 11130 the st m qualified decoding af ne or the 33 3 8 for a commution decoding latch 1nd tint tE-msy be guarantee ta deem Fax Schedule manages cone-mung iguana In action in the Pacific was mummy an the 8 3 3 The Commanding Officer or the 35mm than ambushed a decodi s watch 0 ed a decoding offieogg the malt 1 31$ DECLASSIFIED AuthorityM D 1 l6 Subgact Commander in Chief Pacific Pleat Secret dacpatch 311231 of May 1942 ct Invoctigntion Regarding deprouiling and Encoding cf 5 SELIGEAH abated that it was customary on for the Executive Officcr and hand to Dec all ddcodc Fox Schedule messages and requested that thi lame be permitted an the v 5 s arms was to ca it was proposed by-a responsible officer 8 The following 0 2 3 officers wvro assigned to the decoding watch Lt Jg 381 3333 HR m 3 3 Ml iso ' RR 21m 330 HR Ens my masmm m m Edi WMBACE ER was or more of the nbcva officer decoded the subject named despahdh and all probably read it This danpatch Inc 1130 scan by Captain of the 3 8 8 the Executive Officer sac Communication Officer and pccuibl the Assistant Gunnery afficcr er an we a tho-fallouing officers the 8 3 3 LEXINGTOHS - Goudr M T canzcucr ivsx 1 1 cm MP swam 1353 Comdr USN 7 Thu security mcssures an v 3 s BARRETT for the handling of Iocrct massages c this character consist of A lockcd dreading rcam containing 3 decoding machine in I 1 3 8 35 and a three-ccmbination lock safe to which only t r ma'v rc rr denignated decoding officers and the chip's Ccmmunication Oftieor have access decoded montages are net copied but tho tape 1 an a chest of and placed in 1 secret foldor The toldnr containing the menacgoc was delivorod tc the Cummanding Officer of the 3 3 3 by Gammunicuticn Ofticcr and also showed it to the Executive Offiear 6f Eh 6 3 3 Tho secret folder was than turned over to Licuttjg 9 0 Eaccxa RR tho senior v 5 3 LEXIRGTON decoding officer lh in turn was to show it to the Executive Officar and heads or of the 3 5 5 LEXIRGTOR 9 pg 1 DECLASSHHED if Authority MM gnaw-j 9- Subject Commander in Chief Pacific Fleet Secret deepatoh 311221 or nay 19423'chort of Investigation Regarding Compromising end Decoding cf 7 cont It was thoroughly'underltood by the Executive Officer or the U S S LEXINGTON that the LLKIEOTON officers to whom would be shown were him-elf and the three head of departmentl - When the messages had eervcd their purpoee they were burned by the Communication Officer or the v 8 3 BARNETT 8 It ha cone ta the ettention of_the Commanding Officer or the BARHETT that Commander n r SELIGHAN 533 the Executive Officer of the v 3 s LLXIHGTON nude 1 etetenent in eubetance as follewa to Lient Jg D BOHTECOU RE the Communication Officer or the 3 3 8 BARHETT that ho had been authorized on the LEXINGTON to show all secret massages and letter to Hr JOhnston The Communication Officer or the 8 8 3 BARRETT did not pay much attention to this statement at the time an it came out in general onnvereation bci conducted In view of the nbcvu it scene proheblc that the sub cot nAmed despntoh was shown to Hr Johnston by a member of tha U S S LEXINGTON or ninetion 0 3 5 officers would appear to have etitiad such a dteclceure in Vienna the fact that Hr JOhnaton had been permitted to eitnece a large ecu battle and become familiar with details of the navel operations connected thereeith 9 Commander M T 5ELIOHAH the Executive Officer or the 3 5 8 LEXIROTOH had in his posseceien a copy of the secret report_cf the Officer of the 6 3 8 LEXIOOTON regarding the lose at his ship and while an board preparcd a tracing of the coral Sea Battle and its attended operation It Johnston nae shown the subject named deepatch he was probably also shown the above reperte and tracings w B PHILLIPS- Wm giccec                     National Security Archive    Suite 701  Gelman Library  The George Washington University    2130 H Street  NW  Washington  D C  20037    Phone  202 994‐7000  Fax  202 994‐7005  nsarchiv@gwu edu