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The Great White Fleet was the name for the four squadrons of US battleships and their escorts that made a circumnavigation of the world from December 16, 1907, to February 22, 1909.
Background
The Fleet was put to sea on the voyage of more than 43,000 miles by order of the President of the United States Theodore Roosevelt, who wished to demonstrate to his country and the world that the US Navy was capable of operating in a global theater, particularly in the Pacific. This was extraordinarily important at a time when tensions were slowly growing between the United States and Japan. The latter had recently shown its navy's competence in defeating the Russians in the Russo-Japanese War and the US Navy fleet to the west was relatively small.
And so, in the twilight of Roosevelt's administration, the president dispatched a fleet consisting of four US Navy battleship squadrons and their escorts, on a world-wide voyage of circumnavigation from December 16, 1907, to February 22, 1909. With their hulls painted white except for the beautiful gilded scrollwork with a red, white, and blue banner on their bows, these ships would come to be known as The Great White Fleet.
Roosevelt wanted to demonstrate to his country and the world that the US Navy was capable of operating in a global theater, particularly in the Pacific. The Atlantic Fleet battleships only later came to be known as the "Great White Fleet."
Extraordinarily complex operation
The journey was not without risk, as the Panama Canal was not yet complete, so the fleet would pass through the Straits of Magellan. The coordination, logistics and sheer scope of such an operation were unprecedented in US history as ships had sail from all points of the compass to rendezvous points and proceed according to a well-planned and carefully orchestrated plan. It would involve almost the entire operational capability of the Navy. Unlike the badly coordinate move of the Russian fleet from the Baltic to the Pacific and to its destruction by the Japanese, the US fleet would not make the same mistakes but would set world records in almost all aspects of the voyage.
Foreign reception
The fleet was greeted with excitment around the world. IN port after port, citizens in the thousands turned out to see and greet the Fleet. In Sicily, the sailors helped in recovery operations after a serious earthquake. When the fleet sailed into Yokahama, Japan, the Japanese went to extraordinary lengths to show that their country desired peace with the US. Thousands of Japanese school children waving American flags greeted the Navy brass as they came ashore.
The fleet returns
In February 1909, Roosevelt was in Hampton Roads, Virginia to witness the triumphant return of the fleet and indicating that he saw the fleet's long voyage as a fitting finish for his administration. To the officers and men of the Fleet Roosevelt said, "Other nations may do what you have done, but they'll have to follow you." This parting act of Grand Strategy by Roosevelt greatly expanded the respect for as well as the role of the United States in the international arena.
Fleet composition
The fourteen-month long voyage was a grand pageant of American sea power. The squadrons were manned by 14,000 sailors. They covered some 43,000 miles and made twenty port calls on six continents. The fleet was impressive, but technically outdated, as the first few dreadnought battleships had already entered service, and the first dreadnought for the US Navy, South Carolina, was fitting out. The two oldest ships in the fleet, USS Kearsarge and USS Kentucky, were obsolete and unfit for battle; and two others, USS Maine and USS Alabama, had to be detached at San Francisco, California because of mechanical troubles.
The battleships were accompanied during the first leg of their voyage by a "Torpedo Flotilla" of six early destroyers, as well as by several auxiliary ships. The destroyers and their tender did not actually steam in company with the battleships, but followed their own itinerary from Hampton Roads, Virginia to San Francisco, California. Two battleships were detached from the fleet at San Francisco, and two others substituted.
General fleet itinerary
With the USS Connecticut (BB-18) as flagship under the command of Rear Admiral Robley D. Evans, the fleet sailed from Hampton Roads on December 16, 1907, for Trinidad, British West Indies, thence to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Sandy Point, Chile; Callao, Peru; Magdalena Bay, Mexico, and up the west coast, arriving at San Francisco, May 6, 1908.
After the arrival of the fleet off the west coast, the USS Glacier was detached and later became the supply ship of the Pacific Fleet. At this time also, the USS Nebraska, Captain Reginald F. Nicholson, and the USS Wisconsin, Captain Frank E. Beatty, were substituted for the USS Maine and USS Alabama. At San Francisco, Rear Admiral Charles S. Sperry assumed command of the Fleet, owing to the poor health of Admiral Evans. Also at San Francisco, the squadrons were slightly rearranged, bringing the newest and best ships in the fleet up to the First Squadron. Leaving that port on July 7, 1908, the U.S. Atlantic Fleet visited Honolulu; Auckland, New Zealand; Sydney and Melbourne, Australia; Manila, Philippines; Yokohama, Japan; Colombo, Ceylon; arriving at Suez, Egypt, on January 3, 1909.
As mentioned earlier, in Egypt, word was received of an earthquake in Sicily, thus affording an opportunity for the United States to show its friendship to Italy by offering aid to the sufferers. Connecticut, Illinois, Culgoa, and Yankton were dispatched to Messina, Italy at once. The crew of Illinois recovered the bodies of the American consul and his wife, entombed in the ruins.
USS Scorpion, the Fleet's station ship at Constantinople, and USS Celtic, a refrigerator ship fitted out in New York, were hurried to Messina, relieving Connecticut and Illinois, so that they could continue on the cruise.
Leaving Messina on January 9, 1909, the Fleet stopped at Naples, Italy, thence to Gibraltar, arriving at Hampton Roads on February 22, 1909. There President Roosevelt reviewed the Fleet as it passed into the roadstead.
The First Leg
from Hampton Roads to San Francisco, 14,556 miles
Itinerary
| Port | Arrival | Departure | Distance to Next Port |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hampton Roads, Virginia | 1907-12-16 | 1803 miles | |
| Port of Spain, Trinidad | 1907-12-23 | 1907-12-29 | 3399 miles |
| Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 1908-01-12 | 1908-01-21 | 2374 miles |
| Punta Arenas, Chile | 1908-02-01 | 1908-02-07 | 2838 miles |
| Callao, Peru | 1908-02-20 | 1908-02-29 | 3010 miles |
| Magdalena Bay, Mexico | 1908-03-12 | 1908-04-11 | 1132 miles |
| San Francisco, California | 1908-05-06 |
Ships
The Fleet, First Squadron and First Division, were commanded by Rear Admiral Robley D. Evans. First Division consisted of USS Connecticut (BB-18), the Fleet's flagship, Captain Hugo Osterhaus, USS Kansas (BB-21), Captain Charles E. Vreeland, USS Vermont (BB-20), Captain William P. Potter, and USS Louisiana (BB-19), Captain Richard Wainwright.Second Division was commanded by Rear Admiral William H. Emory. Second Division consisted of USS Georgia (BB-15), the Division flagship, Captain Henry McCrea, USS New Jersey (BB-16), Captain William H. H. Southerland, USS Rhode Island (BB-17), Captain Joseph B. Murdock, and USS Virginia (BB-13), Captain Seaton Schroeder.
Second Squadron and Third Division were commanded by Rear Admiral Charles M. Thomas. Third Division consisted of USS Minnesota (BB-22), the Squadron flagship, Captain John Hubbard, USS Maine (BB-10), Captain Giles B. Harber, USS Missouri (BB-11), Captain Greenlief A. Merriam, and USS Ohio (BB-12), Captain Charles W. Bartlett.
Fourth Division was commanded by Rear Admiral Charles S. Sperry. Fourth Division consisted of USS Alabama (BB-8), the Division flagship, Captain Ten Eyck De Witt Veeder, USS Illinois (BB-7), Captain John M. Bowyer, USS Kearsarge (BB-5), Captain Hamilton Hutchins, and USS Kentucky (BB-6), Captain Walter C. Cowles.
The Fleet Auxiliaries consisted of USS Culgoa (a storeship), Lieutenant Commander John B. Patton, USS Glacier (a storeship), Commander William S. Hogg, USS Panther (a repair ship), Commander Valentine S. Nelson, USS Yankton (a tender), Lieutenant Walter R. Gherardi, and USS Relief (a hospital ship).
The "Torpedo Flotilla" of destroyers consisted of USS Hopkins, Lieutenant Alfred G. Howe, USS Stewart, Lieutenant Julius F. Hellweg, USS Hull, Lieutenant Frank McCommon, USS Truxton, Lieutenant Charles S. Kerrick, USS Lawrence, Lieutenant Ernest Friedrick, USS Whipple, Lieutenant Hutch I. Cone, and USS Arethusa (a tender), Commander Albert W. Grant.
Second Leg
from San Francisco to Puget Sound and back
The Fleet, First Squadron, and First Division were commanded by Rear Admiral Charles S. Sperry. First Division consisted of USS Connecticut (BB-18), the Fleet's flagship, Captain Hugo Osterhaus USS Kansas (BB-21), Captain Charles E. Vreeland USS Minnesota (BB-22), Captain John Hubbard USS Vermont (BB-20), Captain William P. Potter
Second Division was commanded by Rear Admiral Richard Wainwright. Second Division consisted of USS Georgia (BB-15), the Division flagship, Captain Edward F. Qualtrough, USS Nebraska (BB-14), Captain Reginald F. Nicholson, USS New Jersey (BB-16), Captain William H.H. Southerland, and USS Rhode Island (BB-17), Captain Joseph B. Murdock.
Second Squadron and Third Division were commanded by Rear Admiral William H. Emory. Third Division consisted of USS Louisiana (BB-19), the Squadron's flagship, Captain Kossuth Niles, USS Virginia (BB-13), Captain Alexander Sharp, USS Missouri (BB-11), Captain Robert M. Doyle, and USS Ohio (BB-12), Captain Thomas B. Howard.
Fourth Division was commanded by Rear Admiral Seaton Schroeder. Fourth Division consisted of USS Wisconsin (BB-9), the Division flagship, Captain Frank E. Beatty, USS Illinois (BB-7), Captain John M. Bowyer, USS Kearsarge (BB-5), Captain Hamilton Hutchins, and USS Kentucky (BB-6), Captain Walter C. Cowles.
The Fleet Auxiliaries were USS Culgoa (a storeship), Lieutenant Commander John B. Patton, USS Yankton (a tender), Lieutenant Commander Charles B. McVay, USS Glacier (a storeship), Commander William S. Hogg, USS Relief (a hospital ship), Surgeon Charles F. Stokes, and USS Panther (a repair ship), Commander Valentine S. Nelson.
Third Leg
from San Francisco to Manila, 16,336 miles
Itinerary
| Port | Arrival | Departure | Distance to Next Port |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, California | 1908-07-07 | 2126 miles | |
| Honolulu, Hawaii | 1908-07-16 | 1908-07-22 | 3870 miles |
| Auckland, New Zealand | 1908-08-09 | 1908-08-15 | 1307 miles |
| Sydney, Australia | 1908-08-20 | 1908-08-28 | 601 miles |
| Melbourne, Australia | 1908-08-29 | 1908-09-05 | 1368 miles |
| Albany, Australia | 1908-09-11 | 1908-09-18 | 3458 miles |
| Manila, Philippine Islands | 1908-10-02 | 1908-10-09 | 1795 miles |
| Yokohama, Japan | 1908-10-18 | 1908-10-25 | 1811 miles |
| Amoy, China (Second Squadron) | 1908-10-29 | 1908-11-05 | |
| Manila, Philippine Islands (First Squadron) | 1908-10-31 | ||
| Manila, Philippine Islands (Second Squadron) | 1908-11-07 |
Ships
The Fleet, First Squadron, and First Division were commanded by Rear Admiral Charles S. Sperry. First Division consisted of USS Connecticut (BB-18), the Fleet's flagship, Captain Hugo Osterhaus, USS Kansas (BB-21), Captain Charles E. Vreeland, USS Minnesota (BB-22), Captain John Hubbard, and USS Vermont (BB-20), Captain William P. Potter.The Second Division was commanded by Rear Admiral Richard Wainwright. Second Division consisted of USS Georgia (BB-15), the Division flagship, Captain Edward F. Qualtrough, USS Nebraska (BB-14), Captain Reginald F. Nicholson, USS New Jersey (BB-16), Captain William H.H. Southerland, and USS Rhode Island (BB-17), Captain Joseph B. Murdock.
The Second Squadron and Third Division were commanded by Rear Admiral William H. Emory. Third Division consisted of USS Louisiana (BB-19), the Squadron flagship, Captain Kossuth Niles, USS Virginia (BB-13), Captain Alexander Sharp, USS Missouri (BB-11), Captain Robert M. Doyle, and USS Ohio (BB-12), Captain Thomas B. Howard.
Fourth Division was commanded by Rear Admiral Seaton Schroeder. Fourth Division consisted of USS Wisconsin (BB-9), the Division flagship, Captain Frank E. Beatty, USS Illinois (BB-7), Captain John M. Bowyer, USS Kearsarge (BB-5), Captain Hamilton Hutchins, and USS Kentucky (BB-6), Captain Walter C. Cowles.
The Fleet Auxiliaries were USS Culgoa (a storeship), Lieutenant Commander John B. Patton, USS Yankton (a tender), Lieutenant Commander Charles B. McVay, USS Glacier (a storeship), Commander William S. Hogg, USS Relief (a hospital ship), Surgeon Charles F. Stokes, and USS Panther (a repair ship), Commander Valentine S. Nelson.
Final Leg
from Manila to Hampton Roads, 12,455 miles
Itinerary
| Port | Arrival | Departure | Distance to Next Port |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manila, Philippine Islands | 1908-12-01 | 2985 miles | |
| Colombo, Ceylon | 1908-12-13 | 1908-12-20 | 3448 miles |
| Suez, Egypt | 1909-01-03 | 1909-01-04 – 1909-01-06 | 2443 miles |
| Gibraltar | 1909-01-31 – 1909-02-01 | 1909-02-06 | 3579 miles |
| Hampton Roads, Virginia | 1909-02-22 |
Ships
The Fleet, First Squadron, and First Division were commanded by Rear Admiral Charles S. Sperry. First Division consisted of USS Connecticut (BB-18), the Fleet's flagship, Captain Hugo Osterhaus, USS Vermont (BB-20), Captain Frank F. Fletcher, USS Kansas (BB-21), Captain Charles E. Vreeland, and USS Minnesota (BB-22), Captain John Hubbard.Second Division was commanded by Rear Admiral Richard Wainwright. Second Division consisted of USS Georgia (BB-15), the Division flagship, Captain Edward F. Qualtrough, USS Nebraska (BB-14), Captain Reginald F. Nicholson, USS New Jersey (BB-16),
Captain William H. H. Southerland, and USS Rhode Island (BB-17), Captain Joseph B. Murdock.
Second Squadron and Third Division were commanded by Rear Admiral Seaton Schroeder. Third Division consisted of USS Louisiana (BB-19), the Squadron flagship, Captain Kossuth Niles, USS Virginia (BB-13), Captain Alexander Sharp, USS Missouri (BB-11), Captain Robert M. Doyle, and USS Ohio (BB-12), Captain Thomas B. Howard.
Fourth Division was commanded by Rear Admiral William H. Emory. Fourth Division consisted of USS Wisconsin (BB-9), the Division flagship, Captain Frank E. Beatty, USS Illinois (BB-7), Captain John M. Bowyer, USS Kearsarge (BB-5), Captain Hamilton Hutchins, and USS Kentucky (BB-6), Captain Walter C. Cowles.
The Fleet Auxiliaries were USS Culgoa (a storeship), Lieutenant Commander John B. Patton, USS Yankton (a tender), Lieutenant Commander Charles B. McVay, and USS Panther (a repair ship), Commander Valentine S. Nelson.
See also
External links
- http://www.greatwhitefleet.info/history6.html Great White Fleet Website
- http://www.history.navy.mil/library/online/gwf_cruise.htm US Navy Historical Center Site
"Great White Fleet"