Great White Fleet
Encyclopedia
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
battle fleet that completed a circumnavigation
Circumnavigation
Circumnavigation – literally, "navigation of a circumference" – refers to travelling all the way around an island, a continent, or the entire planet Earth.- Global circumnavigation :...
of the globe from 16 December 1907 to 22 February 1909 by order of U.S. President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
. It consisted of 16 battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
s divided into two squadrons
Squadron (naval)
A squadron, or naval squadron, is a unit of 3-4 major warships, transport ships, submarines, or sometimes small craft that may be part of a larger task force or a fleet...
, along with various escorts
Task force
A task force is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology...
. Roosevelt sought to demonstrate growing American military power and blue-water navy
Blue-water navy
The term blue-water navy is a colloquialism used to describe a maritime force capable of operating across the deep waters of open oceans. While what actually constitutes such a force remains undefined, there is a requirement for the ability to exercise sea control at wide ranges...
capability. Hoping to enforce treaties and protect overseas holdings, US Congress appropriated funds to build up the American sea power. Beginning with just 90 small ships, over 1/3 of them wooden, the navy quickly grew to include new modern steel fighting vessels. The hulls of these ships were painted a stark white, which is why the armada was known as the Great White Fleet.
Background and purpose
Bow (ship)
The bow is a nautical term that refers to the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway. Both of the adjectives fore and forward mean towards the bow...
. These ships would later come to be known as the Great White Fleet.
The purpose of the grand endeavor was multifaceted. At home and on the world stage it demonstrated that the US had become a major seapower, it provided an opportunity to improve the seaworthiness of the fleet, and it served as a showpiece of American goodwill visiting numerous countries and harbors. In addition, specifically as Japan had arisen as a major seapower with the 1905 annihilation of the Russian fleet at Tsushima
Battle of Tsushima
The Battle of Tsushima , commonly known as the “Sea of Japan Naval Battle” in Japan and the “Battle of Tsushima Strait”, was the major naval battle fought between Russia and Japan during the Russo-Japanese War...
, it sent a message to Tokyo that the American fleet could be deployed anywhere, even from its Atlantic ports, and would be able to defend American interests in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
and the Pacific. After the fleet had crossed the Pacific, Japanese statesmen realized that the balance of power in the East had changed since the Root–Takahira Agreement that defined relevant spheres of interest of the United States and Japan.
Voyage
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
was not yet complete, the fleet would pass through the Straits of Magellan. The scope of such an operation was unprecedented in U.S. history, as ships had to sail from all points of the compass to rendezvous points and proceed according to a carefully orchestrated, well-conceived plan. It would involve almost the entire operational capability of the U.S. Navy. Unlike the badly coordinated moves of the Russian fleet on its voyage from the Baltic
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
to the Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, which eventually led to its destruction by the Japanese
Battle of Tsushima
The Battle of Tsushima , commonly known as the “Sea of Japan Naval Battle” in Japan and the “Battle of Tsushima Strait”, was the major naval battle fought between Russia and Japan during the Russo-Japanese War...
in 1905, the U.S. effort would benefit from a peaceful environment which aided the coordination of ship movements. The voyage itself would eventually set a number of world record
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
s including sheer number of ships simultaneously circumnavigating the earth.
In port after port, citizens in the thousands turned out to see and greet the fleet. In 1908 The Great White Fleet visited Monterey, California
Monterey, California
The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
, from 1–4 May. The nearby Hotel Del Monte in Del Monte, California
Del Monte, California
Del Monte is a formerly unincorporated community in Monterey County, California, now a part of Monterey, California. It is located in the east part of Monterey Monterey, at an elevation of 16 feet . and refers to the grounds of the luxury resort Hotel Del Monte, named by Charles Crocker, one of...
hosted a grand ball for the officers of the fleet. Years later the Del Monte was taken over by the U.S. Navy in 1942 for use as the Del Monte Pre-Flight School for pilots and after World War II the Naval Postgraduate School
Naval Postgraduate School
The Naval Postgraduate School is an accredited research university operated by the United States Navy. Located in Monterey, California, it grants master's degrees, Engineer's degrees and doctoral degrees...
was relocated there.
In Australia the arrival of the Great White Fleet on 20 August 1908 was used to encourage support for the forming of Australia's own navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
. When the fleet sailed into Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, the Japanese went to extraordinary lengths to show that their country desired peace with the U.S.; thousands of Japanese schoolchildren waved American flags
Flag of the United States
The national flag of the United States of America consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars alternating with rows...
to greet Navy officials as they came ashore. In Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, the sailors helped in recovery operations after the 1908 Messina earthquake
1908 Messina earthquake
The 1908 Messina earthquake and tsunami took some 100,000–200,000 lives on December 28, 1908 in Sicily and Calabria, southern Italy.-Quake:On December 28, 1908 from about 05:20 to 05:21 an earthquake of 7.2 on the moment magnitude scale occurred centered on the of city Messina, in Sicily. Reggio...
.
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
Grand strategy
Grand strategy comprises the "purposeful employment of all instruments of power available to a security community". Military historian B. H. Liddell Hart says about grand strategy:...
by Roosevelt greatly expanded the respect with which the United States was held, as well as its role in the international arena.
Fleet composition
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
), but already the battleships represented the suddenly outdated 'pre-dreadnought' type of capital ship, as the first battleships of the revolutionary had just entered service, and the U.S. Navy's first dreadnought
Dreadnought
The dreadnought was the predominant type of 20th-century battleship. The first of the kind, the Royal Navy's had such an impact when launched in 1906 that similar battleships built after her were referred to as "dreadnoughts", and earlier battleships became known as pre-dreadnoughts...
, , was already fitting out. The two oldest ships in the fleet, and , were already obsolete and unfit for battle; two others, and , had to be detached at San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
because of mechanical troubles and were substituted by the and the . (After repairs, Alabama and Maine completed their "own, more direct, circumnavigation of the globe" via Honolulu, Guam, Manila, Singapore, Colombo, Suez, Naples, Gibraltar, the Azores, and finally back to the United States, arriving on 20 October 1908 long before the remainder of the fleet, which had taken a more circuitous route.)
The battleships were accompanied during the first leg of their voyage by a "Torpedo Flotilla" of six early destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s, 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
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
to San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
General fleet itinerary
Robley Dunglison Evans
Robley Dunglison Evans was born in Floyd County, Virginia served in the United States Navy from the American Civil War to the Spanish-American War, attaining the rank of rear admiral...
, the fleet sailed from Hampton Roads on 16 December 1907 for Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
, British West Indies
British West Indies
The British West Indies was a term used to describe the islands in and around the Caribbean that were part of the British Empire The term was sometimes used to include British Honduras and British Guiana, even though these territories are not geographically part of the Caribbean...
, thence to Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
; Punta Arenas
Punta Arenas, Chile
Punta Arenas is a commune and the capital city of Chile's southernmost region, Magallanes and Antartica Chilena. The city was officially renamed Magallanes in 1927, but in 1938 it was changed back to Punta Arenas...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
; Callao
Callao
Callao is the largest and most important port in Peru. The city is coterminous with the Constitutional Province of Callao, the only province of the Callao Region. Callao is located west of Lima, the country's capital, and is part of the Lima Metropolitan Area, a large metropolis that holds almost...
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
; Magdalena Bay
Magdalena Bay
Bahía Magdalena is a 50 km long bay in Comondú Municipality along the western coast of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. It is protected from the Pacific Ocean by the sandy barrier islands of Isla Magdalena and Isla Santa Margarita....
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, and up the West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
, arriving at San Francisco, 6 May 1908.
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. The was detached and later became the supply ship of the Pacific Fleet. At this time also, the , Captain Reginald F. Nicholson, and the , Captain Frank E. Beatty
Frank E. Beatty
Rear Admiral Frank Edmund Beatty was an officer in the United States Navy.-Biography:Born in Aztalan, Wisconsin, Beatty graduated with the United States Naval Academy Class of 1875, and then served at sea in the wooden screw-sloop Tuscarora before receiving his ensign's commission in 1876...
, were substituted for the and . In San Francisco, was brought forward into First Squadron, First Division and took her place as flagship, Second Squadron.
Leaving that port on 7 July 1908 the U.S. Atlantic Fleet
U.S. Atlantic Fleet
The United States Fleet Forces Command is an Atlantic Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources that are under the operational control of the United States Northern Command...
visited Honolulu
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
; Auckland, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
; Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
; Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
; Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
; Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
, Ceylon; arriving at Suez
Suez
Suez is a seaport city in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez , near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boundaries as Suez governorate. It has three harbors, Adabya, Ain Sokhna and Port Tawfiq, and extensive port facilities...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, on 3 January 1909.
As mentioned earlier, while the fleet was in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, word was received of an earthquake in Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, thus affording an opportunity for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to show its friendship to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
by offering aid to the sufferers. Connecticut, Illinois, Culgoa, and Yankton were dispatched to Messina, Italy
Messina, Italy
Messina is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, Italy and the capital of the province of Messina. It has a population of about 250,000 inhabitants in the city proper and about 650,000 in the province...
at once. The crew of Illinois recovered the bodies of the American consul
Consul (representative)
The political title Consul is used for the official representatives of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, and to facilitate trade and friendship between the peoples of the two countries...
and his wife, entombed in the ruins.
, the Fleet's station ship at Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
, and , a refrigerator ship fitted out in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, were hurried to Messina, relieving Connecticut and Illinois, so that they could continue on the cruise.
Leaving Messina on 9 January 1909 the Fleet stopped at Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, thence to Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
, arriving at Hampton Roads on 22 February 1909. There President Roosevelt reviewed the Fleet as it passed into the roadstead.
Itinerary
| Port | Arrival | Departure | Distance to Next Port |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hampton Roads, Virginia Virginia The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there... |
16 December 1907 | 1803 nmi (3,339.2 km) | |
| Port of Spain Port of Spain Port of Spain, also written as Port-of-Spain, is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality, after San Fernando and Chaguanas. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 , a metropolitan population of 128,026 and a transient daily population... , Trinidad Trinidad Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in... |
23 December 1907 | 29 December 1907 | 3399 nmi (6,294.9 km) |
| Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th... , Brazil Brazil Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people... |
12 January 1908 | 21 January 1908 | 2374 nmi (4,396.6 km) |
| Punta Arenas, Chile Chile Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far... |
1 February 1908 | 7 February 1908 | 2838 nmi (5,256 km) |
| Callao Callao Callao is the largest and most important port in Peru. The city is coterminous with the Constitutional Province of Callao, the only province of the Callao Region. Callao is located west of Lima, the country's capital, and is part of the Lima Metropolitan Area, a large metropolis that holds almost... , Peru Peru Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.... |
20 February 1908 | 29 February 1908 | 3010 nmi (5,574.5 km) |
| Magdalena Bay Magdalena Bay Bahía Magdalena is a 50 km long bay in Comondú Municipality along the western coast of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. It is protected from the Pacific Ocean by the sandy barrier islands of Isla Magdalena and Isla Santa Margarita.... , Mexico Mexico The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of... |
12 March 1908 | 11 April 1908 | 1132 nmi (2,096.5 km) |
| San Francisco San Francisco, California San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland... , California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... |
6 May 1908 |
Ships
The Fleet, First Squadron and First Division, were commanded by Rear Admiral Robley D. Evans.First Division consisted of four ships of the 1906 Connecticut class
Connecticut class battleship
- External links :...
:
, the Fleet's flagship,
Captain Hugo Osterhaus
Hugo Osterhaus
Hugo Osterhaus was a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy. He was the son of Civil War Major General Peter J. Osterhaus and father of Navy Admiral Hugo Wilson Osterhaus , and is buried on Arlington National Cemetery.-U.S...
,
,
Captain Charles E. Vreeland
Charles E. Vreeland
Charles E. Vreeland was an officer of the United States Navy who reached the rank of rear admiral.-Early life:...
,
,
Captain William P. Potter, and
,
Captain Richard Wainwright.
Second Division was commanded by Rear Admiral William H. Emory.
Second Division consisted of four ships of the 1904 Virginia class
Virginia class battleship
The Virginia class battleship was designed to be the first truly seagoing U.S. battleships. Five ships were commissioned between 1906 and 1907. The ships participated in the round-the-world cruise of the Great White Fleet. For the second and last time, the U.S...
:
, the Division flagship,
Captain Henry McCrea,
,
Captain William H. H. Southerland
William Henry Hudson Southerland
William Henry Hudson Southerland was a rear admiral in the United States Navy. He commanded several ships in Cuban waters during the Spanish-American War, and later served as Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet....
,
,
Captain Joseph B. Murdock, and
,
Captain Seaton Schroeder
Seaton Schroeder
Seaton Schroeder was an admiral of the United States Navy.-Biography:Schroeder was born in Washington, D.C., on 17 August 1849 the son of Frances Schroeder, who was the United States Ambassador to Sweden...
.
Second Squadron and Third Division were commanded by Rear Admiral Charles M. Thomas.
Third Division consisted of one Connecticut-class ship and the three ships of the 1902 Maine class
Maine class battleship
The three Maine class battleships: , , and were launched in the first several years of the 20th century. These were the first US capital ships to use smokeless powder for their main batteries, and the last to use Harvey armor. Smokeless powder allowed a decrease in gun size, with an increase in...
:
, the Squadron flagship,
Captain John Hubbard,
,
Captain Giles B. Harber
Giles B. Harber
Giles B. Harber was a rear admiral of the United States Navy and one-time Commander-in-Chief of both the United States Atlantic Fleet and the Pacific Fleet. He was born and died in Youngstown, Ohio...
,
,
Captain Greenlief A. Merriam, and
,
Captain Charles W. Bartlett.
Fourth Division was commanded by Rear Admiral Charles S. Sperry.
Fourth Division consisted of two ships of the 1901 Illinois class
Illinois class battleship
The Illinois-class battleships were pre-dreadnought battleships of the United States Navy commissioned at the beginning of the 20th century. The first ship of its class, the , was commissioned in 1901...
and the two 1900 Kearsarge class
Kearsarge class battleship
The Kearsarge class was a two-ship class of battleships built for the United States Navy at the beginning of the 20th century. Its first ship, the , was commissioned in 1900. The lead ship of this class, USS Kearsarge, was the only United States battleship not named for a state.- Ship history :This...
ships:
, the Division flagship,
Captain Ten Eyck De Witt Veeder,
,
Captain John M. Bowyer
John M. Bowyer
Rear Admiral John M. Bowyer was an officer in the United States Navy.Bowyer was born in Cass County, Indiana; and in 1870, he was appointed to the United States Naval Academy from Iowa. He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1874....
,
,
Captain Hamilton Hutchins, and
,
Captain Walter C. Cowles
Walter C. Cowles
*...
.
The Fleet Auxiliaries consisted of
(a storeship),
Lieutenant Commander John B. Patton,
(a storeship),
Commander William S. Hogg,
(a repair ship),
Commander Valentine S. Nelson,
(a tender),
Lieutenant Walter R. Gherardi, and
(a hospital ship).
The "Torpedo Flotilla" of destroyers consisted of
,
Lieutenant Alfred G. Howe,
,
Lieutenant Julius F. Hellweg,
,
Lieutenant Frank McCommon,
,
Lieutenant Charles S. Kerrick,
,
Lieutenant Ernest Friedrick,
,
Lieutenant Hutch I. Cone, and
(a tender),
Commander Albert W. Grant
Albert W. Grant
Albert Weston Grant was an admiral of the United States Navy during World War I.-Biography:Grant was born on April 14, 1856 at East Benton, Maine. He grew up at Stevens Point, Wisconsin, with his pioneer family and won a competitive appointment to the United States Naval Academy, from which he...
.
Second leg
The second leg of the voyage was from San Francisco to Puget SoundPuget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
and back
The Fleet, First Squadron, and First Division were commanded by Rear Admiral Charles S. Sperry.
First Division consisted of
, the Fleet's flagship,
Captain Hugo Osterhaus
,
Captain Charles E. Vreeland
Charles E. Vreeland
Charles E. Vreeland was an officer of the United States Navy who reached the rank of rear admiral.-Early life:...
,
Captain John Hubbard
,
Captain William P. Potter
Second Division was commanded by Rear Admiral Richard Wainwright.
Second Division consisted of
, the Division flagship,
Captain Edward F. Qualtrough,
,
Captain Reginald F. Nicholson, replacing her sister Virginia,
,
Captain William H.H. Southerland, and
,
Captain Joseph B. Murdock.
Second Squadron and Third Division were commanded by Rear Admiral William H. Emory.
Third Division consisted of
, the Squadron's flagship,
Captain Kossuth Niles,
,
Captain Alexander Sharp,
,
Captain Robert M. Doyle, and
,
Captain Thomas B. Howard
Thomas B. Howard
*...
.
Fourth Division was commanded by Rear Admiral Seaton Schroeder.
Fourth Division consisted of
, the Division flagship,
Captain Frank E. Beatty, which replaced her sister Alabama,
,
Captain John M. Bowyer,
,
Captain Hamilton Hutchins, and
,
Captain Walter C. Cowles.
The Fleet Auxiliaries were
(a storeship),
Lieutenant Commander John B. Patton,
(a tender),
Lieutenant Commander Charles B. McVay,
(a storeship),
Commander William S. Hogg,
(a hospital ship),
Surgeon Charles F. Stokes, and
(a repair ship),
Commander Valentine S. Nelson.
Itinerary
| Port | Arrival | Departure | Distance to Next Port |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco San Francisco, California San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland... , California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... |
7 July 1908 | 2126 nmi (3,937.4 km) | |
| Honolulu Honolulu, Hawaii Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and... , Hawaii Hawaii Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of... |
16 July 1908 | 22 July 1908 | 3870 nmi (7,167.2 km) |
| Auckland, New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
9 August 1908 | 15 August 1908 | 1307 nmi (2,420.6 km) |
| Sydney Sydney Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people... , Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
20 August 1908 | 28 August 1908 | 601 nmi (1,113.1 km) |
| Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater... , Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
29 August 1908 | 5 September 1908 | 1368 nmi (2,533.5 km) |
| Albany Albany, Western Australia Albany is a port city in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, some 418 km SE of Perth, the state capital. As of 2009, Albany's population was estimated at 33,600, making it the 6th-largest city in the state.... , Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
11 September 1908 | 18 September 1908 | 3458 nmi (6,404.2 km) |
| Manila Manila Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,... , Philippine Islands |
2 October 1908 | 9 October 1908 | 1795 nmi (3,324.3 km) |
| Yokohama Yokohama is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu... , Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
18 October 1908 | 25 October 1908 | 1811 nmi (3,354 km) |
| Amoy Amoy Xiamen, or Amoy, is a city on the southeast coast of China.Amoy may also refer to:*Amoy dialect, a dialect of the Hokkien lects, which are part of the Southern Min group of Chinese languages... , China China Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture... (Second Squadron) |
29 October 1908 | 5 November 1908 | |
| Manila Manila Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,... , Philippine Islands (First Squadron) |
31 October 1908 | ||
| Manila Manila Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,... , Philippine Islands (Second Squadron) |
7 November 1908 |
Ships
The Fleet, First Squadron, and First Division were commanded by Rear Admiral Charles S. Sperry.First Division consisted of
, the Fleet's flagship,
Captain Hugo Osterhaus,
,
Captain Charles E. Vreeland,
,
Captain John Hubbard, and
,
Captain William P. Potter.
Second Division consisted of
, the Division flagship,
Captain Edward F. Qualtrough,
,
Captain Reginald F. Nicholson,
,
Captain William H.H. Southerland, and
,
Captain Joseph B. Murdock.
The Second Squadron and Third Division were commanded by Rear Admiral William H. Emory.
Third Division consisted of
, the Squadron flagship,
Captain Kossuth Niles,
,
Captain Alexander Sharp,
,
Captain Robert M. Doyle, and
,
Captain Thomas B. Howard.
Fourth Division was commanded by Rear Admiral Seaton Schroeder.
Fourth Division consisted of
, the Division flagship,
Captain Frank E. Beatty,
,
Captain John M. Bowyer,
,
Captain Hamilton Hutchins, and
,
Captain Walter C. Cowles.
The Fleet Auxiliaries were
(a storeship),
Lieutenant Commander John B. Patton,
(a tender),
Lieutenant Commander Charles B. McVay,
(a storeship),
Commander William S. Hogg,
(a hospital ship),
Surgeon Charles F. Stokes, and
(a repair ship),
Commander Valentine S. Nelson.
Final leg
The final leg ran from Manila to Hampton Roads, 12455 nautical miles (23,066.7 km).Itinerary
| Port | Arrival | Departure | Distance to Next Port |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manila Manila Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,... , Philippine Islands |
1 December 1908 | 2985 nmi (5,528.2 km) | |
| Colombo Colombo Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo... , Ceylon |
13 December 1908 | 20 December 1908 | 3448 nmi (6,385.7 km) |
| Suez Suez Suez is a seaport city in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez , near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boundaries as Suez governorate. It has three harbors, Adabya, Ain Sokhna and Port Tawfiq, and extensive port facilities... , Egypt Egypt Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world... |
3 January 1909 | 4–6 January 1909 | 2443 nmi (4,524.4 km) |
| Gibraltar Gibraltar Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region... |
31 January–1 February 1909 | 6 February 1909 | 3579 nmi (6,628.3 km) |
| Hampton Roads, Virginia Virginia The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there... |
22 February 1909 |
See also
- Big Stick Diplomacy
- Peace through strengthPeace through strength"Peace through strength" is a conservative slogan supporting military strength for the purpose of creating peaceful international relations.For supporters of the MX missile in the 1970s, the missile symbolized "peace through strength." The phrase was popular in political rallies during 1988...
- List of circumnavigations
- Operation SandblastOperation SandblastOperation Sandblast was the code name for the first submerged circumnavigation of the world executed by the U.S. Navy nuclear-powered radar picket submarine in 1960 while under the command of Captain Edward L. Beach, USN...
, a Cold War circumnavigation by the US Navy with a submarine - Operation Sea OrbitOperation Sea OrbitOperation Sea Orbit was the 1964 around-the-world cruise of the United States Navy's Task Force One, consisting of USS Enterprise , USS Long Beach , and USS Bainbridge . This all-nuclear-powered unit steamed 30,565 miles unrefuelled around the world for sixty-five days.The cruise began on July 31...
, a Cold War circumnavigation by the world's first all-nuclear squadron
World Cruise of the Great White Fleet
- Crawford, M. J., The World Cruise of the Great White Fleet: Honoring 100 Years of Global Partnerships and Security. (2008)
- Hart, R. A., The Great White Fleet: Its Voyage Around the World, 1907-1909. (1965)
- Nolte, Carl, "Great White Fleet Visited S.F. 100 Years Ago", San Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco Chroniclethumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
, 6 May 2008 pg. B3. - Reckner, J. R., Teddy Roosevelt's Great White Fleet: The World Cruise of the American Battlefleet, 1907 - 1909. (1988)
- Wimmel, K., Theodore Roosevelt and the Great White Fleet: American Sea Power Comes of Age. (1998)
Russo-Japanese War
- Corbett, Julian, Sir. Maritime Operations in the Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905. (1994). Originally classified Secret/Confidential until the 1950s; published in two volumes. ISBN
1557501297
- Pleshakov, Constantine. The Tsar's Last Armada: The Epic Voyage to the Battle of Tsushima. (2002). ISBN 0-465-05792-6
- Semenov, Vladimir, Capt. The Battle of Tsushima. (1912). E.P. Dutton & Co.