| • Science | • People | • Locations | • Timeline |
The Great White Fleet sent around the world by President of the United States Theodore Roosevelt from December 16, 1907, to February 22, 1909, consisted of sixteen new battleships of the Atlantic Fleet. The battleships were painted white except for gilded scrollwork on their bows. The Atlantic Fleet battleships only later came to be known as the "Great White Fleet."
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 The fleet was greatly impressive, but technically outdated, as the first few dreadnought battleships had already entered service, and the first dreadnought for the US Navy, USS South Carolina, was fitting out.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 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, VirginiaVirginia is one of the original 13 states of the United States that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution and is generally classified as part of the South. Its official name is the Commonwealth of Virginia it is one of four Commonwealth to San FranciscoFor other meanings, see San Francisco (disambiguation). Bay Bridge. In the distance is fog covering the western third of the city. Click for additional information The City and County of San Francisco (population 776,773), the fourth-largest city in the s, CaliforniaCalifornia is a state located in the western United States, bordering the Pacific Ocean. The most populous and third largest state in the U. California is both physically and demographically diverse. The state's official nickname is "The Golden State", wh. Two battleships were detached from the fleet at San Francisco, and two others substituted.With the USS Connecticut (BB-18)The USS Connecticut probably in San Diego harbor Career Authorized: 1 July 1902 Laid down: 10 March 1903 Launched: 29 September 1904 Commissioned: 29 September 1906 Decommissioned: 1 March 1923 Fate:sold for scrap General Characteristics Displacement:16,0 as flagship under the command of Rear Admiral Robley D. EvansRear Admiral Robley Dunglison Evans ( 18 August 1846 3 January 1912), commanded the U. Navy's " Great White Fleet" on its world-wide cruise of 1907- 1908. Born in Floyd County, Virginia, Evans was a member of the Naval Academy class of 1864. He was ordere, 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. 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.
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.