Great White Fleet

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 The fleet was greatly impressive, but technically outdated, as the first few dreadnought battleships had already entered service, and the first dreadnought for the US Navy, South Carolina, was fitting out.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.

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. 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.

The First Leg

Itinerary

Ships

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

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

Itinerary

Ships

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

Itinerary

Ships

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.