Great White Fleet The Great White Fleet was the popular nickname for the United States Navy battle fleet that completed a circumnavigation of the globe from 16 December 1907 to 22 February 1909 by order of U . S . President Theodore Roosevelt . It consisted of 16 battleship s divided into two squadrons , along with various escorts . Roosevelt sought to demonstrate growing American military power and blue - water navy capability . Hoping to enforce treaties and protect overseas holdings , the U . S . Congress appropriated funds to build American sea power . Beginning with just 90 small ships , over one - third of them wooden , the navy quickly grew to include new modern steel fighting vessels . The hulls of these ships were painted a stark white , giving the armada the nickname " Great White Fleet " . Background and purpose . In the twilight of United States President Theodore Roosevelt ' s administration , Roosevelt dispatched sixteen U . S . Navy battleships of the Atlantic Fleet on a worldwide voyage of circumnavigation from 16 December 1907 to 22 February 1909 . The hulls were painted white , the Navy ' s peacetime color scheme , decorated with gilded scrollwork with a red , white , and blue banner on their bows . These ships would later come to be known as the Great White Fleet . The purpose of the fleet deployment was multifaceted . Ostensibly , it served as a showpiece of American goodwill as the fleet visited numerous countries and harbors . In this , the voyage was not unprecedented . Naval courtesy calls , many times in conjunction with the birthdays of various monarchs and other foreign celebrations , had become common in the 19th century . They became increasingly important with the rise of nationalism . In 1891 , a large French fleet visited Kronstadt , Russia in conjunction with negotiations between the two nations . Although France and Russia had been hostile to each other for at least three decades prior , the significance of the call was not lost on Russia , and Tsar Nicholas II signed a treaty of alliance with France in 1894 . As navies grew larger , naval pageants grew longer , more elaborate and more frequent . The United States began participating in these events in 1902 when Roosevelt invited Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany to send a squadron for a courtesy call to New York City . Invitations for US Navy ships to participate in fleet celebrations in the United Kingdom , France and Germany followed . Additionally , the voyage of the Great White Fleet demonstrated both at home and on the world stage that the US had become a major sea power in the years after its triumph in the Spanish - American War , with possessions that included Guam , the Philippines , and Puerto Rico . It was not the first flexing of US naval muscle since that war , however ; during the Algeciras Conference in 1906 , which was convened to settle a diplomatic crisis between France and Germany over the fate of Morocco , Roosevelt had ordered eight battleships to maintain a presence in the Mediterranean Sea . The Great White Fleet showed that , without having to fire a shot , the US Navy could take control of the seas with an overwhelming display of naval might , and it demonstrated the practical import of Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan ' s theories on the use of sea power to project global power . Since Japan had arisen as a major sea power with the 1905 annihilation of the Russian fleet at Tsushima , the deployment of the Great White Fleet was therefore intended , at least in part , to send 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 and the Pacific . This gesture capitalized on a war scare that had resulted from anti - Japanese riots in San Francisco . Roosevelt saw the deployment of the fleet as one that would take the American public ' s mind off an economic depression that had begun in 1907 , encourage patriotism and give the impression that he would teach Japan " a lesson in polite behavior , " as historian Robert A . Hart phrased it . Roosevelt did so on the assurance from financial experts that Japan had been drained from the Russo - Japanese War and would not be ready for another conflict for at least a decade . 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 . The voyage also provided an opportunity to improve the sea - and battle - worthiness of the fleet . While earlier capital ship classes such as the , and were designed primarily for coastal defense , later classes such as the and incorporated lessons learned from the Spanish - American War and were conceived as ships with " the highest practicable speed and the greatest radius of action , " in the words of the appropriation bills approved by the United States Congress for their construction . They were intended as modern warships capable of long - range operations . Nevertheless , the experience gained in the recent war with Spain had been limited . Concerns and preparations . Roosevelt ' s stated intent was to give the navy practice in navigation , communication , coal consumption and fleet maneuvering ; navy professionals maintained , however , that such matters could be served better in home waters . In light of what had happened to the Russian Baltic Fleet , they were concerned about sending their own fleet on a long deployment , especially since part of the intent was to impress a modern , battle - tested navy that had not known defeat . The fleet was untested in making such a voyage , and Tsushima had proven that extended deployments had no place in practical strategy . The Japanese navy was close to coaling and repair facilities ; while American ships could coal in the Philippines , docking facilities were far from optimal . An extended stop on the West Coast of the United States during the voyage for overhaul and refurbishment in dry dock would be a necessity . Planning for the voyage , however , showed a dearth of adequate facilities there , as well . The main sea channel of the Mare Island Navy Yard near San Francisco was too shallow for battleships , which left only the Puget Sound Navy Yard in Bremerton , Washington for refit and repair . The Hunter ' s Point civilian yard in San Francisco could accommodate capital ships but had been closed due to lack of use and was slated for demolition . President Roosevelt ordered that Hunter ' s Point be reopened , facilities be brought up to date and the fleet to report there . There was also the question of adequate resources for coaling . This was not an issue when the Atlantic Fleet cruised the Atlantic or Caribbean , as fuel supplies were readily available . However , the United States did not enjoy a worldwide network of coaling stations like that of Great Britain , nor did it have an adequate supply of auxiliary vessels for resupply . During the Spanish - American War , this lack had forced Admiral George Dewey to buy a collier - load of British coal in Hong Kong before the Battle of Manila Bay to ensure his squadron would not be stranded at sea . The need had been even more pressing for the Russian Baltic Fleet during its long deployment during the Russo - Japanese War , not just for the distance it was to sail but also because , as a belligerent nation in wartime , most neutral ports were closed to it due to international law . While the lack of support vessels was pointed out and a vigorous program of building such ships suggested by Rear Admiral George W . Melville , who had served as chief of the Bureau of Equipment , his words were not heeded adequately until World War II . Federal regulations that restricted resupply vessels for Navy ships to those flying the United States flag , complicated by the lack of an adequate American merchant marine , proved another obstacle . Roosevelt initially offered to award Navy supply contracts to American skippers whose bids exceeded those of foreign captains by more than 50 percent . Many carriers declined this offer due to the fact that they could not obtain enough cargo to cover the cost of the return trip . Two months before the fleet sailed , Roosevelt ordered the Navy Department to contract 38 ships to supply the fleet with the 125 , 000 pounds of coal it would nead to steam from Hampton Roads , Virginia to San Francisco . Only eight of these were American - registered ; most of the other 30 were of British registry . This development was potentially awkward , since part of the mission was to impress Japan with the perception of overwhelming American naval power . Britain had become a military ally of Japan in 1905 , which obligated it to aid Japan should a foreign power declare war against it . Technically , the list of potential combatants included the United States . The British government decided to play both sides of the political fence with the intent of moderating any Japanese - American friction that might arise . Voyage . As the Panama Canal was not yet complete , the fleet had to 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 involved 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 to the $ 3 , which eventually led to its destruction by the Japanese in 1905 , the U . S . effort benefited from a peaceful environment which aided the coordination of ship movements . The voyage itself eventually set a number of world records 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 , from 1 – 4 May . The nearby Hotel Del Monte in Del Monte , California 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 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 . When the fleet sailed into Yokohama , the Japanese went to extraordinary lengths to show that their country desired peace with the U . S . ; thousands of Japanese schoolchildren waved American flags to greet navy officials as they came ashore . In Sicily , the sailors helped in recovery operations after the 1908 Messina earthquake . In February 1909 , Roosevelt was in Hampton Roads , Virginia , to witness the triumphant return of the fleet from its long voyage , and what he saw 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 foreign respect for the United States , as well as its role in the international arena . Fleet composition . The fourteen - month long voyage was a grand pageant of American seapower . The squadrons were manned by 14 , 000 sailors . They covered some and made twenty port calls on six continents . The fleet was impressive , especially as a demonstration of American industrial prowess ( all eighteen ships had been constructed since the Spanish - American War ) , 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 , , 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 because of mechanical troubles and were replaced 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 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 to San Francisco , California . General fleet itinerary . With the as flagship under the command of Rear Admiral Robley D . Evans , the fleet sailed from Hampton Roads on 16 December 1907 for Trinidad , British West Indies , thence to Rio de Janeiro , Brazil ; Punta Arenas , Chile ; Callao , Peru ; Magdalena Bay , Mexico , and up the West Coast , 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 , under Captain Reginald F . Nicholson , and the , under Captain Frank E . Beatty , 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 visited Honolulu ; Auckland , New Zealand ; Sydney and Melbourne , Australia ; Manila , Philippines ; Yokohama , Japan ; Colombo , Ceylon ; arriving at Suez , Egypt , on 3 January 1909 . As mentioned earlier , while the fleet was 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 . , the Fleet ' s station ship at Constantinople , and , 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 9 January 1909 the fleet stopped at Naples , Italy , thence to Gibraltar , arriving at Hampton Roads on 22 February 1909 . There President Roosevelt reviewed the fleet as it passed into the roadstead . The first leg . from Hampton Roads to San Francisco , 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 : , the fleet ' s flagship , Captain Hugo Osterhaus , Captain Charles E . Vreeland , 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 : , the division flagship , Captain Henry McCrea , Captain William H . H . Southerland , Captain Joseph B . Murdock , and Captain Seaton Schroeder . 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 : , the squadron flagship , Captain John Hubbard , Captain Giles B . Harber , 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 and the two 1900 ships : , the division flagship , Captain Ten Eyck De Witt Veeder , Captain John M . Bowyer , Captain Hamilton Hutchins , and Captain Walter C . Cowles . The fleet auxiliaries consisted of Lieutenant Commander John B . Patton , Commander William S . Hogg , Commander Valentine S . Nelson , Lieutenant Walter R . Gherardi , and 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 Commander Albert W . Grant . Second leg . The second leg of the voyage was 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 , the Fleet ' s flagship , Captain Hugo Osterhaus Captain Charles E . Vreeland 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 . 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 Lieutenant Commander John B . Patton , Lieutenant Commander Charles B . McVay , Commander William S . Hogg , Surgeon Charles F . Stokes , and Commander Valentine S . Nelson . Third leg . from San Francisco to Manila , 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 Lieutenant Commander John B . Patton , Lieutenant Commander Charles B . McVay , Commander William S . Hogg , Surgeon Charles F . Stokes , and Commander Valentine S . Nelson . Final leg . The final leg ran from Manila to Hampton Roads , . Experience gained . The cruise of the Great White Fleet provided practical experience for US naval personnel in sea duty and ship handling . It also showed the viability of US warships for long - range operations as no major mechanical mishaps occurred . However , while the cruise uncovered design flaws , it did not test the abilities to engage in battle fleet action . In fact , the success of the deployment might have helped obscure design deficiencies that were not addressed until World War I . These included excessive draft , low armor belts , large turret openings and exposed ammunition hoists . Effects on US capital ship design . While the capital ships of the Great White Fleet were already obsolescent in light of the " big gun " revolution ushered in by the construction of , their behavior at sea furnished valuable information that affected future construction . For instance , in terms of seaworthiness , all the capital ships in the fleet proved wet in all but the calmest seas , which led to the flared bows of subsequent U . S . battleships , increased freeboard forward and such spray - reducing measures as the elimination of bill - boards for anchors and gun sponsons . Increased freeboard was needed ; this and related considerations demanded increases in beam and overall size . Between the s , the last American capital ships completed before data from the cruise became available , and the , the first designed after this data was received , displacement ( and , as a result , cost ) per ship increased by one third . Deficiencies in seaworthiness in turn affected the battle - worthiness of the fleet adversely . Turret heights for main armament proved too low and needed to be raised . Secondary armament was useless at speed and especially in trade - wind conditions ( with the wind moving over the sea at or greater ) and needed to be moved much higher in the hull . Improved placement began with the " Wyoming " - class battleships and was further refined in the . Casemates for the bow 3 - inch guns in the newer pre - dreadnoughts were untenable due to wetness and were removed . Another discovery was that , even when fully loaded , the bottom of the battleships ' side armor was visible — and the ships thus vulnerable to shells that might hit beneath it to reach their machinery and magazines — in smooth to moderate seas . The profile of crests and troughs in some ships contributed to this problem . Admiral Evans concluded that the standard width of belt armor to be inadequate . One other necessity the cruise outlined was the need for tactical homogeneity . Before the cruise , critics such as then - Captain William Sims ( to whom President Roosevelt listened ) had argued that American warship design had remained too conservative and precluded the level of efficiency needed for the fleet to function as an effective unit . The cruise proved the charge true . This would eventually lead to the building of standard type battleship s in the U . S . Navy and the construction of new battleship classes in groups of four instead of two . When President Roosevelt convened the 1908 Newport Conference of the Naval War College , he placed responsibility for U . S . battleship design on the General Board of the United States Navy . This gave line officers and planners direct input and control over warship design , a pattern which has persisted to the present day . Effects on fleet operations . Experience gained by the cruise led to improvements in formation steaming , coal economy and morale . Gunnery exercises doubled the fleet ' s accuracy . However , the mission also underlined the fleet ' s dependence on foreign colliers and the need for coaling stations and auxiliary ships for coaling and resupply . 1557501297