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DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
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WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Photo # NH 95513-KN:  The 'Great White Fleet'.  Painting by John Charles Roach, 1984

Online Library of Selected Images:
-- EVENTS -- The 1900s

World Cruise of the "Great White Fleet", December 1907 - February 1909 -- Ship Formation and Group Views

With only a few relatively brief exceptions, during the months of steaming

During the first leg of the voyage the Fleet included four divisions of four battleships each, six destroyers and five auxiliaries:
First Division (RAdm. R.D. Evans): Battleships Connecticut (Fleet and Division Flagship), Kansas, Vermont, Louisiana.
Second Division (RAdm. W.H. Emory): Battleships Georgia (Division Flagship), New Jersey, Rhode Island, Virginia.
Third Division (RAdm. C.M. Thomas): Battleships Minnesota (Division Flagship), Ohio, Missouri, Maine.
Fourth Division (RAdm. C.S. Sperry): Battleships Alabama (Division Flagship), Illinois, Kearsarge, Kentucky.
Torpedo Flotilla: Destroyers Whipple, Truxtun, Lawrence, Stewart, Hopkins, Hull, and the Auxiliary Arethusa.
Other Auxiliaries included: Store Ships Culgoa and Glacier; Repair Ship Panther and the dispatch vessel Yankton.

There were several changes after the Atlantic Fleet arrived on the U.S. West Coast. In addition to replacement of some of the commanders by other officers, two former Pacific Fleet battleships were substituted for the uneconomical steamers Maine and Alabama, the torpedo flotilla was detached, and a hospital ship added. The fleet's composition then became:
First Division (RAdm. C.S. Sperry): Battleships Connecticut (Fleet and Dvision Flagship), Kansas, Vermont, Minnesota.
Second Division (RAdm. R. Wainwright): Battleships Georgia (Division Flagship), Nebraska, New Jersey, Rhode Island<.
Third Division (RAdm. W.H. Emory): Battleships Louisiana (Division Flagship), Virginia, Ohio, Missouri.
Fourth Division (RAdm. S. Schroeder): Battleships Wisconsin (Division Flagship), Illinois, Kearsarge, Kentucky
Auxiliaries: Store Ships Culgoa and Glacier; Repair Ship Panther, dispatch vessel Yankton and Hospital Ship Relief.

During the remainder of its Earth-circling voyage, Fleet organizational changes were relatively minor. Rear Admiral Schroeder replaced Rear Admiral Emory in command of the Third Division, and was in turn replaced by Rear Admiral W.P. Potter as commander of the Fourth Division. Store Ship Glacier was detached, as was the Hospital Ship Relief, whose ordeal in a western Pacific storm demonstrated her unseaworthiness. Battleships Maine and Alabama, whose excessive coal consumption had hindered the Fleet's movements during the Atlantic to Pacific phase of the cruise, steaed westward on an accelerated schedule, arriving back on the U.S. East Coast in October 1908.

On 17-21 February 1909, as the rest of the ships crossed the Atlantic en route home, they were rejoined by the Maine and several other warships, whose new-style grey paint contrasted with beautiful (but impractical) white and buff of the "Great White Fleet" battleships. The new arrivals included, in addition to Maine: battleships Mississippi, Idaho and New Hampshire; armored cruisers North Carolina and Montana; and scout cruisers Chester, Birmingham, and Salem. All of these ships had been completed 1n 1908.

This page features views of ships in groups and formations during, or at the time of, the "Great White Fleet" World cruise.
Note:
Images seen on this page are undated, have a questionable date, or were taken during December 1907 and January 1908 as the Fleet was southbound in the Atlantic on the first leg of its voyage.

For more pictures of ship groups and formations taken during the World cruise, see:

  • World Cruise of the "Great White Fleet" -- Ship Formation and Group Views (Part II);
  • World Cruise of the "Great White Fleet" -- Ship Formation and Group Views (Part III);
  • World Cruise of the "Great White Fleet" -- Ship Formation and Group Views (Part IV); and
  • World Cruise of the "Great White Fleet" -- Ship Formation and Group Views (Part V).

    For additional images of ships taken during the World cruise, or probably taken at that time, see:

  • World Cruise of the "Great White Fleet" -- Ships.

    For further pictorial coverage of the "Great White Fleet":

  • World Cruise of the "Great White Fleet", December 1907 - February 1909 -- Overview and Special Image Selection.


    If you want higher resolution reproductions than the Online Library's digital images, see: How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions.

    Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.

    Photo #: NH 59537

    U.S. Atlantic Fleet Battleships steaming in column


    USS Connecticut (Battleship # 18), at right, leads Atlantic Fleet battleships, circa 1907-1908. She is followed by USS Kansas (Battleship # 21), in center, and USS Vermont (Battleship # 20), next astern of Kansas.
    Panoramic photograph by C.E. Waterman, 215 55th Street, Chicago, Illinois.
    Note: Individual copies of this image bear conflicting identifications. One (written in pencil on its reverse side) states that the photograph shows the Fleet entering San Francisco Bay, California, on 6 May 1908. Another is captioned (printed in ink on the mounting mat): "The Atlantic Fleet standing into Hampton Roads at the conclusion of preliminary maneuvers, August 30th, 1907". Given the Waterman Family's long association with the Hampton Roads, Virginia, area, the latter identification may be more credible.

    Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation, Washington, D.C.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 169KB; 2000 x 640 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 95513-KN (color)

    "The Great White Fleet"

    Painting by John Charles Roach, 1984, depicting U.S. Atlantic Fleet battleships steaming at sea during their 1907-1909 World cruise.

    Courtesy of the U.S. Navy Art Collection, Washington, D.C.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 83KB; 900 x 465 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 85216-KN (Color)

    Great White Fleet at Sea, the Second Squadron, Dec. 1907

    Painting by Henry Reuterdahl, depicting Rear Admiral Charles M. Thomas on board USS Minnesota (Battleship # 22) during the Atlantic Fleet's cruise around the World. The artist has inscribed the work to Rear Admiral Thomas.

    Courtesy of the Navy Art Collection, Washington, DC.
    Donation of Miss Ruth Thomas.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 115KB; 740 x 595 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 105990

    "Great White Fleet" World Cruise
    ,
    December 1907 -- February 1909

    Atlantic Fleet battleships steaming in parallel columns during their cruise around the World. Photographed from on board USS Georgia (Battleship # 15), looking forward from her midships port side.

    Collection of Chief Quartermaster John Harold.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 83KB; 740 x 470 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 41675

    "Great White Fleet" World Cruise
    ,
    December 1907 - February 1909

    Three battleships of the Atlantic Fleet's Second Division at sea in 1908.

    Collection of Lieutenant Commander Richard Wainwright, 1928.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 70KB; 900 x 545 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 41660

    "Great White Fleet" World Cruise


    Three battleships of the Atlantic Fleet's Second Division silhouetted against a low sun, while steaming at sea during their cruise around the World, 1908.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 48KB; 900 x 470 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 92091

    U.S. Atlantic Fleet Battleships


    Steaming in column, probably while departing Hampton Roads, Virginia, at the start of their cruise around the World, December 1907.
    Photographed by C.E. Waterman, Hampton, Va.
    USS Kansas (Battleship # 21) is at left, followed by USS Vermont (Battleship # 20).

    Collection of Roy D. France.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 89KB; 740 x 490 pixels

     

    Note: for comments concerning alternative dates and locations for this photograph, see: Photo #: NH 59537 (NH 92091 is a cropped version of NH 59537).
    Photo #: NH 100349

    USS Connecticut
    (Battleship # 18)

    Leading the Atlantic Fleet's battleships out of Hampton Roads, Virginia, probably at the start of the "Great White Fleet" cruise around the World in December 1907.
    Photo printed on a stereograph card, copyrighted by Underwood & Underwood.

    Donation of Louis Smaus, 1985

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 85KB; 635 x 675 pixels

    A stereo pair version of this image is available as Photo # NH 100349-A

    Online Image of stereo pair: 60KB; 675 x 350 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 106192

    "Great White Fleet" World Cruise, 1907-1909


    Fine screen halftone reproduction of a photograph showing the Atlantic Fleet flagship, USS Connecticut (Battleship # 18), leading the "Great White Fleet"'s other fifteen battleships out of Hampton Roads, Virginia, at the beginning of the cruise around the World, 16 December 1907.
    Copied from "The New Navy of the United States", by N.L. Stebbins, (New York, 1912).

    Donation of David Shadell, 1987.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 132KB; 900 x 655 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 78238

    USS Connecticut
    (Battleship # 18), at right

    Leads the Atlantic Fleet out of Hampton Roads, Virginia, at the start of the "Great White Fleet" World cruise, December 1907.
    Photographed by O.W. Waterman.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 111KB; 900 x 545 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 1572

    "Great White Fleet" World Cruise
    ,
    December 1907 -- February 1909

    Atlantic Fleet battleships steaming out of Hampton Roads, Virginia, at the start of their World cruise, 16 December 1907.
    The nearest ship is USS Maine (Battleship # 10). Next astern is USS Missouri (Battleship # 11).

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 126KB; 740 x 475 pixels

     


    For more pictures of ship groups and formations taken during the World cruise, see:

  • World Cruise of the "Great White Fleet" -- Ship Formation and Group Views (Part II);
  • World Cruise of the "Great White Fleet" -- Ship Formation and Group Views (Part III);
  • World Cruise of the "Great White Fleet" -- Ship Formation and Group Views (Part IV); and
  • World Cruise of the "Great White Fleet" -- Ship Formation and Group Views (Part V).

    For additional images of ships taken during the World cruise, or probably taken at that time, see:

  • World Cruise of the "Great White Fleet" -- Ships.

    For further pictorial coverage of the "Great White Fleet":

  • World Cruise of the "Great White Fleet", December 1907 - February 1909 -- Overview and Special Image Selection.


    If you want higher resolution reproductions than the Online Library's digital images, see: How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions.


    Return to Naval Historical Center home page.

    Page made 1 September 2008