Editing Great White Fleet (section)

==Voyage==
[[File:Us-atlantic-fleet-1907.jpg|thumb|{{USS|Kansas|BB-21|2}} sails ahead of {{USS|Vermont|BB-20|2}} as the fleet leaves [[Hampton Roads]], [[Virginia]], on 16 December 1907.]]
[[File:Australia Welcomes the Fleets.jpg|thumb|A 1908 postcard welcomes the fleet to Australia.]]
[[File:Reuterdahl Fleet Passing Through Magellan Straits.jpg|thumb|''The Fleet Passing Through the Magellan Straits'' by naval artist [[Henry Reuterdahl]], who traveled with the fleet on USS ''Culgoa'']]

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.<ref name="GWF-H-00" /> It involved almost the entire operational capability of the U.S. Navy. During the crossing of the Straits of Magellan, the U.S. ships were escorted by the [[Chilean Navy]] cruiser, [[Chilean cruiser Chacabuco (1898)|''Chacabuco'']].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/OnlineLibrary/photos/events/ev-1900s/gwf07-09/gwf-2c.htm|title=World Cruise of the "Great White Fleet", December 1907 - February 1909, From Atlantic to Pacific, January - February 1908|work=Department of the Navy, Naval History and Heritage Command|access-date=1 October 2022}}</ref>

Unlike the formidable obstacles that had faced the Russian fleet{{refn|The Russian fleet had no coaling stations and foreign coaling stations were off limits to them during their voyage. The fleet had to refuel at sea via German contractor coaling vessels or on the sly at French ports. (Busch 86, 87)|group=nb}} on its voyage from the [[Baltic Sea|Baltic]] to the [[Pacific Ocean|Pacific]], which eventually led to its destruction by the Japanese in 1905,<ref>Busch pp. 86, 87</ref><ref>Semenov pp. 16, 17</ref> the U.S. effort benefited from a peaceful environment, which aided the coordination of ship movements.

{{wide image|File:Fleet at Long Beach, California LCCN2007660457.tif|600px|A crowd observes the fleet off the coast of [[Long Beach, California]], 1908}}

After taking nearly four months to round South America, the fleet made several stops in American waters on the Pacific Ocean. In port after port, thousands of citizens turned out to see and greet the fleet. In April 1908, 16 battleships anchored off of [[Coronado, California]], in the [[San Diego]] area, and thousands of sailors and marines took part in a parade through San Diego's streets.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/150-years/sd-me-150-years-april-14-htmlstory.html#:~:text=Tuesday%2C%20April%2014%2C%201908,1909%20to%20demonstrate%20American%20seapower.|title=Great American Battleship Fleet Arrives Ahead of Time|date=14 April 1908|work=The Evening Tribune|publisher=San Diego Union-Tribune|access-date=31 July 2022}}</ref> The fleet also stopped in [[Los Angeles]] and [[Santa Barbara, California|Santa Barbara]]. In May 1908, the fleet visited [[Monterey, California]]; the nearby [[Hotel Del Monte]] in [[Del Monte, California]], hosted a grand ball for the officers of the fleet. After arriving in San Francisco on 6 May, most of the fleet took a side trip to [[Seattle]] and [[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]], then returned to San Francisco.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://greatwhitefleet.us/home/cruise_itinerary/|title=Itinerary of the cruise|work=The Great White Fleet|access-date=31 July 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/the-great-white-fleet/itinerary-of-the-great-white-fleet.html|title=Itinerary of the Great White Fleet|work=Naval History and Heritage Command|access-date=31 July 2022}}</ref>

On 7 July, the entire fleet left San Francisco for [[Honolulu]], [[New Zealand]], and [[Australia]]. In Australia, the arrival of the Great White Fleet on 20 August 1908 was used to encourage support for the forming of [[Royal Australian Navy|Australia's own navy]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=Great White Fleet revisits Sydney Harbour |work=Afloat |pages=40 |publisher=Afloat Publications Pty Ltd |date=1 September 2008 }}</ref> In [[Sicily]], sailors helped in recovery operations after the [[1908 Messina earthquake]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Great White Fleet Assists Following Messina Earthquake |url=https://usnhistory.navylive.dodlive.mil/Recent/Article-View/Article/2686554/great-white-fleet-assists-following-messina-earthquake/http%3A%2F%2Fusnhistory.navylive.dodlive.mil%2FRecent%2FArticle-View%2FArticle%2F2686554%2Fgreat-white-fleet-assists-following-messina-earthquake%2F |access-date=2024-01-06 |website=The Sextant |language=en-US }}{{Dead link|date=February 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>