Auston Bay reminds us over at Townhall about the upcoming 100th anniversary of the sailing of Teddy Roosevelt's "Great White Fleet". On December 16, 1907 sixteen white painted US battleships slipped their moorings from Norfolk, VA (still HQ of the US Atlantic Fleet) to set sail on a round the globe journey, returning on Feb. 22nd, 1909.
The sailing of such a number of capital ships was the one of the first fleet exercises in global logistics, and gave the US Navy powerful ammunition in future Congressional appropriations for supply and logistical assets to support the fleet in far flung corners of the globe. The fleet's voyage exposed the weakness of using private contractors for such logistical support, for while the peacetime voyage was ably supported, it proved doubtful that such private supply vessels would be willing to refuel and/or rearm the Navy in a combat zone.
For more information on the fleet's voyage go here.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
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