THE CRUISE OF THE ATLANTIC FLEET

A Condensed Log of the Cruise - Part II

(Departure from San Francisco for Hawaii to December 29, 1908 -the approach to Suez)

(What follows below is from The Navy, III:3, March 1909 pp 9 - 10. It is from a photocopy of the original article and is provided for those readers who cannot access the original documents. Because of the length of the document, I have split it into 3 parts for convenience on the web. Part I - From Hampton Roads to the Departure from San Francisco for Hawaii; Part II - From San Francisco to the Suez approach; Part III - January 1, 1909 to Hampton Roads return. There is a note in the article that The Navy had prepared an extended chronological record of the cruise which included many minor details, public receptions, etc. however, I have not seen it, nor do I have its exact citation.)

SAN FRANCISCO AND HAWAII

On July 7, 1908, fifteen battleships left San Francisco for Hampton Roads, via the Orient. The Nebraska was in quarantine and remained behind.

 

July 15 - The Nebraska rejoins the fleet at 6:30 AM.

 

July 16 - The 3rd division goes to La Haina, Island of Maui for coal: other divisions go to Honolulu.

 

July 20 - Captain Henry McCrea, who commanded the battleship Georgia around South America, dies at Brooklyn.

 

July 22 - Fleet leaves Honolulu at 6 PM for Auckland, New Zealand, accompanied by hospital ship Relief. The battleship Minnesota remains at Honolulu for mail.

 

July 28 - The Minnesota rejoins the fleet.

 

August 1 - The fleet has crossed the equator for the third time.

NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA

 

August 9 - Fleet arrives at Auckland.

 

August 10 - Burial ashore, with military honors, of a machinist's mate who was killed by an accident on the Missouri.

 

August 15 - Fleet sails from Auckland with Panther, Glacier, and Relief, for Australia.

 

August 20 - Fleet arrives at Sydney.

 

August 27 - Fleet sails from Sydney.

 

August 29 - Fleet arrives at Melbourne.

 

September 5 - Fleet sails from Melbourne for Albany, West Australia. The Kansas stays behind for mail.

 

September 10 - The Kansas and Culgoa leave Melbourne to join the fleet at Albany.

 

September 11 - Fleet arrives at Albany. Admiral Sir F.G.D. Bedford, Governor of West Australia, as representative of Imperial Government exchanges calls with Rear-Admiral Sperry.

 

September 18 - Fleet leaves Albany for Manila; flagship Connecticut delayed until midnight by coaling operations.

PHILIPPINES, JAPAN, CHINA, CEYLON

 

September 19 - Connecticut overtakes the fleet.

 

October 1 - Fleet has crossed the equator for the fourth time.

 

October 2 - Fleet enters Manila Bay.

 

October 10 - Fleet sails from Manila for Japan.

 

October 12 - Gunner's mate William Fuller washed overboard from Rhode Island and drowned.

 

October 18 - Fleet arrives at Yokohama, escorted by sixteen Japanese battleships; rounding Honmou Point the American vessels were escorted by the Japanese cruisers Soya, Mogami, and Tatsuta, commanded by Rear-Admiral Murakari.

 

October 20 - Emperor of Japan gives audience and luncheon to Rear-Admiral Sperry and thirty officers.

 

October 21 - Garden party in afternoon by Admiral Togo in the Shinjuki Imperial gardens, belonging to the Empress (the second time these gardens were ever opened to the public, the first being when Admiral Togo returned from the war).

 

October 25 - Fleet leaves Yokohama each vessel passing to sea accompanied by a Japanese warship.

 

October 26 - The American fleet dropped its remaining Japanese escort, the Tsukuba and Katori and a scout.

 

October 27 - The fleet separates into two squadrons, the first squadron, under Rear-Admiral Sperry, heading for Olongapo; the second, under Rear-Admiral Emory, for Amoy.

 

October 30 - Second squadron met at sea by the Chinese torpedo gunboat Fei-Ying; anchors in Amoy harbor; greeted by Chinese flagship Hai-Chai; dinner by Prince Yu Lang to Rear-Admiral Emory and other officers at special reception hall.

 

October 31 - First squadron arrives at Manila.

 

November 5 - Second squadron sails from Amoy. Retirement of Rear-Admiral Emory, who goes to Hong Kong on the Louisiana, the remainder of the squadron going to Manila, under Rear-Admiral Schroeder, who was promoted from command of the fourth division to that of the third, thereby taking charge of the second squadron; and Rear-Admiral Potter left the Vermont to take command of the fourth division, Captain F. F. Fletcher becoming the new commander of that ship.

 

November 7 - Second squadron rejoins the first at Manila, for target practice at Olongapo.

 

November 9 - Louisiana arrives at Manila from Hong Kong where Rear-Admiral Emory was landed.

 

November 26 - Fleet finishes target practice; reception at night by Governor-General Smith to officers at palace.

 

December 1 - Fleet sails from Manila on homeward voyage, via Suez. Rear-Admiral Sperry announces that 124 officers, 24 non-commissioned officers, and more than 1000 men were exchanged between his fleet and the Asiatic squadron at Manila.

 

December 9 - Georgia left fleet and went ahead to Colombo.

 

December 13 - Fleet arrives at Colombo, Ceylon.

 

December 16 - Banquet by Governor McCallum to thirty senior officers of fleet.

 

December 20 - Fleet leaves Colombo for Suez.

 

December 29 - Jessie Schottland, a seaman of the Illinois, fell overboard and was drowned.

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Rev. 2 April 1997