The Great White Fleet - questions...

[Bluehawk]

Sometime around 1907 the US Navy's "Great White Fleet" was in operation.

 

Questions:

1. Why was it decided to paint the fleet white at all?

2. Were ALL USN vessels painted white?

3. How long did that color scheme last?

4. Why was it ended?

5. Who was detailed to scrape the white off?

6. How much paint (in gallons) does it take to paint a USN Battleship?

[Story]

You may find some solace reading this first 

https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/the-great-white-fleet.html

[aerialbridge]

Jimbo,  belated New Years Greetings, hope all's well.  Below is the link to the relevant chapter of RADM Yates Stirling, Jr's  autobiography,  "Memoirs of a Fighting Admiral" penned in 1939 following his retirement three years earlier.   At the end of the USNA academic year in June '08,  the intrepid Stirling, who'd been attached there training middies in seamanship and navigation,  wangled the slot of Gunnery Officer on USS Connecticut, the flagship of the Great White Fleet, which he picked up when the fleet was berthed at Frisco, preparing to cross the Pacific.   Stirling writes,

 

"In the winter of 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt sent the Battleship Fleet, under Admiral Bob Evans, on a cruise around the world. Diplomatic relations with Japan had become rather alarming; and the move to concentrate our fleet in the Pacific seemed a wise one, even if it went no further. To reach the Pacific, a long cruise was obligatory around South America and through the Straits of Magellan. The Panama Canal had been started only the year before, and it would be a number of years before it would be completed.

 

At the end of the Naval Academy academic year, June 1908, the battle­ships had reached San Francisco. Admiral Evans was a sick man and could no longer continue in command. Admiral C. S. Sperry relieved him. I had an opportunity to be gunnery officer of the flagship Connecticut, and was greatly pleased when the Superintendent of the Naval Academy gave his approval of the transfer.

 

I joined the Connecticut about a month before the fleet sailed from the West Coast. The cruise was a strenuous one. The ships at that time were all painted white with buff upperworks. This peacetime color might be considered, on our part at least, to demonstrate to the world that our mission was a purely peaceful one. However, a few days would have been sufficient time to cover the white with several coats of war paint, which we carried along in the paint locker, already mixed, in case of any unpleasantness.

 

Our first port after leaving San Francisco was Honolulu, where we spent a week or so. The Connecticut entered the harbor, but most of the ships anchored outside. There I renewed many friendships of my cadet days. Pearl Harbor as a naval base was as yet only on paper, and there were few if any fortifications. The Army had some troops on the island. Many of the men were still under canvas, but barracks were being constructed.

 

Our next port of call was Auckland, New Zealand, and from there we went on to Sydney, Australia. Both the New Zealanders  and the Australians made much of us. They felt that our visit was a demonstration on our part to assure these isolated colonies of Great Britain that in the event of serious difficulties they could count upon the great American Republic to stand by them. Sending our fleet there seemed to be telling the world that these cousins of ours in the South Pacific were considered still within our family circle, and that sixteen battle­ships could be depended upon to be on hand to help them ward off aggression.

 

We met the premiers and cabinet officers of these dominions, and also many ranking military and naval men who had fought for Great Britain in the Boer War. At frequent dinners and banquets we were told in no uncertain terms that to them Americans were even more like kin than the British. I remember that many of the colonial officers complained very bitterly of the patronizing attitude of the British military during the Boer War. They felt they could unburden their hearts to us and that we would understand. That was just about seven years before the World War, when both commonwealths furnished ungrudgingly their youth and their resources to fight for the British Empire. After that test of the unity of the empire, I feel sure that there exists today a much kindlier feeling between these far‑away colonies and their British relations living on that tight little island in the North Sea. The patronizing attitude so much resented by the colonials at that time is no more. The British Empire is now one.

 

Through her present policy and attitude of isolation, America no longer is looked upon by those far‑distant countries as a certain ally in case of urgent need. Yet, I am convinced that should there be a great war in the Pacific, it would find America solidly behind our distant cousins, and we would not leave them to fight an aggressor alone.

George III forced us to sever our lands from British domination, but he did not drain the blood from our veins. We shall find again, as we did when Tattnall manned a defeated British gunboat's guns against the Chinese Taku forts, and as we did in 1917, when we joined our war power to that of the allies at a time Britain's back was to the wall, that blood is thicker than water.

 

At Albany, Australia, Major Dion Williams, of the Marine Corps, and I met and were entertained by some officials of the government, and naturally we returned their courtesy by inviting  p115 them to dinner on board the Connecticut. On leaving the ship after dinner, they said they were going to send some specimens of Australia for us to take back to the United States. The next day a launch came alongside the Connecticut with a fair-sized zoo, all carefully crated and addressed to me. Before unloading our present, I went to see Commander Grant, the Admiral's chief of staff. He hastened on deck with me and looked down at the queer collection. Grant's vocabulary was most picturesque when he saw what the launch contained. He seemed at first inclined to send the cargo back. He was still uncertain, even after the crates were hoisted on deck and a curious crowd of sailors collected to see the rare animals. There were several small kangaroos or wallabies, a kangaroo rat the size of a rabbit, a half-dozen emus, a crate of savage dingos or wild dogs; but what took everyone's eye was the large assortment of birds, mostly parrots and cockatoos.

 

I noticed Grant was looking with admiring eyes at a beautiful white cockatoo. "That's your bird, I see, Commander," I said laughing. Grant took out his glasses and for the first time read the markings on the crates.

 

"Jumping Christmas," he exclaimed, "have you been robbing a zoo?"

Finally he relented, and the animals were parceled out to the ships.

 

From Albany, we cruised up through the Dutch East Indies to Manila. Then to Yokohama, Japan. The Japanese let themselves out to entertain us. They could not have been more hospitable, and it was spontaneous and not ordered. I went to Tokyo as aide to our captain, Hugo Osterhaus. The admirals, captains, and aides were put up at one of the palaces and were chaperoned everywhere by young Japanese naval aides. Of course our admiral and his captains were given an audience by the Emperor.

 

Leaving out the wonderful Geisha dance at the biggest theater in Tokyo, the highlights of the visit to me were a luncheon given by the Army and a dinner at the Naval Club. At both of these we rubbed elbows with the famous Japanese heroes of the war with Russia. At the Naval Club we fraternized with all ranks of the Japanese Navy and developed the closest communion over bottles of good wine and whiskey. I was surprised to learn that the Japanese have a great partiality for our whiskey. I introduced myself to Admiral Kamamura, who had commanded their armored cruiser squadron in the war with Russia. Just a short  p116 time before the war began, Kamamura had visited Manila with the Japanese Naval Academy Practice Squadron, and he and my father had struck up a friendship. They had entertained each other and had exchanged presents, a custom of the Orient. Now Kamamura insisted on drinking many toasts to my father and sent him his most cordial greetings, written on his visiting card. We both drank whiskey, and, although it did not seem to bother the Admiral, I was soon ready to call it a day.

 

The Fleet had started on this cruise ready for "a fight or a frolic." It turned out to be only a frolic. The Japanese Navy and people could not have been more cordial. I am confident the whole Japanese nation was impressed by the sight of our beautiful warships. However, in spite of the evident friendliness, neither navy was willing to divulge secrets, and everything in any way considered secret on board the ships was covered over to conceal them from prying eyes. I know we covered up lots of things that had no spy value, merely to make it appear that we had many new and important gadgets which we were unwilling to show. The Japanese, I feel sure, even went us one better, for almost everything was covered up. I recall that we covered a new potato peeler in a compartment just outside the galley that caused the greatest curiosity to the inquisitive Japanese.

 

In return for all the courtesy shown us, the Connecticut was used by the fleet to stage a very large afternoon reception the day before our departure. I had charge of arranging for the reception of the thousands of guests who almost swamped us. I had a detail of active young officers to help in the task of preventing too much congestion. I had typed instructions for each assistant, reading as I now remember:

 

"Be at the ––––– gangway. Select a number of guests. Escort them to receiving stand and then to ––––– food station. After that return to the same gangway for another dose."

That fatal word "dose" almost involved me in serious difficulty, and I feared for a time it might cause a diplomatic incident of considerable magnitude. One of those typed papers somehow got into the hands of a civilian Japanese guest. Possibly he was a diplomat of importance. I never knew. However, he was thorough, and determined to get to the very bottom of it; a strong characteristic of the race. As my name and rank were signed to the paper, he looked me up personally.  He bowed low, hissing through his teeth, then said in good English:

"What mean this word 'dose'?"

 

I suspected trouble, though as yet he was most polite. I began rather haltingly, for I was taken completely by surprise, to explain to him that there was no harm meant, that the word was only a simple colloquialism in America and used much in conversation.

 

"Ah, dose, that mean medicine, bitter medicine, yes," he insisted. I was worried. How was I to convince him that the word was harmless?

In his eyes my crime was one of insulting not only the Japanese Navy, who were prominently in evidence in their gold lace and war medals, but the whole Japanese nation from the Mikado down. It was a cool day but I felt my collar begin to wilt and my face flush in mortification at the inquisitorial air of this miniature man in a long frock coat and a top hat held in his hand. He might even decide to use his hara kiri knife to avenge the dishonor, but on me and not on himself. I certainly was on the spot with a vengeance.

"But no," I pleaded as eloquently as I could in my perturbation. "Medicine is for the purpose of making well. One takes a dose of medicine to cure. Can't you see that dose is good, not bad. It makes well."

 

The little Japanese was none too satisfied. He was still eyeing me suspiciously. I feel sure he thought I was inwardly laughing at him, although I was far from seeing any humor in the situation. Finally he bowed and left me standing, feeling I had gone through a third degree, not so much from his words as from the accusing look in his eyes and my own conscience. As he went, I heard him mumbling to himself aloud: "dose, dose."

 

The Japanese are a super-sensitive race. An awkward situation, I hoped, had been averted. I would know better next time.

After visiting Japan, Admiral Bill Emory took eight battle­ships to China, and the rest of us went to Manila, where Emory's squadron joined us later. There we held our new form of battle practice at a longer range than had been fired heretofore.

 

The sixteen battle­ships on this long cruise habitually steamed in formation, generally in two columns. Almost every day the two squadrons would open distance to give practice at sighting drill. The fleet was preparing for the advanced battle practice, prescribed  by the Target Practice Office in Washington now under Sims, and to be held in Manila Bay. The first part of our gunnery work was to hold what is called calibration practice. The object was to discover the dispersion of the several calibers of guns at long ranges using the same sight bar range. The expected dispersion of the guns is a most important thing to know. Shots from big guns on board ship cannot be expected to fall in the same spot even if the same sight bar range is used. Too great dispersion is a very serious fault. After the calibration, each of the ships fired battle practice, I think at about eight thousand yards. The Connecticut made an excellent score.

 

There was an epidemic of cholera in the Philippines when the Fleet was there, but in spite of it, we gave liberty and were well entertained. Our next stop was Singapore. I visited Jahore and lunched at the Raja's palace on gold plate. There was a very charming German couple on their honeymoon at the luncheon, and she admired very much a captive tiger in a cage at the back of the building. The Raja had it poisoned, skinned, and salted, and sent it to her on board her ship.

 

From here we went to Colombo, Island of Ceylon, where Sir Thomas Lipton's tea comes from. Then Suez, Port Said. At Port Said we learned of the disastrous earthquake at Messina, Sicily. The Connecticut then sailed for Messina. As we steamed along the coast of Sicily, we could see through glasses the devastation wrought by the violent convulsion of nature; but even we were hardly prepared for the sight that met our eyes in the city of Messina. It was truly a city of the dead. A party of us went through the city with Italian army guides. There was hardly a house intact. Some had lost their entire fronts and looked like doll houses, all the furniture in place and pictures on the walls. Others were just a pile of rubble. At that time the estimate was that from 50 to 100 thousand lives had been wiped out, all in just a few minutes. We unloaded all our dry provisions and anything else that the Italian Relief asked from us. We remained only a day, then sailed for Naples. The Fleet was divided up between Algiers, Villefranche, and Gibraltar. After a fair stay we set sail on the last lap of our journey, for Hampton Roads.

 

President Theodore Roosevelt came down from Washington in the yacht Mayflower to welcome us. He made a speech on board the Connecticut, where all the high-ranking officers were assembled. He told us of the good effects of the cruise and congratulated  the Navy upon its efficiency. I remember Sims, then a commander, was with him as his aide.

 

While the sixteen battle­ships were making this cruise around the world, there were many jealous critics, both in and out of the country, as to its value as a test of efficiency. The adverse remarks had been to the effect that there was nothing remarkable in it, for the speed was slow, only from ten to twelve knots, which any engine could stand, day in and day out; that the Fleet was not accompanied by destroyers and therefore was not prepared to fight a battle. The only destroyers in our Navy at that time were old and obsolete, and therefore that criticism was deserved. There were others that were true. The Fleet had to take coal from foreign colliers almost everywhere. If foreign merchant vessels had not been available to supply the Fleet, such a cruise could not have been made. It demonstrated the inadequacy of our merchant marine."

https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/People/Yates_Stirling/Sea_Duty/8*.html

 

 

Funny thing,  my Grail for years was to own the full sized medals of Rear Admiral Stirling, a fearless patriot with a fascinating career that I greatly admire and an accomplished author who lives on in the various books he authored.   By the Grace of  God,  my dream became a reality about 10 years ago,  through inquiry and the intermediary assistance of a forum member, I was able to repatriate  Stirling's medals from the African continent to the US, and the state where Stirling was born (Vallejo, CA when his Navy officer father was attached at Mare Island), although Stirling's ancestral home was Baltimore.  

 

Lieutenant Commander Yates Stirling, Jr., circa 1907-1909, during the cruise of the Great White Fleet. The one under the large pagoda structure is U.S. Atlantic Fleet officers, holding small Japanese and American flags, posing with Japanese officers and those of other nations, during an entertainment hosted by the Japanese Minister of War in Tokyo, October 1908.    Officers and men of flagship USS Connecticut listen to President Theodore Roosevelt speak to them on their return to Hampton Roads, VA.  Cheers.

 

[Bluehawk]

> Thank you, very much

[aerialbridge]

Glad you enjoyed it.   Hope you and yours are safe and unaffected by these draconian wild fires-  50 plus years of Los Angeles County and City neglecting to clear brush and misplaced priorities.   Below,  Stirling on SS Lurline in 1933,  arriving in LA from Honolulu and the end of his duty as Commandant of the 14th Naval District at Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii, and preparing to take his last command before he retired,  as Commandant of the 3rd Naval District at Brooklyn, NY.   Prior to Pearl Harbor, he commanded the Yangtze Patrol.   One of my favorite Stirling quotes from his autobiography is, "All my life I have been called a stormy petrel. I have never hesitated to use the pen to reveal what I considered should be brought to public attention, usually within the Navy, but often to a wider public. I seem to see some benefits that have come through those efforts. I have always believed that a naval man is disloyal to his country if he does not reveal acts that are doing harm to his service and show, if he can, how to remedy the fault. An efficient Navy cannot be run with 'yes men' only."    We could use more Stirlings at the command levels of the armed forces today, no?

 

[Bluehawk]

> Yes, we surely could use some more of the Stormy Petrel variety these days... and his history reminds me again how scarce they are. Being here, too, in the Real Orange County these horrible fires have done nothing more than make me hurt for those who have been hurt by them. I appreciate learning more about the Great White Fleet as I knew next to nothing about it other than its unusual name. What a unique discovery you've had to own Stirling's full-size medals. I'm trying to picture our Navy dry docking a battleship, sending out divisions of sailors to scrape, prime and paint it white/buff, and then later scrape, prime and paint it Navy gray... inclusive of what they might have been saying to one another in the process.

[aerialbridge]

Yates Stirling, Jr's  autobiography is a great read and nice that it's free and online, including all the great wood-cut illustrations.   Having lived for 26 years in LA County,  actually Pacific Palisades in a residence that I'm pretty certain  burned up in the inferno of the past 24 hours,  and then in Santa Monica, before moving to OC  19 years ago, my sincere prayers go out to those devastated by these fires.  But you couldn't pay me all the tea in china to ever live in LA County again.  I don't travel there unless I have to.   It's like night and day compared to the Real OC as far as quality of life and other tangibles and intangibles.    Getting the opportunity to buy Stirling's full sized medals and all the American history they represent,  I gave thanks to God and also said,  "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus".    The Lord works in mysterious and wonderful ways, if you believe.  Another Forum Member owns Stirling's miniature medals that have been posted before.  Note my reply in 2013,  which was a few years before I was graced to have the great, good fortune to buy Yates Stirling's full sized, mounted medals.

 

 

And yet another forum member owns other Stirling ephemera, including these unmounted full sized and other medals- 

 

Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United State (MOLLUS) #12593

Venezuelan Order of the Liberator Commander 

Italian Order of the Crown Commander  (cased) 

French Legion of Honor Officer  (cased duplicate)

New York Society of Military and Naval Officers World War

Brooklyn Rotary Club Guest Speaker Medal

Veterans of Foreign Wars 40th National Encampment Boston 1939 Distinguished Guest

 

 Here's the link that gentleman did years ago showcasing his Stirling collection, including the Italian Order of the Cross awarded by Benito Mussolini around 1933 to Stirling for his official  duties as 3rd Naval District Commandant when he  hosted the Italian aviator General of the Air Force,   Italo Balbo, and his flight of 26 large flying boats (seaplanes) on the Decennial Air Cruise,  from Orbetello, Italy, to the Century of Progress International Exposition at Chicago, when the flying armada landed at NYC, I believe on the Hudson River.   There's some nice pictures of Stirling wearing his mounted mini-medals, including with Balbo and FDR's mother, who was a good friend of Stirling's.   Stirling never mounted his cased Order of the Cross, or the Venezuelan Order of the Liberator.    Among Stirling's many VIP friends,  since he moved comfortably in the civilian "high society" of his day,  was  J. Edgar Hoover, with whom he regularly corresponded.  Oh, to be a fly on the wall when Hoover and Stirling got together for a few libations. 

 

  

 

[Bluehawk]

"I don't travel there unless I have to.   It's like night and day compared to the Real OC as far as quality of life and other tangibles and intangibles."

 

> Amen, and amen - and, that MOLLUS has got to be one of the great beauties of medallic art.

[aerialbridge]

This photo's too fun not to post for anyone that enjoys nearly century old US history.  Former GOP Congressman and three-term NYC Mayor (1933-1945) Fiorello LaGuardia,  usually on the short list of America's GOAT mayors  and known for his irascible personality, eradicating  the age old Tammany Hall NYC political machine, strengthening the NYC economy,  building parks, an airport, affordable housing, improving the lives of ordinary people,   and his ability to work across party lines,  racontouring  with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt,  MGEN Dennis Nolan USA (Sterling's Army Counterpart at NYC) and RADM Yates Stirling, Jr.  at the Rage Ball at the Hotel Astor in the heart of the Big Apple on April 26, 1935.     LaGuardia, who was about as round as a Coney Island beachball (and probably ate a few hotdogs there over the years) ,  towered all of five feet in his Florsheims, and got the nickname "Little Flower" early in life based on his stature and first name.   But I doubt anybody called Fiorello that to his face.    And another photo of Stirling and Nolan  having a fine time in 1933 with Mussolini's future Air Marshall Balbo, and another Big Apple mayor,   John P. O'Brien, who was ironically nominated by the Tammany Hall political machine after Jimmy Walker's surprise resignation in 1932, won in a special election against a write-in candidate, and then went down in defeat to LaGuardia  in the next regular election of November 1933.   When asked by reporters after he was elected to what turned out to be a very short term,  who he would name as NYC police commissioner,  O'Brien famously said,  "I don't know.  They haven't told me yet."   I would have answered,  "Frank Reagan.  And a pox on CBS and the mule it rode in on, for cancelling Blue Bloods".  

 

 

[Wharfmaster]

Great post! 

 

One thing to keep in mind, you only need a little black paint to turn white paint into gray.

 

 

W

 

[aerialbridge]

.........but you'll need  more white paint to turn black paint into gray.   Eleven years earlier, when Dewey's seven ship squadron sailed from Hong Kong on 4/24/98 to anchor 30 miles east at Mirs Bay after the HK English governor requested they depart  so his territory would maintain neutrality due to the impending state of war with Spain, Dewey's peace-time, white hulled ships had received a coat of lead-gray "war paint" from the water line to main truck (top of the mainmast), and the yards had all been unshipped (taken down) except for the light signal yards.    The next day, the US declared war on Spain (we used to do that when we committed blood and treasure to vanquishing an enemy) and  Dewey received a cablegram with orders to steam to the Philippines (600 mi away and travelling at "easy steam"  of about 9 knots) and destroy or capture Montojo's antiquated and inferior Pacific fleet.   Over two days, while en route, the American crews removed awning stanchions and all deck hamper not essential for battle, and stowed them below.  To avoid injury to the crew from wood splintered by exploding shells, all woodwork not absolutely necessary was thrown overboard, including gratings, skylights, tables, mess-benches, and in some of the ships, the wooden bulkheads in the officers’ quarters were unshipped and tossed overboard.   To mitigate potential infection from head injuries and lacerations, the crews got haircuts,  with some opting to be shaved bald.   Cleared for action.   As Stirling wrote,  the Great White Fleet left Hampton Roads on its world cruise  ready for "a fight or a frolic."  Fortunately,  Imperial Japan, having just defeated Russia in the 1904-05 war that Japan went into as the underdog,  was not yet ready for the fight that came 20 years later, and the Great White Fleet turned out to be only a frolic and a hope for peace through strength.   Which I think most would agree, is always a better option than mutual death and destruction. 

 

 

[warguy]

2 hours ago, aerialbridge said:

.........but you'll need  more white paint to turn black paint into gray.   Eleven years earlier, when Dewey's seven ship squadron sailed from Hong Kong on 4/24/98 to anchor 30 miles east at Mirs Bay after the HK English governor requested they depart  so his territory would maintain neutrality due to the impending state of war with Spain, Dewey's peace-time, white hulled ships had received a coat of lead-gray "war paint" from the water line to main truck (top of the mainmast), and the yards had all been unshipped (taken down) except for the light signal yards.    The next day, the US declared war on Spain (we used to do that when we committed blood and treasure to vanquishing an enemy) and  Dewey received a cablegram with orders to steam to the Philippines (600 mi away and travelling at "easy steam"  of about 9 knots) and destroy or capture Montojo's antiquated and inferior Pacific fleet.   Over two days, while en route, the American crews removed awning stanchions and all deck hamper not essential for battle, and stowed them below.  To avoid injury to the crew from wood splintered by exploding shells, all woodwork not absolutely necessary was thrown overboard, including gratings, skylights, tables, mess-benches, and in some of the ships, the wooden bulkheads in the officers’ quarters were unshipped and tossed overboard.   To mitigate potential infection from head injuries and lacerations, the crews got haircuts,  with some opting to be shaved bald.   Cleared for action.   As Stirling wrote,  the Great White Fleet left Hampton Roads on its world cruise  ready for "a fight or a frolic."  Fortunately,  Imperial Japan, having just defeated Russia in the 1904-05 war that Japan went into as the underdog,  was not yet ready for the fight that came 20 years later, and the Great White Fleet turned out to be only a frolic and a hope for peace through strength.   Which I think most would agree, is always a better option than mutual death and destruction. 

 

 

You really have a handle on the Navy in the Span Am War and the Great White fleet. I have been doing a lot of reading on these subjects lately as well, after a large acquisition  of Navy material that dates to that golden era. I was looking at a painting the other day, done by artist Tom Freeman titled ‘Calm Before the Storm” showing the USS Olympia in April anchored in Hong Kong before departing for Manilla. Although a night scene, it looks like the artist painted the ship gray. You are saying the ship would have been white when in Hong Kong and painted after she left? Thanks for sharing your intimate knowledge, this post has been very interesting. Kevin

[aerialbridge]

Thanks, Kevin.   "Captain's Log,  Stardate  1898".     At  0400 on Friday,  2/11/98,  at Yokohama, Japan, the fires were lit in Olympia's boilers, and at sunrise the ship was dressed masthead fashion (flying signal flags) with the Japanese flag at the mainmast,  reporting ready for getting underway at 0750.   After taking on from USS Concord  274 packages of ammunition and ordinance stores, and the considerable appended list of  8", 5" shells and 6 and 1 pounders in the log,  Olympia exchanged a 21 gun salute with a shore fort at noon, and stood out from Tokyo bay for the British crown colony of Hong Kong at 1340.    This was four days before the battleship Maine exploded in Havana Harbor, while Olympia was making passage to Hong Kong.   Olympia reached HK harbor on 2/17/98 at 1015, and with the English "Union Jack"  flying at the foremast,  rendered a 21 gun salute that was returned "gun for gun" by a British shore battery. The harbormaster came out to Olympia at 1045 and the ship made fast to a "man o'war buoy" and a few minutes later fired a 17-gun salute to the British protected cruiser,  HMS Alacrity, which returned the salute.   Olympia remained at Hong Kong harbor for the next two months. 

 

[aerialbridge]

At dawn on Washington's natal anniversary, 2/22/98 to commemorate the event as the log attests, Olympia, in all her peacetime white with buff painted upper decks glory,  was "full dressed" in Hong Kong harbor, and at 0800 the English and German men o'war in the harbor were fully dressed and flying Old Glory at their mainmasts.  Per the log,  "At noon [Olympia] fired a national 21 gun salute in honor of Washington's birthday.   English ships in harbor and USS Raleigh followed suit." 

 

 

[aerialbridge]

And yes, as the outstanding ship artist,  Tom Freeman, accurately depicts in his superb painting that you mentioned, Olympia's peacetime white measure was painted over with lead gray "war paint"  while she was at Hong Kong, and just before she got underway for Mirs Bay, China on 4/25/98, after being requested to leave the colony  by the British governor at Hong Kong to preserve Britain's neutrality.    As you can see, the Olympia log entries of 4/19 and 4/20/98 from 8am to noon document, respectively, "Engaged in painting ship" and "painting ship".    And a few days after the painting was completed,  on  Sunday, 4/24/98,  at 1400,  USS Boston, Concord, Petrel,  USRC McCulloch, and the auxiliary ships, Nanshan and Zafiro, stood out in column formation eastward from Hong Kong  underway for Mirs Bay.   The next day  at 1000,  Commodore Dewey's flagship, USS Olympia, followed by the protected cruisers, Baltimore and Raleigh, stood out from the east end of HK harbor underway for Mirs Bay, and  to join the rest of  the Asiatic squadron,  before getting underway for the Philippines and their destruction of the numerically superior, but outdated and inferior, Spanish Pacific fleet, a victory that vaulted the United States to superpower status overnight.  This photo of Olympia,  in lead gray "war paint" at Hong Kong harbor in April 1898,  had to be taken between 4/20 and 4/25. and probably no later than 4/24/98.  

 

 

[warguy]

Wow, fantastic! I have never seen that photo before. Thanks for the well researched answer! It certainly pouts that question to rest. I have one more for you if you don't mind. In my recent acquisition of material, I have found I have a cap tally for every ship in Dewey’s fleet at the Battle of Manilla, except the Nanshan and Zafiro. I know these two ships were British purchased by the US not long before the battle. In fact I have read many of the men serving on those two ships were actually British with American Commanders. I also know the men on these two ships were not awarded the Dewey medal (perhaps because most were foreigners???). Anyway, my question is whether you think or have ever seen a ships tally for either of these two ships. I am assuming they were not wearing tallies at the Battle as there wouldn't have been time to make them, but I am not sure if tallies might have been made after? Just would love to hear your thoughts. I hope I haven’t strayed too far from this original topic. Thanks again!

[aerialbridge]

On 1/10/2025 at 6:59 AM, warguy said:

I have found I have a cap tally for every ship in Dewey’s fleet at the Battle of Manilla, except the Nanshan and Zafiro. I know these two ships were British purchased by the US not long before the battle. In fact I have read many of the men serving on those two ships were actually British with American Commanders. I also know the men on these two ships were not awarded the Dewey medal (perhaps because most were foreigners???). Anyway, my question is whether you think or have ever seen a ships tally for either of these two ships. I am assuming they were not wearing tallies at the Battle as there wouldn't have been time to make them, but I am not sure if tallies might have been made after? Just would love to hear your thoughts. I hope I haven’t strayed too far from this original topic. Thanks again!

 

 

I don't think the OP would mind this thread branching out, since it started out as a question about the peacetime white paint measure on the Great White Fleet, not a "show and tell" post, so the more information the better.   BTW,  I missed the first entry in the log on 4/19/98 when they started painting Olympia lead gray from peacetime white-  "0400-0800.    Commenced painting side and spars lead color."

 

Info on Nanshan   https://shipscribe.com/usnaux/AG/AG03.html

 

And on Zafiro    https://shipscribe.com/usnaux/AF/af-zafiro.html

 

Bottom line, the few Navy sailors and junior officer that Dewey detailed to each of the auxiliaries that retained their English crews and master/captains, were issued Dewey medals.   I'd say it's pretty certain that no tallies for either auxiliary were available for the Battle of Manila Bay.   But since both ships continued service after the war and well into the first decade of the 20th century during the Philippine insurrection and in China, there could have been tallies made up during that time.   

That's a neat collection to have original tallies to the seven ships of Dewey's Asiatic squadron at the Battle of Manila Bay.   I don't have any tallies but have two Dewey medals issued to men on Olympia,  one to a CPO and one to a seaman.    A few years ago I purchased this large period painting dated 1898 with pencil written on the back.  "USS Olympia" by an unknown artist "McMenamin".    As you can see it's far from an accurate rendition of Olympia, but it's got the spirit of a Span Am or "Great White Fleet" period flotilla steaming in column formation.    My Olympia tribute also includes this model that I commissioned my friend to build a few years ago, 1:230 scale, I believe. 

 

 

 

[warguy]

6 hours ago, aerialbridge said:

 

 

I don't think the OP would mind this thread branching out, since it started out as a question about the peacetime white paint measure on the Great White Fleet, not a "show and tell" post, so the more information the better.   BTW,  I missed the first entry in the log on 4/19/98 when they started painting Olympia lead gray from peacetime white-  "0400-0800.    Commenced painting side and spars lead color."

 

Info on Nanshan   https://shipscribe.com/usnaux/AG/AG03.html

 

And on Zafiro    https://shipscribe.com/usnaux/AF/af-zafiro.html

 

Bottom line, the few Navy sailors and junior officer that Dewey detailed to each of the auxiliaries that retained their English crews and master/captains, were issued Dewey medals.   I'd say it's pretty certain that no tallies for either auxiliary were available for the Battle of Manila Bay.   But since both ships continued service after the war and well into the first decade of the 20th century during the Philippine insurrection and in China, there could have been tallies made up during that time.   

That's a neat collection to have original tallies to the seven ships of Dewey's Asiatic squadron at the Battle of Manila Bay.   I don't have any tallies but have two Dewey medals issued to men on Olympia,  one to a CPO and one to a seaman.    A few years ago I purchased this large period painting dated 1898 with pencil written on the back.  "USS Olympia" by an unknown artist "McMenamin".    As you can see it's far from an accurate rendition of Olympia, but it's got the spirit of a Span Am or "Great White Fleet" period flotilla steaming in column formation.    My Olympia tribute also includes this model that I commissioned my friend to build a few years ago, 1:230 scale, I believe. 

 

 

 

Beautiful painting and great model. I too just love that white and ochre paint scheme on the pre-dreadnaughts. I have also always admired the Dewey medals, and it is amazing that you have two! I have long collected Marine Corps, and have a Sampson medal named to a Marine and I appreciate the difficulty of ever acquiring a Marine named Dewey, but with my newfound Navy collection and interest, maybe someday I can add a Navy named Dewey. Here are the cap tallies representing the ships under Dewey's command May 1, 1898 in the Battle of Manila Bay. I feel lucky to have found these, they are all un-cut and unissued, and all the early bullion tinsel type. I haven't been able to find another grouping like this in my search on the internet so sense it might be uncommon.  I have an additional 21 tallies all in similar condition representing the various ships that sailed in and with the Great White fleet. I am missing the USS New Jersey so on the hunt for that one for that group. Thanks again for your responses and in sharing your knowledge here on the forum. I don't know why more folks don't collect Navy items from this era. I find it very historical and just fascinating. 

 

[aerialbridge]

Those tallies to all seven warships of Dewey's Asiatic squadron are stunning.  If I had those,  they'd be framed under UV plexiglass and hanging in my Navy den.   It's incredible enough to have all seven but in uncut, unused condition like you do is fantastic.  Thanks for posting those!    And good luck on finding  a presentable,  named Dewey medal at a decent price.   It'll happen for you if you just keep on the hunt as you are.  I'm surprised also that there are not more collectors of Navy ephemera from this era.   The pendulum swings both ways, maybe in the coming years we'll see a rebirth of appreciation for the history around America coming  of age as a global sea power after the Spanish American War, and so as a global superpower.    You can't have one without the other.  Just ask Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and paramount leader of China since 2012  As we see today, with the renewed interest in the Panama Canal and probably the Monroe Doctrine, along with assistant secretary of the Navy and president TR's wise advice, "walk softly and carry a big stick",  these will be priority national discourse for the first time in 60 plus years . The nation that can exert sea power globally can protect its interests, and the one that can't is at the mercy of those that can.  And woe to the nation that can't exert global sea power.   It can hardly be a super power.  Just ask Spain after the Spanish American War.

 

 

[warguy]

Very well said......