The Great White Fleet Battleship Kansas

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USS Kansas

The second Kansas (BB-21) was launched by New York Shipbuilding Corp., Camden, New Jersey, 12 August 1905 and was sponsored by Miss Anna Hoch, daughter of the Governor of Kansas. She was then commissioned in Philadelphia Navy Yard 18 April 1907, Captain Charles B. Vreeland in command.

The new battleship departed Philadelphia 17 August 1907, for shakedown training out of Provincetown, Massachutes, and returned home for alterations 24 September. She joined the "Great White Fleet" at Hampton Roads 9 December and passed in review before President Theodore Roosevelt while getting underway on the first leg of the fleet's historic world cruise. The American ships arrived Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, 23 December and 6 days later got underway for Rio de Janeiro. From there they sailed south along the East Coast of South America and transited the perilous Straits of Magellan in open order. Turning north, the fleet visited Valparaiso, Chile, and Callao Bay, Peru, en route to Maddalena Bay, Mexico, for a month of target practice. The "Great White Fleet" reached San Diego 14 April 1908 and moved on to San Francisco 7 May. Exactly 2 months later the spotless warships sortied through the Golden Gate and headed for Honolulu. From Hawaii they set course for Auckland, New Zealand, to be greeted as heroes upon arrival 9 August. The fleet made Sydney 20 August and, after enjoying a week of the most warm and cordial hospitality, sailed to Melbourne where they were welcomed with equal graciousness and enthusiasm.

Kansas had her last glimpse of Australia 19 September on leaving Albany for ports in the Philippine Islands, Japan, and Ceylon before transiting the Suez Canal. She departed Port Said, Egypt, 4 January 1909, for a visit to Villefranche, France, and then staged with the combined "Great White Fleet" at Gibraltar and departed for home 6 February. She again passed in review before President Roosevelt as she entered Hampton Roads 22 February, ending a widely acclaimed voyage of good will subtly but effectively demonstrating American strength to the world.

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