Roosevelt took steps to increase the American presence in Hawaii and ordered the creation of a Hawaiian Detachment, believing a strong naval presence there would deter Japanese aggression and provide training opportunities for the fleet. Richardson became Commander, Battle Force. But it wasn’t to be.Īs the 1930s ended, things began to change for the US Navy. In 1940, Long Beach ceded 109 acres to the Navy to build a navy yard and base on Terminal Island, creating the necessary facilities to make San Pedro a prime homeport. Aircraft carriers eventually joined the fleet at San Pedro, along with heavy cruisers.Īlthough it was the home port to dozens of major ships and thousands of sailors, San Pedro did not have adequate shore facilities, but its proximity to other shipyards in California and along the West Coast helped alleviate deficiencies. Over the next two decades, 16 battleships home ported in San Pedro at one time or another. In 1917, a submarine base was established to provide coastal defense, though it closed in 1923. Located in the Los Angeles area, the port had 600-700 acres of anchorage space, and was also home to the Pacific Torpedo Flotilla. The US Battle Force made its home in San Pedro, California. The newest battleships, then the pride of the US Navy, were assigned to the US Battle Force in the Pacific and older ships were transitioned to the Scouting Force in the Atlantic. That same year, in response to increased Japanese naval construction and tension between Japan and the United States in the Far East, the US Navy underwent a fleet reorganization. Work eventually began on improving the facilities at Pearl Harbor on O’ahu, but it was not until 1919 that Naval Station Pearl Harbor was a functioning base. Hawaii, then a US territory, was quickly considered a vital location for a US naval base from which to protect American interests in the Pacific. The end of the Russo-Japanese War signaled a new era for the role of Hawaii in US naval strategy and military preparedness. Image courtesy of the US Naval History and Heritage Command. Richardson, while serving as Chief of the Bureau of Navigation, 1938.
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