Page 318 - 1992 - XVIII Congresso Internazionale di Storia Militare

284 WllllAM N. STJU.)ll

A large force ofapproximarely 400 ships, severa! hundred aircran, and 80000
men was gradually deployed in European warers. Barùeships, cruiseiS, desrroyers,
subchasers, submarines, gunboars, minelayers and mioesweepers, converred yachrs,
auxiliary vessels, aod CO<iSt Guard curcers were senc co Europeao warers. Wich che
exceprion of che banleships, America n· forces in Europea n warers were principally
eogaged in convoy aod antisubmarine work. Naval unirs in Europe were deployed
in hospitals, air squadrons, railway barreries, aod bases.
In early Aprii, 1917, shorcly after rhe Unir-ed Srares emered rhe war, rhe deci-
sion was made ro deploy American war ships in European warers. A squadroo of
desrroyers were ordered w Brirish warers co cooperare wirh rhe Royal Navy. This
decision was followed by a cable from rhe American Ambassador ro Grear Brirain,
Walrer Hines Page, srressing che need for bases. " l cannor exaggerare importance
of our forces being followed immediarely by adeguare repair and supply faciliries,
particularly ... needs peculiar ro our ships ... (Bricish) bases, greacly oversrraioed
by volume of work and lack of labor" m.
The firsr American base was esrablished ar Queensrown (Cobh) lreland, be-
cause of irs proximiry ro convoy roures from Norrh American porrs ro rhe British
lslands. This was rh e firsr of fìve bases for surface vessels locared in Great Brirain,
in addition to two (Gibralrar and Malta) in British possessions. The merhod of
acquiring Amecican naval bases in Grear Brirain was eirher by raking over bases
already estàblished by che Admiralry or by acquiring new properry from privare
owners rhrough requisition by rhe Admitalty arche request of che .American force
commander. fn a majoriry of rhe cases che acquired fadlides were nor adequare
and by rhe end of tbe war ali of chem were eirher being expanded or plans had
been approved co expand chem. Orher surface bases established in che Brirish Is-
4
lands induded Plymouth, Cardiff, Invergordon, and lnverness 1 >.
Presidenc Woodrow Wilson's decision tO send a large u.my, che American
Expedirionary Force, co France necessirared esrabJishing naval bases io France. A
joinc Franco·A.mericao commlssion iospecred porrs on d1e wesr coasr of .France and
recommended severa! sices. Bresc was selecred as rhe ioiòal Americao base. Early
in July, a florilla of twelve converred yachrs arrived rhere co be followed larer by
additional warships including desrroyers. On.July 20, 1917, che America n officer
in command of che American warships wrote from Brest, "Condicions here are
such rhat we should be as nearly self sust:ainiog as possible. While we ha ve beeo
allorred ampie score room space on shores ... we should have facilicies co handle
ordinary repairs ro vessels, because rhe dockyard is congesred wirh work" (S>. As
addiriooal vessels arrived and new bases were established, Vice Adrniral Henry B.
WiLson was appointed Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Naval Forces in France, wich
his headquarcers ar Bresr. The new America n faciliti es in France included srations
for surface vessels ac Se. N:uaire, Lorient, Rochefort, and Bordeaux.