Page 319 - 1992 - XVIII Congresso Internazionale di Storia Militare

LOGISTICAL SUPPORT FOR U.S N A VAl. FORC:l'S 285
luiciaUy, in aU of mero, me America n navy rook ove.r French navai facilicies.
When rhcse proved inadeguate, they lcased privacely owncd buildings, and fina.Uy
ordered prefabricared srrucrures from me Uniced Stares.
By rhe end of rhe war, severa! rhousand American sailors were working in
these bases supponing more tban a hundred ships scatìoned in French warecs along
wich rhe rroop cransporrs, cargo vessels an d warships escorcing convoys from Ameri-
can ports. In Augusr 1917, bases were established ar Poma Delgada in the Azores
and Gibraltar. Poma Delgada was initially designaced a refuding stacion, bu.t be-
cause of rhe rh.rear from German U-boacs, a small force of lighc surface crafr was
deploycd there. Gibraicar was developed inro a sizeable American naval presence
wirh more rhan rwenty American warships based rhere. They were engagcd in con-
voying ships co and from Greac ·aricain, the United Staccs and the Mediterranean.
fn borh c11ses, the Unircd Scaccs cook possession of cxiscing shore faciliries on loan
from rhe Porcuguesc an d Bricish governmems respecrively <6>.
Twency-nine American naval aviacion bases and rwo training facilicies were
established in Europe incJuding cighr in Grear Britain, cighteen in france, and rhree
in ltaly. The majoriry of che aircrafr, spare parrs, and fuel were provided by che
Alli.cs. Excepc where existing buildings were availablc, new construction "from pian
co painc·· wns provided for each base. Construccion includc:d hangars, slipways,
apcons, barracks, srocchouses, mess halls, gallcys, rcpnir shops, roads, gasoline ranlrs,
and even u:lcphone systems m.
The repair aod mainrenance of America n ships in Europeao warers was a. major
problem. Allied dockyards a.nd private ship rcpair establishmenrs were overworked.
The U.S. Navy had developed a number of specialized auxiliary ships before World
Wac l, suc.h as descroyer and submarine ccnders and repair ships. During che war,
eleven of chcse ships were assigned co various American bases in Europe. Also sma.U
porcable repair shops were assembled at rhe diffcrenc shore bases. Howcvcr, for
exrensive repairs and major overhauls, che United Sraces had co depend upon Al-
licd facilicies, especiaUy Brirish. For example, 87 destroyers wcrc ove.chaulcd or
modifìcd a c Cammell Laird shipyard in Birke.nhead, England. Royal dockyards serv-
iced American desrroyers, subchasers, battleships and other rypcs. Wirhouc che use
of rhesc facilicies, America n warships would ha ve ha d co be rerurned co rh e U niced
Staces for an excensive period of cime.
As mencioncd earlie.c, fuel for American warships operaci.ng in European wacers
was direcdy supplied by the British navy. The supply of coal was generilly ade-
quace, bur oil was in short supply. For tbar reason che British Admiralry insisced
that che division of Amcricao battleships deploy!!d wirh che Grand l.'le!!t bi! coa.l
burners. Amecican descroyers and orhcr warships operacing in European wacers
burned oil. The British su.pplied rhem wirh oil wirh rhe underscanding rhar it be
replaced. The America n Navy had four fleer oilers acche beginning of che war and
requisitioned six addicional dvil.ian rankers co replenish rhe Royal Navy's oil sup·
8
plies < >. Four sreamers were charcered co cransport gasoline, lubricacing o il and
diesd fuel in barrels.