USS Arethusa (AO-7) - Support Ship For The Great White Fleet

Support Ship For The Great White Fleet

The ship was given a civilian crew and, on 17 July, began providing water to ships of the Atlantic Fleet. On 29 November, she received a new naval complement and was recommissioned to serve with the small group of auxiliaries that had been selected to support the Great White Fleet during its forthcoming cruise around the world. After being fitted out at the Norfolk Navy Yard, the ship moved to Lambert Point, Virginia on 9 December 1907 and, two days later, sailed for the Pacific.

Proceeding down the Atlantic coast of South America, she rounded Cape Horn and steamed north to the Mare Island Navy Yard which she reached on 30 April 1908. Following voyage repairs and replenishment, Arethusa left the California coast on 17 June and reached Honolulu on the 30th.

However, her service with the Great White Fleet did not take the ship beyond Hawaiian waters. Instead, she was reassigned to the Pacific Fleet, and on 30 July she got underway for San Francisco. She arrived at that port on 10 August, and remained in that vicinity until sailing on 1 October for Magdalena Bay, Mexico, where she anchored on the 6th and began supplying American warships there. During this period, she served briefly as the flagship of the Pacific Torpedo Flotilla. Her hold emptied, the ship got underway for San Francisco on 1 October, and — after reentering the Golden Gate — operated in nearby waters until decommissioned at Mare Island on 15 October 1909.

That same day, she was placed in service under a civilian crew and began preparations for a voyage back to the east coast. After departing San Francisco on 7 January 1910, she again sailed around South America and reached Hampton Roads on 29 March. Based at Norfolk, she issued oil to the ships of the Atlantic Fleet, primarily torpedo boat destroyers. She continued this duty until after the United States entered World War I, filling her tanks with oil at ports along the gulf coast and delivering it to bases in the Caribbean and on the Atlantic seaboard. During this phase of her career, she served with the fleet gathered off Veracruz, Mexico from 30 April-7 June 1914.