World War I and the Pacific Fleet
The construction of the San Pedro breakwater began on April 26, 1899, and was completed in 1912. It required 3 million tons of rough granite and squared cap rocks to complete.
Today the breakwater protects the man-made Port of Los Angeles,
one of the busiest container ports in the world.
World War I and the Pacific Fleet
The Great White Fleet was the popular nickname for the United States Navy battle fleet that completed a circumnavigation of the globe from December 16, 1907, to February 22, 1909, by order of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. It consisted of 16 battleships divided into two squadrons, along with various escorts. Roosevelt sought to demonstrate growing American military power and blue-water navy capability.
In the News~
April 11, 1895 [LAT]: “The Olympia arrived at Santa Barbara today, and, according to a dispatch from that town, will go to Santa Cruz Island for target practice and drill.”
March 10, 1900 [LAT]: “San Diego. Dispatches from the Navy Department at Washington, received yesterday by Rear Admiral Kautz, have changed the course of the United States cruiser Marblehead, much to the delight of the ship’s officers and men…”
March 14, 1900 [SBMP]: “The Dawn did a rushing business yesterday taking people out to the battleships, and all were pleased with the ride given them by captains Larco and Pierson.”
March 17, 1900 [LAT]: “Santa Barbara. This is a big day aboard the battleship Iowa, anchored in the channel here. The school children have a half holiday, and are swarming to the vessel in charge of their teachers… The Marblehead sailed for San Francisco late last evening. She goes to the Mare Island navy yard…”
April 4, 1904 [SBI]: “The United States training ship Mohican went to Santa Rosa Island yesterday after a stay of several days in the harbor here. The object of the trip was boat drill and general maneuvering. The Mohican is expected to return here before starting on the long cruise planned for her to the lower waters.”
February 6, 1906 [SBMP]: “Trip to Island on the Perry. Admiral Goodrich Entertains in Honor of Mr. and Mrs. Milo M. Potter. Rear Admiral Goodrich made another trip to the Channel Islands in the torpedo boat destroyer Perry yesterday afternoon, entertaining a number of guests of the Potter Hotel in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Milo M. Potter, before his departure from the city last night. It was a very interesting and novel trip, the swift destroyer covering the distance between tis city and Santa Cruz Island within less than an hour. The Perry left her anchorage at 1 and was in port again by 5 o'clock. She was piloted across the channel and along the shores of Santa Cruz Island by Captain Merry of this city, who led a procession of five small boats far into deep caves that have been washed under the projecting cliffs of the island. All the guests made the trip in the subterranean caverns, which was declared to be a most thrilling experience. During the return trip luncheon was served on board the Perry and music was furnished by the band from the flagship Chicago. The admiral's guests returned with declarations that his farewell entertainment was one of great interest and they would long remember. Among those in the party were Admiral and Mrs. Goodrich, Mr. and Mrs. Milo Potter, Miss Nina Jones, Miss Goodrich, Ensign Casper Goodrich, Mayor and Mrs. Wood, General and Mrs. Biddle, Mr. and Mrs. Felton,
October 23, 1907 [SBI]: “Big ships play at war in waters of the channel. Admiral Dayton’s squadron probably will remain long. Admiral Dayton’s fleet again left this morning for a day’s cruise in the open sea, and to carry out the maneuvers in the handling of ships…”
October 24, 1907 [LAT]: “Play game of war. The armored cruisers West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Colorado engaged in a mimic was at sea that lasted all day today… The Pennsylvania was promptly defeated in a stern chase, whereupon the tactics changed, the Pennsylvania being an invading vessel with the other two defenders of Santa Cruz Island…”
October 29, 1907 [SBI]: “Warships maneuver in the channel. The four vessels of Admiral Dayton’s fleet left their anchorage early this morning for a cruise and maneuvers in the channel…”
October 31, 1907 [SBMP]: “Fortifications may include islands. Strategic importance of the Santa Barbara islands demonstrated by war game now being played by Admiral Dayton’s fleet… Battleships were observed to be hugging the lea of the island… [Colorado, Pennsylvania, West Virginia] The tactics were devoted to maneuvering and keeping under a shore battery supposed to be situated on Santa Cruz Island…
January 8, 1908 [SBMP]: “Cruisers and torpedo boats will play hide and seek among the Channel Islands…”
January 9, 1908 [SBMP]: “Warships pass through channel. The battleship Nebraska and the armored cruiser California on their way up the coast from San Diego, were seen passing through the Santa Barbara Channel yesterday morning …”
April 26, 1908 [LAT]: “In column of squadron and eight abreast, the Atlantic Fleet came to anchor at 4:30 o’clock this afternoon close in, off Santa Barbara, with the flagship Connecticut on the outside nearest Santa Rosa Island, and the Virginia at the other end of the first squadron line near shore…”
March 3, 1910 [SBMP]: “Early this forenoon the cruisers California, Colorado, Maryland, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and West Virginia will arrive in the Santa Barbara channel and proceed to this port, where they will drop anchor for a period of a week or ten days before proceeding to the islands for sub-caliber practice…”
March 3, 1910 [LAT/SB]: “Six cruisers are anchored off Santa Barbara. The Pacific Fleet of six cruisers, commanded by Read Admiral Harbor, arrived here today for a month’s target practice. The gray grayhounds anchored 1000 yards off the Potter [Hotel] at 3 P.M. They will remain in port until Monday, and will then steam to sea for target practice, making their headquarters at Beecher’s Cove, between Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz islands. The fleet will return to port and spend the end of each week at its present anchorage, steaming seaward for work Monday. This will continue until the end of March, when the vessels will go north…”
April 10, 1910 [LAT]: “The flagship Whipple and other vessels of the torpedo-boat flotilla now engaged at gun practice in the outer harbor will leave Monday for Santa [Rosa] Island. The vessels will engage in practice and maneuvers around the Channel Islands until May 1, when they will return to this port.”
April 13, 1910 [LAH]: “San Pedro. April 12. The United States ship Whipple, Lieutenant Church commanding, and the torpedo boat destroyers Truxton, Hull, Perry, Prebel, Paul Jones, Stewart, Lawrence, Goldsborough and Rowan have completed gun practice in the outer harbor, and will sail tomorrow morning for Santa [Rosa] Island.”
April 14, 1910 [SFCall]: “Los Angeles. Sailed. United States steamers Truxton, Hull, Perry, Prebel, Paul Jones, Stewart, Lawrence, Goldsborough, Rowan and Whipple for Santa [Rosa] Island, to continue gun practice.”
April 22, 1910 [LAH]: “The torpedo boat Rowan, Ensign Lawton, arrived today from Santa Rosa Island, and will be joined tomorrow by the remaining nine boats of the flotilla…”
April 23, 1910 [LAH]: “San Pedro. April 22. Arrived. Flagship Whipple and the U.S. torpedo boat destroyers Perry, Preble, Truxton, Stewart, Lawrence, Goldsborough, Paul Jones and Hull, from Beecher’s Cove, Santa [Rosa] Island, for coal and provisions. Will remain until Monday, then returning to Santa [Rosa] Island to resume gun practice.”
April 27, 1910 [LAT]: “Santa Barbara, April 26. Should the rough weather in Santa Barbara channel continue, the mosquito fleet will cruise to Catalina Island where the target work will be held…”
April 29, 1910 [LAH]: “The torpedo boat flotilla returned today from Beecher’s Bay on Santa Rosa Island and proceeded to Avalon. The ten boats were followed by the collier Iris and the tug Navajo towing the targets that were to have been used in the record gun practice. On account of the heavy swell in the Santa Barbara channel the range there was abandoned and the practice will be held off Catalina Island where the waters are quiet.”
May 1, 1910 [LAH]: “Sailed. Torpedo boat destroyers Perry, Preble, Paul Jones and Stewart, for Beecher’s Cove, Santa [Rosa] Island, to resume target practice; the Lawrence, Goldsborough, Truxton, Hull, Rowan and Whipple will follow tomorrow.”
May 2, 1910 [LAH]: “The torpedo boats Lawrence, Rowan, Whipple and Goldsborough sailed today to join the other boats of the flotilla at target practice in Beecher’s Bay, Santa Rosa Island.”
May 6, 1910 [LAH]: “San Pedro. May 5. Arrived. Torpedo boat destroyers Whipple, Truxton, Hull, Perry, Prebel, Paul Jones, Stewart, Lawrence, Goldsborough and Rowan from Beecher’s Cove, Santa [Rosa] Island.”
May 6, 1910 [LAH]: “The torpedo flotilla is having hard luck in finding a suitable place for practice. This morning the entire flotilla of ten boats, with the collier Justin and the tug Navajo towing target, returned from Beecher’s Bay, on Santa Rosa Island, after two unsuccessful trips and many days’ delay waiting for smooth weather. The swell in the Santa Barbara channel is so heavy that it is not safe for small boats required to tend the targets.”
June 2, 1910 [SBI]: “Orders were received yesterday at the Mare Island navy yard to install fire control masts aboard the cruisers West Virginia and Maryland as soon as the material arrives from the east… The cruiser California is also being overhauled under rush orders to complete the work by August 10, when she will leave to join the other ships of the Pacific Fleet…”
July 16, 1910 [SBI]: “… First division of the Pacific Fleet, composed of the California, Colorado, Pennsylvania and Washington, will sail from San Francisco August 14…”
September 24, 1910 [LAH]: “San Diego, September 23. Under orders to sail for San Pedro and Beecher’s Bay, Santa Rosa Island, late next week, the officers of the Pacific torpedo flotilla are busily engaged in getting the little ships ready for sea...”
October 5, 1910 [SBMP]: “Six vessels will make their headquarters at Beechers Bay during October for annual drill and maneuvers. Cruisers come during the following month. Supplies will be purchased from Santa Barbara where one or more of the ships will call frequently. The torpedo flotilla leaves San Pedro today for Beechers Bay on the east end of Santa Rosa Island for a month of target practice and maneuvers. There are six boats in the fleet: the Paul Jones, Preble, Stewart, Truxton, Goldsborough and Perry… Last year when the fleet was at Beechers, there was one or more of the vessels in Santa Barbara harbor every two or three days…”
October 6, 1910 [SBI]: “Sic low, rakish, black-hulled craft comprising the torpedo boat flotilla that left San Pedro Tuesday are harbored at Santa Rosa Island today. They will spend some days in the Santa Barbara channel in war practice, preceding the coming of the first and second divisions of the Pacific fleet in November. The visitors are the Stewart, Paul Jones, Truxton, Preble, Goldsborough and Perry. They are harboring in Beecher’s Bay. The Stewart will arrive here Monday morning next to take supplies from the Dardi-Farioli company, which has a contract with the government.”
October 10, 1910 [SBMP]: “Reports from Beechers Bay state that men from the eight destroyers now anchored off that port are ashore nearly every day playing baseball and engaging in other terra firma sports. Beechers Bay is the main harbor for Santa Rosa Island where the Island Company’s wharf is located. The ranch house is close at hand.”
October 13, 1910 [LAH]: “The torpedo boat Perry is under orders to await the arrival here of George Van L. Mayer, secretary of the navy, who is expected here Saturday. It is expected that the Perry will leave Sunday for San Diego with the secretary aboard, returning here Tuesday. It is probable that the Perry will also take the secretary to Catalina and possibly to Santa Rosa Island where the torpedo flotilla is now at battle practice.”
October 17, 1910 [SBI]: “Three big cruisers, California, Colorado and Pennsylvania, under command of Rear Admiral Giles B. Harber, steamed north through the Santa Barbara Channel yesterday afternoon. The war dogs were far out on the channel but well in sight of shore. They were plainly seen and recognized through many glasses in this city. These great war ships, comprising the first division of the Pacific fleet, sailed from Chimbote, Peru, October 3, for San Francisco. They were due in the northern waters October 20.”
October 18, 1910 [LAH]: “Santa Barbara, October 17. Three men were seriously burned in an explosion of a saltwater evaporator on board the United States torpedo boat destroyer Truxton at sea off Santa Rosa Island Sunday morning. The injured were brought to the St. Francis hospital here.”
October 22, 1910 [SBI]: “The torpedo boat destroyer, Stewart, Lieutenant Lightie in command, which came into port Friday afternoon, steamed out this morning to join the flotilla at Beecher’s Bay, Santa Rosa Island. It is expected that the whole flotilla will leave for San Pedro not later than Tuesday next.”
October 27, 1910 [LAH]: “The torpedo boats Lawrence, Whipple, Hull, Paul Jones, Truxton, Goldsborough, Stewart, Prebble and Rowan, with the collier Justin, sailed for San Diego today. Six of the boats called last night on the way from Santa Rosa Island where they have been at target practice.”
January 11, 1911 [SBMP]: “Fleet awaits better days for channel maneuvers. There was no game of hide and seek on the channel last night between cruisers and torpedo boats now in port…”
January 13, 1911 [SBMP]: “But for the presence of the cruisers California and South Dakota lying off this port last night, Santa Barbara would have been at the mercy of the torpedo flotilla of nine boats in command of Lieutenant Richardson… This play is taken just as seriously as war itself… several of the low black hulls were discovered on the ocean side of Santa Cruz Island…”
January 14, 1911 [SBMP]: “Rear Admiral Chauncey Thomas yesterday told the Press that there are three sets of torpedo boat maneuvers ordered by the naval department, one each to be tested out in the Santa Barbara Channel during January, February, and March…”
January 22, 1911 [LAT]: “When Real Admiral Thomas received a battleship made of carnations and roses yesterday morning… as an appreciation for his success in getting the cruiser California named the flagship of the Pacific Fleet… The admiral announced that the cruisers will remain in the Santa Barbara Channel until next month…”
March 29, 1911 [LAT/SP]: “Seven torpedo boat destroyers of the Pacific torpedo flotilla left here today to search for a naval target lost yesterday by the supply ship Glacier, between Santa Rosa Island and the Santa Barbara mainland. The derelict target is 130 feet long, twenty-four feet wide and weighs 275 tons, constituting a serious menace to navigation.”
July 13, 1911 [SBMP]: “Second division of torpedo fleet arrives here for three days’ stay for standardization trials in channel. The Paul Jones, Perry, Preble and Stewart, comprising the second division of the Pacific torpedo fleet, commanded by Lieutenant Frank S. McCommon, arrived here last evening unannounced, and will stay for three days…”
May 2, 1912 [SBI]: “The torpedo boat Madison made standardization tests in the Santa Barbara channel today. She arrived here Wednesday night.”
May 28, 1912 [SBI]: “Eleven war boats in the Channel today made Santa Barbara look as if it were preparing for a Japanese invasion. The five destroyers, Farragut, Goldsborough, Rowan, Hopkins and Lawrence were joined by the battleship Maryland late Monday evening. This morning five more destroyers under command of Lieutenant Commander Ross Sherman Culp of the First Torpedo boat division of the Pacific fleet steamed in. They were the Whipple, Hull, Truxton, Paul Jones, Perry and Preble.”
February 3, 1914 [TI/Avalon]: “A letter has been received from Ensign D. H. Armstrong, of the Seventh Division of the U.S. Naval Militia, asking permission for the officers and men of the S.S. Marblehead and Destroyer Farragut to hold target practice neat Catalina. The city Clerk was instructed to extend them a cordial invitation to visit the island.”
June 5, 1914 [SBDNI]: “The naval reserves, 35 strong, leave Saturday for Santa Cruz Island on the Otter for a practice trip. They take their big gun along, and wile away will maneuver and engage in target practice…”
August 24, 1914 [LAT/SB]: “The European war has affected one of Santa Barbara’s unique industries, the seal business. Captain George M. McGuire, seal shipper and trainer, has orders from Germany and England for seals, but the war prevents shipment. Santa Barbara is the only shipping point for these interesting creatures. Under Captain McGuire’s direction the industry has become noted. It is said that every seal now in captivity has originally come from here. This morning Captain Ira Eaton returned from the seal rookeries on Santa Cruz Island with four splendid specimens of seals which Captain McGuire will send to Washington, New York and Cincinnati.”
January 23, 1916 [LAT]: “…Because of the isolation of the Pacific coast, the absence of an army and the possible needs of the navy at other points… batteries are located on Catalina and San Clemente islands, providing offshore defense and preventing their occupation as a base by hostile forces. The range of these batteries is assumed as twenty miles…”
February 5, 1916 [SBMP]: “Phantom flier and warship fuss about. Mysterious movements attested to by two ranchers in Goleta. Is a fierce and hostile warship hovering off the coast of Goleta, egged on by a nasty little airplane, snooping through the air and rubbering to glean points on which to base an attack on our altars and our fires? Maybe. At least rumors have been rife during the past few days… And what in the world are we going to do about it? Unfortunately the Sea Wolf is on the other side of the channel just now, but she may return to her homeport today, and perhaps we can get Captain Eaton to organize a scouting expedition… Cap is a brave man, and a cool-headed one, and if he should find any hostile warship with evident designs on our prized suburb, he will not hesitate to tell it to skedaddle and shoo itself away. The United States naval authorities on the coast say that no warship has been in these waters this week.”
February 11, 1916 [SBMP]: “Mystery craft sighted at Goleta. Ship makes appearance, but mists interfere with flying… Captain Ira Eaton is the latest person to report having seen the aircraft. That was a week ago Sunday evening, on the same night when others reported it for the first time. He was coming from the islands when the thing suddenly swooped towards the Sea Wolf. At one time it could only have been a couple of hundred yards away. Captain Eaton says he could not hear any motor at the time. Captain Eaton’s excuse for not reporting it before, is that he was afraid people would not believe it, but say it was one of his marine yarns…”
February 16, 1916 [SBMP]: “Airship again seen to westward. Residents of the Goleta section have reported seeing the mysterious airship on the last two nights. The general reports do not vary from those of others during the previous week, although as yet the whole affair is as strange as ever. One party reported a vessel out in the channel at the same time the airship was flitting about. As the last two nights have been very clear, conditions may be considered as excellent for observations.”
February 16, 1916 [SBMP]: “Five torpedo boat destroyers anchor. Vessels flash searchlights as they make their way up channel. Some little excitement was experienced by a number of the residents of Santa Barbara and Montecito last night about 10:30 when several navy craft were seen moving up the channel, one of the ships carrying a searchlight that was playing merrily in flashing signals to the other vessels of the fleet…”
February 17, 1916 [SBMP]: “The five torpedo boat destroyers that came into the harbor from the south last Tuesday night departed at 5: 30 yesterday morning, sailing northward…”
September 12, 1916 [SBMP]: “Captain Ira K. Eaton returned from Santa Cruz Island last Sunday evening, bringing over… five sea lions for Captain George M. McGuire. The seals will be sent to a trainer in Virginia. The traffic in these wonderful amphibians has fallen off to nearly nothing since the war began, as they were mostly sent to trainers, parks and zoos in Europe, and there is naturally no demand for them there now…”
May 4, 1917 [SBMP]: “Patrol boat for Channel protection. Ludwig Hoefling, who has been working busily as an organizer for the Naval Defense Reserve, has recruited enough of the human loyal material for two crews of ten men each. Mr. Hoefling returned Wednesday from Los Angeles where Lieutenant Commander Eugene Overton expressed to him the opinion that the Santa Barbara channel should have ample protection throughout the impending danger of enemy threats, and that the government might possibly establish a patrol station at Santa Barbara…”
May 26, 1917 [SBDN]: “How the men on Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa and San Miguel islands will register for military service on June 5 is a question not yet settled by the registration authorities of this county. The polling place for the men on these islands is the schoolhouse on the Mesa, near the Santa Barbara lighthouse. Whether the island residents must come thirty miles or more across the channel on June 5 and sign up at the Mesa schoolhouse is a puzzle for the county clerk. The sheep camps and fishing camps on the three islands are far apart. Many of the men on the islands have no communication with the mainland for weeks at a time. Unless a messenger is sent to all the island camps, there will be a number of men who will not hear about the conscription plan for several weeks. Some members of the registration board believe that the county clerk has a right to send a boat and officials to the islands to register the men there in advance of June 5, as the absentees are now being registered. Others believe that the men on the islands may be treated as the men on the seas, that is they will be allowed to register within five days after they come to the mainland, provided that they make a satisfactory affidavit that they were not able to get to a registration place on June 5. It is not known how many en between the ages of 32 and 31 there are on the islands. The estimates run from 20 to 50. Many of the men are foreigners and can talk and understand but little English. It is not believed that all would understand the registration plan even if news of what is to be done on June 5 happened to reach the islands.”
May 30, 1917 [SBDN]: “The superintendent of Santa Cruz Island has been notified by C. A. Hunt, county clerk, that all men on the island between the ages of 21 and 30 inclusive must register at the Mesa schoolhouse near the Santa Barbara lighthouse, June 5. Mr. Hunt has come to the conclusion that the men between the stated ages on all the islands must register in the Mesa precinct. He has found no ruling that will permit these men to register on any other day than that prescribed in the President’s call. Although Mr. Hunt has notified the Santa Cruz Island manager, it is not the county clerk’s duty to give such notification and the men on the islands cannot be excused from registering if they do not receive the clerk’s notice. It is not known here whether there are eligible men on Santa Rosa Island or San Miguel Island. No notice has been sent by the clerk to these two islands and he is in doubt whether he can find a way to get a notice of registration day to either San Miguel or Santa Rosa before June 5. Nevertheless any men of registration age on the two islands will be liable to arrest if they do not register on June 5 at the Mesa house. However it is believed that the county registration board will make allowances for the case of the island men if they are unregistered after June 5, because no notice of registration reached the islands.”
May 31, 1917 [SBDN]: “The third of a series of lectures on navigation was given last night at the Arlington by Commodore James H. Bull to prospective members of the Coast Patrol and other Santa Barbara residents interested in nautical affairs… Captain Ira Eaton will have charge of the crew on board Sea Wolf, it was stated, and Captain Ed Gourley will command the men assigned to the Royal. Several trips will be taken to the islands it is thought…”
June 13, 1917 [SBDN]: “The war has struck the fishing smacks which make Santa Barbara their home port. Other craft, including the yacht Royal, also came within the scope of a new naval regulation, made known here today which requires that all vessels engaged in the navigation of the waters comprised within the naval districts, or in the navigation of defensive sea areas must at once take out special licenses. News of the new order was taken to the local boat owners this morning, and S. Larco and Company, who own or control most of the fishing smacks in this port, were the first to send for their licenses, being quick to appreciate the necessity for immediate compliance with the order. They have eight fishing boats, besides which there are a number of pleasure boats which will come under the new regulation, making a total of about 20 local vessels in all that must have the new naval license…”
July 28, 1917 [SBMP]: “There will be no regatta in Santa Barbara this year because of the war…”
March 28, 1919 [WODD]: “Nothing of any extreme importance happened today except that we saw a submarine this morning. It was way out in the channel, but we saw it well with the glasses…”
May 8, 1919 [SBMP]: “Two sea lions, one male and the other female, captured at Santa Cruz Island, helped to win the World’s War. There is no end to the ingenuity of the naval authorities. This story of a pair of Santa Cruz Island sea lions trained to hunt submarines may sound like a fairy tale, but it is true in every detail. In the summer of 1917 the British Admiralty hit on the scheme of tracking German U-boats. To do this, the two tame Santa Cruz Island seals could be taught to distinguish the noise of a submarine’s propeller and to follow it in hope of getting food. A buoy was attached to the animal, and a trawler would follow the buoy and drop a depth charge when the sea lion appeared to have found the submarine. The sea lions were to be released when a boat was suspected of being in the vicinity. The animals were fitted with small wire muzzles to prevent them from going on a fishing expedition of their own. One of the remarkable features of the early stages of the experiments was fast displayed by the sea lions. The male was found to be much more intelligent than the female. Perhaps the fact that he had been a longer in captivity and was older had something to do with it. The animals were lost several times, but they always returned to English submarines on noises being made underwater. In order to train the sea lions in a most thorough manner, noises were made under water on one side, and the animal, on jumping in, heard the noise and swam toward it, being rewarded when he found it by a feed of fish. The noise was made by an electric buzzer under the water. After a large amount of practice, the animal was able to locate the sound each time.”
June 10, 1919 [SBMP]: “The country banking cannot longer be thought of in national terms, but from a world basis. That was the central idea brought out at the Santa Barbara Bankers Convention, held at Avalon last week… The world war, state the returned delegates, has brought about a state of internationalization that is making itself decidedly felt in banking circles…”
June 25, 1919 [LAT]: “Rear Admiral W. F. Fullam, commander of the Pacific Fleet, will drop anchor in the Santa Barbara Channel on July 1, according to notice that has been sent to the Summer Fiesta Committee…”
July 28, 1920 [SDET]: “The destroyer Crane sailed today for Mare Island with Com. Milton Davis, flotilla commander, aboard, who is enroute to Mare Island to inspect the destroyers in reserve there. The destroyer Thornton has been ordered to proceed from San Pedro to Bremerton navy yard for repairs which the ship received when it went around on Anacapa Island in the Santa Barbara channel Friday. The Swasey pulled the Thornton into deep water at that time.”
November 20, 1919 [LAT]: “Los Angeles is by far the greater favorite over San Francisco among the members of the crews of the superdreadnaughts Idaho, New Mexico and Mississippi, according to a ballot taken on the three big battleships before they left the harbor yesterday for Santa Cruz Island.”
October 17, 1920 [LAT]: “Experts declare our coast impregnable. Lessons from the recent battle maneuvers off our coast… Southern California is blessed with a protective fringe of islands which stand out as sentinels many miles offshore…”
October 22, 1921 [LAT]: “Divisional maneuvers, probably the only maneuvers the Pacific Fleet will indulge in for many months unless the Navy Department rescinds its now famous ‘save the fuel’ order, were begun yesterday by the battle ship divisions of the fleet… The Seventh Division, headed by the New Mexico, flagship of the commander-in-chief, and followed by the Pennsylvania, flagship of the battle force, the Tennessee and Idaho, went to the grounds assigned just off the Santa Barbara islands…”
September 17, 1921 [LAT]: “Lieutenant H. M. Haver, commanding officer of the destroyer Farragut, and one of the few Naval Reserve officers who had an independent command during the World War, has been selected by Commander A. H. Woodbine to conduct the weekly reserve cruise tomorrow. One Eagle boat is to be used and San Clemente Island has been selected as the destination. Naval reserves intending to take the cruise are asked to notify Commander Woodbine immediately.”
November 7, 1922 [LAT]: “Dreadnaughts of the Pacific Fleet will start their third round of target practice and gunnery exercises next week on the drill grounds off San Clemente Island, it was announced on board the flagship California yesterday.”
August 14, 1924 [SDET]: “U.S.S. Eagle 12, naval reserve training ship, will embark on a southern cruise, with local reservists Aug. 25, according to announcement by Lieut. W. A. Brunnick, commanding officer. The Eagle boat returned to port late yesterday afternoon after completing a 1000-mile cruise in northern waters with 75 officers and men of the Los Angeles, Pasadena and Santa Barbara units of the naval reserve force, 11th naval district. The Eagle 12 visited Santa Cruz, where the annual convention of the American Legion was in session, members of the crew participating in a military parade Aug. 5 The Santa Barbara islands were visited by the reservists and the famous Painted Cave was explored. Target practice was held off Anacapa Island Aug. 9, several hits being scored 3000 yards. Catalina Island was also visited by the reservists. While at Isthmus Cove, the reservists witnessed a thrilling sea battle between two vessels of Revolutionary times which was being staged for a new picture, Captain Blood.”
September 29, 1929 [SBMP]: “The battleship divisions this week will wind up the first round of annual gunnery practive when they fire night battle practice with their five-inch broadside batteries on the range off Santa Rosa Island…”
September 16, 1930 [LAT]: “The distant rumble of heavy gunfire will roll from seaward tomorrow as the dreadnaught squadron starts its gunnery year by firing short range battle practice… One of the new firing areas is southwest of Santa Rosa Island…”
