After spending April, May and June 1908 on the American West Coast, the Great White Fleet departed San Francisco July 7 with Rear Adm. Charles Sperry in command. The number of battleships remained at 16 as Maine and Alabama were replaced by Nebraska and Wisconsin. The swap was made because the two former ships had a voracious appetite for coal.rnOn July 16, the fleet arrived at Hawaii. A decade had passed since the United States had annexed the islands following the removal of Queen Liliuokalani, but harsh feelings remained among many native Hawai-ians. The Sailors of the Great White Fleet attempted to assuage the locals in Honolulu with parades and band concerts.
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