The Great White Fleet, consisted of all the battleships and escort ships in the United States Navy, and sailed from San Francisco to Australia in 1925.
The Oklahoma docked Princess Pier in Australia
Off the coast of Australia, the fleet split in two, one half sailed to Sydney and the other half sailed to Melbourne. The Oklahoma joined the half that sailed to Melbourne. The crew of the entire fleet was given liberty. The Australians met the Americans with open arms. Fathers met the sailors as they left the ship to take them home to meet their daughters. The ratio of women to men was about 10 to 1 due to the losses during World War 1.
Prohibition was the law of the land in the United States, but not in Australia. Almost every sailor went to a pub.
The fleet had to maneuver one day off the coast of Melbourne to insure everyone was sober and all women were ashore.
The Oklahoma was assigned to the Pacific Fleet.
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