Mosquito Fleet
The termMosquito Fleethas had a variety of naval and commercial uses around the world.
United States
[edit]InU.S.naval and maritime history, the term has had several meanings:
- TheUnited States Navy's fleet of small gunboats, leading up to and during theWar of 1812,most were part of theNew Orleans Squadron.
- Asquadronof shallow-draftschoonerssent to theWest Indiesunder the command ofCommodoreDavid Porterto suppress piracy between 1823 and 1825, founding theWest Indies Squadron.
- In theSecond Seminole War,a joint Army-Navy-Revenue Marinetask force in southern Florida that patrolled along the shore to intercept Bahamian and Cuban trade with the Seminoles, and made reconnaissance patrols on rivers and through the Everglades.
- The name of a United States Navy "squadron detachment", commanded by CommodoreMatthew C. Perry,that fought against the Mexican fortresses atTuxpanandVillahermosaduring theMexican–American War.
- In the American Civil War, it was the name of a group of converted gunboats originally of the North Carolina Navy, later transferred to theConfederate States Navy,that operated in and near the North Carolina Sounds from the start of the war until theBattle of Elizabeth City.[1]
- In the American Civil War, it was the name of Commodore George Hollins River defense fleet that opposed the Union Gulf Blockade fleet in theBattle of the Head of Passes.[2]
- Afleetof small steam vessels which plied the waters ofPuget Soundduring the late 19th century and early 20th century (seeWashington State FerriesandPuget Sound Navigation Company). It was also used to describe the various steamboats and other small craft that served on the rivers and bays of the Oregon coast. (SeeSteamboats of the Oregon Coast). There was also a similar fleet on the east coast of the United States; seeSabino.
- A fleet of converted yachts used by the US Navy duringWorld War Ioff the Atlantic Coast of France to patrol forU-boatsand provide support for convoys intoBrest,France.This fleet was also called the "Suicide Fleet".
- The fast, woodenPT boatused by the American navy inWorld War II,with the most famous beingPT-109,skippered by Lieutenant Junior GradeJohn F. Kennedy,a future president of the United States.
- The fleet of sailing ships that plied the waters off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia in the mid-19th century, trawling for shrimp and selling their catch in local markets; the fleet was primarily crewed byGullahfishermen.
- Named for the shrimp boats' insect-like profiles, Galveston's Mosquito Fleet continues to dock at Pier 19 (commons:File:Mosquito Fleet Berth, Pier 19 Galveston.jpg) enriching the city and nation and blending Asian and European fisher customs into Americanisms
South Australia
[edit]The term "Mosquito Fleet" also refers to the fleet of smallketchesandschoonersoperating in the shallow coastal and gulf waters ofSouth Australia,from 1836 to 1982.[3]
Queensland
[edit]In the early days of settlement at Geraldton (now Innisfail), the Johnstone River had a sand bar at the mouth and several shallow stretches in the river. The problem of large ships being unable to enter the river made it difficult for bags of sugar from the district sugar mills to be transported to southern refineries. To overcome this problem, shallow draft steam ships and lighters were used to carry the bags of sugar out to meet larger ships. The small ships became known as "The Mosquito Fleet".
References
[edit]- ^"Capture of Elizabeth City".US Civil War.Archived fromthe originalon 31 May 2012.Retrieved22 March2016.
- ^Official records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the RebellionI, v. 16, p. 725.
- ^Mosquito FleetSouth Australian Maritime Museum.Retrieved 17 February 2021.