Pacific Station

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The Pacific Station , often referred to as the Pacific Squadron , was an association of the British Royal Navy . The area of ​​responsibility included the west coast of North America and the adjacent part of the Pacific . The Pacific Station existed from 1837 to 1905.

history

HMS Warspite , flagship of Pacific Station 1890–1893

The association was established in 1837 at a time of foreign policy tension between Great Britain and the United States . The base of the station was originally in Valparaíso , Chile . In 1865 the station was relocated to the Esquimalt Royal Navy Dockyard in Esquimalt , British Columbia . The station was crucial in the defense of British Columbia against feared aggression by the United States during the Spanish-American War and again during the border dispute between the United States and British Columbia ( Alaska Boundary Dispute ) when the United States invaded and again They threatened annexation of British Columbia if their demands regarding Alaska were not met.

After the tension between Great Britain and the United States subsided, the mission of the Pacific Station changed. The association should now counter Russia's ambitions in the northern Pacific.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Britain's interests shifted. The situation in the Pacific Ocean eased when the Anglo-Japanese Alliance concluded in 1902 . At the same time, resolute opposition to the naval armament of the German Empire made it necessary to concentrate warships in the waters around Great Britain. The improved communication connections also allowed a timely reaction to any changes in the threat situation. Therefore, the station was closed in 1905. The Esquimalt base and its facilities were handed over to the newly established Royal Canadian Navy , and the previous area of ​​responsibility was divided between China Station , Australia Station and the West Indies Station .

literature

  • Barry M. Gough: The Royal Navy and the Northwest Coast of North America 1820-1914. A Study of Maritime Ascendancy. University of British Columbia Press, Vancouver 1974, ISBN 0-7748-0000-3 .

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