Seven destroyers accompanied the fleet around South America but did not cross the Pacific. Some cruisers joined part of the Pacific passage. The United States had few cruisers or destroyers suitable for an operation of this scale. Their partial participation exposed the limits of the supporting forces available for a global battleship deployment.
Notable Point · 49:23-49:46
Why the fleet's cruisers and destroyers did not complete the voyage
Partial destroyer and cruiser participation exposed the shortage of smaller American warships suitable for sustained global operations.