Admiral George Dewey found some manoeuvres ragged because newly joined ships had not yet established their turning circles. The official after-action report nevertheless claimed that cruiser divisions operated alongside battleships without confusion or frequent long-distance signals. The captain of Dewey's flagship Mayflower disagreed, recalling a fleet without form during an attempt to steam in formation. His criticism connected the confusion with ad hoc procurement and the resulting variety of ship designs and capabilities. The Navy struggled to operate beyond small groups of similar ships. After the winter exercise, an attempt was made to organise the fleet according to each ship's capabilities.
Chapter · 0:39-2:20
Theodore Roosevelt-era fleet exercises and force coherence
Henry J. Hendrix's Theodore Roosevelt's Naval Diplomacy: The U.S. Navy and the Birth of the American Century connects uneven ship procurement with difficulties manoeuvring a fleet.