American interest in repair ships grew from the Washington Naval Treaty's constraints on island facilities and the distances of the Pacific. In the early 1920s, neither Hawaii nor Manila yet offered the depth of support they would have during the later war. A ship carrying supplies, workshops, and specialists reduced the need to send damaged vessels all the way back across the ocean. USS Medusa placed mobile repair capacity inside prewar operational planning.
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Treaty limits and USS Medusa
USS Medusa represents a Pacific answer to limited shore infrastructure: if new bases could not be developed, a fleet had to bring repair capacity with it.