The term Mosquito Fleet has had a variety of naval and commercial uses around the world.
United States
In
U.S. naval and maritime history, the term has had several meanings:
*The
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
's fleet of small gunboats, leading up to and during the
War of 1812, most were part of the
New Orleans Squadron.
*A
squadron of shallow-
draft schooners sent to the
West Indies
The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...
under the command of
Commodore David Porter to suppress piracy between 1823 and 1825, founding the
West Indies Squadron.
*In the
Second Seminole War, a joint Army-Navy-
Revenue Marine task 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 Commodore
Matthew C. Perry, that fought against the Mexican fortresses at
Tuxpan and
Villahermosa during the
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...
.
*In the American Civil War, it was the name of a group of converted gunboats originally of the North Carolina Navy, later transferred to the
Confederate States Navy, that operated in and near the North Carolina Sounds from the start of the war until the
Battle of Elizabeth City.
*In the American Civil War, it was the name of Commodore George Hollins River defense fleet that opposed the Union Gulf Blockade fleet in the
Battle of the Head of Passes.
*A
fleet of small steam vessels which plied the waters of
Puget Sound during the late 19th century and early 20th century (see
Washington State Ferries and
Puget 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. (See
Steamboats of the Oregon Coast). There was also a similar fleet on the east coast of the United States; see
Sabino.
*A fleet of converted yachts used by the US Navy during
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
off the Atlantic Coast of France to patrol for
U-boat
U-boats are Submarine#Military, naval submarines operated by Germany, including during the World War I, First and Second World Wars. The term is an Anglicization#Loanwords, anglicized form of the German word , a shortening of (), though the G ...
s and provide support for convoys into
Brest,
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. This fleet was also called the "Suicide Fleet".
*The fast, wooden
PT boat used by the American navy in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, with the most famous being
''PT-109'', skippered by Lieutenant Junior Grade
John 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 by
Gullah fishermen.
*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
The term "Mosquito Fleet" also refers to the fleet of small
ketches and
schooners operating in the shallow coastal and gulf waters of
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...
, from 1836 to 1982.
Mosquito Fleet
South Australian Maritime Museum. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
Queensland
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
{{US Squadrons
Military units and formations of the United States Navy