When U.S. fleets paired up in Panama in 1921 to test their ability to operate jointly in a crisis, the Navy offered some guidance with the hope it would steer the men toward tamer liberties.
In January and February 1921, the fighting and support ships stationed in the Atlantic and the Pacific met in Panama for a cruise and joint maneuvers in the Pacific south of the equator. As this would be the first major Fleet exercise after World War I, one of the Navy’s goals was to determine if ships stationed in the Atlantic could meet with their counterparts from the Pacific and operate successfully without additional training.
