Col. Richard M. Cutts was fleet Marine officer of the Pacific Fleet from November 1, 1916 to October 14, 1918; and Lieut. Col. Charles B. Taylor from October 15, 1918 until after the armistice.
THE ASIATIC FLEET.
The Marines of the Brooklyn, flagship of the Asiatic Fleet, participated in the activities around Vladivostok, Siberia, in 1918.
In June, 1918, Vladivostok, and practically all of Siberia, was under the control of the Bolsheviki. The Bolsheviki, assisted by German and Austrian prisoners of war, were resisting the advance of the Czecho-Slovaks, who were trying to reach Vladivostok. In that city on June 29, 1918, there were approximately 12,000 well-organized Czecho-Slovaks, only about 2,500 of whom were armed or equipped. On the foregoing date the Czecho-Slovaks in the city took it over from the Bolsheviki after a three hour battle near its center, and on the afternoon of that day Rear Admiral Austin M. Knight, commander in chief of the Asiatic Fleet, ordered a detachment of American Marines ashore to guard the American consulate and to act as part of an Allied force composed of British, Japanese, Chinese, and Czecho-Slovaks, to patrol the city.
In July, 1918, Marines from the Brooklyn acted as guards over German and Austrian prisoners of war on Russian Island, about 5 miles from Vladivostok, while Marines from the same vessel constituted part of an Allied military force of American and British marines, Japanese and Chinese bluejackets, and Czecho-Slovak soldiers, which was organized to prevent a threatened strike and disorder among the workmen in the Russian navy yard at Vladivostok.
The Albany was at Vladivostok from April 2, 1919, until relieved by the New Orleans on July 25, 1919. Each of these ships, while they were anchored off Vladivostok, kept a small guard of Marines at the United States Naval radio station on Russian Island.
Col. Carl Gamborg-Andresen was fleet Marine officer of the Asiatic Fleet from August 25, 1915 to July 17, 1917; Col. Louis McC. Little from July 18, 1917 to April 25, 1918; and Col. Eli T. Fryer from that date until after the armistice.