History of the United States Navy the Panama Canal, which was completed in 1914. The Great White Fleet required almost 50 coaling ships, and during the cruise most of the fleet's coal was purchased from the British, who could deny access to fuel during a military crisis as they did with Russia during the Russo-Japanese War. When United States agents discovered that the German merchant ship "Ypiranga" was carrying illegal arms to Mexico, President Wilson ordered the Navy to stop the ship from docking at the port of Veracruz. On 21 April 1914, a naval brigade of marines and sailors occupied Veracruz. A total of 55
Queen's Medal for Champion Shots of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Queen's Medal for Champion Shots of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines The Queen's Medal for Champion Shots of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines was instituted in 1966. The medal is a Naval counterpart of the Queen's Medal for Champion Shots in the Military Forces and the Queen's Medal for Champion Shots of the Air Forces and is identical to the Queen's Medal for Champion Shots of the New Zealand Naval Forces that had been instituted in 1958. One medal can be awarded annually to the champion shot of a small-arms marksmanship competition, held by the Royal Navy and