An item dealing with the necessity by modern navies having their colliers that it was hardly to be expected that times of war in haste chartered merchant ships were suitable to be used as colliers due to lacking the suitable equipment for fast unloading coal into the warships neither was their design usually not suitable. The only manner to solve this problem was to have own colliers, also in peacetime to be able to practice. The US Navy had good experiences a year later when warships were sent form the USA towards the Azores by bunkering coal from ships towed alongside, At that moment had already some navies colliers in possession.
The Royal British Navy had 3 colliers at Devonport, England and Portsmouth, England stationed and continuous chartered 4 colliers with a cargo capacity of around 14.500 tons to use for the Mediterranean Fleet. Furthermore were some 600 tons steam colliers built for harbour service.
The US Navy possessed 16 colliers of different sizes.
France possessed 10 large and 3 smaller colliers stationed at Brest, Lorient and Rochefort, France and one in Cochin China.
Italy had one 935 tons transport for coal, victuals and ammunition and 2 colliers with at total capacity of 6.000 tons fuel.
Russia bought a large number of colliers during the war with Japan above the colliers she had already had in peacetime. Believed was Japan acted in the same manner.
