Thanks to Brooks Rowlett, Bill Schleihauf, Peter Skelton, David Snyder,
and all the rest who took time to answer my question regarding the
adoption of fuel-oil by the German Navy in World War I. From the
responses posted to the list, it apparent that many British and German
capital ships had dual-fuel boilers which were able to burn both coal
and fuel-oil, and in succeeding classes coal bunkerage was reduced in
favor of fuel-oil bunkerage and that Germany continued to utilize
coal-fired warships due to the fact that she lacked adequate fuel
resources to construct and deploy a fuel-oil based battle fleet. Again,
my thanks to all.

Now, on to another question. I’m still reading _Sea Power: A Naval
History_ by E.B. Potter and Chester Nimitz. The following is found on
page 656:

By this time the task of reinforcing Singapore had been
completed and an ABDA striking force had been formed of
vessels released from convoy duty. In it initially were the
United States cruisers Houston and Marblehead and four
American destroyers, the Dutch light cruisers De Ruyter and
Tromp, and three Dutch destroyers. Command was given to
Dutch Rear Admiral Karel Doorman. These vessels escaped
damage in the attack on Surabaya [an air attack launched
by carriers Soryu and Hiryu on 2/3/1942], but next morning
as Doorman led them forth to attack a Japanese force
reported reassembling at Balikpapan, they were discovered
by Japanese planes. In a prolonged attack in Madoera Strait,
the Houston received a hit that put her after turret out of
commission for the rest of the campaign, while the Marblehead
was so badly battered that she had to return to the United
States.

I’ve checked Samuel Eliot Morison’s _The Two-Ocean War_, Richard
Spector’s _Eagle Against the Sun: The American War Against Japan_, and
John Costello’s _The Pacific War: 1941-1945_ to try and determine
Marblehead’s ultimate fate with no success. I would like to know whether
Marblehead was overhauled and rejoined the war at a later date, was
she transferred to other duties such as training, or did the Navy have
her broken up and her crew sent to new construction? Also, where was
she sent for repairs? Morison and Spector indicate that she returned
stateside, while Costello states that she was routed to Ceylon.
Thanks in advance, Ed.

Edward Wittenberg
ewitten507@aol.com