 The expedition to the atoll consisted of two teams accompanied by destroyer convoys, with the first departing Honolulu on July 7, 1923 aboard the , which conducted the first survey of Johnston Island in the 20th century.Aerial survey and mapping flights over Johnston were conducted with a Douglas DT-2 floatplane carried on her fantail, which was hoisted into the water for takeoff.From July 10–22, 1923, the atoll was recorded in a pioneering aerial photography project.