Military experts describe the USS Hershel Woody Williams as a floating base, the second of a new class of massive ships the US Navy is now using as fast transport and support centers for military operations. Greek and Turkish battleships have been gathering in the region since President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ordered a research vessel to the eastern Mediterranean to survey for gas and oil. US officials have not given details on the orders the Hershel Woody Williams received or how long it will remain in Crete’s Souda Bay. But its presence comes as France last week also deployed a pair of frigates to the eastern Mediterranean – a move that quickly drew Moscow’s attention. Germany has been reluctant to support stiff sanctions against Turkey, but it has advised the government in Ankara to pull back its survey vessel from the disputed waters.