USS Chattanooga (CL-18)

Last updated

USS Chattanooga C16.jpg
USS Chattanooga (C-16), USN photograph, unknown date.
History
US flag 48 stars.svgUnited States
NameChattanooga
NamesakeCity of Chattanooga, Tennessee
Ordered3 March 1899
Awarded14 December 1899
Builder Crescent Shipyard, Elizabethport, New Jersey
Cost$1,039,966 (contract price of hull and machinery)
Laid down29 March 1900
Launched7 March 1903
Sponsored byMiss L. N. Chambliss
Acquired3 March 1905
Commissioned11 October 1904
Decommissioned19 July 1921
Reclassified
  • PG-30, 17 July 1920
  • CL-18, 8 August 1921
Stricken13 December 1929
Identification
FateSold for scrap, 8 March 1930
General characteristics (as built) [1] [2]
Class and type Denver-class protected cruiser
Displacement
  • 3,200 long tons (3,251 t) (standard)
  • 3,514 long tons (3,570 t) (full load)
Length
  • 308 ft 9 in (94.11 m) oa
  • 292 ft (89 m)pp
Beam44 ft (13 m)
Draft15 ft 9 in (4.80 m) (mean)
Installed power
Propulsion
Sail plan Schooner
Speed
  • 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph)
  • 16.75 knots (31.02 km/h; 19.28 mph) (Speed on Trial)
Complement31 officers 261 enlisted men
Armament
Armor
  • Deck:2+1⁄2 in (64 mm) (slope)
  • 3⁄16 in (4.8 mm) (flat)
  • Shields:1+3⁄4 in (44 mm)
General characteristics (1921) [2] [3]
Armament
  • 8 × 5 in (127 mm)/50 caliber Mark 5 breech-loading rifles
  • 1 × 3 in (76 mm)/50 anti-aircraft gun
  • 6 × 6-pounder (57 mm (2.2 in)) rapid fire guns
  • 2 × 1-pounder (37 mm (1.5 in)) guns

USS Chattanooga (C-16/PG-30/CL-18) was a Denver-class protected cruiser in the United States Navy during World War I. She was the second Navy ship named for the city of Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Contents

Construction

Chattanooga was one of six Denver-class protected cruisers ordered for the US Navy on 14 December 1899. [4] She was laid down at the Crescent Shipyard of Elizabethport, New Jersey on 29 March 1900, [5] and launched on 7 March 1903. [6] Construction was much slower than contracted (the contracted completion date was 14 June 1902), and when the shipbuilding trust that owned the Crescent Shipyard, the US Government cancelled the contract and took possession of the part-completed ship, which was moved to the New York Navy Yard for finishing in October 1903. [5]

Chattanooga was commissioned on 11 October 1904. [6] After sea trials in January 1905, during which she reached a speed of 16.65 knots (30.84 km/h; 19.16 mph) in a four-hour trial, [7] she reported to the Atlantic Fleet. [6]

Service history

Pre-war service

Chattanooga's first cruise following shakedown was to the Caribbean, from which she returned to New York City to join the squadron which cleared for Cherbourg, France 18 June 1905. At Cherbourg, USS Brooklyn (CA-3) received on board the body of John Paul Jones, which the squadron brought home to the United States Naval Academy, arriving at Annapolis 23 July. Through the remainder of the year, Chattanooga aided in training men of the Maine and Massachusetts Naval Militia, and cruised briefly in the Caribbean. On 28 December she cleared San Juan, Puerto Rico, for the Suez Canal and duty in the Pacific. Between 29 April 1906, when she arrived at Cavite, P.I., and 10 August 1910, when she reported at Puget Sound Navy Yard for inactivation, Chattanooga joined the Asiatic Fleet in its winter operations in the Philippines and summer cruises to China, aiding in representing America's strength and interest in the Orient. Chattanooga was decommissioned at Puget Sound Navy Yard 17 September 1910. [6]

World War I

Chattanooga was placed in reserve commission 31 August 1912, remaining at Puget Sound, and in full commission 21 April 1914, for duty in Mexican waters. Through 1915 and 1916, she cruised to protect American interests from the disorder of the Mexican Revolution, and this duty continued after America's entrance into World War I until May 1917. Chattanooga then sailed through the Panama Canal for several months of patrol duties in the Caribbean, searching for German raiders. From July 1917, she escorted convoys from the Atlantic coast to rendezvous with other escorts in the approaches to French ports. This rugged duty across the stormy mid-Atlantic was broken only by two escort missions to Nova Scotia. [6]

Chattanooga took part in the Victory Fleet Review taken by the Secretary of the Navy in New York harbor 26 December 1918. After an overhaul, the cruiser carried a party of Liberian officials to Monrovia, then turned north for Plymouth, England, which she reached 7 May. As flagship of U.S. Naval Forces, European Waters, Chattanooga sailed among English and French ports until June, though on 1 April 1919, she, along with USS Tallahassee, took part in the closure of the United States Navy facilities on White's Island and Agar's Island in the British Imperial fortress colony of Bermuda, 640 miles off North Carolina. [8] On 29 June, she served as leading honor escort guarding President Woodrow Wilson's departure from France in George Washington, then sailed on to call at German and Belgian ports before arriving in the Mediterranean for service as flagship for U.S. Naval Forces, Turkish Waters. Cruising primarily in the Black Sea, she also served in the Adriatic in connection with the disposal of ships of the former Austro-Hungarian Navy. From January through May 1921, she conducted regular patrols with the cruiser squadron assigned to European waters, and on 1 June, returned to the United States. She was decommissioned at Boston 19 July 1921, and laid up at Portsmouth Navy Yard until sold 8 March 1930. [6]

Chattanooga's bell was at a now-closed American Legion post in Shelbyville Tennessee, in late 2015 was at the National Medal of Honor Museum in the Northgate Mall, and soon will be incorporated into a memorial to the victims of the attack on the recruiting station at Chattanooga, Tennessee. [9]

Related Research Articles

USS <i>New Orleans</i> (CL-22) United States Navy warship

USS New Orleans was a United States Navy protected cruiser of the New Orleans class.

USS <i>Maryland</i> (ACR-8) Pennsylvania-class armored cruiser

The second USS Maryland (ACR-8/CA-8), also referred to as "Armored Cruiser No. 8", and later renamed Frederick, was a United States Navy Pennsylvania-class armored cruiser.

USS <i>Newark</i> (C-1) Protected cruiser

The first USS Newark (C-1) was a United States Navy protected cruiser, the eighth protected cruiser launched by the United States. In design, she succeeded the "ABC" cruisers Atlanta, Boston, and Chicago with better protection, higher speed, and a uniform 6-inch gun armament. Four additional protected cruisers were launched for the USN prior to Newark.

USS <i>Charleston</i> (C-22) St. Louis-class cruiser

The third USS Charleston (C-22/CA-19) was a United States Navy St. Louis-class protected cruiser. She was launched 23 January 1904 by Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newport News, Virginia, sponsored by Miss Helen Whaley Rhett, and commissioned on 17 October 1905, Captain Cameron McRae Winslow in command. She was reclassified CA-19 on 17 July 1920.

USS <i>Colorado</i> (ACR-7) United States Navy Pennsylvania-class armored cruiser

USS Colorado (ACR-7), also referred to as "Armored Cruiser No. 7", and renamed USS Pueblo (CA-7) in 1916, was a United States Navy Pennsylvania-class armored cruiser. She was the second US Navy ship named Colorado, and the first to be named after the State of Colorado. The first, Colorado, was named for the Colorado River.

USS <i>South Dakota</i> (ACR-9) United States Navy Pennsylvania-class armored cruiser

The first USS South Dakota (ACR-9/CA-9), also referred to "Armored Cruiser No. 9", and later renamed Huron, was a United States Navy Pennsylvania-class armored cruiser.

USS <i>Chicago</i> (1885) Protected cruiser of the US Navy

The first USS Chicago was a protected cruiser of the United States Navy, the largest of the original three authorized by Congress for the "New Navy" and one of the U.S. Navy's first four steel ships.

USS <i>Tennessee</i> (ACR-10) US Navy armoured cruiser

The second USS Tennessee (ACR-10), also referred to as "Armored Cruiser No. 10", and later renamed Memphis, was a United States Navy armored cruiser, the lead ship of her class.

USS <i>Washington</i> (ACR-11) United States Navy Tennessee-class armored cruiser

The seventh USS Washington (ACR-11/CA-11/IX-39), also referred to as "Armored Cruiser No. 11", and later renamed Seattle and reclassified CA-11 and IX-39, was a United States Navy Tennessee-class armored cruiser. She was laid down on 23 September 1903 at Camden, New Jersey, by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation, launched on 18 March 1905, sponsored by Miss Helen Stewart Wilson, daughter of United States Senator John L. Wilson of Washington state, and commissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 7 August 1906, Captain James D. Adams in command.

USS <i>Philadelphia</i> (C-4)

The fourth USS Philadelphia (C-4) was the sixth protected cruiser of the United States Navy. Although designed by the Navy Department, her hull was similar to the preceding British-designed Baltimore, but Philadelphia had a uniform main armament of twelve 6-inch guns.

USS <i>Minneapolis</i> (C-13) Columbia-class cruiser

The first USS Minneapolis (C-13/CA-17) was a United States Navy Columbia-class protected cruiser. She was named for the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

USS <i>St. Louis</i> (C-20) St. Louis-class cruiser

The USS St. Louis (C-20/CA-18), was the lead ship of her class of protected cruisers in the United States Navy. St. Louis was launched on 6 May 1905 by the Neafie & Levy Company, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was sponsored by Miss Gladys Bryant Smith and commissioned on 18 August 1906 with Captain Nathaniel R. Usher in command.

USS <i>Atlanta</i> (1884)

USS Atlanta was a protected cruiser and one of the first steel warships of the "New Navy" of the 1880s. In some references she is combined with Boston as the Atlanta class, in others as the Boston class.

USS <i>Des Moines</i> (CL-17) Denver-class cruiser

USS Des Moines (C-15/PG-29/CL-17) was a protected cruiser of the Denver class in the United States Navy during World War I. She was the first Navy ship named for the city of Des Moines, Iowa.

USS <i>Galveston</i> (CL-19) Denver-class cruiser

USS Galveston (C-17/PG-31/CL-19) was a Denver-class protected cruiser in the United States Navy during World War I. She was the first Navy ship named for the city of Galveston, Texas.

USS <i>Tacoma</i> (CL-20) Denver-class cruiser

USS Tacoma (C-18/PG-32/CL-20) was a Denver-class protected cruiser in the United States Navy during World War I. She was the second Navy ship named after the city of Tacoma, Washington.

USS <i>Marblehead</i> (C-11) Gunboat of the United States Navy

The second USS Marblehead (C-11/PG-27) was a Montgomery-class unprotected cruiser in the United States Navy, authorized in the naval appropriations bill of September 7, 1888. Marblehead served in the Spanish–American War and World War I, and was the last ship of her class in service.

USS <i>Fox</i> (DD-234) Clemson-class destroyer

USS Fox (DD-234/AG-85) was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the fourth ship named for Gustavus Vasa Fox, Assistant Secretary of the Navy during the Civil War.

USS <i>San Francisco</i> (C-5)

The first USS San Francisco (C-5) was a steel protected cruiser in the United States Navy. She was later named Tahoe and then Yosemite, becoming the third US Navy ship to bear the name Yosemite. She generally resembled her predecessor Newark, with a main armament of twelve 6-inch guns.

USS <i>Jack W. Wilke</i> Buckley-class destroyer escort of the United States Navy

USS Jack W. Wilke (DE-800) was a Buckley-class destroyer escort of the United States Navy.

References

  1. ↑ "Ships' Data, U. S. Naval Vessels". US Naval Department. 1 January 1914. pp. 40–47. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  2. 1 2 Toppan, Andrew (8 September 1996). "US Cruisers List: Protected Cruisers and Peace Cruisers". Hazegray.org. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  3. ↑ "Ships' Data, U. S. Naval Vessels". US Naval Department. 1 July 1921. pp. 60–67. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  4. ↑ White Journal of the American Society of Naval Engineers February 1905, p. 104.
  5. 1 2 White Journal of the American Society of Naval Engineers February 1905, p. 105.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Chattanooga II (C-16)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. 30 June 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  7. ↑ White Journal of the American Society of Naval Engineers February 1905, pp. 115–121.
  8. ↑ "Closing of the U.S. Naval Base: Fitting Ceremony at Whites Island When the Allied Forces Depart". The Royal Gazette. City of Hamilton, Pembroke, Bermuda. 3 April 1919.
  9. ↑ Mark Kennedy, "Ship's Bell finds a home, a purpose", Chattanooga Times Free Press, 31 December 2015
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.