USS Nevada (BM-8)

Last updated
Uss Nevada BM8.jpg
The crew is out on a Sunday in 1909 in dress whites.
History
US flag 48 stars.svgUnited States
Name
  • Connecticut (1899-1901)
  • Nevada (1901-1909)
  • Tonopah (1909-1922)
Namesake
Ordered4 May 1898
Awarded19 October 1898
Builder Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine
Cost$1,851,313.22
Laid down17 April 1899
Launched24 November 1900
Commissioned5 March 1903
Decommissioned1 July 1920
Renamed
  • Nevada, January 1901
  • Tonopah, 2 March 1909
Identification
FateSold, 26 January 1922
General characteristics
Type Arkansas-class monitor
Displacement
  • 3,225 long tons (3,277  t) (standard)
  • 3,356 long tons (3,410 t) (full load)
Length
Beam50 ft (15 m)
Draft12 ft 6 in (3.81 m) (mean)
Installed power
Propulsion
Speed
  • 12.5 knots (23.2  km/h; 14.4  mph) (design)
  • 13.04 kn (24.15 km/h; 15.01 mph) (on trial)
Complement13 officers 209 men
Armament
Armor

The first USS Nevada, a monitor, was ordered on 4 May 1898. She was awarded to the Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine on 19 October 1898 [1] and laid down as Connecticut, 17 April 1899. Connecticut was launched 24 November 1900; sponsored by Miss Grace Boutelle; renamed Nevada, January 1901; and commissioned on 5 March 1903, Commander Thomas B. Howard in command. [2] The total cost for the hull, machinery, armor and armament was $1,851,313.22. [3]

Contents

Nevada was renamed Tonopah in 1909 to free up the name for a new battleship.

Design

The Arkansas-class monitors had been designed to combine a heavy striking power with easy concealment and negligible target area. They had a displacement of 3,225 long tons (3,277  t ; 3,612 short tons ), measured 255  feet 1  inch (77.75  m ) in overall length, with a beam of 50 feet 1 inch (15.27 m) and a draft of 12 feet 6 inches (3.81 m). She was manned by a total crew of 13 officers and 209 men. [4] [5]

Nevada was powered by two vertical triple expansion engines driving two screw propellers with steam generated by four Niclausse boilers. [6] The engines in Nevada were designed to produce 2,400 indicated horsepower (1,800  kW ) with a top speed of 12.5 knots (23.2  km/h ; 14.4  mph ), however, on sea trials she was only able to produce 1,970 ihp (1,470 kW) but with a top speed of 13.04 kn (24.15 km/h; 15.01 mph). [7] Nevada was designed to provide a range of 2,360 nautical miles (4,370  km ; 2,720  mi ) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph). [4] [5]

The ship was armed with a main battery of two 12-inch (305 mm)/40 caliber guns, either Mark 3 or Mark 4, in a Mark 4 turret. [8] [9] [4] The secondary battery consisted of four 4-inch (102 mm)/50 caliber Mark 7 guns [10] along with three 6-pounder 57 mm (2.2 in) guns. The main belt armor was 11 in (280 mm) in the middle tapering to 5 in (130 mm) at the ends. The gun turrets were between 10 and 9 in (250 and 230 mm), with 11 to 9 in (280 to 230 mm) barbettes. Nevada also had a 1.5 in (38 mm) deck. [4] [5]

Service history

On 2 March 1909, the monitor was renamed Tonopah to allow Battleship Number 36 to be named Nevada. Assigned to the Atlantic Fleet's submarine force as a tender, Tonopah operated along the east coast from Massachusetts to Key West until January 1918. Then briefly assigned to Bermuda, she was ordered to Ponta Delgada, São Miguel Island, Azores in February. Between then and December she tended the submarines K-1, K-2, K-3, K-5, and E-1 and submarine chasers operating in the strategic area of the Azores. [2]

In December, she was towed to Lisbon, and, upon her return to the United States, decommissioned at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 1 July 1920. She was one of several vessels sold on 26 January 1922, to Henry A. Hitner's Sons Company of Philadelphia. [2]

Notes

  1. Ships' Data 1914, pp. 52–53.
  2. 1 2 3 DANFS 2015.
  3. Schmidt 1921, p. 744.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Friedman 1985, p. 452.
  5. 1 2 3 Yarnall 2016.
  6. Ships' Data 1914, p. 50.
  7. Ships' Data 1914, pp. 49–50.
  8. Friedman 2011.
  9. DiGiulian & 12"/40 2015.
  10. DiGiulian & 4"/50 2015.

Bibliography

Books

Online resources


Related Research Articles

USS <i>Wyoming</i> (BM-10)

USS Wyoming was the second ship of the United States Navy to bear that name, but the first to bear it in honor of the 44th state. The first Wyoming was named for Wyoming Valley in eastern Pennsylvania.

USS <i>Chicago</i> (1885)

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". One of the U.S. Navy's first four steel ships.

<i>Colorado</i>-class battleship Dreadnought battleship class of the United States Navy

The Colorado-class battleships were a group of four United States Navy super-dreadnoughts, the last of its pre-Treaty battleships. Designed during World War I, their construction overlapped the end of that conflict and continued in its immediate aftermath. Though all four keels were laid, only three ships were launched: Colorado, Maryland, and West Virginia. Washington was over 75% completed when she was canceled under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty in 1922. As such, the 16" gun Colorado-class ships were the last and most powerful battleships built by the U.S. Navy until the North Carolina class entered service on the eve of World War II.

<i>Alaska</i>-class cruiser Class of battlecruiser ships

The Alaska class was a class of six large cruisers ordered before World War II for the United States Navy. They were officially classed as large cruisers (CB), but others have regarded them as battlecruisers. They were all named after territories or insular areas of the United States, signifying their intermediate status between larger battleships and smaller heavy and light cruisers. Of the six planned, two were completed, the third's construction was suspended on 16 April 1947, and the last three were cancelled. Alaska and Guam served with the U.S. Navy for the last year of World War II as bombardment ships and fast carrier escorts. They were decommissioned in 1947 after spending only 32 and 29 months in service, respectively.

<i>Florida</i>-class battleship Dreadnought battleship class of the United States Navy

The Florida-class battleships of the United States Navy comprised two ships: Florida and Utah. Launched in 1910 and 1909 respectively and commissioned in 1911, they were slightly larger than the preceding Delaware class design but were otherwise very similar. This was the first US battleship class in which all ships received steam turbine engines. In the previous Delaware-class, North Dakota received steam turbine propulsion as an experiment while Delaware retained triple-expansion engines.

USS <i>Florida</i> (BM-9)

The USS Florida was an Arkansas-class monitor in the United States Navy.

<i>Clemson</i>-class destroyer Destroyer class of the US Navy

The Clemson class was a series of 156 destroyers which served with the United States Navy from after World War I through World War II.

<i>Wickes</i>-class destroyer Destroyer class of the US Navy

The Wickes-class destroyers were a class of 111 destroyers built by the United States Navy in 1917–19. Along with the 6 preceding Caldwell-class and 156 subsequent Clemson-class destroyers, they formed the "flush-deck" or "four-stack" type. Only a few were completed in time to serve in World War I, including USS Wickes, the lead ship of the class.

<i>AA-1</i>-class submarine Class of three experimental submarines of the United States Navy,

The AA-1 class was a class of three experimental submarines of the United States Navy, built toward the end of World War I, between 1916 and 1919, intended to produce a high-speed fleet submarine. The design was not a success and none of the submarines saw active service. However, the lessons learned were applied to the design of the later V-boats. The class was later renamed as the T class.

<i>OBrien</i>-class destroyer Destroyer class of the US Navy

The O'Brien class of destroyers was a class of six ships designed by and built for the United States Navy shortly before the United States entered World War I. The O'Brien class was the third of five classes of destroyers that were known as the "thousand tonners", because they were the first U.S. destroyers over 1,000 long tons (1,016 t) displacement.

<i>Tucker</i>-class destroyer Destroyer class of the US Navy

The Tucker class of destroyers was a ship class of six ships designed by and built for the United States Navy shortly before the United States entered World War I. The Tucker class was the fourth of five classes of destroyers that were known as the "thousand tonners", because they were the first U.S. destroyers over 1,000 long tons (1,016 t) displacement.

USS Semmes (DD-189/AG-24) was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the first Navy ship named for Commander (USN), Rear Admiral (CSN), Brigadier General (CSA) Raphael Semmes (1809–1877).

USS <i>Arkansas</i> (BM-7) U.S. Navy ship built launched in 1900

The second USS Arkansas, was a single-turreted "New Navy" monitor and one of the last monitors built for the United States Navy. Arkansas was ordered on 4 May 1898 and awarded to Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company on 11 October 1899. She was laid down just over a month later on 14 November 1899. Arkansas was launched almost a year later on 10 November 1900, sponsored by Mary L. Macon; but not commissioned for another two years, on 28 October 1902, with Commander Charles E. Vreeland in command.

3-inch/50-caliber gun Naval gun

The 3"/50 caliber gun in United States naval gun terminology indicates the gun fired a projectile 3 inches (76 mm) in diameter, and the barrel was 50 calibers long. Different guns of this caliber were used by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard from 1890 through the 1990s on a variety of combatant and transport ship classes.

QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss Light 47 mm naval gun introduced in 1886

The QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss or in French use Canon Hotchkiss à tir rapide de 47 mm were a family of long-lived light 47 mm naval guns introduced in 1886 to defend against new, small and fast vessels such as torpedo boats and later submarines. There were many variants produced, often under license which ranged in length from 32 to 50 calibers but 40 caliber was the most common version. They were widely used by the navies of a number of nations and often used by both sides in a conflict. They were also used ashore as coastal defense guns and later as an anti-aircraft gun, whether on improvised or specialized HA/LA mounts.

4-inch/50-caliber gun Naval gun

The 4″/50 caliber gun was the standard low-angle, quick-firing gun for United States, first appearing on the monitor Arkansas and then used on "Flush Deck" destroyers through World War I and the 1920s. It was also the standard deck gun on S-class submarines, and was used to rearm numerous submarines built with 3-inch (76 mm) guns early in World War II. United States naval gun terminology indicates the gun fired a projectile 4 inches (100 mm) in diameter, and the barrel was 50 calibers long.

5-inch/25-caliber gun Anti-aircraft gun

The 5"/25 caliber gun entered service as the standard heavy anti-aircraft (AA) gun for United States Washington Naval Treaty cruisers commissioned in the 1920s and 1930s. The goal of the 5"/25 design was to produce a heavy AA gun that was light enough to be rapidly trained manually. The gun was also mounted on pre-World War II battleships and aircraft carriers until replaced by the standard widespread dual-purpose 5"/38 caliber gun, which was derived from the 5"/25. Guns removed from battleships were probably converted for submarine use by late 1943, while a purpose-built variant for submarines was available in mid-1944, and was widely used by them. United States naval gun terminology indicates the gun fired a projectile 5 inches (127 mm) in diameter, and the barrel was 25 calibers long. It is referred to sometimes as a dual purpose gun and sometimes as an anti-aircraft gun, because of its comparative weakness against surface targets.

14-inch/45-caliber gun * Naval gun * Coastal defence

The 14"/45 caliber gun,, whose variations were known initially as the Mark 1, 2, 3, and 5, and, when upgraded in the 1930s, were redesignated as the Mark 8, 9, 10, and 12. They were the first 14-inch (356 mm) guns to be employed with the United States Navy. The 14-inch/45 caliber guns were installed as the primary armament aboard all of the United States Navy's New York-class, Nevada-class, and Pennsylvania-class battleships. The gun also saw service in the British Royal Navy, where it was designated the BL 14 inch gun Mk II.

14-inch/50-caliber gun * Naval gun * Railway gun

The 14"/50 caliber gun was a naval gun mounted on New Mexico and Tennessee-class battleships. These ships also featured the first "three-gun" turrets, meaning that each gun in each turret could be "individually sleeved" to elevate separately. The 14"/50 caliber guns were designated as Mark 4 and 6, with later versions known as Mark 7, 11, and B. These guns were more powerful than the main gun mounted on the previous three classes of US battleships, the 14"/45 caliber gun.

<i>Arkansas</i>-class monitor

The Arkansas-class monitors were the last class of four monitors ordered for the U.S. Navy.