USS Worcester (1866)

Last updated

History
US flag 37 stars.svgUnited States
NameUSS Worcester
Builder Boston Navy Yard
Laid down1863
Launched25 August 1866
Commissioned27 February 1871
Decommissioned1876
FateSold for breaking up, 27 September 1883
General characteristics
Type Screw sloop-of-war
Displacement3,050 long tons (3,099 t)
Length296 ft 10 in (90.47 m)
Beam41 ft (12 m)
Draft9 ft 9 in (2.97 m)
Speed13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph)
Complement153 officers and enlisted
Armament4 × 12-pounder guns

USS Worcester was a Contoocook-class bark-rigged screw steam sloop-of-war in the United States Navy.

Contents

Built as Manitou of unseasoned white oak timbers, she was laid down in 1863 at Boston, Massachusetts, by the Boston Navy Yard and launched on 25 August 1866. Renamed Worcester on 15 May 1869, she was apparently placed in commission on 27 February 1871, Commander William D. Whiting in command. Among the ship's officers at the time of her commissioning was the naval strategist and author, Lieutenant Commander Alfred T. Mahan.

Service history

Voyage to England, 1871

After an abbreviated fitting out, Worcester loaded a cargo of supplies to be delivered to the suffering victims of the Franco-Prussian War. Although she had never conducted sea trials, she departed Boston on 5 March 1871 with a heavy cargo in her holds. Heavy weather sprang up soon after she left port, and Commander Whiting was obliged to use caution in using the ship's spread of canvas until he felt sure of the ship's sea-keeping qualities. Three days out, on 8 March, the port forward boiler burst, sending clouds of steam into the forward part of the ship and severely scalding 10 men – four of whom later died. A subsequent court finding revealed that the explosion had been due to defective tubes.

For most of the remainder of the voyage, the ship weathered heavy gales that lasted from two to three days at a stretch. But for the explosion, the ship performed well on her maiden voyage and carried a good spread of canvas for the remainder of the trip to England. Making port at Plymouth, England, on 4 April, Worcester eventually discharged her cargo at London. The plan to sell the cargo to raise money to purchase relief supplies for the French fell through. It seemed that the French really did not need help after all, and those who did could not afford to pay the cost of transporting the supplies from the French coast to their districts.

Worcester concluded her business at London, sailed to Liverpool where she received on board some ordnance before returning to Boston. There, she remained until January 1872.

North Atlantic Squadron, 18721875

Made flagship of the North Atlantic Squadron under Rear Admiral Samuel Phillips Lee, Worcester served in that capacity until 1875.

In ordinary, 18761881

She was placed in ordinary in 1876 and laid up at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia, the following year. Made receiving ship at Norfolk in 1878, with Capt. Walter W. Queen in command, Worcester was laid up at the Norfolk Navy Yard during 1879 and 1880. Eventually, the ship's hull rotted, and it was found unfit for repair in 1881. On 27 September 1883, the sloop-of-war was sold and was presumably broken up soon thereafter.

Related Research Articles

USS <i>Tuscaloosa</i> (CA-37) New Orleans-class cruiser

USS Tuscaloosa (CL/CA-37) was a New Orleans-class cruiser of the U.S. Navy. Commissioned in 1934, she spent most of her career in the Atlantic and Caribbean, participating in several European wartime operations. In early 1945, she transferred to the Pacific and assisted in shore bombardment of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. She earned 7 battle stars for her service in World War II. Never damaged in battle, the ship fared better compared to her six sister ships, three of which were sunk and the other three heavily damaged.

USS <i>Astoria</i> (AK-8) Cargo ship of the United States Navy

The USS Astoria (SP-2005/AK-8) was a steel-hulled, coal-burning steam cargo ship of the United States Navy.

USS <i>Wyoming</i> (1859) Sloop-of-war of the United States Navy

The first USS Wyoming of the United States Navy was a wooden-hulled screw sloop that fought on the Union side during the American Civil War. Sent to the Pacific Ocean to search for the CSS Alabama, Wyoming eventually came upon the shores of Japan and engaged Japanese land and sea forces. On 16 July 1863, Wyoming won the first-ever United States naval victory over Japan in the Battle of Shimonoseki Straits.

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>Pawnee</i> (1859) Gunboat of the United States Navy

The first USS Pawnee was a sloop-of-war in the United States Navy during the American Civil War. She was named for the Pawnee Indian tribe.

USS Plymouth was a sloop-of-war constructed and commissioned just prior to the Mexican–American War. She was heavily gunned, and traveled to Japan as part of Commodore Matthew C. Perry's effort to force Japan to open her ports to international trade. She also served in European and Caribbean waters and, later in her career, she was used to train midshipmen.

The first USS Mohican was a steam sloop-of-war in the United States Navy during the American Civil War. She was named for the Mohican tribe and was the first ship of her class.

USS <i>Albemarle</i> (AV-5) Curtiss-class seaplane tender ship

USS Albemarle (AV-5) was one of only two Curtiss-class seaplane tenders built for the United States Navy just prior to the United States' entry into World War II. Named for Albemarle Sound on the North Carolina coast, she was the third U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name. Albemarle was laid down on 12 June 1939 at Camden, New Jersey, by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation, and launched on 13 July 1940, sponsored by Mrs. Beatrice C. Compton, the wife of the Honorable Lewis Compton, Assistant Secretary of the Navy. She was commissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 20 December 1940, with Commander Henry M. Mullinnix in command. She was transferred to the Maritime Administration (MARAD) James River Fleet at Fort Eustis, Virginia. Placed in the custodial care of MARAD, Albemarle was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 September 1962.

USS <i>San Jacinto</i> (1850) Screw frigate in the US Navy famous for her role in the Trent Affair of 1861

The first USS San Jacinto was an early screw frigate in the United States Navy during the mid-19th century. She was named for the San Jacinto River, site of the Battle of San Jacinto during the Texas Revolution. She is perhaps best known for her role in the Trent Affair of 1861.

USS <i>Zebra</i> Cargo ship of the United States Navy

USS Zebra (AKN-5) was an Indus-class net cargo ship in the service of the United States Navy in World War II. The ship was originally the Matthew Lyon, an EC2-S-C1 Liberty ship, operated for the War Shipping Administration (WSA) as a cargo vessel by an agent until severely damaged by torpedo in August 1943. While at Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides awaiting likely scrapping the Navy acquired the vessel under bareboat charter to be used as a net cargo ship transporting reclaimed anti-submarine netting.

The fifth USS Congress was a screw sloop in the United States Navy.

SS <i>Kronprinz Wilhelm</i> German ocean liner and warship

SS Kronprinz Wilhelm was a German ocean liner built for Norddeutscher Lloyd, a shipping company now part of Hapag-Lloyd, by the AG Vulcan shipyard in Stettin, Germany, in 1901. She was named after Crown Prince Wilhelm, son of the German Emperor Wilhelm II, and was a sister ship of SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse.

USS <i>Torrance</i> Cargo ship of the United States Navy

USS Torrance (AKA-76) was a Tolland-class attack cargo ship in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was sold into commercial service and was scrapped in 1972.

USS <i>Miantonomah</i> (CMc-5)

USS Miantonomah (CM-10/CMc-5) was built as SS Quaker by Pusey & Jones Corporation, Wilmington, Delaware in 1938 as a commercial coastwise ship operating as a fast inland water passenger and freight carrier. Quaker was acquired by the Navy in May 1941 for conversion to a coastal minelayer. Miantonomah operated off the east coast of the United States, Africa and the Mediterranean and took part in the invasion of Europe in 1944. The ship was sunk by a mine 25 September 1944.

USS <i>Alcona</i> Cargo ship of the United States Navy

USS Alcona (AK-157) was an Alamosa-class cargo ship commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.

USS <i>Beltrami</i> Cargo ship of the United States Navy

USS Beltrami (AK-162) was an Alamosa-class cargo ship commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.

USS <i>General J. R. Brooke</i>

USS General J. R. Brooke (AP-132) was a General G. O. Squier-class transport ship for the U.S. Navy in World War II. She was named in honor of U.S. Army general John Rutter Brooke. Decommissioned in 1946, she was sold privately in 1964 and renamed SS Marymar, and was scrapped in 1979.

USS <i>Briareus</i> Cargo ship of the United States Navy

USS Briareus was originally the cargo ship SS Hawaiian Planter laid down as a Maritime Commission type C3 Mod. at Newport News, Virginia, by the Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company for the Matson Line and delivered 15 May 1941. After a brief pre-war commercial service and allocation to the Army for transport the ship was purchased by the United States Navy in February 1943 and converted to a repair ship.

USS <i>Matagorda</i> Tender of the United States Navy

USS Matagorda (AVP-22/AG-122) was a United States Navy Barnegat-class seaplane tender in commission from 1941 to 1946 that saw service in World War II. After the war, she was in commission in the United States Coast Guard as the cutter USCGC Matagorda (WAVP-373), later WHEC-373, from 1949 to 1967.

USS <i>Westerner</i> Cargo ship of the United States Navy

USS Westerner (ID-2890) was a cargo ship of the United States Navy that served during World War I and its immediate aftermath.

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships .The entry can be found here.