USS Iowa (BB-4)

USS "Iowa" (Battleship No. 4) was the first ship commissioned in honor of the 29th state. She was of unique design, not a member of a class of ship. Her keel was laid down by William Cramp and Sons of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 5 August 1893. She was launched on 28 March 1896, sponsored by Miss Mary Lord Drake, daughter of the Governor of Iowa, Francis M. Drake, and commissioned on 16 June 1897, with Captain W.T. Sampson in command. She was designated a "seagoing coastal battleship," but with her raised freeboard compared to the preceding Sclass|Indiana|battleship|4, "Iowa" was the United States' first true seagoing battleship.

After shakedown off the Atlantic coast, "Iowa" was assigned to the Atlantic Fleet and was ordered to blockade duty, 28 May 1898, off Santiago de Cuba. On 3 July 1898, she was the first to sight the Spanish ships approaching and fired the first shot in the Battle of Santiago. In a 20-minute battle with Spanish armored cruisers "Infanta Maria Teresa" and "Almirante Oquendo", her effective fire set both ships aflame and drove them on the beach. "Iowa", continuing the battle in company with converted yacht "Gloucester", sank the Spanish destroyer "Pluton" and so damaged destroyer "Furor" that she ran upon the rocks. "Iowa" then turned her attention to the Spanish armored cruiser "Vizcaya" which she pursued until "Vizcaya" ran aground. Upon the conclusion of the battle, "Iowa" received on board Spanish Admiral Pascual Cervera and the officers and crews of the "Vizcaya", "Furor", and "Pluton".

After the Battle of Santiago de Cuba, "Iowa" left Cuban waters for New York City, arriving 20 August 1898. On 12 October 1898, she departed for duty in the Pacific, sailed around Cape Horn, and arrived at San Francisco, California, on 7 February 1899. The battleship then steamed to Bremerton, Washington, where she entered drydock on 11 June 1899. After refit, "Iowa" served in the Pacific Squadron for 2½ years, conducting training cruises, drills, and target practice. "Iowa" left the Pacific early in February 1902 to become flagship of the South Atlantic Squadron. She sailed for New York 12 February 1903, where she decommissioned 30 June 1903.

"Iowa" recommissioned 23 December 1903 and joined the North Atlantic Squadron. She participated in the John Paul Jones Commemoration ceremonies, 30 June 1905. "Iowa" remained in the North Atlantic until she was placed in reserve 6 July 1907. She decommissioned at Philadelphia 23 July 1908.

"Iowa" recommissioned 2 May 1910, and served as an at-sea training ship and as a component of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. During the next four years she made a number of training cruises to Northern Europe and participated in the Naval Review at Philadelphia, 10 October to 15 October 1912. She decommissioned at Philadelphia Navy Yard on 27 May 1914. At the outbreak of World War I, "Iowa" was placed in limited commission 28 April 1917. After serving as Receiving Ship at Philadelphia for six months, she was sent to Hampton Roads and remained there for the duration of the war, training men for other ships of the Fleet, and doing guard duty at the entrance to Chesapeake Bay. She decommissioned for the final time on 31 March 1919.

On 30 April 1919, "Iowa" was renamed "Coast Battleship No. 4" to free her name for a new "South Dakota" class battleship, and was the first radio-controlled target ship to be used in a fleet exercise. She was sunk 23 March 1923, in Panama Bay by a salvo of 14 inch shells. "Iowa" was decommissioned before the development of the modern hull classification symbol system in 1921, and never carried the designation "BB-4" in active service but instead was referred to as "Battleship no. 4" through her entire lifespan.

On 25 January 1905, five of her crew (Fireman 1st Class Frederick Behne, Seaman 1st Class Heinrich Behnke, Fireman 1st Class DeMetri Corahorgi ,Watertender Patrick Bresnahan, Boilermaker Edward Floyd, Chief Watertender Johannes J. Johannessen) received the Medal of Honor, following the blowing out of the manhole plate of boiler D of the vessel, for "extraordinary heroism in the resulting action."
[http://www.iowahistory.org/museum/exhibits/medal-of-honor/battleship_iowa/incident_2.htm]

See also

* List of battleships of the United States Navy
* List of ship launches in 1896
* List of ship commissionings in 1897
* List of ship decommissionings in 1919
* List of shipwrecks in 1923

References

Alden, John D. "American Steel Navy: A Photographic History of the U.S. Navy from the Introduction of the Steel Hull in 1883 to the Cruise of the Great White Fleet." Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1989. ISBN 0870212486

Friedman, Norman. "U.S. Battleships: An Illustrated Design History." Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1985. ISBN 0870217151

Reilly, John C. and Robert L. Scheina. "American Battleships 1996-1923: Predreadnought Design and Construction." Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1980. ISBN 0870215248

External links

* [http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/us_navy_pages/uss_iowa_bb4.htm Maritimequest USS Iowa BB-4 Photo Gallery]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/04a.htm NavSource Online: Battleship Photo Archive BB-4 USS IOWA 1893 - 1900]
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-i/bb4.htm NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER USS Iowa (Battleship # 4), 1897 1923.Later renamed Coast Battleship # 4]