- USS Kearsarge (BB-5)
USS "Kearsarge" (BB-5), the
lead ship of her class ofbattleship s, was the first ship of theUnited States Navy to be named, by act of Congress, in honor of the famousAmerican Civil War sloop-of-war USS|Kearsarge|1861|2. Her keel was laid down by theNewport News Shipbuilding Company ofNewport News, Virginia on 30 June 1896. She was launched on 24 March 1898, sponsored by Mrs. Herbert Winslow, daughter-in-law of CaptainJohn A. Winslow , who had commanded the sloop "Kearsarge" during her famous battle with "Alabama", and commissioned on 20 February 1900 with CaptainWilliam M. Folger in command. Of all the battleships designated BB—the 57 which were christened and actually sailed, the fourth "Colorado"-class, the six "South Dakota"-class battleships, canceled in the 1920's (both canceled by theWashington Naval Treaty ), the two which were never completed USS|Illinois|BB-65|2, USS|Kentucky|BB-66|2) and all five ships of the canceled Sclass|Montana|battleship|0—"Kearsarge" is the only battleship not named for a state."Kearsarge" became
flagship of theNorth Atlantic Station , cruising down theAtlantic seaboard and in theCaribbean Sea . From 3 June 1903 to 26 July 1903 she served briefly as flagship of theEuropean Squadron while on a cruise that took her first toKiel, Germany . She was visited by EmperorWilhelm II of Germany on 26 June 1903 and by thePrince of Wales --who would later become KingGeorge V of the United Kingdom --on 13 July. She returned toBar Harbor, Maine , on 26 July 1903 and resumed duties as flagship of the North Atlantic Fleet. She sailed fromNew York on 1 December 1903 for Guantanamo Bay,Cuba , where on 10 December the United States took formal possession of theGuantanamo Naval Reservation . Following maneuvers in theCaribbean Sea , she led theNorth Atlantic Battleship Squadron toLisbon, Portugal , where she entertained the KingCharles of Portugal on 11 June 1904. She next steamed toPhaleron Bay ,Greece , where she celebrated the Fourth of July with KingGeorge I of Greece and his son and daughter-in-law,Prince Andrew of Greece andPrincess Alice of Battenberg . The squadron paid goodwill calls atCorfu ,Trieste , andFiume before returning toNewport, Rhode Island , on 29 August 1904."Kearsarge" remained flagship of the
North Atlantic Fleet until relieved 31 March by the battleship USS|Maine|BB-10|2, but continued operations with the fleet. During target practice offCape Cruz ,Cuba , on 13 April 1906, an accidental ignition of a powder charge of a convert|13|in|mm|0|sing=on gun killed two officers and eight men. Four men were seriously injured. Attached to the Second Squadron, Fourth Division, she sailed on 16 December 1907 with the "Great White Fleet " of battleships, sent around the world byPresident of the United States Theodore Roosevelt . She sailed fromHampton Roads around the coasts ofSouth America to the Western seaboard, thence toHawaii , Australia,New Zealand , thePhilippines , and Japan. From there, "Kearsarge" proceeded toCeylon , transited theSuez Canal , and visited ports of theMediterranean Sea , before returning to the eastern seaboard of the United States. Roosevelt reviewed the Fleet as it passed into the Hampton Roads on 22 February 1909, after it completed the world cruise of overwhelming success, showing the flag and spreading good will. This dramatic gesture impressed the world with the power of the U.S. Navy."Kearsarge" was decommissioned at the
Philadelphia Navy Yard on 4 September 1909 for modernization. She recommissioned on 23 June 1915 for operations along the Atlantic coast until 17 September when she departed Philadelphia to land a detachment of Marines at Vera Cruz,Mexico . She remained off Vera Cruz from 28 September 1915 to 5 January 1916, then carried the Marines toNew Orleans, Louisiana , before joining theAtlantic Reserve Fleet on 4 February 1916 at Philadelphia. She trainedMassachusetts andMaine StateNaval Militia until America enteredWorld War I , then trained thousands of armed guard crews as well as naval engineers in waters along the East Coast ranging fromBoston, Massachusetts , toPensacola, Florida . On the evening of 18 August 1918, "Kearsarge" rescued twenty six survivors of Norwegianbarque "Nordhav" which had been sunk by the GermanSubmarine U-117. The survivors were landed in Boston.Conversion to "crane ship"
"Kearsarge" continued as an engineering training ship until 29 May 1919 when she embarked
United States Naval Academy midshipmen for training in theWest Indies . The midshipmen were debarked atAnnapolis, Maryland , on 29 August and "Kearsarge" proceeded to the Philadelphia Navy Yard, where she decommissioned on 10 May 1920 for conversion to a crane ship and a new career. She was givenhull classification symbol AB-1 on 5 August 1920.In place of military trappings, "Kearsarge" received an immense revolving crane with a rated lifting capacity of 250 tons, as well as hull "blisters", which gave her more stability. The crane ship rendered invaluable service for the next twenty years. One of many accomplishments was the raising of sunken
submarine USS|Squalus|SS-192|2 off theNew Hampshire coast. On 6 November 1941 she was renamed "Crane Ship No. 1", allowing her illustrious name to be given to anaircraft carrier , USS|Hornet|CV-12|1, and later to USS|Kearsarge|CV-33|1. But she continued her yeoman service and made many contributions to the American victories ofWorld War II . She handled guns, turrets, armor, and other heavy lifts for newbattleship s such as USS|Indiana|BB-58|2 and USS|Alabama|BB-60|2, newcruiser s USS|Savannah|CL-42|2 and USS|Chicago|CA-29|2, and guns on the veteran battleship USS|Pennsylvania|BB-38|2.In 1945, the crane ship was towed to the
San Francisco Naval Shipyard where she assisted in the construction of carriers USS|Hornet|CV-12|2, USS|Boxer|CV-21|2, and re-construction of the USS|Saratoga|CV-3|2. She departed the West Coast in 1948 to finish her career at theBoston Naval Shipyard . As "Crane Ship No. 1", her name was struck from theNaval Vessel Register 22 June 1955. She was sold for scrapping 9 August 1955.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 1896-1923: Predreadnought Design and Construction." Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1980. ISBN 0870215248
*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/k2/kearsarge-ii.htmExternal links
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-k/bb5.htm NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER USS Kearsarge (Battleship # 5), 1900-1955. Later Crane Ship # 1 (AB-1).]
* [http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/us_navy_pages/uss_kearsarge_bb5_craneship_1_ab1.htm Maritimequest USS Kearsarge BB-5 Photo Gallery]
* [http://www.bobhenneman.info/kearsrg.htm]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/05a.htm NavSource Online: Battleship Photo Archive BB-5 USS KEARSARGE 1896 - 1902]
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