- USS Buffalo (1892)
The second USS "Buffalo" (later AD-8) was an auxiliary
cruiser of theUnited States Navy , and later adestroyer tender ."Buffalo" was built in
1892 by Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, inNewport News, Virginia , as "El Cid ". Six months later she was sold toBrazil and renamed "Nicheroy". Purchased by the Navy from the Brazilian Government on11 July 1898 , she was renamed "Buffalo", commissioned in ordinary a week later, fitted out as anauxiliary cruiser atNew York Navy Yard ; and placed in full commission on22 September 1898 , withCommander J. W. Hamphill in command.Her first cruise, from
7 December 1898 to7 May 1899 , was fromNew York City toManila and return, sailing east. Upon her return she was placed out of commission on3 July 1899 . On2 April 1900 , she was recommissioned and served as a training vessel. As a training vessel, "Buffalo" traveled widely. She made four voyages to thePhilippines with replacement crews for theAsiatic Fleet (24 April -20 October 1900 ,24 December 1900 -13 May 1901 ,5 June -13 October 1902 , and17 December 1903 -14 July 1904 ). All except the last, which terminated atMare Island , began and ended at east coast ports. On her last voyage, "Buffalo" conveyed the1st Torpedo Flotilla to Manila. Between12 September and23 November 1904 she cruised in thePacific , returning to Mare Island.Out of commission at Mare Island from April
1905 to17 November 1906 , she then served as atransport until1915 in the Pacific. During 17-20 December 1909 , she carried Marines toNicaragua and remained there in support until16 March 1910 . In 1911-12, she served briefly with theAsiatic Fleet in Chinese waters; and then from14 November through4 December 1914 operated offMexico . She spent27 January through29 November 1915 out of commission at Mare Island, and then rejoined the Pacific Fleet.In 1916, she again served in Mexican waters, and between May and August 1917, "Buffalo" transported the
Special Diplomatic Mission of the United States toRussia . Upon her return she was ordered intoPhiladelphia Navy Yard for conversion to a destroyer tender and reclassified AD-8. Conversion was completed in June1918 , and after loadingtorpedo equipment atNewport, Rhode Island , she departed for Brest,France , viaBermuda . She then proceeded toGibraltar , where she operated as station and repair ship todestroyer s andsubchaser s. From February until September1919 she had similar duty with theAzores Detachment atPonta Delgada and then returned to New York.On
31 December 1919 , "Buffalo" arrived atSan Diego, California to commence her duties as repair ship and tender to Destroyer Squadrons 11 and 5, Pacific Fleet. In November 1921, she was ordered to the Asiatic Station as tender to Destroyer Squadron, Asiatic Fleet, and arrived at Manila in December. During the summer of 1922 she cruised with the fleet in Chinese waters and in September arrived atYokohama ,Japan . She returned to the west coast8 October and was decommissioned15 November 1922 at San Diego. She was used as abarracks ship until stricken from theNavy List 27 May 1927 . She was sold four months later.ee also
See USS "Buffalo" for other Navy ships of the same name.
References
External links
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/b10/buffalo-i.htm history.navy.mil: USS "Buffalo"]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/0308.htm navsource.org: USS "Buffalo"]
* [http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/cruisers/buffalo.txt hazegray.org: USS "Buffalo"]
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