- USS Washington (ACR-11)
The seventh USS "Washington" (ACR-11), also referred to as "Armored Cruiser No. 11", and later renamed "Seattle" and renumbered CA-11 and IX-39, was a
United States Navy "Tennessee"-classarmored cruiser . She was laid down on23 September 1903 atCamden, New Jersey , by theNew York Shipbuilding Corporation , launched on18 March 1905 , sponsored by MissHelen Stewart Wilson (daughter of United States SenatorJohn L. Wilson ofWashington state), and commissioned at thePhiladelphia Navy Yard on7 August 1906 , Capt.James D. Adams in command.Service history
Pre-war
"Washington" was fitted out there until
1 November when she got underway forHampton Roads , whence she departed a week later as an escort for USS|Louisiana|BB-19|6 (Battleship No. 19) which was then carrying PresidentTheodore Roosevelt toPanama for an inspection of progress of work constructing thePanama Canal . During that voyage, the armored cruiser touched at Hampton Roads andPiney Point, Virginia ;Colon, Panama ;Chiriqui lagoon; andMona Passage before she returned toNewport News on26 November . She headed back toward theDelaware capes on8 December , arrived at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on the 11th, and remained there undergoing repairs into the spring of 1907."Washington" departed
League Island on11 April and arrived at Hampton Roads the next day. She remained there into May participating in festivities of theJamestown Exposition which commemorated the founding ofJamestown, Virginia in 1607. She returned northward soon thereafter, spending most of May undergoing docking and tests at theNew York Navy Yard . She then shook down offTompkinsville, New York (Staten Island), from28 May to5 June before she returned to Hampton Roads for further observances at the Jamestown Exposition."Washington" departed Hampton Roads on
11 June and proceeded viaBradford, Rhode Island , to Newport where she joined USS|Tennessee|ACR-10|6 (Armored Cruiser No. 10) before heading across the Atlantic on the 14th, bound for European waters. The sister ships visited the French ports ofRoyan ,Île-d'Aix ,La Pallice , and Brest between23 June and25 July , before returning to Tompkinsville in August to run speed trials.Following those trials and a period of yard work at the New York Navy Yard, "Washington" set sail for the Pacific Station, again in company with "Tennessee". The two armored cruisers subsequently called at Hampton Roads;
Port of Spain , Trinidad;Rio de Janeiro ,Brazil ;Montevideo ,Uruguay ; Punta Arenas,Chile ;Callao ,Peru ;Acapulco ,Mexico ; andPichilinque Bay , Mexico; before they joined the Pacific Fleet in time to fire target practices with them atMagdalena Bay , Mexico, from late December 1907 into January 1908. "Washington" subsequently operated both in company with the Fleet and on independent tactical exercises out of Magdalena Bay into March, operating also off Santa Barbara, San Francisco, and San Diego, as well as San Pedro, California. Other ports visited by the armored cruiser into the summer of 1908 included Redondo Beach, Venice, Monterey, and Angel Island inCalifornia ; and Port Townsend, Port Angeles, Seattle, Tacoma, and Bremerton in Washington. She was among the units of the Fleet reviewed by theSecretary of the Navy at San Francisco between6 May and17 May ."Washington" operated off the west coast into 1909 before she made preparations to sail in company with the
Armored Cruiser Squadron to "show the flag" in theFar East . She accordingly got underway from San Francisco on5 September 1909 and called, in succession, atHonolulu ,Hawaii ; from10 September to20 September ; andNares Harbor ,Admiralty Islands - where she coaled ship between17 October and25 October - before she arrived atManila ,Philippine Islands , on30 October .After visiting Woosung (near
Shanghai ),China , from14 December to30 December 1909 , "Washington" and her sisters called atYokohama ,Japan , from3 January to20 January 1910 , and Honolulu from31 January to8 February , before returning to the west coast. "Washington" made port back at San Francisco viaPort Discovery, Washington and Bremerton on3 March . She then returned to Bremerton where she commenced a period of repairs on21 March ."Washington" next operated off the west coast into the autumn of 1910, holding target practices off
Santa Cruz, California , before returning to San Francisco. She coaled ship atTiburon, California , on7 August and8 August before shifting to San Francisco to prepare for her next deployment. On14 August , she departed San Francisco, bound forSouth America on the first leg of her voyage to the east coast to join theU.S. Atlantic Fleet . With the ships of the 1st Division of the Pacific Fleet, "Washington" visitedValparaíso ,Chile , and took part in the observances of theChilean Centennial Celebration from10 September to23 September . She then resumed her voyage around South America, touching atTalcahauano and Punta Arenas, Chile; Rio de Janeiro;Carlisle Bay ,Barbados ; and St. Thomas,Danish West Indies ; before she arrived atCulebra ,Puerto Rico , on2 November to prepare for target practice with the Fleet."Washington's" next area of operations was the Tidewater area of Virginia - especially Hampton Roads and
Lynnhaven Bay - before the armored cruiser underwent repairs at theNorfolk Navy Yard from20 December 1910 to2 January 1911 . The armored cruiser subsequently underwent another period of repairs at thePortsmouth Navy Yard before heading south with stores and material for delivery to the 5th Division of the Fleet inCuba n waters. She arrived atGuantánamo Bay on20 March and remained there into the summer, conducting trials and exercises with the 5th Division. She then returned northward and stopped at Hampton Roads from21 June to24 June before pushing on to New York, where she arrived on the 25th.The armored cruiser operated off the northeastern seaboard through the summer, holding exercises and maneuvers in areas ranging from
Cape Cod Bay to Hampton Roads. During that time, she cruised briefly with theNaval Militia from19 July to21 July 1911 ; acted as a reference ship for torpedo practice offSandwich Island ,Massachusetts , on2 August ; witnessed the USS|Delaware|BB-28|6 (Battleship No. 28) as that man-of-war fired at the target hulk "San Marcos" (former USS|Texas|1892|6) on27 August and28 August , and then conducted battle practice with the Fleet off the southern drill grounds. In early November, "Washington" was among the ships of the Fleet reviewed by PresidentWilliam Howard Taft .The cruiser then participated in a search problem out of Newport, R.I., from
9 November to18 November before she sailed for the West Indies in company with USS|North Carolina|ACR-12|6 (Armored Cruiser No. 12), arriving atSanto Domingo ,Dominican Republic , on26 November . "Washington" subsequently returned home to Hampton Roads in company with her sistership and went into drydock at the Norfolk Navy Yard three days before Christmas of 1911.After returning to the Fleet and participating in maneuvers in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, in late January and early February 1912, "Washington" steamed back to the Norfolk Navy Yard where, between
13 February and19 February , she underwent special preparations to embark theSecretary of State and his party. The armored cruiser then shifted toKey West where she embarked the Secretary on23 February . In the ensuing weeks, "Washington" carried the honorablePhilander C. Knox and his guests to such ports as Colon, Panama;Port Limon ,Costa Rica ;Puerto Barrios ,Guatemala ;La Guaira ,Venezuela ; Santo Domingo; St. Thomas;Puerto Cabello , Venezuela; San Juan;Port-au-Prince ; Guantánamo Bay; Kingston,Jamaica ; andHavana , before disembarking her distinguished guests atPiney Point, Maryland , on16 April .The high point of the spring of 1912 for "Washington" was her service as temporary
flagship for the Commander in Chief, Atlantic Fleet, while she was at the Philadelphia Navy Yard between19 April and3 May . The warship subsequently paused at New York from9 May to12 May and at the Portsmouth Navy Yard for an inspection by theBoard of Inspection and Survey for ships before she conducted maneuvers out ofProvincetown and Newport and then received Rear AdmiralHugo Osterhaus - the Commander in Chief, Atlantic Fleet - on board on26 May . After shifting to Hampton Roads, "Washington" embarked a detachment of additional marines on27 May , took on stores; and set out that day for Key West. There, she awaited further orders between30 May and10 June , while President Taft concentrated a strong naval force there to prepare for possible action which might be required by internal problems in Cuba.Caribbean
In the late spring and early summer, a rebellion on that Caribbean island occasioned a show of force by the United States. "Washington" accordingly departed Key West on
10 June and arrived at Havana later that day. She remained there on "duty in connection with the Cuban rebellion" until1 July when she shifted to Guantánamo. The rebellion on the island was put down by the Cuban Government, resulting in the withdrawal of the American naval and marine representation there. Accordingly, "Washington" sailed to Hampton Roads, where she discharged her marines and equipment and went into "first reserve" at the Portsmouth Navy Yard on9 July .She remained inactive until
8 October when she sailed for New York to participate in theNaval Review held there between10 October and15 October and then resumed her reserve status at Portsmouth on17 October . Shifted subsequently from Portsmouth to the New York Navy Yard - viaPresident Roads , Mass., and Tompkinsville, Staten Island - "Washington" was assigned duty asreceiving ship at the navy yard on20 July .The armored cruiser was placed in commission again on
23 April 1914 , Capt.Edward W. Eberle in command. Later that spring, the armored cruiser took on board drafts of men from Norfolk andPort Royal, South Carolina , on30 April and2 May ; touched at Key West, and proceeded to Santo Domingo.Once again there was unrest in the Dominican Republic. A revolution in the northern province of Santiago, against the rule of Provisional President
Jose Bordes Valdes , had been quelled; but one in the province of Puerto Plata - near the capital of Santo Domingo itself - continued unchecked and was marked by severe fighting, fighting so severe that "marked apprehension" existed in "Washington".On
1 May , USS|Petrel|PG-2|6 (Gunboat No. 2) had been ordered to Dominican waters, but a further show of force seemed to be in order. Accordingly, "Washington" was chosen to "show the flag" in those troubled waters. She departed Key West on4 May and arrived at the beleaguered city of Puerto Plata on6 May to protect American interests, joining the "Petrel". Six days later, Capt. Eberle invited representatives of both warring parties - the insurgents and the government - out to his ship, in an attempt to persuade both sides to come to an amicable settlement.Unfortunately, the attempt failed, and the fighting continued. The insurgents were aided by a recent large consignment of guns and ammunition smuggled across the
Haiti an border that had given them new blood. The revolutionaries soon recaptured the key city ofLe Vega and were successfully holding Puerto Plata. Government forces, laying siege to that port and shelling the insurgents, clearly endangered the lives of the neutral citizens still living in the city. Capt. Eberle objected to the bombardment and warned President Valdes repeatedly."Washington" departed Puerto Plata on
6 June with the conflict between the insurgents and the government of President Valdes still unresolved. Her place had been taken by USS|Machias|PG-5|6 (Gunboat No. 5). "Washington" coaled ship and took on stores at Guantánamo Bay from7 June to10 June before she sailed for Veracruz, Mexico. She then remained in Mexican waters between14 June and24 June before she shifted to Cape Haitien, Haiti, to protect American interests there during an outbreak of violence that summer."Washington" remained at
Cape Haitien into July. In the meantime, the situation in the Dominican Republic had worsened when government shellings of rebel positions in Puerto Plata resulted in an inevitable "incident." On26 June , a stray shell killed an English woman in Puerto Plata causing the gunboat "Machias" to shift to a berth in the inner harbor and shell one of President Valdes' batteries, silencing it with a few well placed shots. During early July, "Machias" again fired her guns in anger when stray shots hit the ship.In view of those developments, "Washington" returned to Puerto Plata on
9 July and remained there into the autumn, keeping a vigil to protect American lives and property and standing by to land her landing force if the situation required it. That August, Capt. Eberle's attempts to bring about a conference finally bore fruit. The United States government sent a commission - consisting ofJ. F. Fort , the former governor ofNew Jersey ,James M. Sullivan , the American Minister to Santo Domingo; andCharles Smith , a New Hampshire lawyer - to mediate a peace in the Dominican Republic.Both sides ultimately accepted the American suggestions which provided for the establishment of a constitutional government and the institution of elections under United States "observation."
"Washington" left Santo Domingo on
20 November ; but, later that month, continued high feelings over the closely contested election resulted in further unrest - unrest met by the dispatch of additional Marines to Santo Domingo. For "Washington", however, her part in the Dominican intervention of 1914 was over. She sailed for home and arrived at Philadelphia on24 November and became flagship of theCruiser Squadron .Following an overhaul at the Portsmouth Navy Yard from
12 December 1914 to11 January 1915 , "Washington" sailed—via President Roads, Mass. (where she took on ammunition on11 January )—for Hampton Roads, arriving there on14 January . After a five-day visit, during which she took on stores and provisions and an expeditionary force of marines, "Washington" sailed for the Caribbean once more.Two revolutions had rocked Haiti in 1914; a third, in January 1915, led by General
Vilbrun Guillaume Sam , had resulted only in further unrest for that troubled nation. "Washington" arrived at Cape Haitien on23 January , a week after General Sam's troops had invested it. The armored cruiser, flying the flag of Rear AdmiralWilliam B. Caperton and commanded by Capt.Edward L. Beach, Sr. — the father of the future naval officer who would win fame as a famous submariner and author — stayed in port there until the 26th investigating "political conditions" before she shifted to the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, on27 January . There, she again observed local political conditions in the wake of General Sam's takeover of the government before sailing, via Guantánamo, for Mexican waters."Washington" conducted sub-caliber practices, observed political conditions, and conducted torpedo practices off the ports of
Tampico ,Tuxpan ,Progreso , and Veracruz into the summer. Receiving provisions and stores from the supply ship USS|Celtic|AF-2|6 off Progreso on26 June and27 June , the armored cruiser sailed for Guantánamo where she coaled and took on water on30 June . She sailed the same day for Cape Haitien, as all reports from the American minister there indicated that yet another crisis was brewing.While "Washington" awaited further developments at Cape Haitien, events in Port-au-Prince deteriorated, moving
American Charge d'Affaire Davis to send a telegram on27 July to the Secretary of State,Robert Lansing , reporting the troubled conditions. He reported that President Sam and some of his men had been surrounded in the presidential palace and that the presence of American war vessels was desirable.In accordance with that message, the Navy dispatched "Washington" to that port. Meanwhile, Sam took refuge in the French legation where he hoped that diplomatic immunity would prevail. The mobs of angry Haitians, however, were not concerned with such international niceties: they invaded the legation at 1030 on
28 July 1915 , forcibly removed former President Sam, killed and dismembered him, and paraded portions of his body on poles around the city."Washington" arrived at Port-au-Prince that day. Upon reviewing the situation, Admiral Caperton acted quickly. He ordered marines and a landing force ashore from his flagship to protect not only American interests but those of other foreign nations as well. "Washington" remained at Port-au-Prince into the winter. During that time, the United States effectively ran Haiti. On
12 August ,Philippe Sudra Dartinguenave was elected president; and his government was recognized by the United States on17 September 1915 .Ending that lengthy in-port period, "Washington" departed Port-au-Prince on
31 January 1916 and arrived at Guantánamo the following day. There, she transferred passengers and stores to other ships of the Fleet and later transferred a company of marines to Norfolk soon after her arrival in Hampton Roads on5 February . The armored cruiser steamed north, via New York and Boston; reachedPortsmouth, New Hampshire , on29 February ; and began an overhaul in the navy yard there which lasted until the end of March. Then, on31 March , she was placed in reserve.On
9 November 1916 , "Washington" was renamed "Seattle" (retaining her classification as Armored Cruiser No. 11). She was simultaneously taken out of reserve and recommissioned for duty as flagship of the Destroyer Force.World War I
"Seattle's" peacetime duties as flagship for the Destroyer Force were short. On
6 April 1917 , the United States, after attempting patiently but futilely to remain neutral, despite repeated incidents on the high seas, finally enteredWorld War I ."Seattle" arrived at New York on
3 June 1917 to be fitted out at the New York Navy Yard for war service. She sailed on14 June as an escort for the first Americanconvoy to European waters and as flagship forRear Admiral Albert Gleaves . At 2215 on22 June , she encountered her first enemysubmarine s at coord|48|00|N|25|50|W|.Shortly before the convoy was attacked, "Seattle's" helm jammed; and she sheered out of formation sharply, sounding her whistle to warn the other vessels. A few minutes later, the ship was brought back on course. Soon lookouts noted a white streak in the water 50 yards ahead of the vessel, crossing from starboard to port at right angles to "Seattle's" course. Admiral Gleaves, asleep in the
charthouse at the time, awoke and was on the bridge in time to see the armored cruiser's gun crews manning their weapons and the transport "De Kalb" opening fire on the U-boat.Subsequently, the destroyer USS|Wilkes|DD-67|6 (Destroyer No. 67) attacked an enemy submersible but failed to sink the German submarine. Later information indicated that the enemy, probably aware of the approach of the first American expeditionary forces, had dispatched a pair of submarines to lie in wait for it. The attack, conducted under "ideal" conditions, was, fortunately for the Americans, unsuccessful. Admiral Gleaves, in his report to the Commander in Chief, Atlantic Fleet, on
12 July 1917 , reported unequivocally: "their [the enemy's] failure to score hits was probably due to the attack being precipitated by the fortuitous circumstances of the "Seattle's" helm jamming and the sounding of her whistle, leading the enemy to suppose he had been discovered.""Seattle" operated on comparatively uneventful escort duties for the remainder of World War I, completing her ninth round-trip voyage at New York on
27 October 1918 .Post-war
After the armistice of
11 November 1918 , "Seattle" - like many other ships - was fitted with extra accommodations to enable her to function as a transport, and she brought backdoughboy s from France until5 July 1919 . Later, after all of her special troop fittings had been removed, "Seattle" sailed for the west coast to join the Pacific Fleet.Reviewed by President
Woodrow Wilson on12 September at her namesake city - Seattle - the armored cruiser shifted to thePuget Sound Navy Yard where she was placed in "reduced commission." While in that inactive status, "Seattle" was reclassified aheavy cruiser , CA-11, on17 July 1920 .Placed in full commission again on
1 March 1923 Capt. GeorgeL. P. Stone in command, "Seattle" became the flagship for the Commander in Chief,United States Fleet . In that role, over the next four years, she wore the four-starred flags of a succession of officers: AdmiralHilary P. Jones , AdmiralRobert Coontz , AdmiralSamuel S. Robison (who was embarked in the ship at the time of theAustralia n cruise of 1925), and AdmiralCharles F. Hughes . During that time, the armored cruiser operated from Seattle to Hawaii and from Panama to Australia.Subsequently returning to the Atlantic in June 1927, "Seattle" passed in review before President
Calvin Coolidge on3 June 1927 . After a cruise along the east coast, the ship arrived at New York on29 August to assume duties as the receiving ship at that port. On1 July 1931 , the ship's designation was changed to "unclassified."As
receiving ship , "Seattle" served as a floating barracks - a "clearance house for personnel" - at New York into the 1940s. Ships and stations transferred men to her for attending various schools in the3rd Naval District ; she provided men for tugs and other district craft, as well as naval escorts for patriotic functions (parades and funerals, etc.) and, on board her, crews for ships preparing to go into commission were assembled. Among those ships was thelight cruiser USS|Honolulu|CL-48.Decommissioning and fate
On
17 February 1941 , the erstwhile armored cruiser was reclassified as IX-39. She was ultimately placed out of commission at New York on28 June 1946 and was struck from theNavy List on19 July of the same year. Sold on3 December 1946 toHugo Neu , of New York City, the former flagship of the United States Fleet and receiving ship at New York was subsequently scrapped.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. Cruisers: An Illustrated Design History." Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1984. ISBN 0870217186
* Musicant, Ivan. "U.S. Armored Cruisers: A Design and Operational History." Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1985. ISBN 0870217143External links
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/04/acr11/acr11.htm Photos of "Washington" (ACR-11)]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.