- USS Raleigh (C-8)
USS "Raleigh" (C-8) was a
United States Navy protected cruiser commissioned in 1894 and in periodic service until 1919.The second ship named "Raleigh", C-8 was laid down on19 December 1889 at theNorfolk Navy Yard ,Portsmouth, Virginia ; launched31 March 1892 ; sponsored by Mrs. Alfred W. Haywood; and commissioned on17 April 1894 , Capt. Merrill Miller in command.Remaining in the yard for another 5 months, "Raleigh" shifted to
Hampton Roads in early September, then conducted shakedown inChesapeake Bay . In January 1895, she completed fitting out at the torpedo station atNewport, Rhode Island , and on the 25th, put to sea to join the North Atlantic Squadron for battle practice in theCaribbean . In June, she put intoNew York , whence she moved south again for a cruise around the Florida peninsula; and in August, she returned to New York for voyage repairs before resuming operations with her squadron. For the next 10 months, she continued operations in the western Atlantic, ranging fromNew England to theStraits of Florida .During the summer of 1896, she trained Naval Militiamen from
South Carolina andLouisiana , then returned to the east coast and North Atlantic Squadron exercises. From late October to early February 1897, she joined in a neutrality patrol off Florida, and in April, after the completion of an overhaul at Norfolk, participated in ceremonies marking the dedication ofGrant's Tomb .On
6 May , "Raleigh" steamed east and, on11 June , reported for duty on the European Station atSmyrna (now Izmir) on theAegean Sea . In July, she participated in a good-will tour ofMoroccan ports. In August, she cruised offItaly , then returned to the westernMediterranean . Into December, she operated off theLevant and, toward the end of the month transited theSuez Canal en route to the Asiatic Station. On18 February 1898 , she reachedHong Kong where she joined Dewey's squadron.On
26 April , the U.S. Congress declared war against Spain. On the 27th the squadron got underway forManila .At the end of the month, "Raleigh" passed
El Fraile Island and was fired on by an enemy battery. With USS|Concord|PG-3|6 and USS|Boston|1884|2, she returned the fire, then moved toward Cavite to engage the Spanish fleet.Steaming in column, the American squadron ran by the Spanish, firing at close range. Two hours later, five cross runs had been completed, and the Spanish fleet had been destroyed. Shore batteries became the targets. Just before noon on
1 May , "Raleigh" joined USS|Olympia|C-6|2, "Boston", and USS|Petrel|PG-2|2 in silencing the navy yard and arsenal batteries. On2 May , she sent officers ashore to demand the surrender ofCorregidor and, on the 3rd, sent men to disable the batteries there and destroy the munitions. In the late afternoon, shore parties were sent to Palo Caballo for the same purpose. "Raleigh" then took up picket and patrol duties, capturing thegunboat "Callao" on the 12th.In July, "Raleigh" shifted from
Manila Bay toSubic Bay . On the 7th, she shelled Spanish positions onGrande Island until they were surrendered; she then sent garrison troops ashore. On the 10th, she returned to Manila, where she remained until after the Spanish surrendered the city in mid-August.On the 25th, "Raleigh" put to sea, bound for Hong Kong with mail. In early September, she returned to the
Philippines where she operated until sailing forSuez ,Gibraltar , and the United States on15 December . On15 April 1899 , she arrived at New York and the next day received honors from other ships and from officials of the city.Ten days after her arrival, "Raleigh" cleared New York Harbor and turned south. On the 26th, she entered the
Delaware River and moved up toPhiladelphia , where on the 28th, PresidentWilliam McKinley andSecretary of the Navy John Davis Long came on board to honor the ship and crew for a job well done.On
2 May , "Raleigh" got underway again, and, after visiting ports in the Carolinas, put intoPortsmouth, New Hampshire , where she was decommissioned on10 June .Recommissioned on
5 January 1903 , "Raleigh" was fitted out at New York and in mid-March sailed forHonduras . There, she delivered stores to ships cruising off that coast, then headed east. Steaming via Gibraltar and Suez, she rejoined the Asiatic Fleet atChefoo ,China , on26 August .For the next 4 years she cruised in
Korea n, Chinese,Japan ese, and Philippine waters in support of diplomatic missions as well as showing the flag and conducting good-will tours. On12 August 1907 , she departedYokosuka forSan Francisco . Arriving on6 September , she proceeded toMare Island to begin inactivation.Decommissioned on
12 October 1907 , "Raleigh" was recommissioned on21 February 1911 . Initially assigned to the Pacific Reserve Squadron, she remained in San Francisco until December. She then moved north toBremerton, Washington , and 2 more years of little activity.On
6 December 1913 , she departedPuget Sound . Steaming south, she joined the active fleet and served as a station ship inMexican ports, primarily Manzanillo,Mazatlán ,La Paz , andGuaymas , for the next 4 years. During the time she interrupted her Mexican assignments twice: for duty atOcos ,Guatemala , from 6 to25 October 1915 ; and at Corinto,Nicaragua , from1 April to26 July 1916 .Undergoing repairs at Mare Island when the United States entered
World War I , "Raleigh" departed San Francisco in early May 1917 and on5 June joined the Patrol Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, at Newport, R.I. Assigned to Cruiser Force, 2d Squadron, she patrolled from Boston to Norfolk until November when she was detached for duty inBrazil ian waters.On
12 December , "Raleigh" arrived atRio de Janeiro and until27 April 1918 , she patrolled between there and Bahia (Salvador). In May, she arrived off West Africa; delivered munitions to theLiberian Government; continued on toDakar ,French West Africa , then, on18 May , headed west. At the end of the month, she resumed Bahia-Rio patrols.At the same time, however, German
U-boats appeared off the east coast of the United States. "Raleigh" was ordered home.Clearing Bahia on
26 June , she joined the American Patrol Detachment atKey West, Florida , on21 July and began guarding convoys in theGulf of Mexico , in the Caribbean, and off the east coast of the Carolinas. She remained on that duty until after the end of the war and, into 1919, continued operations out of Key West. On6 April she entered theCharleston Navy Yard and prepared for inactivation. On21 April 1919 she was decommissioned for the last time and on5 August 1921 , she was sold for scrapping to Henry A. Hitner's Sons Co., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.References
See also
*
List of United States Navy cruisers External links
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/r2/raleigh-ii.htm DANFS Raleigh-II]
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