USS Florida (BM-9)

The fourth USS "Florida" (BM-9) was an "Arkansas"-class monitor in the United States Navy.

"Florida" was launched November 30, 1901 by Lewis Nixon, and Arthur Leopold Busch, a marine engineer who worked at the Crescent Shipyard, Elizabethport, New Jersey; sponsored by Miss S. Wood; and commissioned June 18, 1903, with Commander J. C. Fremont in command.

Serving with the Coast Squadron, "Florida" trained midshipmen on summer cruises, and operated along the east coast and in the Caribbean waters. She participated in the Presidential Naval Review in Oyster Bay, Long Island, held by Theodore Roosevelt on September 3, 1906, and 4 days later reported to the Naval Academy for regular service as a practice ship. She was placed in reserve September 11, 1906 but returned to full commission between June 7 and August 30, 1907 for a midshipman cruise, and between May 21 and June 19, 1908 for participation in ordnance experiments.

On July 1, 1908 "Florida" was renamed "Tallahassee" to free the State name for assignment to a battleship. On August 1, 1910 she was placed in commission in reserve and began a regular schedule of ordnance experimentation and occasional duty in the Panama Canal Zone and Norfolk area as a submarine tender. During World War I she served as submarine tender in the Canal Zone, the Virgin Islands, and Bermuda areas and on September 30, 1919 entered Charleston Navy Yard where she was decommissioned on December 3, 1918. "Tallahassee" was assigned to the 6th Naval District as a reserve training ship from February 19, 1920, serving in commissioned status from September 3, 1920 to March 24, 1922.

"Tallahassee" was redesignated as IX-16 on July 20, 1921 and decommissioned for the final time on March 24, 1922. She was sold on July 25, 1922 to Ammunition Products Corporation, of Washington, DC.

See also

* See USS "Tallahassee" for other ships of this name.

References

*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/f3/florida-iv.htm

[http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/crescent.htm] This article ie about the heritage of Lewis Nixon's Crescent Shipyard, Elizabeth, New Jersey.