- USS Plymouth (1844)
USS "Plymouth" (1844) was a
sloop-of-war constructed and commissioned just prior to theMexican-American War . She was heavily gunned, and traveled to Japan as part of CommodoreMatthew Perry ’s effort to force Japan to open her ports to international trade. She also served inEurope an andCaribbean waters and, later in her career, she was used to trainmidshipmen ."Plymouth" was the first ship of the
United States Navy to be named forPlymouth, Massachusetts , a town onPlymouth Bay , about 35 miles southeast ofBoston, Massachusetts . Plymouth was founded by thePilgrims in1620 .Built in Boston in 1844
Built by the
Boston Navy Yard , she departedBoston, Massachusetts , on3 April 1844 for theMediterranean Sea , CommanderHenry Henry in command.After over a year in European waters, she sailed westward and arrived at
New York City on4 October 1846 .Far East operations
Following service on the east coast, "Plymouth" departed
New York City ,13 February 1848 , for theFar East , returning toNorfolk, Virginia , from theEast Indies on29 January 1851 . On23 August 1851 she stood out fromHampton Roads, Virginia , bound once again for the Orient.After duty on the
East Indies Station , she joined Commodore Matthew Perry's expedition to Japan, enteringTokyo Bay on8 July 1853 and departing on17 July . She returned in February of the following year and before heading home put intoShanghai where she sent a party ashore to support a coordinated British-American expedition against hostile forts in the area.Training Navy midshipmen
Returning to
Norfolk, Virginia ,11 January 1855 , "Plymouth" began an extended tour in theAtlantic Ocean . Assigned as midshipmen training ship during the summers of1855 and1856 , she tested new ordnance under the command of CommanderJohn A. Dahlgren in1858 and resumed duties as atraining ship for midshipmen during the summers of1859 and1860 .Scuttled during the American Civil War
"Plymouth" was at Norfolk, Virginia, for repairs during the secession crises in the winter of
1860 –1861 . AfterVirginia seceded from the Union, she was burned and scuttled there,20 April 1861 , to prevent her capture by the forces of theConfederate States of America when theNorfolk Navy Yard fell into their hands.References
See also
*
Empire of Japan
*American Civil War
*Mexican-American War
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