USS Vandalia (1876)

The second USS "Vandalia" was a screw sloop in the United States Navy.

"Vandalia" was laid down at the Massachusetts Boston Navy Yard in 1872 and was commissioned there on January 10, 1876.

"Vandalia" was soon deployed with the European Squadron and spent most of the next three years cruising in the Mediterranean along the coasts of Africa, the Middle East, and Turkey. The ship put into Villefranche, France, in October 1877, and left on December 13 with the former President, General Ulysses S. Grant, as a passenger. During the next three months, the screw sloop of war touched at ports in Italy, Egypt, Turkey, and Greece before President Grant disembarked at Naples on 18 March 1878. After making several more Mediterranean cruises, "Vandalia" received orders to return to the United States later that year. She put into Boston on January 13, 1879 and departed on April 7, bound for Norfolk, Virginia, and duty with the North Atlantic Squadron.

"Vandalia" remained with the North Atlantic Squadron for five years. During this time, she performed patrol, reconnaissance, and convoy escort duty off the eastern seaboard of the United States. The vessel was also active off the Grand Banks, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean. "Vandalia" was detached from the squadron in 1884 and put out of commission at the Portsmouth Navy Yard on 14 October for a thorough overhaul.

Repairs continued for over a year before "Vandalia" was ready for recommissioning on 15 February 1886. The sloop left New York on 14 August, heading westward for duty with the Pacific Squadron as the flagship of Rear Admiral Louis A. Kimberly. "Vandalia" remained with the squadron into 1889, seeing duty in the Hawaiian Islands and Samoa, as well as along the Pacific coasts of North, Central, and South America. The sloop put into the Mare Island Navy Yard, San Francisco, for repairs on 11 October 1888.

While "Vandalia" lay at Mare Island, relations between American and German officials at Apia, Samoa, became increasingly strained. Late in the winter of 1889, at the behest of the American consul in Samoa. "Vandalia", "Trenton", and "Nipsic" sailed for Samoa and reached Apia Harbor early in March to balance the presence of the German vessels SMS "Adler", "Olga", and "Eber". The British were ably represented by HMS "Calliope". On 15 and 16 March 1889, each of these vessels suddenly became trapped in the harbor when violent, hurricane-force winds roared out of the northeast, driving mountainous waves before them in the 1889 Apia cyclone. "Adler", "Olga", and "Eber" were all either sunk or hopelessly grounded and torn apart on the sharp reef, and together lost a total of 150 officers and crew killed. The powerful engines of "Calliope" barely enabled the vessel to get to sea in a dramatic performance that drew cheers from the crews of the American vessels. However, despite heroic efforts by the officers and crews of "Vandalia" and "Trenton", the two vessels tore their bottoms out upon the reef on 16 March. "Vandalia" struck at about noon and sank until her docks were completely awash, forcing her crew to scramble into the rigging. "Trenton" grounded alongside "Vandalia" at 2200 that evening, but enough of her main deck remained above water to allow "Vandalia's" crew to climb on board. After the hurricane began, "Nipsic" was driven ashore on a sandy beach and was later salvaged.

American casualties totalled 49 killed, 43 from "Vandalia" alone. The survivors from "Vandalia", "Trenton", and "Nipsic" soon sailed for Mare Island on board a chartered steamer, but "Vandalia" and "Trenton" themselves were so battered that they were soon dismantled and their scrap donated to the Samoans.

External links

* [http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-v/vandla2.htm USS Vandalia (1876-1889)]