USS Housatonic (SP-1697): Difference between revisions
Thewellman (talk | contribs) →Wartime service: add dates of minelaying |
m per tfd of cto and ports |
||
| Line 2: | Line 2: | ||
{|{{Infobox ship begin}} |
{|{{Infobox ship begin}} |
||
{{Infobox ship image |
{{Infobox ship image |
||
|Ship image=[[File:USS Housatonic (SP-1697) in The Boston Harbor.jpg|300px|The USS ''Housatonic (SP-1697)'']] |
| Ship image = [[File:USS Housatonic (SP-1697) in The Boston Harbor.jpg|300px|The USS ''Housatonic (SP-1697)'']] |
||
|Ship caption= |
| Ship caption = |
||
}} |
}} |
||
{{Infobox Ship Career |
{{Infobox Ship Career |
||
|Hide header= |
| Hide header = |
||
|Ship country= |
| Ship country = |
||
|Ship flag= {{USN flag|1864}} |
| Ship flag = {{USN flag|1864}} |
||
|Ship name=USS Housatonic (Sp-1697) |
| Ship name = USS Housatonic (Sp-1697) |
||
|Ship namesake=The [[Housatonic River]] |
| Ship namesake = The [[Housatonic River]] |
||
|Ship ordered= |
| Ship ordered = |
||
|Ship awarded= |
| Ship awarded = |
||
|Ship builder=built in 1899 by [[Newport News Shipbuilding]] in [[Norfolk, Virginia]]. |
| Ship builder = built in 1899 by [[Newport News Shipbuilding]] in [[Norfolk, Virginia]]. |
||
|Ship original cost= |
| Ship original cost = |
||
|Ship yard number= |
| Ship yard number = |
||
|Ship way number= |
| Ship way number = |
||
|Ship laid down= |
| Ship laid down = |
||
|Ship launched= |
| Ship launched = |
||
|Ship sponsor= |
| Ship sponsor = |
||
|Ship christened= |
| Ship christened = |
||
|Ship completed=1899 |
| Ship completed = 1899 |
||
|Ship acquired= |
| Ship acquired = |
||
|Ship commissioned=25 January 1918 |
| Ship commissioned = 25 January 1918 |
||
|Ship decommissioned=5 August 1919 |
| Ship decommissioned = 5 August 1919 |
||
|Ship in service= |
| Ship in service = |
||
|Ship out of service= |
| Ship out of service = |
||
|Ship renamed= |
| Ship renamed = |
||
|Ship reclassified= |
| Ship reclassified = |
||
|Ship refit= |
| Ship refit = |
||
|Ship struck= |
| Ship struck = |
||
|Ship reinstated= |
| Ship reinstated = |
||
|Ship homeport= |
| Ship homeport = |
||
|Ship motto= |
| Ship motto = |
||
|Ship nickname= |
| Ship nickname = |
||
|Ship honors= |
| Ship honors = |
||
|Ship fate= |
| Ship fate = |
||
|Ship status= |
| Ship status = |
||
|Ship notes= |
| Ship notes = |
||
|Ship badge= |
| Ship badge = |
||
}} |
}} |
||
{{Infobox ship characteristics |
{{Infobox ship characteristics |
||
|Hide header= |
| Hide header = |
||
|Header caption= |
| Header caption = |
||
|Ship class= |
| Ship class = |
||
|Ship type=[[Minelayer]] (in 1918)<ref name="rrb46">Belknap, Reginald Rowan ''The Yankee mining squadron; or, Laying the North Sea mining barrage'' (1920) United States Naval Institute pp.46-47,74&110</ref> |
| Ship type = [[Minelayer]] (in 1918)<ref name="rrb46">Belknap, Reginald Rowan ''The Yankee mining squadron; or, Laying the North Sea mining barrage'' (1920) United States Naval Institute pp.46-47,74&110</ref> |
||
|Ship tonnage= |
| Ship tonnage = |
||
|Ship displacement=7,000 tons<ref name="rrb46"/> |
| Ship displacement = 7,000 tons<ref name="rrb46"/> |
||
|Ship tons burthen= |
| Ship tons burthen = |
||
|Ship length={{convert|405|ft|m|abbr=on}}<ref name="rrb46"/> |
| Ship length = {{convert|405|ft|m|abbr=on}}<ref name="rrb46"/> |
||
|Ship beam={{convert|48|ft|m|abbr=on}}<ref name="rrb46"/> |
| Ship beam = {{convert|48|ft|m|abbr=on}}<ref name="rrb46"/> |
||
|Ship height= |
| Ship height = |
||
|Ship draught= |
| Ship draught = |
||
|Ship draft={{convert|20|ft|m|abbr=on}}<ref name="rrb46"/> |
| Ship draft = {{convert|20|ft|m|abbr=on}}<ref name="rrb46"/> |
||
|Ship depth= |
| Ship depth = |
||
|Ship hold depth= |
| Ship hold depth = |
||
|Ship decks= |
| Ship decks = |
||
|Ship deck clearance= |
| Ship deck clearance = |
||
|Ship ramps= |
| Ship ramps = |
||
|Ship ice class= |
| Ship ice class = |
||
|Ship power= |
| Ship power = |
||
|Ship propulsion= |
| Ship propulsion = |
||
|Ship sail plan= |
| Ship sail plan = |
||
|Ship speed=15 [[Knot (unit)|knots]]<ref name="rrb46"/> |
| Ship speed = 15 [[Knot (unit)|knots]]<ref name="rrb46"/> |
||
|Ship range= |
| Ship range = |
||
|Ship endurance= |
| Ship endurance = |
||
|Ship test depth= |
| Ship test depth = |
||
|Ship boats= |
| Ship boats = |
||
|Ship capacity=830 mines (900 max)<ref name="rrb46"/> |
| Ship capacity = 830 mines (900 max)<ref name="rrb46"/> |
||
|Ship troops= |
| Ship troops = |
||
|Ship complement= |
| Ship complement = |
||
|Ship crew=21 officers and 400 men<ref name="rrb46"/> |
| Ship crew = 21 officers and 400 men<ref name="rrb46"/> |
||
|Ship time to activate= |
| Ship time to activate = |
||
|Ship sensors= |
| Ship sensors = |
||
|Ship EW= |
| Ship EW = |
||
|Ship armament=1 x [[5"/51 caliber gun]]<br />2 x [[3"/23 caliber gun]]s<ref name="rrb46"/> |
| Ship armament = 1 x [[5"/51 caliber gun]]<br />2 x [[3"/23 caliber gun]]s<ref name="rrb46"/> |
||
|Ship armour= |
| Ship armour = |
||
|Ship armor= |
| Ship armor = |
||
|Ship aircraft= |
| Ship aircraft = |
||
|Ship aircraft facilities= |
| Ship aircraft facilities = |
||
|Ship notes= |
| Ship notes = |
||
}} |
}} |
||
|} |
|} |
||
| Line 116: | Line 116: | ||
==See also== |
==See also== |
||
{{ |
{{portal|left=yes|United States Navy}}{{clear|left}} |
||
<br><br><br> |
|||
==References== |
==References== |
||
Revision as of 20:35, 11 July 2012
_in_The_Boston_Harbor.jpg)
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name | USS Housatonic (Sp-1697) |
| Namesake | The Housatonic River |
| Builder | built in 1899 by Newport News Shipbuilding in Norfolk, Virginia. |
| Completed | 1899 |
| Commissioned | 25 January 1918 |
| Decommissioned | 5 August 1919 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Minelayer (in 1918)[1] |
| Displacement | 7,000 tons[1] |
| Length | 405 ft (123 m)[1] |
| Beam | 48 ft (15 m)[1] |
| Draft | 20 ft (6.1 m)[1] |
| Speed | 15 knots[1] |
| Capacity | 830 mines (900 max)[1] |
| Crew | 21 officers and 400 men[1] |
| Armament | list error: <br /> list (help) 1 x 5"/51 caliber gun 2 x 3"/23 caliber guns[1] |
The second USS Housatonic was the Southern Pacific freighter El Rio temporarily converted for planting the World War I North Sea Mine Barrage. Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company launched El Rio at Newport News, Virginia in 1899 for service between New York City and Gulf of Mexico seaports of New Orleans and Galveston, Texas. The United States Shipping Board took control of the ship from Southern Pacific Steamship Company in 1917.
Conversion
She was fitted out for United States Navy service at Tietjen & Lang's shipyard at Hoboken, New Jersey. Work began on 25 November 1917. Gun platforms were added for two anti-aircraft guns forward and a 5"/51 caliber gun aft. The minelaying conversion enabled her to carry mines on three decks, and included six Otis elevators individually capable of transferring two mines every 20 seconds from the storage decks to the launching deck. Stern ports were cut for launching the mines and the rudder quadrant was raised to give adequate clearance. Watertight subdivision was improved by strengthening existing bulkheads and building two new bulkheads to divide the largest compartments so the ship might stay afloat if only one compartment were flooded. Quarters were enlarged to accommodate messing and berthing arrangements for a crew of about 400. The main machinery was overhauled and auxiliary machinery was added for the elevators, for heating the berthing spaces, for refrigerated food storage, for additional fresh water distilling capacity, for magazine sprinklers and galley and washroom plumbing, and enlarged electric generators for lighting and radio communications. Existing coal bunkers on the third deck were replaced with a bunker in the hold forward of the boiler room with chutes to load coal over the mines. Larger boats and heavier anchors required larger davits and anchor windlass, and the mines required specialized handling machinery.[2]
Wartime service
USS Housatonic was commissioned on 25 January 1918 with Captain John Greenslade, USN, in command. While operating as part of Mine Squadron 1 out of Inverness, Scotland, from 7 June until the close of the war on 11 November 1918, Housatonic:[1]
- planted 769 mines during the 1st minelaying excursion on 7 June,
- planted 800 mines during the 2nd minelaying excursion on 30 June,
- planted 840 mines during the 3rd minelaying excursion on 14 July,
- planted 830 mines during the 4th minelaying excursion on 29 July,
- planted 320 mines during the 5th minelaying excursion on 8 August,
- planted 810 mines during the 7th minelaying excursion on 26 August,
- planted 820 mines during the 8th minelaying excursion on 7 September,
- planted 830 mines during the 9th minelaying excursion on 20 September,
- planted 860 mines during the 10th minelaying excursion on 27 September,
- planted 840 mines during the 11th minelaying excursion on 4 October,
- planted 820 mines during the 12th minelaying excursion on 13 October, and
- planted 800 mines during the final 13th minelaying excursion on 24 October.
Housatonic then made three trips returning soldiers of the American Expeditionary Forces to the United States before decommissioning on 5 August 1919 for return to Southern Pacific Steamship Company.
Commanding Officers
- John Greenslade was awarded the Navy Distinguished Service Medal while aboard Housatonic.[3]
Big Four
In the words of British Rear Admiral Lewis Clinton-Baker, the North Sea mine barrage was the "biggest mine planting stunt in the world's history." The United States converted eight civilian steamships as minelayers for the 100,000 mines manufactured for the barrage. The largest of these were four freighters owned by Southern Pacific Steamship Company. Southern Pacific Transportation Company had evolved from the First Transcontinental Railroad to become the dominant transportation provider in California. Owners of the original Central Pacific Railroad were known as the Big Four. Sailors similarly referred to these former Southern Pacific ships as the Big Four.[1]
- El Siglo became No. 1694 USS Canandaigua
- El Dia became No. 1695 USS Roanoke
- El Cid became No. 1696 USS Canonicus
- El Rio became No. 1697 USS Housatonic
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Belknap, Reginald Rowan The Yankee mining squadron; or, Laying the North Sea mining barrage (1920) United States Naval Institute pp.46-47,74&110
- ^ Daniels, Josephus The Northern Barrage and Other Mining Activities (1920) Government Printing Office pp.70-71
- ^ "Navy Distinguished Service Medal to Captain Greenslade". MilitaryTimes.