- USS Baltimore (C-3)
The fourth USS "Baltimore" (C-3) (later CM-1) was a
United States Navy cruiser , the secondprotected cruiser to be built by an American yard. Like the previous one, the USS "Charleston", the design was commissioned from the British company of W. Armstrong, Mitchell, and Company of Newcastle.She was launched on 6 October 1888 by
William Cramp and Sons Ship and Engine Building Company, inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania , sponsored by Mrs. Theodore D. Wilson, wife of Chief ConstructorTheodore D. Wilson ; and commissioned on 7 January 1890, with CaptainW. S. Schley in command."Baltimore" became the
flagship of theNorth Atlantic Squadron on 24 May 1890, and from 15 through 23 August conveyed the remains of the late CaptainJohn Ericsson fromNew York City toStockholm ,Sweden . After cruising inEurope an andMediterranean waters, she arrived atValparaíso ,Chile , on 7 April 1891 to join theSouth Pacific Station . She protected American citizens during theChile an revolution, landing men at Valparaíso on 28 August. (The events around this became known as theBaltimore Crisis .) Arriving at theMare Island Navy Yard on 5 January 1892, she cruised on the west coast of theUnited States until 7 October and then returned to the Atlantic. She took part in the naval rendezvous and review inHampton Roads during March and April 1893. Proceeding via theSuez Canal , she cruised as flagship of theAsiatic Station , 22 December 1893 through 3 December 1895, protecting American interests. Returning to Mare Island on 21 January 1896, she went out of commission on 17 February 1896.Recommissioned on 12 October 1897, "Baltimore" sailed on 20 October for the
Hawaiian Islands and remained there from 7 November 1897 through 25 March 1898. She then joined CommodoreGeorge Dewey 's squadron atHong Kong , on 22 April 1898. The squadron sailed fromMirs Bay ,China , on 27 April for thePhilippines , and on the morning of 1 May enteredManila Bay and destroyed the Spanish fleet stationed there. "Baltimore" was second in line behind USS "Olympia". (For more information, see the Wikipedia articleBattle of Manila Bay (1898) .) "Baltimore" remained on theAsiatic Station convoy ingtransport s and protecting American interests until 23 May 1900, when she sailed for the United States, via theSuez Canal , arriving at New York on 8 September 1900.Between 27 September 1900 and 6 May 1903 "Baltimore" was out of commission at
New York Navy Yard . From 5 August to 23 December 1903 she served with theCaribbean Squadron ,North Atlantic Fleet , taking part in summer maneuvers off the coast ofMaine , in the Presidential Review at Oyster Bay, New York (15-17 August), and inSanto Domingo waters. Between 28 May and 26 August 1904 she was attached to theEuropean Squadron and cruised in theMediterranean . On 26 September she sailed fromGenoa ,Italy , for the Asiatic Station and spent the next two years cruising in Asiatic, Philippine, andAustralia n waters."Baltimore" returned to New York on 24 April 1907 and went out of commission at
New York Navy Yard on 15 May 1907. On 20 January 1911 she was placed in commission in reserve and served as areceiving ship atCharleston Navy Yard (30 January 1911 through 20 September 1912). From 1913 through 1914 she was converted to aminelayer at theCharleston Navy Yard and recommissioned on 8 March 1915. Between 1915 and 1918 she carried out mining experiments and operations inChesapeake Bay and along the Atlantic coast.At American entry into
World War I , "Baltimore" was training personnel. Early in March 1918 she was detailed to assist in laying a deep mine field off the north coast ofIreland in the North Channel. She arrived at the Clyde on 8 March, and between 13 April and 2 May laid approximately 900 mines in the North Channel. On 2 June she joinedMine Squadron 1 atInverness ,Scotland , and for four months participated in laying theNorthern Mine Barrage between the Orkneys andIceland .On 28 September 1918 "Baltimore" sailed from
Scapa Flow ,Orkney Islands , for the United States. She carried out mining experiments in the vicinity of theVirgin Islands until the end of the year.In September 1919 she joined the Pacific Fleet receiving the designation CM-1 and remained on the west coast until January 1921. She then proceeded to
Pearl Harbor , where she was subsequently placed out of commission on 15 September 1922. She then served as a receiving ship at Pearl Harbor, and was present during theAttack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. She was sold 16 February 1942 and scrapped.References
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