Under the terms of the recent London Naval Treaty, three of the first superdreadnoughts of the United States Navy have been retired from active service. These battleships, the Florida, Utah, and Wyoming, were first seen together in the Atlantic Fleet in 1912, and the service of each extended over a period of more than eighteen years in the first battle line.
The terms of the London treaty require that the Florida be rendered unfit for warlike service within twelve months from the coming into force of the treaty, and be scrapped within tweny-four months. The provisions of both the Washington and London treaties allow one vessel only to be devoted to target use exclusively, by each of the signatory naval powers, and for this use the Utah has been designated. The Wyoming, under the same provisions, will be retained in service under certain restrictions, and with a reduced complement will act as flagship of the newly organized training squadron. The training ship retained, under the restrictions of the treaty, must be so altered as to be unfit for service as an effective unit of the fleet.
The last service of the Utah and Florida ended with the completion of the midshipmen’s training cruise of 1930, and after disembarking the midshipmen, they proceeded to a point off the Virginia Capes, where the Wyoming joined them. The three ships fired a farewell target practice, their last salvos sounding their own death knells as units of the battle line, and at the same time saluting each other in farewell.
These ships started their services in the United States Navy just after the present dreadnought-type battleship had been accepted as the standard by the various naval powers, although each ship showed great improvements over the original dreadnoughts laid down by the different naval designers. Prior to 1906, practically all large battleships in the world’s navies, had in their main armaments at least two different sizes of guns. In the above year, however, there appeared a ship that was destined to be the model, in principle at least, for practically all future battleships.
The British battleship Dreadnought joined the Grand Fleet in 1906, and her appearance caused no little speculation among the naval designers of the various countries. She was the first modern all-big-gun ship, and so her name naturally became a type name for all succeeding ships of similar gun disposition, in all navies.
Superdreadnoughts, so called, were soon displacing the earlier dreadnoughts, and naval experts were striving to produce ships of all large guns, with a maximum available broadside and with high speed qualities.
Following the appearance of the H.M.S. Dreadnought, France laid down the Danton, of 18,400 tons displacement; Japan completed the Aki, with a battery of four 12- inch and twelve 10-inch guns; Germany launched the Nassau, of 18,500 tons carrying twelve 11-inch 50-caliber guns, twelve 6-inch, and sixteen 6.4-inch guns. The United States answered with the Delaware, completed in 1910, and carrying ten 12-inch guns as her main armament. By the end of 1911, Great Britain had ten vessels of this type, Germany seven, France six, the United States six, and Japan four.
The first country to mount the main battery guns on the center line was the United States. The advantage of this disposition was of course to obtain a full broadside on either beam, but it had the disadvantage of somewhat limiting the fore- and-aft fire. Other navies followed the United States in this gun placing, although many retained two or more waist turrets, to increase the ability to fire at sharp angles on the bow or stern.
The advent of the word "dreadnought” as a type name for battleships of this period brought forth a rather peculiar discussion as to which country first produced such a ship. Naturally this honor was credited to England, due to her designing of this new type in the H.M.S. Dreadnought. Disputing this claim, however, we find the late Mr. William Boerum Wetmore, of Allenhurst, New Jersey, claiming this honor for the United States, in a letter addressed to the Scientific American in November, 1911. Mr. Wetmore claimed that the United States was the first to build such a ship, that conformed to the accepted definition of the word “dreadnought,” which was in brief—“a ship of all large guns for its main armament.” The altering of the frigate Roanoke, in 1863, into a dreadnought carrying six large guns, was the basis of his claim.
Mr. Percival A. Hislam answered this claim for Great Britain, stating that his country had, during the years 1862-63, in a similar manner altered the old frigate Royal Sovereign into a dreadnought carrying five guns. This apparently had settled the matter, as this ship antedated the Roanoke, and perhaps this claim would have been final but for further research by Mr. Wetmore.
However, in a letter to Lord Brassey, one of the leading naval authorities, Mr. Wetmore asked for all of the particulars concerning the conversion of the Royal Sovereign. In his reply, Lord Brassey stated that the exact date of her conversion was hard to determine, as it required a long time, but that it had occurred between 1862-64. The Royal Sovereign, after conversion, conducted speed trials during which she attained a speed of 11 knots. Later she conducted a series of experimental firings and was also used as a tender for PI.M.S. Excellent, although she was never used as a fully commissioned seagoing vessel. No sails were carried on the three pole masts of the Royal Sovereign after her conversion. She was armored all over, her sides being of solid timbers three feet in thickness, strengthened internally by diagonal iron bands, and clothed externally with 5.5-inch rolled armor plates.
Mr. Wetmore then produced the Onondaga as final proof that the first dreadnought rightfully belonged to the United States. Congress, in 1861, authorized the building of the Onondaga which was one year prior to the starting of the Royal Sovereign’s conversion. The ship was built at the yard of T. F. Rowland of the Continental Iron Works at Greenpoint, Long Island, and Mr. George W. Quintard, proprietor of the Morgan Iron Works, was the contractor for her hull and machinery. The Onondaga saw active service during the Civil War on the James River. She was of high freeboard, 228 feet long, 50 feet beam, 1,250 tons, armored her entire length, had four propeller engines, and carried four large guns mounted in turrets. Mr. Quintard through an act of Congress dated March 2, 1867, purchased the Onondaga from the government for $759,673 which was the cost of building the vessel. He later resold the ship to the French government, where she served for four years, under a new name, in the French Navy.
The superdreadnought succeeded the modern dreadnought. All-big-gun batteries were followed by an increased number of guns and the Wyoming was the first to carry twelve 12-inch 50-caliber guns.
“Offensive power,” so much sought after since the first warship was designed, was greatly augmented by the appearance of the larger caliber, armor-piercing projectile which was first used in the United States Navy by the U.S.S. Oregon in 1908. To defend the ships against this super-projectile, however, required all navies to clothe their ships with modern casehardened armor. This added considerably to the tonnage, with a consequent reduction in speed. It remained for the naval architects to decide upon the proper balance to be struck between armor and armament, and speed.
The problem facing the naval architect in the design of a new type of ship may, in a homely way, be compared to the thrifty housewife who has a certain sum of money to spend. The displacement of the ship corresponds to the housewife’s sum of money, and the designer can spend this displacement in many ways—fuel capacity, armament, armored protection, or speed.
Having a given tonnage displacement, the naval architect can only spend this amount, and it rests with him where it shall be allotted. The variations in a single type of ship show how radically these designers differ, just as the different homes in the same community vary in the disposal of their budgets. As the various commodities become cheaper, the housewife finds that her money can obtain much more. In like manner, the naval architect finds that improvements in guns, in motive power, and in armor, enable him to obtain more offensive and defensive qualities for each ton of displacements expended.
The design of vessels of this period was affected to quite a degree by the results of the Russo-Japanese War. Most naval authorities agreed after the fleet engagements in this war, that the fastest fleet had won in each instance, with the result that most ships built immediately following this war sacrificed some offensive and defensive power to the apparent all-important quality of speed. The increases in the speed of vessels of this time were helped greatly by the advent of the steam turbine and the water-tube boiler with superheaters.
The Florida and Utah, sister-ships, carried ten 12-inch, 45-caliber guns in their main batteries, and sixteen 5-inch, 51-caliber guns as secondary. Their designed speed was 20.75 knots and the tonnage was 21,825, normal displacement. Both o£ these ships used the steam turbine, and employed four propellers. The Wyoming carried twelve 12-inch, 50-caliber guns in her main battery, and twenty-one 5-inch, 51-caliber guns as secondary. Her tonnage was 26,000 and the designed speed was 20.5 knots, using turbines connected to four propellers.
In the question of speed, the United States was the first country to set a limit on the dreadnought’s speed, and was apparently satisfied with a speed of about 20 knots. On her trials the Florida, however, attained a speed of over 22 knots, which labeled her as the fastest battleship in the United States Navy, and during her service of almost nineteen years, she maintained this honor. After her modernization in 1926, she was credited with a speed of 22.3 knots.
Upon being commissioned in 1911, the Florida served with the Atlantic Fleet until 1914, when she was ordered to Vera Cruz, Mexico, during our intervention in that country, and remained in Mexican and Cuban waters until 1914-15.
Rejoining the Atlantic Fleet in 1916, she was attached to Battleship Division Seven, Squadron Four, serving in that status after the entry of the United States into the World War and until November 13, 1917. During this first period of the war, she operated in the Chesapeake Bay area.
On November 13, 1917, Rear Admiral Hugh Rodman assumed command of Battleship Division Nine, composed of the following ships:
New York, Flagship, Captain C. F. Hughes.
Delaware, Captain A. H. Scales.
Florida, Captain Thomas Washington.
Wyoming, Captain Henry A. Wiley.
These ships were immediately fitted out for distant service, crews augmented, stores received on board, bunkers filled, a final coat of paint applied, and on the afternoon of November 25, 1917, the division left Lynn- haven Roads, Virginia, for European waters. The voyage across the Atlantic was without special incident, except for the normal war-time routine of extra watches and lookouts, and the natural tenseness of entering the submarine infested war zone.
Arriving at Scapa Flow, Scotland, on December 7, 1917, they were given a rousing welcome by the ships of the British Grand Fleet based at that point. After a week of preparation, which included studies of British codes, war plans, and tactics, and plain fraternizing, the American division was assigned as the Sixth Battle Squadron, British Grand Fleet, and was given the position of Fast Wing.
Operating with the Grand Fleet with bases at Scapa Flow and the Firth of Forth, Scotland, until the end of the war, the American division encountered five submarine attacks; put to sea twice with the Grand Fleet with the expectation of meeting the German High Seas Fleet; and on one occasion while in company with the Grand Fleet, contact was made with the German Battle Cruiser Squadron, although no action resulted. During two of the submarine attacks, the Florida was forced to leave the division formation, maneuvering to avoid torpedoes which barely missed her.
The surrender of the German High Seas Fleet occurred off May Island, which guards the entrance of the Firth of Forth. The Grand Fleet, including the U. S. Battle Force, got under way during the night of Wednesday-Thursday, November 20-21, 1918, and proceeded to a point about forty miles east of May Island. The German Fleet was met, and led by a British light cruiser, escorted on a westerly course in single column between the two columns of the Grand Fleet. The ships of the American division were assigned to middle position in the north line between two British squadrons. The American division was at this time composed of the New York, Florida, Wyoming, Texas (joined squadron February 11, 1918), and Arkansas (relieved Delaware July 30, 1918).
The Ninth Division sailed for the United States on December 14, 1918, after escorting President Wilson in the transport George Washington from the south of the coast of England into Brest, France, and arrived in New York on December 26, 1918.
With the Florida stricken from the Navy list, we find that this will mark the first time since 1861 that the United States Navy has not either had a Florida in her list of ships, or the design of a ship with that name reserved for her.
A side-wheel steamer of 1,261 tons first carried the name of Florida, She was purchased from S. L. Mitchel and Company, of New York, on August 12, 1861, and had the following characteristics: 214 feet long, 35 feet 3 inches beam, 22 feet 4 inches draft, and had a maximum speed of 12.5 knots. Immediately following her purchase, she was fitted out as a warship carrying the following guns: four 57-cwt., 32-pounders; four 42-cwt., 32-pounders; and one Parrott rifle, 20-pounder.
This first Florida was modernized in 1863, and her armament then included four Dahlgren smooth bore 9-inch guns; one Parrott rifle, 100-pounder; one Dahlgren rifle, 50- pounder; and one rifle, 12-pounder. Her modernization at that time was just as important, if not more so, than the modernization of the last Florida in 1926, at a cost of more than $3,000,000.
Upon her commissioning, Commander J. R. Goldsborough, United States Navy, became her first commanding officer, joining the ship on October 5, 1861. On October 16, 1861, the Florida put to sea, and proceeding to Port Royal, South Caralina, joined the other vessels in the blockade of the Confederate states coast line. The Florida’s service in the Civil War carried her from the Florida Keys to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and extracts from her log show that she took part in the following engagements: September 25, 1862, captured the steamer Agnes; July 11, 1863, captured the steamer Calypso; June 21, 1863, captured the schooner Hattie; February 3,1864, assisted in destroying the steamer Wild Dagrell; February 5, 1864, assisted in destroying the steamer Westfield; February 10, 1864, forced the side-wheel steamer Fannie and Jennie and the screw steamer Emily ashore, after which boats were sent inshore to capture them, but the Confederate shore batteries opened fire with artillery, doing heavy damage to both grounded steamers and slight damage to the Florida; March 6, 1864, rescued crew of 109 from the steamer Peterhoff which was destroyed by enemy fire; April 24, 1865, forced the Confederate steamer W. H. Webb ashore and destroyed her.
The first Florida was sold in 1868, and the steam frigate Wampanoag, built at the navy yard, New York, at a cost of $1,575,643 succeeded her, when her name was changed to Florida on May 15, 1869. The second Florida was 355 feet long, 45.5- foot beam, and drew 19 feet of water.
The keel of the third Florida was laid at Elizabethport, New Jersey, on January 23, 1899, and when commissioned was classed as a “coastwise defense monitor.” Her main battery consisted of two 12-inch breech loading rifles in a single turret, and her secondary battery of four 4-inch rapid fire guns, three 6-pounder rapid fire guns, five 1-pounders and two Colt guns. Her name was changed to the Tallahassee on June 20, 1908, to release the name Florida to the battleship recently retired from service. The Tallahassee later served as a submarine tender in the Atlantic Fleet.
The Wyoming, stricken from the list of active ships in accordance with the London treaty, was the first twelve-gun dreadnought of the United States Navy, carrying twelve 12-inch, 50-caliber guns in her main armament, and twenty-one 51-caliber, 5-inch guns as a secondary battery. Her length was 562 feet, beam 93 feet 2.5 inches, displacement 26,000 tons, draft 28 feet 6 inches, and her speed 21.3 knots. Her engineering plant has as motive power, twelve B. and W. boilers equipped with superheaters, and four Parson turbines working on four propellers.
The first Wyoming was a steam sloop of about 997 tons, built at the navy yard, Philadelphia, in 1858, at a cost of $323,527. Using screw propulsion, she had a maximum speed of 10.5 knots and a cruising speed of 7 knots. Her armament consisted of two 11-inch pivot guns, four 32-pounders, and one 12-pounder. She carried a crew of 21 officers and 193 men.
Little did the yard workmen think of the future glory that was to be the Wyoming’s while they were forming her wooden hull, nor could the most imaginative of them picture the voyages-to-be of this diminutive sloop. Their work, however, was as carefully performed as if they were aware of the many assignments that were to be hers, for she sailed the seven seas until 1882, stood the brunt of unheard-of odds in action, and finally in the autumn of her career served as an inspiration to the naval cadets at Annapolis, where she was used as a training ship.
Her first cruise took her to Panama in 1859, under the command of Commander John K. Mitchel. In 1862, after visiting Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru, she arrived in the East Indies with Commander David McDougal as her commanding officer. In this service, the Wyoming was to search for and seize, if possible, any Confederate privateers in the waters of the Orient.
During this period, events rapidly transpired in Japan so that a foreigner’s life was very insecure. The interpreter of the United States legation, a Mr. Heusken, was murdered in the streets of Yedo, in 1860. The Japanese government punished the native attendants of Mr. Heusken, and the guard on duty in the vicinity of the murder. The sum of $10,000 was also given to the mother of Mr. Heusken.
On July 5, 1861, fourteen Japanese, belonging to the party known as Daimios, who were violently opposed to foreigners and were acting contrary to the wishes of the Japanese government, attacked the British Legation, wounding two of the members. Mr. Townsend Harris, Minister Resident from the United States, was largely responsible in the securing of prompt apology and redress on this occasion.
Further hostilities of the Daimios having culminated in separate attacks on vessels bearing the flags of the United States, Holland, and France, the United States Minister to Japan requested that the Wyoming (then in the vicinity of Hongkong) come to Yokohama.
The American steamer Pembroke was attacked by armed Japanese government vessels on June 25, 1863, while going from Yokohama to Shanghai via the Inland Sea and Nagasaki. She ran out of range of the firing and escaped through the Bungo Channel. The captain of the Pembroke stated that he had received no notice not to make the voyage that way. The American house of Russell and Company, in China, presented claims through the United States Minister to Japan, Robert H. Pruyn. The governor of the Japanese province was sent for by Mr. Pruyn, the claims presented, and our minister stated that the insult offered to our flag was a much more serious matter than the damage to the ship; that he proposed a visit to Nagasaki in the Wyoming and, on his return, would expect to receive a communication from the Japanese government in relation to the serious offense.
A further statement of Mr. Pruyn reads that “at the close of the interview with the governor, I had a conference with Commander McDougal, as to the proper course to pursue, and was gratified to find that he had decided to proceed instantly to the straits, for the purpose of seizing and, if needful, destroying the two vessels that had attacked the Pembroke.” Again in the same letter he adds, “It appeared to me that if the outrage was not promptly punished, great encouragment would be given to the hostile Daimios, and our inaction attributed to either fear or weakness; and then an alliance be formed by them, which would eventuate in hostilities with all Japan.”
On July 16, 1863, the Wyoming proceeded to the Straits of Shimonoseki, and upon approaching the town, she was fired upon by the forts. This fire was returned by the Wyoming, and after engaging and disabling the armed brig Kosei (which had attacked the steamer Pembroke) under a heavy fire from the forts, she went aground. Her position seemed hopeless but, by means of her sturdy engines and propeller, Commander McDougal finally worked her loose. At this moment the Japanese steamer Koskin slipped her cables and headed for the Wyoming, evidently intending to ram and board her, but the American sloop headed straight for the Koskin, firing as she went, and the second shot from the Wyoming’s bow gun struck the Japanese ship just above the water line, crushed her boiler, came out through the other side, and finally exploded in the town. The wound received by the Koskin caused her to sink in a few moments.
The Wyoming, during this engagement, was under the fire of three ships, and at one time or another, of eight shore batteries. Before withdrawing, however, she had sunk two of the ships, injured the third, disabled one of the shore batteries, and silenced several of the others! Opposed to the six guns carried by herself, were not less than ninety-two and some of these were of heavy caliber. The Wyoming was struck many times, having been hulled ten times, her smokestack struck six times, and four of her crew killed and seven wounded.
There is not a similar single achievement anywhere in the annals of our Navy. Commander McDougal, according to one of the crew of the Wyoming, had run a train of powder to the magazine, well knowing the consequences of capture by the almost barbaric Daimios in case the little sloop failed in her gigantic undertaking. It is to the credit of the Wyoming’s courageous captain and crew, and to the painstaking shipbuilders, that this powder train was never used.
American, French, and Dutch vessels made an attack on the Shimonoseki forts in 1864; troops were landed and gained possession of the batteries. Hostilities soon ceased, and an agreement was made with Prince Nagata that the ships of all countries passing through the straits should be treated in a friendly manner.
The Wyoming returned to the United States, overhauled at Baltimore, and rejoined the Asiatic Squadron in 1866. After a second tour of duty on this station she returned to Boston, Massachusetts, later leaving for a cruise to Panama. In 1873, she was sent to Santiago de Cuba in connection with the Virginius affair.
In 1878, the Wyoming was assigned to the European station, taking over articles for the Paris Exposition, and she remained in European waters until 1881. During her tour of duty on this station, she visited all of the principal Mediterranean, Atlantic, and North Sea ports. After returning to the United States she became the station ship at Annapolis in 1882, and was finally sold in 1892.
The second ship to carry the name of Wyoming was a monitor of 3,225 tons carrying sixteen guns. She was built at the Union Iron Works, San Francisco, California, and was launched in 1900. The second Wyoming was, upon commissioning, assigned to the Pacific Squadron. Her name was changed in 1908 to the Cheyenne.
The Utah, designated as the ship to be retained as a “target ship” under the terms of the London treaty, was in Cuban waters operating with the Atlantic Fleet when the United States entered the World War. Returning to the Chesapeake Bay area, she remained with the fleet until August 30, 1918, when she sailed for European waters, with Admiral H. T. Mayo, Commander in Chief of the Atlantic Fleet, and members of his staff on board, who were en route to Europe for important conferences and inspections.
Eleven days were required for the trip across, during which huge seas and heavy gales were encountered. Whaleboats were carried away, motor and steam launches crushed in their skids, waves swept the decks, and water found its way into the engine-rooms, but through it all the engines were kept turning over for 15 knots, and upon entering the submarine zone, the speed was increased to 20 knots.
The Utah finally dropped anchor in the fortified harbor of Bantry Bay, Ireland, on September 11, 1918. Her mission was to guard against the possible escape of German light cruisers from the North Sea, and in case of their escape to protect the troop and material transport lanes from their raids. Her position in Bantry Bay afforded a short cruise to the most used transport lanes, and to the European terminals of our convoys.
The Utah steamed a total of 17,900 sea miles during the time that the United States was a contestant in the World War. Her total cruising since being commissioned amounts to approximately 350,000 miles, and although she was overhauled and modernized in 1926, her mileage would, to some of the “automobile-minded,” warrant “turning her in.” The “Big ‘U’ ” has, during her commission, won at one time or another every competitive trophy in the fleet, including the engineering trophy for 1929-30, her last year of competition.
When built, the Utah was the utmost in battleship construction, her main battery consisting of ten 12-inch guns, mounted in five center-line turrets. Her engineering plant was the first to boast a successful large turbine installation combination with water-tube, coal- and oil-burning boilers, and during her first competitive year she won the engineering trophy.
The Utah at various times was the flagship of the Commander in Chief, Atlantic Fleet; Commander Battleship Force and Division Five; and Commander Naval Forces Europe.
In December, 1928, President-elect Hoover with his party returned to the United States on board the Utah, upon the completion of his South American tour.
After the conclusion of hostilities in the World War, the Florida, Wyoming, and Utah rejoined the Atlantic Fleet, and upon the reorganization of the fleet in 1919, all were assigned to the Scouting Fleet.
All three of these vessels were recently modernized, when the time-honored cage masts were replaced by military and tripod masts, blisters riveted on their sides, oilburning boilers installed, and gun elevations increased. The cost of modernizing these three vessels was over $3,000,000 each.
The passing of these ships from the active list of the Navy will bring back memories to many service and former service men—memories of the newly commissioned ship, the pride of the Navy; of foreign cruises; of war-time service; of trophies won by work and play; of the “new leases on life” for the ships when modernized; of the never-to-be-forgotten shipmates of former years; and to the last crews, the memory of the farewell target practice which brought to a close the careers of America’s first superdreadnoughts.