USS Despatch (1873)
USS Despatch
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History | |
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United States | |
Name | USS Despatch |
Namesake | Despatch: As a verb, to send off or away, to dispose of speedily, to execute quickly. As a noun, a message sent with speed. |
Acquired | November 1873 |
Commissioned | 23 November 1873 |
Decommissioned | 9 July 1879 |
Recommissioned | 8 June 1880 |
Decommissioned | 23 September 1880 |
Recommissioned | 19 October 1880 |
Fate | Wrecked 10 October 1891 |
Notes | Previously the commercial steamer America |
General characteristics | |
Type | Steamer |
Displacement | 560 long tons (570 t) |
Length | 198 ft (60 m) |
Beam | 27 ft (8.2 m) |
Draft | 12 ft 4 in (3.76 m) |
Propulsion | Steam engine |
Speed | 12 kn (14 mph; 22 km/h) |
Complement | 81 |
Armament | 3 × 20 pdr (9.1 kg) guns |
The third USS Despatch was a United States Navy steamer in commission from 1873 to 1891.
Acquisition and commissioning
Despatch was the commercial steamer America when the U.S. Navy purchased her in November 1873 at New York City. She was commissioned on 23 November 1873, Lieutenant Commander Frederick Rodgers in command.
The Virginius Affair, 1873
Purchased for dispatch duty because of her speed, Despatch was assigned to the
Despatch remained with the fleet, serving as a
Operations from Washington, D.C., 1874–77
From 1874 to 1877, Despatch carried out special duty assignments from her base at Washington, D.C., and at various times operated with the North Atlantic Squadron along the
.Operations in the Ottoman Empire, 1877–79
Despatch departed on 20 April 1877 for the eastern Mediterranean and a special assignment with the
Cadet training, presidential yacht duty, and special assignments, 1880–91
After extensive repairs, Despatch was recommissioned on 8 June 1880 for use as a training ship and cruised along the U.S. East Coast with cadet engineers from the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, on board.
Despatch was again out of commission at Washington, D.C., from 23 September to 19 October 1880, then operated principally in the
Loss
After carrying Secretary of the Navy Benjamin F. Tracy on a cruise along the New England coast to review the fleet in August 1891, Despatch put into New York City, from which she sailed for Washington, D.C., on 9 October 1891. Early on the morning of 10 October, in a gale, she was wrecked on Assateague Island off the Virginia coast. With the aid of men from the Assateague Lifesaving Station of the United States Life-Saving Service, all of Despatch's crew got ashore safely.
The wreck of Despatch was sold for salvage on 12 November 1891.
References
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.