USS Helena (PG-9)
USS Helena (PG-9) at anchor
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History | |
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United States | |
Name | Helena |
Namesake | Helena, Montana |
Builder | Newport News Shipbuilding Co., Newport News, Virginia |
Laid down | 10 October 1894 |
Launched | 30 January 1896 |
Commissioned | 8 July 1897 |
Decommissioned | 27 May 1932 |
Stricken | 27 May 1932 |
Fate | Sold for scrap, 7 July 1934 |
General characteristics | |
Type | Wilmington-class gunboat |
Displacement | 1,390 long tons (1,410 t) |
Length | 250 ft 9 in (76.43 m) |
Beam | 40 ft 11 in (12.47 m) |
Draft | 9 ft (2.7 m) |
Propulsion |
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Speed | 13 kn (24 km/h; 15 mph) |
Range | 2,200 nmi (4,074 km; 2,532 mi) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph)[1] |
Complement | 175 |
Armament |
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Service record | |
Operations: |
USS Helena (PG-9) was a Wilmington-class gunboat of the United States Navy. She participated in the Spanish–American War, and served in the Far East for many years. The (PG-9) was the first of five Navy vessels named after the capital city of Montana.
The gunboat was launched by the
In the Proceedings of the United States Naval Institute for that year, it was written:
She is designed to meet the requirements of roomy and well-ventilated quarters, so as to provide for refugees, as in the case of missionaries, and to enable her to carry a large landing party. She has berthing capacity for many men besides her crew, and carries ships' boats of an unusual size, her steam cutter and sailing launch being each 33 feet long, or as large as those supplied to the heaviest battleships.
Service history
Spanish–American War
Helena's first assignment was with the North Atlantic Fleet, cruising primarily in home waters. During the Spanish–American War, she stood by in the Cuban waters, where she saw action several times. On 2–3 July 1898, she exchanged fire with enemy batteries at Fort Tunas. On 18 July, she was part of the squadron that closed the port of Manzanillo, sinking or destroying ten vessels there during the Third Battle of Manzanillo.
Philippine-American War
The great problem facing the United States at the close of the Spanish–American War was the
Post-war
Helena remained in the Far East for the rest of her naval service, engaged in protecting American lives and interests. She served in the Chinese waters from October 1900 – December 1902, then returned to the Philippines until March 1903, when she sailed back to the China coast. In December 1904, she moored once more at Cavite in the Philippines, where she was placed out of commission on 19 April 1905.
Helena was recommissioned on 16 July 1906, and cruised on the
Awards
References
- ISBN 1851703780
- ISBN 1851703780
- ISBN 1851703780
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
- Jane's Fighting Ships of World War I. London: Random House Group, Ltd. 2001. ISBN 1-85170-378-0.
External links
- Photo gallery of USS Helena (Gunboat No.9/PG-9) at NavSource Naval History
- http://usshelena.org/