USS Olympia (C-6)
USS Olympia (C-6), port bow, 10 February 1902.
| |
History | |
---|---|
United States | |
Name | Olympia |
Namesake | The City of Olympia, Washington |
Ordered | 7 September 1888 |
Builder | Union Iron Works, San Francisco, California |
Laid down | 17 June 1891 |
Launched | 5 November 1892 |
Sponsored by | Miss Ann B. Dickie |
Commissioned | 5 February 1895 |
Decommissioned | 9 November 1899 |
Recommissioned | January 1902 |
Decommissioned | 2 April 1906 |
Recommissioned | 1916 |
Decommissioned | 9 December 1922 |
Reclassified |
|
Refit | 1901, 1902, 1916 |
Stricken | 11 September 1957 |
Identification |
|
Nickname(s) | "Queen of the Pacific", "The Winged O" |
Fate | Restored as Museum Ship |
Status | Museum ship. |
General characteristics (as built) | |
Type | Protected cruiser |
Displacement | |
Length | 344 ft 1 in (104.88 m) |
Beam | 53 ft (16 m)[2][1] |
Draft | 21 ft 6 in (6.55 m) |
Installed power | 17,000 kW)[2] |
Propulsion |
|
Speed | 21.7 knots (40.2 km/h; 25.0 mph)[1] |
Range | 6,000 nmi (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)[1] |
Capacity | 1,169 short tons (1,060 t) coal (maximum)[2] |
Complement | 33 officers and 395 enlisted |
Armament |
|
Armor | |
General characteristics (1917) | |
Armament | 10 × 5 in (127 mm)/51 cal Mark 8 guns (10×1) |
Olympia | |
Location | Penn's Landing Marina, South Columbus Blvd. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
Coordinates | 39°56′37″N 75°8′27″W / 39.94361°N 75.14083°W |
Area | less than one acre |
Built | 1892 |
Built by | Union Iron Works of San Francisco |
NRHP reference No. | 66000692[4] |
Added to NRHP | 15 October 1966 |
USS Olympia (C-6/CA-15/CL-15/IX-40) is a protected cruiser that saw service with the United States Navy from her commissioning in 1895 until 1922. She is currently a museum ship in Philadelphia.
Olympia became famous as the flagship of Commodore George Dewey during the Battle of Manila Bay in the Spanish–American War in 1898. The ship was decommissioned after returning to the U.S. in 1899, but was returned to active service in 1902. She served until World War I as a training ship for naval cadets and as a floating barracks in Charleston, South Carolina. In 1917, she was mobilized again for war service, patrolling the American coast and escorting transport ships.
After World War I, Olympia participated in the 1919
In 1957, the U.S. Navy ceded title to the Cruiser Olympia Association, which restored the ship to her 1898 configuration. Since then, Olympia has been a museum ship in Philadelphia, where it is now part of the Independence Seaport Museum. Olympia was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966.
Olympia is the oldest steel American warship still afloat.[5] Repairs, estimated at $10 to 20 million, were desperately needed to keep Olympia afloat, and in 2010 the Independence Seaport Museum considered finding a new steward for the ship. By 2014, the museum reversed its plan to find a new steward and soon obtained funding from private donors as well as federal and state agencies to begin work on repairing the ship.
The museum invested in extensive stabilization measures including reinforcing the most deteriorated areas of the hull, expanding the alarm system, installing a network of bilge pumping stand pipes (which will provide greater damage control capability in the unlikely event of a hull breach), extensive deck patching and extensive repair and recoating of the ship's rigging. This work was made possible by donations from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the U.S. Cruiser Sailors Association and many individual donors.[6][7] By 2017, the museum completed the first phase of repairs to the ship and has embarked on an ambitious national campaign to raise the $20 million needed to dry-dock Olympia and address waterline deterioration of the hull.[8]
Background
When the first
In 1887, Whitney authorized the construction of two coastal defense battleships, that were to become Texas and Maine.[10] The emphasis was still on large and fast commerce-raiding cruisers, capable of destroying an attacking fleet's supply line. President Grover Cleveland was defeated in the election of 1888, but before he left office, Whitney managed to have Congress authorize two additional cruisers, one of which was the large, 5,300 long tons (5,385 t) protected cruiser that was to become Olympia.[11]
Starting in 1887, the new Secretary of the Navy,
Design and construction
The newly formed Board on the Design of Ships began the design process for Cruiser Number 6 in 1889.[13] For main armament, the board chose 203-millimetre (8.0 in) guns, though the number and arrangement of these weapons, as well as the armor scheme, was heavily debated. On 8 April 1890, the navy solicited bids but found only one bidder, the Union Iron Works in San Francisco, California.[14] The contract specified a cost of $1,796,000, completion by April 1, 1893, and offered a bonus for early completion.[15]
During the contract negotiations, Union Iron Works was granted permission to lengthen the vessel by 10 ft (3.0 m), at no extra cost, to accommodate the propulsion system. The contract was signed on July 10, 1890,
Union Iron Works conducted the first round of trials on November 3, 1893; on a 68
By December 11, the work had been completed and she was dispatched from San Francisco to Santa Barbara for an official speed trial. Once in the harbor, heavy fog delayed the ship for four days. On the 15th, Olympia sailed into the Santa Barbara Channel, the "chosen race-track for California-built cruisers,"[21] and began a four-hour time trial. According to the navy, she had sustained an average speed of 21.67 kn (40.13 km/h),[21] though she reached up to 22.2 kn (41.1 km/h)[20]—both well above the contract requirement of 20 kn (37 km/h).[21]
While returning to San Francisco, Olympia participated in eight experiments that tested various combinations of steering a ship by rudder and propellers.[21] The new cruiser was ultimately commissioned on February 5, 1895.[17] For several months afterwards, she was the largest ship ever built on the western coast of the US, until surpassed by the battleship Oregon.[22]
At the time of commissioning, Scientific American compared Olympia to the similar British Eclipse-class cruisers and the Chilean Blanco Encalada and found that the American ship held a "great superiority" over the British ships. While the Eclipses had 550 short tons (500 t) of coal, compared to Olympia's 400 short tons (360 t), the latter had nearly double the horsepower (making the ship faster), more armor, and a heavier armament on a displacement that was only 200 short tons (180 t) greater than the other.[23]
Characteristics
The ship is 344 ft 1 in (104.88 m)
Olympia's crew numbered between 411 and 447 officers and enlisted.[17][23]
Armament
Olympia is armed with a variety of weapons. The primary armament was four 8 in (203 mm)/35 caliber guns in two twin Mark 6 gun turrets, one forward and one aft of the superstructure.[17] These guns could fire 260 lb (120 kg) projectiles, either armor-piercing or high explosive, at a muzzle velocity of 2,100 ft (640 m) per second. The Mark 6 turret was designed for depression of the guns to −4° and elevation to 13°.[24] By 1916, the turrets and guns were considered woefully obsolete, and were subsequently removed and replaced with open gun platforms, each with a single 4"/40. These guns were then later replaced with 5"/51-caliber guns in 1917.
The secondary battery was ten 5 in (127 mm)/40 caliber guns mounted in casemates, five on each side of the ship. Each is placed to avoid the flash from the main battery.[17][23] These guns fired 50 lb (23 kg) armor-piercing shells at a muzzle velocity of 2,300 ft (700 m) per second.[25] These also were replaced with 5"/51s during the 1917 refit. Fourteen 6-pounder (57 mm (2.24 in)) antitorpedoboat guns are mounted in sponsons. Six one-pounder guns are mounted on deck, along with six 18 in (46 cm) abovewater torpedo tubes.[17] In 1898 Olympia also boasted two Gatling guns and an arsenal of revolvers and rifles.
Armor
Olympia's conning tower is armored with 5 in (13 cm) thick steel plates. The ship has a 2 in (5.1 cm) thick armored deck that slopes on the sides; the slopes increase in thickness to 4.75 in (12.1 cm) amidships and 3 in (7.6 cm) at the ends. A 4 in (10 cm) thick glacis protects the engine rooms. Her main battery turrets are protected by 3.5 in (8.9 cm) of Harvey armor, while the barbettes upon which they rest have 4.5 in-thick (11 cm) nickel-steel armor. The 5-inch guns are protected by 4 in-thick (10 cm) gun shields.[17][23]
Service history
Upon commissioning in February 1895 Olympia departed the Union Iron Works yard in San Francisco and steamed inland to the U.S. Navy's
On August 25, the ship departed the United States for Chinese waters.[29] A week later, the ship arrived in Hawaii, where she remained until October 23 due to an outbreak of cholera. The ship then sailed for Yokohama, Japan, where she arrived on November 9.[30] On November 15, Baltimore arrived in Yokohama from Shanghai, China, to transfer command of the Asiatic Squadron to Olympia. Baltimore departed on December 3; Rear Admiral F.V. McNair arrived fifteen days later to take command of the squadron.[31] The following two years were filled with training exercises with the other members of the Asiatic Squadron, and goodwill visits to various ports in Asia.[32] On January 3, 1898, Commodore George Dewey raised his flag on Olympia and assumed command of the squadron.[33]
Spanish–American War
As tensions increased and war with Spain became more probable, Olympia remained at Hong Kong and was prepared for action. When war was declared on April 25, 1898, Dewey moved his ships to Mirs Bay, China. Two days later, the Navy Department ordered the squadron to Manila in the Philippines, where a significant Spanish naval force protected the harbor.[33] Dewey was ordered to sink or capture the Spanish warships, opening the way for a subsequent conquest by U.S. forces.[34]
Battle of Manila Bay
On the morning of May 1, Commodore Dewey—with his flag aboard Olympia—steamed his ships into Manila Bay to confront the Spanish flotilla commanded by
The Spanish ship and shore gunners were significantly less accurate than the Americans, and the battle quickly became one-sided. After initial success, Dewey briefly broke off the engagement at around 7:30 a.m. when his flagship was reported to be low on five-inch ammunition, giving the order to serve a second breakfast to all his ships' crews. This turned out to be an erroneous report — the five-inch magazines were still mostly full. He ordered the battle resumed shortly after 11:15 that morning. By early afternoon, Dewey had completed the destruction of Montojo's squadron and the shore batteries, while his own ships were largely undamaged. Dewey anchored his ships off Manila and accepted the surrender of the city.[36]
Word of Dewey's victory quickly reached the US; both he and Olympia became famous as the first victors of the war. An expeditionary force was assembled and sent to complete the conquest of the Philippines.[39] Olympia remained in the area and supported the Army by shelling Spanish forces on land. She returned to the Chinese coast on May 20, 1899. She remained there until the following month, when she departed for the United States, via the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea. Along the way back to the United States, the ship sought to project the United States' new global standing as a world power after the victory. Frances Benjamin Johnston was enlisted to take images of George Dewey and men in the United States Navy upon the ship. She boarded the ship on August 5, 1899.[40] The photos presented the daily life of American men on the ship and were meant to magnify American imperialism in a positive light. The ship arrived in Boston October 10.[33] Following Olympia's return to the United States, her officers and crew were feted, and she was herself repainted and adorned with a gilded bow ornament.[39] On November 9, Olympia was decommissioned and placed in reserve.[33]
Before World War I
Olympia was recommissioned into the fleet in January 1902 and assigned to the North Atlantic Squadron. Her first duty was to serve as the flagship of the Caribbean Division. Over the following four years, the ship patrolled the Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea;[33] her voyages included a visit to the Ottoman Empire.[41] During March through April 1903 she and four other U.S. Navy warships were involved in an intervention in Honduras.
Starting on April 2, 1906, she became a training ship for midshipmen from the
World War I
After the U.S. entered the First World War by declaring war on Germany in April 1917, Olympia was mobilized as the flagship of the U.S. Patrol Force. She was assigned to patrol the eastern seaboard of the U.S. for German warships. She also escorted transport ships in the North Atlantic. On June 15, 1917, she ran aground in Long Island Sound, and she put in for repairs at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, along with the replacement of her eight-inch and 5"/40-caliber guns with 5"/51-caliber guns, which took eight months, but a July, 1917 article about hitting the rocks says her original armament of four eight-inch and ten five-inch guns had been replaced by twelve five-inch guns "a few years ago."[42][43] Olympia departed Charleston on April 28, 1918 carrying an expeditionary force bound for Russia. Russia, which had previously been a member of the Allied Powers, was in the midst of civil war and had signed a separate peace with Germany. On June 9, 1918, the ship arrived in Murmansk, Russia, and deployed the peacekeeping force.[41] She subsequently assisted in the occupation of Archangel against Bolshevik forces.
After the end of the war, Olympia sailed to the Mediterranean via
Olympia briefly returned to Charleston on November 24, 1919. The following year, she was reclassified CA-15.[45] She then prepared for another tour of duty in the Adriatic, departing from New York on February 14, 1920. This was concluded on May 25, 1921, when the ship returned to Charleston. A month after her arrival she was made the flagship of the Atlantic Fleet's training unit. She then participated in joint Army-Navy experiments in July, during which the former German warships Ostfriesland and Frankfurt were sunk off the Virginia Capes.[33] She was again reclassified as CL-15 that year.[45]
Unknown Soldier
On October 3, 1921, Olympia departed Philadelphia for
Preservation
On December 9, 1922, she was decommissioned for the last time in Philadelphia and placed in reserve. On June 30, 1931, the ship was reclassified IX-40,[33] to be preserved as a relic.
On September 11, 1957, she was released to the Cruiser Olympia Association, restored to her 1898 configuration and became a museum ship under their auspices. The main eight-inch guns and turrets, scrapped before World War I, were replaced with sheet metal fabrications. In January 1996, when faced with mounting debt and tremendous deferred maintenances, the Cruiser Olympia Society merged with the Independence Seaport Museum (ISM) in Philadelphia.
Today, Olympia is a museum at the ISM, at
Historic steel-hulled ships should be
As a result of the summit, the ISM searched for another nonprofit organization to assume stewardship of Olympia to provide for her maintenance and restoration. On March 6, 2011, the ISM published a Transfer Application (TAPP) similar to a Request for Proposals. Those who qualified to apply for the TAPP include domestic governmental organizations and not-for-profit organizations with valid
In April 2014, the ISM announced the end of the TAPP process as it could not find an organization that could present a viable, long-term solution for the ship. Olympia will remain in Philadelphia and the ISM plans to launch a $20 million national fundraising campaign for her long-term preservation.[54]
Preservation projects: 2014–present
The ISM has renewed its commitment to restoring the vessel and has engaged in several preservation projects which were funded in large part by grants from the National Park Service, the Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission, the Jennifer Pritzker's Tawani Foundation and Herman S. Pollock Foundation, as well as private donations. Over the past several decades, the Museum invested over $10 million to maintain Olympia. Some of the most notable repairs to the cruiser before 2014 include removing 30 tons of asbestos and other contaminants, conducting safety upgrades, and drafting the necessary engineering and planning work.[55]
In 2015 Olympia received multiple grants including $169,850.00 from the National Park Service's Maritime Heritage Program to continue work on interim repairs of deteriorating hull plates and deck leaks.[56] Between April and August 2015, four 4-foot by 7-foot sections of the hull at the waterline were cleaned, scaled to bare metal, and treated with ceramic epoxy, and new bottom paint. This was accomplished using a custom-made mobile surface-piercing cofferdam.[57] In 2017, the Museum replaced Olympia's old gangways for easier and safer access, restored the signal bridge,[58] restored the Admiral and Captain's skylights,[59] and constructed replicas of historic benches, mess lockers and mess tables.[60]
In 2017, the Museum announced that it would embark on a major national fundraising campaign to raise $20 million to drydock the vessel so that the hull can finally be fully repaired. The restoration efforts are part of a larger plan to make the vessel more accessible and to educate the public about the cultural and historic significance of Olympia. [60] In May 2017, the Independence Seaport announced a semi-permanent exhibit featuring Olympia, entitled "World War I USS Olympia," opening on June 16, 2017.[61]
Awards
Dewey Medal | Navy Expeditionary Medal | Spanish Campaign Medal |
Philippine Campaign Medal | Dominican Campaign Medal | World War I Victory Medal with "WHITE SEA" clasp |
Notes
- ^ a b c d Ford (2001), p. 271.
- ^ ISBN 1-85170-378-0
- ^ a b Ford (2001), p. 272.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 9 July 2010.
- ^ a b Loviglio, Joann (6 September 2010). "Olympia, 2-war naval veteran, battles for survival". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 9 September 2010. Retrieved 7 September 2010.
- ^ Naval History Magazine (1 August 2016). "Olympian Effort to Save the Olympia". US Naval Institute. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
- ^ "Will new ways to experience Olympia keep the cruiser afloat?". PlanPhilly. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
- ^ "Work Continues To Save Historic USS Olympia". CBS Philadelphia. Associated Press. 5 July 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
- ^ Friedman (1984), p. 22–23
- ^ a b Friedman (1985), p. 23
- ^ Friedman (1984), p. 27
- ^ Friedman (1984) p. 29
- ^ Cooling, p. 11
- ^ Cooling, p. 12
- ^ Cooling, pp. 12–13
- ^ Cooling, p. 13
- ^ a b c d e f g h Gardiner, Chesneau, & Kolesnik, p. 152
- ^ Cooling, p. 18-21
- ^ Cooling, p. 26
- ^ a b Cooling, p. 24
- ^ a b c d Wiggins, Marcus P (3 February 1894). "The Cruiser "Olympia"". Harper's Weekly. 38: 112.
- ^ Cooling, p. 14
- ^ .
- ^ DiGiulian, Tony (4 June 2008). "United States of America 8"/35 (20.3 cm) Marks 3 and 4 8"/40 (20.3 cm) Mark 5". navweaps.com. Retrieved 7 September 2010.
- ^ DiGiulian, Tony (12 February 2008). "United States of America 5"/40 (12.7 cm) Marks 2, 3 and 4". navweaps.com. Retrieved 7 September 2010.
- ^ Cooling, p. 28
- ^ Cooling, p. 29
- ^ Cooling, p. 31
- ^ a b Cooling, p. 32
- ^ Cooling, pp. 33–35
- ^ Cooling, p. 36
- ^ Cooling, pp. 37–49
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Olympia". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. 17 August 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
- ^ a b Cooling, p. 1
- ^ Cooling, pp. 1–2
- ^ a b c Cooling, p. 2
- ^ [1] The United States Army and Navy Journal and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, Volume 38, Nov. 17, 1900, p. 273
- ^ Burr, p. 37
- ^ a b Cooling, p. 4
- ^ Wexler, Laura (2000). Tender Violence: Domestic Visions in an Age of U.S. Imperialism. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press. p. 15.
- ^ a b c Miller & Miller, p. 180
- ^ Burr, p. 41
- ^ "American Marine Engineer July, 1917". National Marine Engineers Beneficial Association of the United States. Retrieved 9 October 2020 – via Haithi Trust.
- ^ "HMS Cardiff, light cruiser - British warships of World War 1".
- ^ a b "USS Olympia (Cruiser # 6, C-6, later CA-15, CL-15, and IX-40), 1895–1957". 10 October 1998. Archived from the original on 15 November 2010. Retrieved 7 September 2010.
- ISBN 978-0160246852.
- ^ Ruane, Michael E. (30 April 2021). "The ship that saved the unknown soldier from disaster". Washington Post. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
- ^ "SOS! Philadelphia maritime museum says it can't afford to care for historic USS Olympia". Star Tribune. Minneapolis-St. Paul. Associated Press. 26 February 2010. Retrieved 26 February 2010.[dead link]
- ^ "Title unknown". Archived from the original on 9 September 2010.
- ^ a b Colimore, Edward (18 November 2010). "Spanish-American warship spared, at least for now". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 18 November 2010.
- ^ Loviglio, Joann. "Museum seeks new owner for USS Olympia, historic 19th-century warship docked in Philadelphia". Star Tribune. Associated Press. Retrieved 9 March 2011.[dead link]
- ^ Jaffe, Alan (28 November 2011). "Preservation Row: Olympia suitors are narrowed to four". Archived from the original on 19 April 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
- ^ "The USS Olympia". National Trust for Historic Preservation. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
- ^ DeNardo, Mike (2 April 2014). "Historic Ship, USS Olympia, Will Remain in Philadelphia". Retrieved 11 May 2017.
- ^ "Olympia looks to local community and national support to keep her afloat". PlanPhilly | Olympia looks to local community and national support to keep her afloat. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
- ^ "National Park Service awards $2.6 million in grants for maritime history education and preservation projects | MARAD". www.marad.dot.gov. Archived from the original on 6 October 2015. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
- ^ "Olympia Hull Repair". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
- ^ "Cruiser Olympia at Independence Seaport Museum". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
- ^ "Cruiser Olympia at Independence Seaport Museum". www.facebook.com. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
- ^ a b "Will new ways to experience Olympia keep the cruiser afloat?". PlanPhilly | Will new ways to experience Olympia keep the cruiser afloat?. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
- ^ "Maven - News". mavenagency.com. Archived from the original on 31 January 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
Bibliography
- Alden, John D. (1989). American Steel Navy: A Photographic History of the U.S. Navy from the Introduction of the Steel Hull in 1883 to the Cruise of the Great White Fleet. OCLC 22984787.
- Burr, Lawrence (17 June 2008). US Cruisers 1883–1904: The Birth of the Steel Navy. New York City: Ospery Publishing. OCLC 437097869.
- Cooling, Benjamin Franklin (2007). USS Olympia: Herald of Empire. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. OCLC 183396685.
- Friedman, Norman (1984). U.S. Cruisers: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. OCLC 10949320.
- Friedman, Norman (1985). U.S. Battleships: An Illustrated Design History. United States Naval Institute Press.
- Gardiner, Robert; Chesneau, Roger; Kolesnik, Eugene M., eds. (1979). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-133-5.
- Miller, Arthur P.; Miller, Marjorie L. (2000). Pennsylvania Battlefields and Military Landmarks. Stackpole Books. ISBN 0-8117-2876-5.
- Ford, Roger; Gibbons, Tony; Hewson, Rob; Jackson, Bob; Ross, David (2001). The Encyclopedia of Ships. London: Amber Books, Ltd. pp. 271–272. ISBN 978-1-905704-43-9.
- Jane's Fighting Ships of World War I. London: Random House Group, Ltd. 2001. p. 141. ISBN 1-85170-378-0.
- Munsey's Magazine Volume XXVI. October 1901, to March 1902. Page 880 (Article with paragraph discussing Driggs-Schroeder 6 pdr guns and their number used on USS Olympia, USS Brooklyn, and USS New York in the Spanish–American War.)
External links
- Photo gallery of Olympia at NavSource Naval History
- Cruiser Olympia at Spanish–American War Centennial website
- USS Olympia (C-6) at Historic Naval Ships Association
- Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. PA-428, "USS Olympia"
- Mare Island Museum's Olympia preservation page
- Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography. 1900. This article has information about Olympia at the end. .
- Greenwood, Richard F. (12 November 1974). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form / U.S.S. Olympia" (pdf). National Park Service. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
- "Accompanying Photos" (pdf). National Park Service. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
- Historic footage of USS Olympia in 1921, receiving and transporting casket of the Unknown Soldier of World War I to America