The second USS Pennsylvania (ACR/CA-4), also referred to as Armored Cruiser No. 4, and later renamed Pittsburgh, was a United States Navy armored cruiser, the lead ship of her class. She was originally assigned the name Nebraska but was renamed Pennsylvania on 7 March 1901.

Construction

Pennsylvania was laid down on 7 August 1901, by William Cramp & Sons of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and launched on 22 August 1903, sponsored by Miss Coral Quay, daughter of Senator Matthew S. Quay of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania was commissioned on 9 March 1905 with Captain Thomas C. McLean in command.

Service history

Pre-World War I

thumb|left|First [[fixed-wing aircraft landing on a warship: Eugene Ely landing his plane aboard Pennsylvania in San Francisco Bay on 18 January 1911.]]

Pennsylvania operated on the east coast of the United States and in the Caribbean Sea until 8 September 1906, when she cleared Newport for the Asiatic Station, returning to San Francisco on 27 September 1907, for United States West Coast duty. She visited Chile and Peru in 1910.]]

thumb|left|Memorial at [[Caju Cemetery|São Francisco Xavier Cemetery in Rio de Janeiro, where the influenza victims were first buried]]

While at Rio de Janeiro, in October and November 1918, failure to implement quarantine procedures by Captain George Bradshaw, led to the spread of the deadly strain of Spanish influenza on ship, sickening 663 sailors (80% of the crew) and killing 58 of them. She returned to decommission at Philadelphia, on 15 October 1921. Pittsburgh became flagship for two of the Commanders-in-Chief, US Naval Forces European Waters, Admiral Philip Andrews in 1924–1925 and Vice Admiral Roger Welles in 1925–1926. Closing her long career of service, she carried the Governor General of the Philippines, Dwight F. Davis, on a courtesy cruise to such ports as Saigon, Bangkok, Singapore, Belawan, Batavia (Jakarta), Surabaya, Bali, Makassar, and Sandakan, returning to Manila, on 15 April 1931. Six days later, she steamed for Suez, en route to Hampton Roads, arriving on 26 June. She was decommissioned on 10 July, and under the terms of the London Naval Treaty, sold for scrapping to Union Shipbuilding, Baltimore, Maryland on 21 December.

Memorial bell

thumb|The number 3 bell showing the dedication to USS Pittsburgh. The bell's diameter is . The number 3 bell at Rochester Cathedral, England, bears the inscription "U.S.S. PITTSBURGH IN MEMORY OF 1920". For many years the reason for this inscription was a mystery. Then a researcher found the explanation in the Chatham News of 17 December 1920. That issue included a letter from Captain J. W. Todd, who commanded Pittsburgh in 1920. Todd thanked the dean of the cathedral for various hospitality events during the two and a half months that Pittsburgh was in dry dock at Chatham. He enclosed a cheque for £52 10s to pay for the recasting of the bell and suggested the inscription.

References

Citations

Bibliography

  • Alden, John D. 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. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1989.
  • Microfilmed copy available for consultation at Medway Archives
  • Friedman, Norman. U.S. Cruisers: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1984.
  • Musicant, Ivan. U.S. Armored Cruisers: A Design and Operational History. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1985.

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  • hazegray.org: USS Pennsylvania