From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia USS Missouri (BB-11)
USS Missouri (BB-11)
(BB-11),
USS Missouri (BB-11) a Maine-class battleship, was the
third ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor
of the 24th state.
Missouri was laid down on 7 February 1900 by the
Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Company of New-
port News, Virginia. She was launched on 28 December
1901 sponsored by Mrs. Edson Galludet, daughter of Unit-
ed States Senator Francis Marion Cockrell of Missouri,
and commissioned on 1 December 1903, Captain William
S. Cowles in command.
Missouri lying at anchor Pre-World War I
Career (US) Assigned to the North Atlantic Fleet, Missouri left Norfolk,
Virginia on 4 February 1904 for trials off the Virginia
Capes and fleet operations in the Caribbean Sea. On 13
Laid down: 7 February 1900 April, during target practice, a flareback from the port
Launched: 28 December 1901 gun in her after turret ignited a powder charge and set
off two others. No explosion occurred but the rapid burn-
Commissioned: 1 December 1903 ing of the powder suffocated 36 of the crew. Prompt ac-
Decommissioned: 8 September 1919 tion prevented the loss of the warship and three of her
crew earned Medals of Honor for extraordinary heroism.
Fate: Sold for scrap
After repairs at Newport News, Missouri sailed on 9 June
Notes: authorized on 4 May 1898 for duty in the Mediterranean Sea from which she re-
turned to New York on 17 December.
General characteristics [1][2]
Fleet operations along the east coast and in the
Displacement: 13,500 tons (12,200 tonnes) Caribbean during the next years were highlighted by her
relief to earthquake victims at Kingston, Jamaica from
Length: 393.9 ft (120.1 m)
17–19 January 1907. In April, she took part in the
Beam: 72.2 ft (22.0 m) Jamestown Exposition.
With the "Great White Fleet", Missouri sailed from
Draft: 25.7 ft (7.8 m)
Hampton Roads on 16 December 1907, passing in review
Speed: 18.15 kn (20.89 mph; 33.61 km/h) before President Theodore Roosevelt at the beginning of
a world cruise, which was to show the world that Amer-
Complement: 592 officers and enlisted
ican naval might could penetrate any waters. Calling at
Armament: • 4 × 12 in (300 mm)/40 cal guns ports in the Caribbean and along the east coast of South
• 16 × 6 in (150 mm)/50 cal guns America, the fleet rounded Cape Horn to call in Peru and
• 6 × 3 in (76 mm)/50 cal guns
• 8 × 3-pounders (47 mm (1.9 in))
Mexico before arriving at San Francisco, California on 6
• 6 × 1-pounders (37 mm (1.5 in)) May 1908 for a gala visit. In July, the fleet turned west
• 3 × .30 in (7.62 mm) machine guns for Honolulu, Hawaii, thence to New Zealand and Aus-
• 2 × 18 in (460 mm) torpedo tubes tralia, arriving in Manila on 2 October. The most tumul-
Armor: • Belt: 5.5–11 in (140–279 mm) tuous welcome yet came in Yokohama, Japan, and with
• Barbettes: 8–12 in (203–305 mm) a call in Amoy, China, the fleet began the passage home
• Turret Mains: 11–12 in (279–305 by way of Ceylon, Suez, and ports in the eastern Mediter-
mm) ranean. Departing Gibraltar on 6 February 1909, the fleet
• Turret secondary: 5.5–6 in (140–152
was again reviewed by President Roosevelt upon its tri-
mm)
• Conning tower: 10 in (254 mm) umphant return to Hampton Roads on 22 February.
Placed in reserve at Boston, Massachusetts on 1 May
1910, Missouri recommissioned on 1 June 1911, and re-
sumed east coast and Caribbean operations with the At-
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia USS Missouri (BB-11)
souri decommissioned at Philadelphia Navy Yard on 8
September. She was sold to J.G. Hitner and W.F. Cutler of
Philadelphia on 26 January 1922 and scrapped in accor-
dance with the Washington Naval Treaty limiting naval
armaments.
References
[1] DANFS Missouri (BB-11).
[2] Chesneau, Koleśnik & Campbell 1979, p. 142.
Bibliography
• Alden, John D. (1989). American Steel Navy: A
Photographic History of the U.S. Navy from the
Missouri in 1906. Introduction of the Steel Hull in 1883 to the Cruise of the
Great White Fleet. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval
lantic Fleet. In June 1912, she carried Marines from New Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-248-6.
York to Cuba where they protected American interests • Chesneau, Roger; Koleśnik, Eugène M.; Campbell,
during a rebellion. The next month the battleship carried N.J.M. (1979). Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships,
midshipmen for training then decommissioned at 1860–1905. London: Conway Maritime Press.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on 9 September 1912. ISBN 0-85177-133-5.
Missouri recommissioned on 16 March 1914 for that • Friedman, Norman (1985). U.S. Battleships, An
summer’s United States Naval Academy Practice Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval
Squadron’s cruise to Italian and English ports. She re- Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-715-1.
turned to ordinary at Philadelphia on 2 December, but • Reilly, John C.; Scheina, Robert L. (1980). American
recommissioned on 16 April 1915 to train midshipman in Battleships 1886–1923: Predreadnought Design and
the Caribbean and on a cruise through the Panama Canal Construction. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute
to California ports. She returned to the Reserve Fleet at Press. ISBN 0-87021-524-8.
Philadelphia on 18 October, recommissioned on 2 May • "Missouri". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
1916, and again conducted training along the east coast Navy Department, Naval History & Heritage
and in the Caribbean until placed in ordinary for the win- Command. http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/
ter at Philadelphia. m12/missouri-iii.htm. Retrieved 2011-09-29.
• This article incorporates text from the public domain
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The
World War I entry can be found here.
Upon the entry of the United States into World War I,
Missouri recommissioned on 23 April 1917, joined the At- External links
lantic Fleet at Yorktown, Virginia and operated as a
training ship in the Chesapeake Bay area. On 26 August, • Naval Historical Center USS Missouri (BB-11),
Rear Admiral Hugh Rodman broke his flag in Missouri as 1903–1922, Selected Views
Commander, Division 2, Atlantic Fleet, and the warship • MaritimeQuest USS Missouri BB-11 Photo Gallery
continued to train thousands of recruits in engineering • Photo gallery of BB-11 USS Missouri 1900–1906 at
and gunnery for foreign service on warships and as NavSource Naval History
armed guards for merchant vessels.
Following the Armistice, the battleship was attached
to the Cruiser and Transport Force, departing Norfolk on
18 February 1919 on the first of four voyages to Brest,
France to return 3,278 US troops to east coast ports. Mis-
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=USS_Missouri_(BB-11)&oldid=468110231"
Categories:
• Maine class battleships
• Ships built in Virginia
• 1901 ships
• World War I battleships of the United States
• United States Navy Missouri-related ships
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia USS Missouri (BB-11)
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