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Sunday, November 29, 2009
USS DOVER
I LOVE e-Bay! Really! I mean, how else could someone in Tennessee find, and purchase, a pitcher that had been aboard the USS Dover, a gunboat used in the 1940s? The pitcher measures about 5 inches tall, and is 3 inches in diameter at its base. The words “U. S. DOVER 1942” are embossed on its front, and it has a number of tiny little holes rusted through on its face and where the bottom meets the front side (it wouldn’t hold any liquid anymore!).
Of course, this all just piqued my interest about where all this little pitcher might have been, so I started digging. Turns out, the Dover didn’t start out with that name (not too unusual for ships). She was actually built in 1894 by the Newport News Shipbuilding Company, in Newport News, Virginia, and was commissioned on May 13, 1897 as the USS Wilmington, Gunboat No. 8.
The Wilmington measured 251’ 10” in length, she had a beam of 40’ 2”, a displacement of 1,571 tons, and a draft of 9’. She was equipped with eight four-inch gun mounts and four “three-pounders” (guns that were capable of firing three-pound shells). As her name befits, she was of the Wilmington class, although I was unable to find any information about this class. She was the 8th boat built by the shipbuilding company.
Post card showing USS Wilmington (PG-8), date and place unknown. Courtesy Darryl Baker.
She saw her first action during the Spanish-American War, in July of 1898, off the coast of Cuba. Just days into action, her crew learned of a communications cable connecting Santa Cruz del sur, Cuba with Jucaro on the Cuban island Isla de la Juventud to the west, and proceeding to that location, used a grappling hook to find and cut the cable.
Following the war, the Wilmington saw service in the South Atlantic Squadron, where she sailed to ports such as San Juan, Puerto Rico; Port-of-Spain, Trinidad; Venezuela; Georgetown, British Guiana; and Paramaribo, Dutch Guiana. In March 1899, she sailed up the Amazon River during the rainy season, arriving in Iquitos, Peru in April, where her crew was presented with three monkeys and a tiger cat by the Peruvians.
Leaving Peru, she sailed south to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Montevideo, Uruguay, and Buenos Aires, Argentina. During this run, she had trouble with the propeller shaft, which ultimately resulted in a drydock stay in Buenos Aires for some months.
After the shaft was repaired, she commenced on a tour of the Far East, culminating in her decommissioning in the Philippines on June 30, 1904. She was recommissioned two years later, and served off the China coast and other Asian ports of call until the start of World War I. Her duties during the war were concentrated on patrol duty in the Philippine Islands and China. After the war, she continued to tour in Asia until 1922, when she returned to Portsmouth, New Hampshire’s Navy Yard.
In July 1923, she joined the US Navy Reserve Force, 9th Naval District for the states of Ohio and Kentucky. She was stationed in Toledo and used as a training ship on Lake Erie, becoming inactive in the fall of that year, and later serving as a training ship for reservists.
USS Wilmington (PG-8) circa the 1930s or 1940s, steaming on the Great Lakes. Courtesy the Historical Collections of the Great Lakes.
On January 27, 1941, the ship was renamed Dover in preparation for her entry into World War II. In late 1942, she sailed to Quebec, where she was fitted with a 5-inch gun. She operated for some time in the northeast, then sailed to the gulf coast in January 1943. She was reassigned to the 8th Naval District in New Orleans, and served as an armed guard training ship throughout the remainder of the war.
USS Wilmington (PG-8) circa 1942 as the USS Dover (IX-30). Courtesy E. C. Lowrance, Jr.
On December 20, 1945, she was decommissioned, and was sold for scrap on December 30, 1946.
In March 1950, a small news article appeared in the Camden (New Jersey) Courier-Post:
U.S. Census records show that Mr. Warrington was a member of the USS Wilmington’s crew in 1900; he was most likely on the ship during the entire South American tour, from 1897 through 1901. Mr. Warrington was born in 1870, and was a career Navy man, with a final rank of Chief Master at Arms.
He returned to Camden in 1920, and lived with his mother until she passed away, Although he had married in 1916, his wife apparently died shortly after, as he was listed as a widower in the 1920 census. Mr. Warrington was buried at the Beverly National Cemetery on March 27, 1950.
So somewhere belowdecks in the photo above, my pitcher was sitting on a table in the mess hall, perhaps having just been in the hands of Chief Master at Arms Warrington!
I LOVE e-Bay! Really! I mean, how else could someone in Tennessee find, and purchase, a pitcher that had been aboard the USS Dover, a gunboat used in the 1940s? The pitcher measures about 5 inches tall, and is 3 inches in diameter at its base. The words “U. S. DOVER 1942” are embossed on its front, and it has a number of tiny little holes rusted through on its face and where the bottom meets the front side (it wouldn’t hold any liquid anymore!).
Of course, this all just piqued my interest about where all this little pitcher might have been, so I started digging. Turns out, the Dover didn’t start out with that name (not too unusual for ships). She was actually built in 1894 by the Newport News Shipbuilding Company, in Newport News, Virginia, and was commissioned on May 13, 1897 as the USS Wilmington, Gunboat No. 8.
The Wilmington measured 251’ 10” in length, she had a beam of 40’ 2”, a displacement of 1,571 tons, and a draft of 9’. She was equipped with eight four-inch gun mounts and four “three-pounders” (guns that were capable of firing three-pound shells). As her name befits, she was of the Wilmington class, although I was unable to find any information about this class. She was the 8th boat built by the shipbuilding company.
Post card showing USS Wilmington (PG-8), date and place unknown. Courtesy Darryl Baker.
She saw her first action during the Spanish-American War, in July of 1898, off the coast of Cuba. Just days into action, her crew learned of a communications cable connecting Santa Cruz del sur, Cuba with Jucaro on the Cuban island Isla de la Juventud to the west, and proceeding to that location, used a grappling hook to find and cut the cable.
Following the war, the Wilmington saw service in the South Atlantic Squadron, where she sailed to ports such as San Juan, Puerto Rico; Port-of-Spain, Trinidad; Venezuela; Georgetown, British Guiana; and Paramaribo, Dutch Guiana. In March 1899, she sailed up the Amazon River during the rainy season, arriving in Iquitos, Peru in April, where her crew was presented with three monkeys and a tiger cat by the Peruvians.
Leaving Peru, she sailed south to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Montevideo, Uruguay, and Buenos Aires, Argentina. During this run, she had trouble with the propeller shaft, which ultimately resulted in a drydock stay in Buenos Aires for some months.
After the shaft was repaired, she commenced on a tour of the Far East, culminating in her decommissioning in the Philippines on June 30, 1904. She was recommissioned two years later, and served off the China coast and other Asian ports of call until the start of World War I. Her duties during the war were concentrated on patrol duty in the Philippine Islands and China. After the war, she continued to tour in Asia until 1922, when she returned to Portsmouth, New Hampshire’s Navy Yard.
In July 1923, she joined the US Navy Reserve Force, 9th Naval District for the states of Ohio and Kentucky. She was stationed in Toledo and used as a training ship on Lake Erie, becoming inactive in the fall of that year, and later serving as a training ship for reservists.
USS Wilmington (PG-8) circa the 1930s or 1940s, steaming on the Great Lakes. Courtesy the Historical Collections of the Great Lakes.
On January 27, 1941, the ship was renamed Dover in preparation for her entry into World War II. In late 1942, she sailed to Quebec, where she was fitted with a 5-inch gun. She operated for some time in the northeast, then sailed to the gulf coast in January 1943. She was reassigned to the 8th Naval District in New Orleans, and served as an armed guard training ship throughout the remainder of the war.
USS Wilmington (PG-8) circa 1942 as the USS Dover (IX-30). Courtesy E. C. Lowrance, Jr.
On December 20, 1945, she was decommissioned, and was sold for scrap on December 30, 1946.
In March 1950, a small news article appeared in the Camden (New Jersey) Courier-Post:
U.S. Census records show that Mr. Warrington was a member of the USS Wilmington’s crew in 1900; he was most likely on the ship during the entire South American tour, from 1897 through 1901. Mr. Warrington was born in 1870, and was a career Navy man, with a final rank of Chief Master at Arms.
He returned to Camden in 1920, and lived with his mother until she passed away, Although he had married in 1916, his wife apparently died shortly after, as he was listed as a widower in the 1920 census. Mr. Warrington was buried at the Beverly National Cemetery on March 27, 1950.
So somewhere belowdecks in the photo above, my pitcher was sitting on a table in the mess hall, perhaps having just been in the hands of Chief Master at Arms Warrington!
Friday, November 13, 2009
The Schooner Fame
I recently visited the lovely harbor town Salem, Massachusetts, and during my stay, went sailing on the two-masted schooner Fame. The current ship is a replica of an 1812-era schooner that was converted from a fishing boat to one whose purpose was to capture booty from the British merchant ships – a privateer!
What distinguishes a “schooner” from other types of ships? For a ship to be classified as a schooner, it must have at least two masts (the Thomas W. Lawson had seven!), the fore mast must be shorter than the aft mast, the main sail is rigged to the aft mast, and both sails are both fore- and aft-rigged, so that they run parallel with the line of the keel.
A design originating in the early 1700’s, the first schooners were built in nearby Gloucester (just 30 miles to the east of Salem). The design promoted speed and maneuverability. Besides privateering, other activities for which the schooner’s sleek design was well-suited were transporting slaves for trade, ocean fishing, and blockade running.
A “privateer” is a privately owned merchant, or commercial, ship that is converted by a government for the purpose of engaging in naval warfare. Before national navies existed, or were large enough to be effective, privateers fulfilled that function. For the United States, the War of 1812 with Great Britain coincided with the vast manufacture of schooners, thus that time period made great use of schooners in the war effort.
The Fame was one such ship. Soon after her construction, she was purchased by a consortium of twenty-five Salem mariners, for the purpose of engaging in privateering. The sailors refitted her with two small cannon and selected a Mr. William Webb, a veteran sailor, as their captain. When their privateering commision arrived from the U.S. Government on July 1, 1812, they set sail, with the goal of capturing British ships and their cargoes.
The first destination were the small ports along the coasts of Maine and New Brunswick. British ships typically loaded raw materials such as lumber, destined for the Royal Navy. And this proved to be a good choice, as they discovered two ships there: the Concord and the Elbe, both of which surrendered without the Fame crew firing a single shot! After the cargo of masts, spars, staves, lumber, and tar was sold at auction, the profit gained the owners nearly ten times the cost of the Fame.
Because this conquest was made so early in the war, many consider the Fame to be the first successful privateering ship in the War of 1812. The ship would continue its work until 1814, with eleven more sorties resulting in 20 captures, until she wrecked in the Bay of Fundy.
On the day that I sailed, the seas were calm – too calm. We had to run the motor to get us out into the bay, and only then were we able to hoist the sails. The Fame is an interactive ship – you can participate in sailing as much or as little as you choose. Of course, I’m all over everything: peppering the crew with questions and trying my hand at everything they’ll let me do.
Sailor Bernie and I had the task of raising the fore-side of both the fore- and aft-sails. Bernie handed me the thick rope and told me to “just pull ‘er up!” It was easy at first, but as the canvas unfurled, it was heavier and heavier, and for the last few pulls, I simply reached up on the rope as far as I could, and put all my weight into it to pull the sail up.
There were two small boys on board, and they had great fun helping Captain Jeremy steer, using the large, wooden rudder. Once we were well into Salem Harbor, Bernie loaded up a charge of black powder and fired the tiny cannon mounted to the port side.
I helped again when it was time to lower the sails; this was much easier, although you had to keep control of the rope as it slithered through your hands. Once the sails were down, I was assigned the task of flaking the rope out and coiling it up tidily for the next voyage. Just remember: “coil with the sun,” or clockwise. If you don’t, you’ll have a gnarly mess!
The replica Fame can be visited between Memorial Day through Halloween. She’s located on the Pickering Wharf Marina in downtown Salem. Be sure to ask the crew to show you the photo album of her construction. Local spruce and white oak was used, and construction continued year-round from February 2002 to July 4, 2003. She is not only an historic ship, but a beautiful one as well!
I recently visited the lovely harbor town Salem, Massachusetts, and during my stay, went sailing on the two-masted schooner Fame. The current ship is a replica of an 1812-era schooner that was converted from a fishing boat to one whose purpose was to capture booty from the British merchant ships – a privateer!
What distinguishes a “schooner” from other types of ships? For a ship to be classified as a schooner, it must have at least two masts (the Thomas W. Lawson had seven!), the fore mast must be shorter than the aft mast, the main sail is rigged to the aft mast, and both sails are both fore- and aft-rigged, so that they run parallel with the line of the keel.
A design originating in the early 1700’s, the first schooners were built in nearby Gloucester (just 30 miles to the east of Salem). The design promoted speed and maneuverability. Besides privateering, other activities for which the schooner’s sleek design was well-suited were transporting slaves for trade, ocean fishing, and blockade running.
A “privateer” is a privately owned merchant, or commercial, ship that is converted by a government for the purpose of engaging in naval warfare. Before national navies existed, or were large enough to be effective, privateers fulfilled that function. For the United States, the War of 1812 with Great Britain coincided with the vast manufacture of schooners, thus that time period made great use of schooners in the war effort.
The Fame was one such ship. Soon after her construction, she was purchased by a consortium of twenty-five Salem mariners, for the purpose of engaging in privateering. The sailors refitted her with two small cannon and selected a Mr. William Webb, a veteran sailor, as their captain. When their privateering commision arrived from the U.S. Government on July 1, 1812, they set sail, with the goal of capturing British ships and their cargoes.
The first destination were the small ports along the coasts of Maine and New Brunswick. British ships typically loaded raw materials such as lumber, destined for the Royal Navy. And this proved to be a good choice, as they discovered two ships there: the Concord and the Elbe, both of which surrendered without the Fame crew firing a single shot! After the cargo of masts, spars, staves, lumber, and tar was sold at auction, the profit gained the owners nearly ten times the cost of the Fame.
Because this conquest was made so early in the war, many consider the Fame to be the first successful privateering ship in the War of 1812. The ship would continue its work until 1814, with eleven more sorties resulting in 20 captures, until she wrecked in the Bay of Fundy.
On the day that I sailed, the seas were calm – too calm. We had to run the motor to get us out into the bay, and only then were we able to hoist the sails. The Fame is an interactive ship – you can participate in sailing as much or as little as you choose. Of course, I’m all over everything: peppering the crew with questions and trying my hand at everything they’ll let me do.
Sailor Bernie and I had the task of raising the fore-side of both the fore- and aft-sails. Bernie handed me the thick rope and told me to “just pull ‘er up!” It was easy at first, but as the canvas unfurled, it was heavier and heavier, and for the last few pulls, I simply reached up on the rope as far as I could, and put all my weight into it to pull the sail up.
There were two small boys on board, and they had great fun helping Captain Jeremy steer, using the large, wooden rudder. Once we were well into Salem Harbor, Bernie loaded up a charge of black powder and fired the tiny cannon mounted to the port side.
I helped again when it was time to lower the sails; this was much easier, although you had to keep control of the rope as it slithered through your hands. Once the sails were down, I was assigned the task of flaking the rope out and coiling it up tidily for the next voyage. Just remember: “coil with the sun,” or clockwise. If you don’t, you’ll have a gnarly mess!
The replica Fame can be visited between Memorial Day through Halloween. She’s located on the Pickering Wharf Marina in downtown Salem. Be sure to ask the crew to show you the photo album of her construction. Local spruce and white oak was used, and construction continued year-round from February 2002 to July 4, 2003. She is not only an historic ship, but a beautiful one as well!
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