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USS Florida (BM-9)
Encyclopedia
The USS Florida (BM-9) was an Arkansas-class monitor
in the United States Navy
.
Florida was launched November 30, 1901 by Lewis Nixon
, and Arthur Leopold Busch
, a marine engineer who worked at the Crescent Shipyard
, Elizabethport, New Jersey
; sponsored by Miss S. Wood; and commissioned
June 18, 1903, with Commander
John Charles Fremont in command.
, Florida trained midshipmen on summer cruises, and operated along the east coast and in the Caribbean
waters. She participated in the Presidential Naval Review in Oyster Bay, Long Island
, held by Theodore Roosevelt
on September 3, 1906, and four days later reported to the Naval Academy
for regular service as a practice ship. She was placed in reserve September 11, 1906, but returned to full commission between June 7 and August 30, 1907, for a midshipman
cruise, and between May 21 and June 19, 1908 for participation in ordnance experiments. These included testing the then-new superfire
concept where turrets were mounted in line with one turret elevated to fire over the other.
On July 1, 1908, Florida was renamed USS Tallahassee to free the state name for assignment to a battleship
. On August 1, 1910, she was placed in commission in reserve and began a regular schedule of ordnance experimentation and occasional duty in the Panama Canal Zone
and Norfolk
area as a submarine tender
. During World War I
she served as submarine tender in the Canal Zone, the Virgin Islands
, and Bermuda
areas and on September 30, 1919, entered Charleston Navy Yard where she was decommissioned on December 3, 1919. Tallahassee was assigned to the 6th Naval District as a reserve training ship from February 19, 1920, serving in commissioned status from September 3, 1920 to March 24, 1922.
Tallahassee was redesignated as IX-16 on July 20, 1921, and decommissioned for the final time on March 24, 1922. She was sold on July 25, 1922, to Ammunition Products Corporation, of Washington, DC.
Monitor (warship)
A monitor was a class of relatively small warship which was neither fast nor strongly armoured but carried disproportionately large guns. They were used by some navies from the 1860s until the end of World War II, and saw their final use by the United States Navy during the Vietnam War.The monitors...
in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
.
Florida was launched November 30, 1901 by Lewis Nixon
Lewis Nixon (naval architect)
Lewis Nixon I was a naval architect, shipbuilding executive, public servant, and political activist. He designed the United States' first modern battleships, and supervised the construction of its first modern submarines, all before his 40th birthday. He was briefly the leader of Tammany Hall...
, and Arthur Leopold Busch
Arthur Leopold Busch
Arthur Leopold Busch or Du Busc was a British-born American naval architect responsible for the development of the United States Navy's first submarines.-Career:...
, a marine engineer who worked at the Crescent Shipyard
Crescent Shipyard
Crescent Shipyard, located in Elizabeth, New Jersey, built a number of ships for the United States Navy and allied nations as well during their production run, which lasted about ten years while under the Crescent name and banner. Production of these ships began before the Spanish-American war and...
, Elizabethport, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
; sponsored by Miss S. Wood; and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
June 18, 1903, with Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
John Charles Fremont in command.
Service history
Serving with the Coast SquadronCoast Squadron
The Coast Squadron was a unit in the United States Navy in the early 20th century.It was organized under the North Atlantic Fleet....
, Florida trained midshipmen on summer cruises, and operated along the east coast and in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
waters. She participated in the Presidential Naval Review in Oyster Bay, Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, held by Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
on September 3, 1906, and four days later reported to the Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
for regular service as a practice ship. She was placed in reserve September 11, 1906, but returned to full commission between June 7 and August 30, 1907, for a midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
cruise, and between May 21 and June 19, 1908 for participation in ordnance experiments. These included testing the then-new superfire
Superfire
The idea of superfire is to locate two turrets in a row, one behind the other, but with the second turret located above the one in front so that the second turret could fire over the first...
concept where turrets were mounted in line with one turret elevated to fire over the other.
On July 1, 1908, Florida was renamed USS Tallahassee to free the state name for assignment to a battleship
USS Florida (BB-30)
-External links:***...
. On August 1, 1910, she was placed in commission in reserve and began a regular schedule of ordnance experimentation and occasional duty in the Panama Canal Zone
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
and Norfolk
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
area as a submarine tender
Submarine tender
A submarine tender is a type of ship that supplies and supports submarines.Submarines are small compared to most oceangoing vessels, and generally do not have the ability to carry large amounts of food, fuel, torpedoes, and other supplies, nor to carry a full array of maintenance equipment and...
. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
she served as submarine tender in the Canal Zone, the Virgin Islands
Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands are the western island group of the Leeward Islands, which are the northern part of the Lesser Antilles, which form the border between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean...
, and Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
areas and on September 30, 1919, entered Charleston Navy Yard where she was decommissioned on December 3, 1919. Tallahassee was assigned to the 6th Naval District as a reserve training ship from February 19, 1920, serving in commissioned status from September 3, 1920 to March 24, 1922.
Tallahassee was redesignated as IX-16 on July 20, 1921, and decommissioned for the final time on March 24, 1922. She was sold on July 25, 1922, to Ammunition Products Corporation, of Washington, DC.