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USS Saint Paul (1895)
Encyclopedia
The first USS Saint Paul (SP-1643) was a cruiser
in the United States Navy
. She was named for the capital
of Minnesota
.
Saint Paul was launched on 10 April 1895 by William Cramp & Sons, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, as a steel passenger liner; chartered for United States Navy service as an auxiliary cruiser from her owner, International Navigation Company
, by a board appointed on 12 March 1898; and commissioned on 20 April 1898 for Spanish-American War
service, Captain Charles D. Sigsbee in command.
Departing Philadelphia on 5 May 1898, Saint Pauls first assignment was to cruise in search of Admiral Cervera
's squadron between Morant Point, Jamaica, and western Haiti. She captured the British collier Restormel—bound for Cuba with a critical cargo of Cardiff coal—on 25 May and sent her into Key West
under a prize crew. She cruised off Santiago de Cuba
and Guantanamo Bay into mid-June, then sailed to join the force blockading San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Saint Paul arrived off San Juan on the morning of 22 June. Shortly after midday, in the 2nd battle of San Juan
, the Spanish cruiser , emerged from the harbor and, remaining under protection of shore batteries, opened fire on Saint Paul at long range without success. Isabel II was joined shortly by the destroyer , which attempted to close Saint Paul to launch torpedoes. Saint Paul took Terror under heavy fire, scoring at least one direct hit which heavily damaged the destroyer. Terror gave up the attack and returned to port, followed by Isabel II. Saint Paul was relieved by off San Juan on the 26th and made for New York
to coal.
Saint Paul spent the remainder of her Spanish-American War service as a transport, operating for 48 days in July-August as a War Department vessel. She landed troops at Siboney, Cuba
, and Arroyo, Puerto Rico
, subsequently returning soldiers from Guantanamo Bay
to New York
through 15 August. Entering the Cramp shipyard on 22 August for reconversion to mercantile service, Saint Paul was decommissioned on 2 September and returned to her owner the same day.
Saint Paul was again taken over for wartime service on 27 October 1917. Operated by the United States Shipping Board
as a transport on the War Department account, she retained her merchant crew and carried a naval armed guard
on board. She made twelve voyages between New York and Liverpool
, England
. She was transferred to the Navy account in April 1918; designated SP-1643; and overhauled at New York. Then, while being towed to her berth from dry dock on 28 April, she capsized in the North River. Righted on 11 September, she was subsequently turned over to the Commandant, 3rd Naval District, on 17 October.
Saint Paul entered the New York Navy Yard the following day, but the war
's end led to cancellation of plans to use the ship for carrying troops.
in 1923.
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
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...
. She was named for the capital
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
of Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
.
Saint Paul was launched on 10 April 1895 by William Cramp & Sons, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, as a steel passenger liner; chartered for United States Navy service as an auxiliary cruiser from her owner, International Navigation Company
International Navigation Company
The International Navigation Company was a Philadelphia based holding company owning 26 ships totaling 181,000 tons and carried more passengers than either Cunard or White Star, when the company was reorganized as International Mercantile Marine in 1902...
, by a board appointed on 12 March 1898; and commissioned on 20 April 1898 for Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
service, Captain Charles D. Sigsbee in command.
Spanish-American War
Pascual Cervera y Topete
Pascual Cervera y Topete served as an admiral of the Spanish Caribbean Squadron during the Spanish-American War, and prior to this served his country in a variety of military and political roles....
's squadron between Morant Point, Jamaica, and western Haiti. She captured the British collier Restormel—bound for Cuba with a critical cargo of Cardiff coal—on 25 May and sent her into Key West
Key West
Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida on the North American continent at the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys. Key West is home to the southernmost point in the Continental United States; the island is about from Cuba....
under a prize crew. She cruised off Santiago de Cuba
Santiago de Cuba
Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city of Cuba and capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province in the south-eastern area of the island, some south-east of the Cuban capital of Havana....
and Guantanamo Bay into mid-June, then sailed to join the force blockading San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Saint Paul arrived off San Juan on the morning of 22 June. Shortly after midday, in the 2nd battle of San Juan
Second Battle of San Juan (1898)
The Second Battle of San Juan occurred on 22 June 1898 when two Spanish vessels tried to break the American blockade off San Juan.-Background:...
, the Spanish cruiser , emerged from the harbor and, remaining under protection of shore batteries, opened fire on Saint Paul at long range without success. Isabel II was joined shortly by the destroyer , which attempted to close Saint Paul to launch torpedoes. Saint Paul took Terror under heavy fire, scoring at least one direct hit which heavily damaged the destroyer. Terror gave up the attack and returned to port, followed by Isabel II. Saint Paul was relieved by off San Juan on the 26th and made for New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to coal.
Saint Paul spent the remainder of her Spanish-American War service as a transport, operating for 48 days in July-August as a War Department vessel. She landed troops at Siboney, Cuba
Siboney, Cuba
Siboney is a town in Cuba east of the city of Santiago de Cuba. In 1898 Siboney and the nearby village of Daiquirí were locations where American forces came ashore in the Spanish-American War...
, and Arroyo, Puerto Rico
Arroyo, Puerto Rico
Arroyo is a municipality located along the southern coast of Puerto Rico and bordered by the Caribbean Sea, east of the municipality of Guayama and northwest of the municipality of Patillas. Arroyo is spread over 5 wards and Arroyo Pueblo...
, subsequently returning soldiers from Guantanamo Bay
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is located on of land and water at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba which the United States leased for use as a coaling station following the Cuban-American Treaty of 1903. The base is located on the shore of Guantánamo Bay at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the oldest overseas...
to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
through 15 August. Entering the Cramp shipyard on 22 August for reconversion to mercantile service, Saint Paul was decommissioned on 2 September and returned to her owner the same day.
World War I
United States Shipping Board
The United States Shipping Board was established as an emergency agency by the Shipping Act , 7 September 1916. It was formally organized 30 January 1917. It was sometimes referred to as the War Shipping Board.http://www.gwpda.org/wwi-www/Hurley/bridgeTC.htm | The Bridge To France by Edward N....
as a transport on the War Department account, she retained her merchant crew and carried a naval armed guard
United States Navy Armed Guard
United States Navy Armed Guard units were established during World War I in an attempt to provide defensive firepower to merchant ships in convoy or merchant ships traveling alone...
on board. She made twelve voyages between New York and Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. She was transferred to the Navy account in April 1918; designated SP-1643; and overhauled at New York. Then, while being towed to her berth from dry dock on 28 April, she capsized in the North River. Righted on 11 September, she was subsequently turned over to the Commandant, 3rd Naval District, on 17 October.
Saint Paul entered the New York Navy Yard the following day, but the war
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...
's end led to cancellation of plans to use the ship for carrying troops.
Post-war
Placed in temporary commission on 14 January 1919 for the purpose of fixing responsibility for her care outside of the Navy Yard, Saint Paul soon began reconversion for mercantile service. Returned to her owner on 24 March 1919, Saint Paul was scrapped in GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1923.