Shipbucket

Nice additions.

Greetings!

A little explanation: from this point on there will be an increasing number of classes for both countries as the naval arms race heats up. As I’ve mentioned earlier my goal (time permitting) is to draw and detail every class of ship built or planned through the end of the War of the Americas and postwar through 1930.

So, while the ships are “under construction”, here’s the next decade’s background information. As always, questions and comments are welcome!

1881-1890:

US National Overview:
This was a quiet decade for the United States. After the rush to complete the Transcontinental Railroad, the country settled into a methodical, but steady period of economic growth. Immigration to the West very rapidly built the populations in the territories, and by 1885, six new states had been added. International trade increased dramatically during this decade as well, and made the US a more desirable trading partner.
This tied in with the diplomatic outreach resulting from the country moving away from its Civil War-era isolationism. Led by Secretary of State Nathanial Ashley, these efforts, aimed primarily at Europe and South America, saw mixed results. Britain and France remained aloof due to their still close ties with the Confederacy, while Germany and the Netherlands were more welcoming – likely due to the large numbers of immigrants from both countries residing in the US. In South America, Argentina and Peru were most receptive to US diplomatic overtures – all of which would have ramifications in the future.
The most important treaty of the decade was undoubtedly the Vargas-Ashley Treaty of 1881. This agreement strengthened ties between the US and Mexico, and moved beyond economic assistance and a pledge of defense – to outright expansion of Mexico’s military – particularly her navy – with the goal of self-sufficiency by 1900. These efforts were greatly assisted by the appointment of the popular and charismatic Commodore Martinez – hero of the Battle of Veracruz – as Naval Attaché in Washington.
Politically, the long “Republican Drought” ended with the 1880 election of James Blaine. The former senator from Maine was regarded as a capable leader and was responsible for many of the diplomatic and economic initiatives of the era – although with a Democratically-controlled Congress, was unable to fulfill all of his campaign promises. He was succeeded by a Democrat, Thomas Bayard of Delaware, who tried to continue some of Blaine’s more popular programs.

Presidents:
James G. Blaine (R-ME) 1881-1885
Thomas Bayard (D-DE) 1885-1889
John Sherman (R-OH) 1889-1893

Vice-Presidents:
George F. Edmunds (R-VT) 1881-1885
Samuel J. Randall (D-PA) 1885-1887 R
Office vacant 1887-1889
Russell A. Alger (R-MI) 1889-1893

Political party abbreviations: D-Democratic Party; R-Republican Party; P-Progressive Party
Key: A: Assassinated; D: Died in office; I: Impeached; R: Resigned; S: Succeeded to presidency

States admitted (year):
North Dakota (1884), South Dakota (1884), Montana (1884), Washington (1884), Idaho (1885), Wyoming (1885)

CS National Overview:
As the decade opened, the Confederacy moved quickly to assimilate the former Mexican states it acquired in the Treaty of Baltimore. All six had been renamed and had been made territories by 1881, and by the end of the decade, four had joined the CSA as states. Beyond the opening of the new territories, the CS worked on the continued expansion of its domestic industries, although agriculture retained its dominance of the country’s economy and it looked to remain so for the foreseeable future.
Like the US, the CSA embarked on a diplomatic effort aimed at improving relationships and securing additional allies. Relations with England remained strong – with the flow of Confederate money into the coffers of British shipbuilders and “most-favored nation” status on trade goods likely a factor – while relations with France cooled for the same reasons. In South America, the first Confederate consulates opened in Brazil and Chile. The biggest diplomatic setback was with Spain, as relations – never good – soured dramatically during the decade, setting the stage for the troubles in the Caribbean to come.
Politically, the monopoly of the Confederation Party was broken by the emergence of a second political faction. The States First party – created by social progressives within the Confederation Party (who would be considered moderates at best in the United States) – had won a close race for the Executive Mansion and gained a slight majority in the CS Congress in the general elections of 1879. As their name suggested, they championed states rights and a weak central government, which they felt had become too powerful in the years following the Civil War.
This environment quickly created the first serious domestic issue for the young country – the expansion of slavery. Although the “Firsts” as they were called, were not abolitionists in any sense (some were quite racist in attitude), they were firmly committed to the idea of self-determination for the new states.
This initiative quickly spread to moderates in the existing states, particularly those with low slave populations such as Virginia and Missouri, and formed the basis for the “Determinist” Movement. Conservative members of the Confederation Party cried foul at this and vowed to fight any such efforts to “upset the societal status quo”.
By the time of the elections of 1885, the issue had become the central focus of the campaigns. To add fuel to the fire, both Britain and France chose this volatile period to increase pressure on the Confederate government to abolish the institution of slavery completely. Tensions rose and just when it looked as if the issue would only be decided in a long and brutal debate in the CS Senate, the shouting abruptly stopped and the matter was quietly sidelined. Clearly, some sort of backroom deal was struck, but the ramifications of that deal would only come out over time.

Presidents:
Matt Whitaker Ransom (S-NC) 1880-1886
John Tyler Morgan (S-AL) 1886-1892

Vice-Presidents:
Benjamin H. Hill (S-GA) 1880-1882 D
Office vacant 1882-1886
Isham G. Harris (S-TN) 1886-1892

Political party abbreviations: C-Confederation Party; S-States First Party; CR-Confederation-Reform Party; RF-Reform Party; F-Foundation Party
Key: A: Assassinated; D: Died in office; I: Impeached; R: Resigned; S: Succeeded to presidency

States admitted (year):
South Texas (1882), Lafayette (1886), Rio Grande (1888), Sierra (1890)

US Navy 1881-1890:
Although the decade was quiet domestically and politically, it was anything but for the US Navy. The emergence of the Confederate Navy as a viable threat had forced the USN to both modernize and expand. A number of new programs emerged during this time aimed at embracing the technological advancements of the age, included new breech-loading cannon, steel construction for hulls and armor, powerful triple-expansion engines and electrical systems.
This “New Navy” would not only build its first true cruisers of the Albany and Montpelier classes, but would add three turret and two central barbette battleships to counter the innovative Virginia class vessels commissioned by the CSN. They would also address the growing threat of Confederate torpedo boats with a class of dedicated hunters – the torpedo gunboats of the Avenger class.
This decade would also see the end of the wooden warship in the US Navy, as by 1889, the last of the Civil War-era steam sloops and gunboats still in service would be retired. In addition, the remaining coastal monitors would all be decommissioned by mid-decade.
By the end of the 1880's, the US Navy would field only 49 active warships. However, most of these vessels were new and were much more capable warships than their predecessors. In 1890, the fleet consisted of 5 battleships, 4 armored cruisers, 4 protected cruisers, 14 armored frigates, 14 torpedo gunboats and 8 torpedo boats.

CS Navy 1881-1890:
Although the Confederate Navy had made great strides toward becoming a blue-water force during the 1870’s, the new decade opened with a crisis. Although the continued growth of the Navy was now seen as vital to the country’s security – funding that Navy was in debate. The crux of the problem was a symptom of the Determinist Movement. States without a coast to defend like Missouri and Tennessee were increasingly of the option that they should be required to pay only for riverine defenses while coastal states such as Alabama and Texas should fund the ocean-going Navy.
The new Firsts president, Matt Ransom, shared this position, and early in his administration sought to make changes. The bipartisan pro-Navy faction – led by the outspoken Naval Secretary Jean-Phillip Lagrange – was outraged.
While the argument continued, the Virginia class – built in the UK - was commissioned by 1882, greatly alarming the US, who responded by building their first modern battleships – the Wisconsin class. Three of these powerful ships were in service in less than three years; highlighting the industrial and shipbuilding disparity that still existed between the two Americas.
This development, coupled with the backlash Britain’s Sir Armitage promised if his friend was forced to resign (as Lagrange had threatened several times) along with the enigmatic backroom deal mentioned above was enough to encourage Ransom and the Firsts-dominated CS Congress to “loosen the purse-strings” and maintain the naval funding requirement for all states.
Once the money situation had been addressed, the CS Navy moved quickly, adding a group of 1st Class (protected) cruisers and greatly expanding its force of torpedo boats – an additional forty new vessels of increasing sophistication (many both designed and built in the CSA) – were in service at the end of the decade. Between 1882 and 1885, the ironclads of the North Carolina class and all remaining wooden cruisers were decommissioned, while the ten coastal casemate rams still in service were gradually retired with the last; CSS Tennessee, gone by 1889.
By 1890, the CS Navy would consist of 58 ships comprising 2 battleships, 5 protected cruisers, 3 armored frigates, and 48 torpedo boats.

Cheers!
StealthJester

Albany class (US):





The first products of the new technologies applications project known informally as “The New Navy”, the Albany class was groundbreaking for the US Navy in many respects. They were the first steel-hulled ships, as well as the first protected cruisers, built for the United States and used all-new breech-loading guns and featured full electrical systems. Otherwise contemporary in design, these ships were among the last US warships to use compound steam engines and auxiliary sail rigs.

A group of four; USS Albany, USS Baltimore, USS Cambridge, and USS Dover, were built. Their most unusual feature was the fact that although they used the same hull and twin-shaft propulsion system, they each had different armament schemes, which allowed different configurations to be evaluated under real world conditions.
The Albany class was 313 feet long with a beam of 45 feet and a normal draft of 18 feet. The first two ships displaced 3,357 tons normal and 3,670 tons full load while the second pair displaced 3,702 tons normal and 4,036 tons full load.
Albany was armed with two 8”/30 Mk.1 guns in open barbettes fore and aft, with a secondary battery of eight 6”/30 Mk.1’s in casemates and a light battery of two 6-pounders (57mm) and four 3-pounder (47mm) rapid-fire guns.
Baltimore shared the class ship’s main and light armament, but the secondary battery was instead twelve 5”/30 Mk.1 guns clustered amidships.
Cambridge featured four 8” guns in two twin turrets, while the secondary battery consisted of six 6” and four 5” guns. There was no light battery save for four 1-pounder (37mm) guns as anti-torpedo boat weapons.
Dover mounted two heavy 9”/30 Mk.1’s in single barbettes fore and aft – the only ship to carry these weapons. Her secondary and tertiary batteries were the same as aboard Cambridge.
The first two ships were propelled by two three-cylinder compound engines producing 3,300 horsepower and carried 706 tons of coal. Speed was 15 knots with a range of 3,500 nautical miles. The second pair’s engines produced 3,500 horsepower and carried 750 tons of coal to match the performance of the lighter ships.
Armor was of the compound type for the first time and featured an armored deck of 1.5” thickness, 4” main barbettes, and a 2.5” thick armored conning tower. The only differences were the 4” main turrets on Cambridge and the 5” barbettes used aboard Dover. Crew compliment varied from 275 to 308.

These ships were state-of-the-art when they commissioned between 1883 and 1884, and were viewed as somewhat experimental. Nevertheless, they led long lives and proved very successful in active service with the exception of Dover, whose main guns were ultimately deemed failures (although this was through no fault of her design). Her 9” guns were replaced in 1898 with two 8”/35 Mk.3’s during her last major refit. All four were officially rated as protected cruisers in 1891 under the new Type Classification System, and received “CR” pennant numbers. They served as second-line forces during both the Central American Crisis (1900-1901) and the Western Pacific War (1906-1908) with USS Baltimore (CR-2) lost to enemy action off Guam in 1907.
The three surviving ships remained in service for only a few years afterward, Dover being the first retired – decommissioning in 1910. Albany and Cambridge soldiered on until 1912 when they also decommissioned. All three were scrapped beginning in 1913.

Next up: Wisconsin class early turret battleships

Cheers!
StealthJester

Nice addition. The Albany herself, kind of looks like the Atlanta class of the OTL.

Wisconsin class (US):


When word of the two ironclad turret battleships under construction in British shipyards for the Confederate Navy reached Washington in early 1881, it caused considerable anxiety in the Navy Department. These ships were revolutionary in their design – carrying their primary armament in turrets and dispensing with even auxiliary sails. Andrew Eubanks, Secretary of the Navy for newly-inaugurated President Blaine, went to the head of BuC&R – also recently appointed – Hiram Langford, to discuss the matter. Langford insisted the US must undertake construction of similar vessels as the new Confederate ships outclassed anything in the fleet and had to be countered.
Immediately, design work started on what would become the Wisconsin class. As the US had not yet built anything like these ships, foreign designs were studied intently. Not surprisingly, Langford’s team settled on a design similar to the Confederate ships, themselves copies of the British HMS Dreadnought which had been completed in 1879, which had herself been based on the innovative Devastation class.
With the design in hand, funding was secured for a class of three ships, to be named Wisconsin, Nevada, and Delaware, all of which were laid down in 1882. Taking advantage of the US’s stronger industry and shipbuilding capacity, the three battleships were completed in less than three years and commissioned during 1885.

The Wisconsin class was of mixed construction (steel over iron framing), 323 feet long overall, with a beam of 64 feet and a normal draft of 23 feet. They displaced 8,540 tons normal and 9,480 tons full load. They were armed with four 12”/30 Mk.1 guns in two twin turrets fore and aft, with a secondary battery of six 6”/35 Mk.2 casemate guns and an anti-torpedo boat battery of eight 6-pounder (57mm) rapid-fire weapons. Although some consideration was given to mounting torpedo tubes, the final design was somewhat cramped with little extra space so the idea was dropped.
Propulsion was by twin-shaft three-cylinder vertical compound engines producing 4,700 horsepower. Design speed was 14 knots but this was rarely achieved in service – USS Nevada recording a speed of 13.9 knots in light ship condition shortly after entering service. Range was 6,000 nautical miles on 2,110 tons of coal.
Armor was of the compound type and comprised a heavy belt of 13” tapering to 11” at bow and stern, with a 2” deck. Turret armor was 12” thickened to 14” around the gun ports. The casemate was armored to 10”in the areas of the secondary mounts, and finally, a 6” conning tower. Crew complement varied, but was normally around 510.

After commissioning, the ships were assigned to the US Home Squadron based in Boston. They were successful in service and popular with their crews, but were not really suited for deep water operations despite being good sea-boats due to their low freeboard. Under the new classification system adopted in 1891, they were rated as coastal battleships and assigned hull numbers CB-1 to CB-3. During their active lives, the Wisconsin’s changed very little, during their refits in 1893-94, consideration was given to re-arming them with 13”/35 Mk.1’s, but the restricted dimensions of the turrets wouldn’t permit it without extensive modifications, so the original guns were instead replaced with 12”/35” Mk.3’s.
By the turn of the century, these ships were quite obsolete and were relegated to training duties. They were finally retired in 1905. After languishing in mothballs for the next several years, they were sold off and scrapped beginning in 1909.

Cheers!
StealthJester

Looks good.

Experimental Torpedo Boats (US):


Consisting of the four-ship Osprey and Falcon classes, the first torpedo boats built for the USN would also be the only examples of this type to enter service. Designed originally to counter the Confederate A Class boats which had entered service in 1880, by the time the Ospreys commissioned in 1885 they were greatly outnumbered by the CSN’s B Class which entered service a year earlier. One additional class of torpedo boat, the Falcon class, was built and entered service in 1888, by which time construction of the twelve-ship C Class was well underway. This made it apparent that the CSN was significantly ahead of the US in both numbers and design of these vessels, in response, the Department of the Navy decided to abandon further torpedo boat development in favor of dedicated craft for dealing with them.

The Osprey class; Osprey, Hawk, Raven, and Kestrel, were 130 feet long and displaced 119 tons full load. They were armed with two 3-pounder (47mm) guns and two 14” torpedo tubes on swivel mounts amidships. Like their Confederate counterparts, these boats carried license-built Whitehead torpedoes, two reloads also being carried. Two vertical three-cylinder compound engines producing 2,300 horsepower propelled these boats to 22 knots and they had a range of 500 nautical miles. Crew numbered 22.
The follow-on Falcon class, consisting of Falcon, Kingfisher, Eagle, and Condor, was very similar and were 140 feet long overall and displaced 141 tons full load. They were also armed with two 3-pounders but doubled the number of torpedo tubes and reloads to four. These boats were the first in the US Navy to use triple-expansion steam engines. Two, producing 2,800 horsepower through twin-shafts, gave these boats a maximum speed of 23 knots; USS Eagle achieving a speed of 23.8 knots during trials. Range also improved, with a maximum of 750 nautical miles. Crew complement stood at 25.

After entering service, these eight boats were not assigned as front-line units. Instead they served to train crews first in torpedo boat tactics and operations and second, to help develop tactics for countering these warships. All eight participated in frequent maneuvers with other US ships, and particularly the Avenger class of torpedo gunboats once they had entered service. These latter exercises, in fact, highlighted the limitations of the torpedo gunboat concept, and hastened the development of torpedo boat destroyers.

Designated TB-1 through TB-8 under the 1891 Classification System, these boats continued to serve in their training roles through the end of the century. Of the eight built, two were lost, USS Hawk to a boiler explosion in 1892, and USS Condor to a collision during an exercise in 1899. The surviving boats were decommissioned in two batches, the Ospreys in 1906 and the Falcons two years later. All had been scrapped by 1910.

Montpelier class (US):


While the Albany class was still building, plans for a follow-on class of cruisers were underway. Navy Secretary Eubanks directed that the new ships be larger and more heavily armed. BuC&R Chief Langford and his designers seized on this as an opportunity to correct what they saw as shortcomings – particularly in sea-keeping – in the Wisconsin class battleships which were also under construction. The design that emerged was for a class of all-steel hulled ships with excellent handling and sea-keeping characteristics that would set the standard for US ships. Four, to be named Montpelier, Salem, Philadelphia, and Annapolis, were authorized in 1883 and were laid down between 1884 and 1885.

The new cruisers were 330 feet long overall, with a beam of 50 feet and a normal draft of 18 feet. They displaced 6,760 tons normal and 7,401 tons full load. They carried a main battery of four 10”/30 Mk.1 guns in two open barbettes fore and aft, a secondary battery of ten 6”/30 Mk.2’s in casemate mounts, and an anti-torpedo boat battery of eight 6-pounder (57mm) rapid-fire guns. They were the last US warships to use compound steam engines; two producing 4,100 horsepower propelled these ships to 14 knots. Range was 5,000 nautical miles.
Armor was of the compound type typical of this era and comprised an 8” belt tapering to 6” bow and stern, a 2” deck, 10” barbettes, 6” casemates, and 3” conning tower. Crew complement was 428.

After entering service between 1886 and 1887, the ships were split between the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets for most of their careers. They were very successful in service – quickly gaining a reputation for handling and sea-keeping – but as with all ships of this period, were soon rendered obsolete by the dramatic changes in warship design during the 1890’s and early 1900’s.
Designated as armored cruisers (ACR) under the new system, the four ships continued to serve as second-line units, seeing action in both the Central American Crisis and the Western Pacific War, with USS Annapolis (ACR-4) being severely damaged in the latter conflict. Under repair at war’s end, it was decided to refit her with modern 10”/45 Mk.5 and 6”/45 Mk.7 guns, simplify her rigging and trunk the forward two funnels into one. When she re-commissioned in 1910, Annapolis had gained another six years of active service life, while her sisters were retired the following year – Montpelier and Salem scrapped by 1912, while Philadelphia was expended as a target in 1913. USS Annapolis carried on alone until early in 1916, when she was also retired. Rebuilt as a training ship, she was rechristened USS Dartmouth and served the Naval Academy from 1917 to 1931.

Pennsylvania class (US):


When the keel for USS Pennsylvania was laid down late in 1885, it was intended that she and her sister-ship USS New Jersey (laid down the following year) would leapfrog the Confederate Navy in both battleship numbers and design. The ships that commissioned were a curious mix of ideas, becoming the first all steel battleships in the US Navy, the first to use triple-expansion engines, but also the only examples of central battery capital ships to enter service with the United States.

The Pennsylvania class was 343 feet long overall, with a 64 foot beam and a nominal draft of 22 feet. They displaced 8,722 tons normal and 9,628 tons full load. They were armed with four 12”/30 Mk.1’s in open barbettes en echelon amidships. They carried a powerful (for that time) secondary battery of twelve 6”/30 Mk.2 guns and a light batter of eight 6-pounders. They were twin-shaft and powered by two triple-expansion engines generating 4,500 horsepower. Design speed was 14 knots, and was frequently exceeded in service; Pennsylvania reaching a speed of nearly 15 knots in light ship conditions in 1892. They carried 2,040 tons of coal and had a range of 6,500 nautical miles.
Armor comprised a heavy belt of 14” compound armor tapering to 12” bow and stern, a 2” armored deck, 14” barbettes, 10” casemates, and a 7” conning tower. Crew numbered 538.

Separated upon commissioning between 1888 and 1889, the pair served for many years as flagships of their respective fleets – Pennsylvania in the Atlantic, and New Jersey in the Pacific. Despite their odd design, they were well liked by their crews for their heavy construction, speed, and excellent sea-keeping abilities.
Designated as B-4 and B-5 respectively under the 1891 reclassification, the two ships were refit several times in an ultimately futile attempt to keep them current. In 1896, they had their main guns replaced with 13”/35 Mk.1’s which greatly increased their firepower, but forbade firing cross-deck due to the potential for blast damage (problematical even with their original guns). Between 1900 and 1901 their funnels were combined and their old-style masts were replaced with military style ones – greatly altering their appearance.



Relegated to second-line duties by the turn of the century, the two ships were reunited in the Pacific Fleet shortly before the outbreak of the Western Pacific War in 1906. Not able to keep up with newer battleships they were assigned to garrison duty in Guam after it was first re-captured from Confederate forces. In April of 1907, Apra Harbor, where the pair was stationed, was attacked by a powerful Confederate squadron centered on the new pre-dreadnought CSS Rio Grande intent on retaking the island. With no hope of immediate reinforcement (the main US fleet had been drawn off by a successful decoy strike elsewhere in the Marianas), the commander of the garrison force, Commodore Arthur Henley, decided to attack at once while signaling the troop convoy to make steam and escape, and dispatching a lone destroyer to locate the main body of the US force and warn them.
In the battle that followed, both Pennsylvania’s concentrated on Rio Grande and managed to inflict some serious damage, but were overwhelmed by their opponent’s heavy fire. Pennsylvania was hit several times by Rio Grande and her older consort, CSS Texas, before being destroyed by a magazine explosion – killing most of her crew; including Commodore Henley. New Jersey lasted a bit longer before she was pounded into a burning hulk. As the battered remnants of the garrison force abandoned the harbor, New Jersey was torpedoed by Confederate cruisers and sank.
The sacrifice of the two ships and their crews had not been in vain, however, as the troopships and their escorts had escaped, although Guam again fell to the Confederates (albeit temporarily). Commodore Henley was posthumously promoted to Rear Admiral and many of his officers were decorated for their actions.
Both wrecks were eventually located in 1975 in around 120 feet of water. They are listed as war graves by the United States and may not be entered – although diving on the ships is allowed.

Avenger class (US):


The first dedicated torpedo boat hunters built for the US Navy, the ships of the Avenger class were fated to serve only a few years before being retired. They were rendered obsolete by the appearance of true torpedo boat destroyers in the early 1890’s and the type as a concept was quickly abandoned by nearly every navy as technological and tactical dead ends.

The Avengers were 240 feet long, with a beam of 27 feet and a normal draft of 9 feet. They displaced 733 tons normal and 794 tons full load. They were armed with four 6-pounder (57mm) guns in shielded deck mounts and four 14” torpedo tubes with reloads. They were twin-shaft and powered by triple-expansion engines producing 3,800 horsepower. They were capable of 20 knots and had a maximum range of 2,000 nautical miles. Crew complement was 83.

Fourteen ships of this class were commissioned between 1889 and 1890; Avenger, Sentinel, Guardian, Bulwark, Crusader, Paladin, Archer, Barricade, Hunter, Phalanx, Bastion, Embrasure, Lancer, and Citadel. They were extensively deployed in training exercises with US torpedo boats to develop tactics and operational doctrine. Although greatly outgunning contemporary torpedo boats, it quickly became apparent that the ships could only engage their prey under certain circumstances, as they were one to two knots slower than, and not as maneuverable as, the craft they hoped to engage. Against Confederate boats – particularly the newest C and D Class vessels – these disadvantages would be even more pronounced.
The negative reports on these ships returning to the Navy Department caused a bit of an uproar of course and even led to a Congressional investigation. The ships remained in service, however, while the US Navy tried to find a place for them. Designated as TG-1 to TG-14 in 1891, the ships were split between the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets while various proposals were put forth to refit them as more true destroyers entered service during the 1890’s, but little funding was available for what were increasingly considered “white elephants” and the class was placed in reserve in 1900.
Finally, the decision was made to offer some or all to the Mexican Navy, who eventually purchased four, christening them NRM Centinela (ex-Sentinel TG-2), NRM Baluarte (ex-Bulwark TG-4), NRM Cruzado (ex-Crusader TG-5), and NRM Barricada (ex-Barricade TG-8) in 1901. They landed two of their torpedo tubes in favor of two additional 6-pounders and remained in service with the Mexican Navy as regular gunboats until 1913 when they were sold off and scrapped.
As for the remainder of the class, nine were decommissioned and scrapped between 1901 and 1904. The last survivor of this ill-fated group was USS Lancer (TG-13) which was spared the cutter’s torch, stripped of armament, and refit as a presidential yacht. Renamed USS Declaration, she served in this new role until mid-1940, when she was retired.

Cheers!
StealthJester

Nice read!

Could we see the conversion of that TB-hunter to presidential yacht;

I like this thread better than the other one. You also show more than capital ships.

Greetings!

Here is an additional image (a little out of chronological order):

USS Declaration:

Presidential yacht USS Declaration as she appeared when first commissioned in 1905.

Cheers!
StealthJester