INDIANA BB-1
From: DICTIONARY OF AMERICAN NAVAL FIGHTING SHIPS, James L.
Mooney, ed., Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy,
Washington, DC., 1968
displacement. 10,288 n.
length. 350'11"
beam. 69'3"
draft. 24'
speed. 15 k.
complement. 473
armament. 4 13", 8 8", 4 6", 20 6-pdr., 6 1-pdr.)
The first INDIANA (BB-1) was laid down 7 May 1891 by William
Cramp & Sons, Philadelphia; launched 28 February 1893;
sponsored by Miss Jessie Miller, daughter of the Attorney
General of the United States; and commissioned 20 November 1895,
Captain Robley D. Evans in command.
Following fitting out at Philadelphia Nary Yard, INDIANA
trained off the coast of New England. This duty
continued until the outbreak of the Spanish-American War in
1898, when INDIANA formed part of Admiral Sampson's Squadron.
The 10 ships sailed south to intercept Cervera's Spanish
squadron, known to be en route to the Caribbean. INDIANA took
part in bombardment of San Juan 12 May 1898, and returned to Key
West with the squadron to guard Havana 18 May. After it was
discovered that Cervera was at Santiago, Sampson joined Schley
there 1 June and took up the blockade.
In late June, Army units arrived and were landed for an assault
on Santiago. Cervera saw that his situation was desperate and
began his gallant dash out of Santiago 3 July 1898, hoping to
outrun the American blockaders. INDIANA did not join in the
initial chase because of her extreme eastern position on the
blockade, but was near the harbor entrance when destroyers
PLUTON and FUROR emerged. In a short time both ships were
destroyed by INDIANA's guns and those of the other ships.
Meanwhile the remaining Spanish vessels were sunk or run ashore,
in one of the two major naval engagements of the war.
INDIANA returned to her previous pattern of training exercises
and fleet maneuvers after the war, and made practice cruises for
midshipmen of the Naval Academy before decommissioning 29
December 1903.
The battleship recommissioned at New York Navy Yard 9 January
1906. During this phase of her career, INDIANA
served with the Naval Academy Practice Squadron, sailing to
Northern Europe and the Mediterranean. At Queenstown, Ireland,
she fired a 21-gun salute 22 June 1911 In honor of the
coronation of King George V. This important work in training
the Navy's future leaders ended in 1914 and she decommissioned
at Philadelphia 23 May 1914.
INDIANA recommissioned a second time 24 May 1917, and served
through World I as a training ship for gun crews off
Tomkinsville, N.Y., and in the York River, Va. She
decommissioned at Philadelphia 31 January 1919. The name INDIANA
was canceled 29 March 1919 and she was reclassified Coast
Battleship Number 1 so that the name could be assigned to a
newly authorized battleship. She was used as a target in an
important series of tests designed to determine the
effectiveness of aerial bombs and was sunk In November 1920. Her
hulk was sold for scrap 19 March 1924.
Transcribed and edited by"
Larry W. Jewell
[email protected]
