The US Navy’s post-Civil War Monitors (Part 2)

During the 1870s and 1880s the United States pursued an isolationist policy, with the result that the United States Navy’s role was confined to coastal defence. Unfortunately, the seagoing monitors whose task would be to fulfil this role were not in good condition and were in need of replacement … but Congress refused to vote any funds for new ship construction.

To get around this problem, the US Navy followed a policy of what can best be described as ‘great repair’. Monitors were taken in hand by the naval dockyards and some parts were removed from them. The ships were then scrapped, and new ships were constructed in their place. These new ships were USS Puritan and the Amphitrite-class (USS Amphitrite, USS Monadnock, USS Terror, and USS Miantonomoh).

USS Puritan was laid down in 1874, launched in December 1882, but not commissioned until December 1896. She saw service during the Spanish-American War, after which she served as a practice ship for the Naval Academy, then as a receiving ship, and finally as a drill ship for the Washington Naval Militia until 1910. She was sold for scrapping in 1918.

USS Amphitrite was laid down in 1874, launched in 1883, and commissioned in 1895. Before the Spanish-American War she performed a variety of training duties for the Naval Militia and gun crews. During the Spanish-American War she served off Cuba and took part in the capture of Puerto Rico. After the war, she resumed her training duties until 1917, when she became a guardship and training ship at New York until the end of the war. She was sold into commercial service in 1920, and her turrets and superstructure were removed so that she could be used as a floating hotel. She was requisitioned during the Second World War to serve as an accommodation ship for civilian construction workers. She was finally sold for scrapping in 1951.

USS Monadnock was laid down in 1874, launched in September 1883, and commissioned in February 1896. She was assigned to the Pacific Squadron and took part in operations in the Philippines during the Spanish-American War. From 1899 until 1904 she operated on the coast of China protecting US interests. She then returned to the Philippines where she was decommissioned in 1909. She was recommissioned in 1912 and worked with submarines based in the Philippines until she was decommissioned for the last time in 1919. She was sold for scrapping in 1923.

USS Terror was laid down in 1874, launched in March 1883, and commissioned in April 1886. During the Spanish-American War she served off Cuba and took part in the capture of Puerto Rico. After the war she served as a practice ship for the Naval Academy from 1901 until 1905, when she was decommissioned. She was stricken in December 1915 and was subsequently used as a test hulk. She was sold for scrapping in 1921 but sank off the coast of New York before she was. The wreck was finally raised and scrapped during the early 1930s.

USS Miantonomoh was laid down in June 1874, launched in December 1876, and commissioned in October 1882. However, she was not completed until 1891. From 1891 until 1895 she undertook various training duties with the Naval Militia and the target service. She was then decommissioned until the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, during which she served off Cuba. She was decommissioned again from 1899 until April 1907 when she took part in the Jamestown Exposition. She was then decommissioned and laid up until 1915, at which point she was used as a target. She was stricken in December 1915 and sold for scrapping in 1922.

USS Puritan.

The characteristics of the USS Puritan are:

• Displacement: 6,060 tons
• Dimensions:
• Length: 296ft 3in (90.3m)
• Beam: 60ft 2in (18.4m)
• Draught: 18ft (5.5m)
• Propulsion: 8 x cylindrical boilers providing steam to 2 x horizontal compound steam engines, each powering a propeller
• Speed: 12.4 knots
• Complement: 200
• Armament: 2 x 2 x 12-inch (305mm)/30 breech-loading rifled guns; 6 x 4-inch (102mm) breech-loading rifled guns; 6 x 6-pounder (57mm) Hotchkiss quick-firing guns
• Armour:
• Side: 14-inch (360mm)
• Turret: 8-inch (200mm)
• Barbette: 14-inch (360mm)
• Deck: 2-inch (51mm)

USS Amphitrite.

USS Monadnock.

USS Terror.

USS Miantomomoh.

The characteristics of the Amphitrite-class are:

• Displacement: 3,990 tons
• Dimensions:
• Length: 262ft (80m)
• Beam: 55ft 6in (16.92m)
• Draught: 14ft 6in (4.2m)
• Propulsion: 4 x single-ended boilers providing steam to 2 x triple-expansion (USS Monadnock) or 2 x compound steam engines, each powering a propeller
• Speed: 12 knots
• Complement: 183
• Armament: 2 x 2 x 10-inch (250mm)/30 breech-loading rifled guns; 2 x 4-inch (102mm) breech-loading rifled guns; 4 x 6-pounder (57mm) quick-firing guns; 2 x 3-pounder (47mm) quick-firing guns; 7 x 1-pounder (37mm) quick-firing guns; 1 x 0.30-inch (7.6mm) Colt machine gun
• Armour:
• Side: 5 to 7-inch (127 to 180mm)
• Turret: 11.5-inch (290mm)
• Deck: 1.5-inch (44mm)

These monitors were supplemented by five ‘new’ ships (i.e. ships that Congress had actually voted to have built). These were the USS Monterey and the four vessels of the Arkansas-class.