41-533: Four ships of the United States Navy have been named USS Alaska in honor of the territory acquired by the United States from Russia in 1867 which later became the state of Alaska: USS Alaska (1868) , a wooden-hulled screw sloop-of-war in commission from 1869 to 1883 that saw numerous small actions USS Alaska (ID-3035) ,
82-667: A shore battery protecting Olongapo . Zafiro withdrew to Cavite and reported the incident to headquarters. In response, Charleston engaged the battery. On 23 September 1899, Charleston , Concord , the monitor USS Monterey , and Zafiro steamed into Subic Bay and destroyed the battery in the Battle of Olongapo . Then, a company of U.S. Marines and sailors landed and took control. Charleston grounded on an uncharted reef off Camiguin Island on 2 November 1899. She sustained heavy damage, and her crew abandoned ship and escaped to
123-663: A bloody frontal assault the American troops were repulsed and the Filipinos won the battle. In November 1900, the Asiatic Squadron auxiliary cruiser USS Yosemite was heavily damaged in a typhoon while in Apra Harbor , Guam. Due to damage to her screw, her crew scuttled her. They were picked up later by the collier USS Justin . The gunboat USS Vicksburg assisted land forces in capturing
164-600: A landing party from Petrel occupied Cebu . In October 1899, Petrel joined Callao in supporting American troops in the Battle of Noveleta by bombarding Filipino troop concentrations at Noveleta before a shore party made its assault. Many of the captured Spanish gunboats used in the Philippine–American War were manned by United States Army troops and operated together with United States Navy forces. In mid-April 1899, General Henry Lawton led an expedition of 1,500 men in several cascoes and three gunboats to
205-461: A number of Central and South American ports along the Pacific coast. On 14 September 1881 Alaska was anchored off Callao , Peru, when a stop-valve chamber in the ships boiler ruptured. Flames began erupting from beneath the boilers, and the crew worked frantically to extinguish the fires. Subsequently, two men; 2nd Class Fireman Edward Barrett and 1st Class Fireman John Lafferty were awarded
246-525: A place near Santa Cruz to find another former Spanish gunboat which was being used by the Filipinos; during the ensuing Battle of Santa Cruz , the American force captured six steam launches along with two cascoes, and later took the Filipino gunboat, which the Filipinos reportedly had disarmed so that they could use her guns on land, without a fight. Baltimore and Petrel served at the Battle of Iloilo , in which about 1,000 Filipinos were defeated when
287-634: A steam trawler chartered to serve as a minesweeper during World War I, in commission from 1918 to 1919 USS Alaska (CB-1) , the lead ship of the Alaska class of large cruisers, in commission from 1944 to 1947; she saw action in the last days of World War II USS Alaska (SSBN-732) , an Ohio -class ballistic missile submarine commissioned in 1986 and currently in service See also [ edit ] USS Alaskan USS Alarka References [ edit ] [REDACTED] This article incorporates text from
328-551: A voyage to Victoria, British Columbia , late in April—she served there until 16 June. The warship returned to San Francisco on 24 June and remained there until 12 August when she began a series of visits to ports along the west coasts of Central and South America. That employment carried her into 1880. On 22 July 1880, Alaska departed Chimbote , Peru, and headed for the South Pacific. On the outward-bound voyage, she visited
369-680: The Marquesas before arriving at Pago Pago on 27 August and served there until 7 October when she weighed anchor to return to the west coast of the United States. En route home, she stopped at Honolulu, Hawaii , before arriving back in San Francisco on 2 December. She then entered the Mare Island Navy Yard for repairs which kept her from returning to sea until 14 March 1881. Under the command of George Belknap , she then began another extended cruise highlighted by calls at
410-797: The Medal of Honor (Lafferty for the second time). The ship carried out hydrographic surveys , sounding the Alaska Deep (now the Peru–Chile Trench ) and the Alaska Rise (now the Chile Rise ). That mission lasted through the remainder of 1881 and the first half of 1882. On 29 July 1882, the warship departed Callao, Peru, bound for the Hawaiian Islands, and arrived at Honolulu on 6 September. She returned to San Francisco late in
451-487: The Pacific , under the command of George Brown . After rounding Cape Horn late in the summer of 1878, she called at Callao , Peru, on the 23rd. Following visits to several other Latin American ports, Alaska arrived in San Francisco on 11 March 1879. On the 22nd, she got underway for Sitka, Alaska where Indian unrest endangered the lives and property of American citizens. She arrived at Sitka on 3 April, and—except for
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#1732776770266492-783: The Philippine Islands to participate in the Spanish–American War . In the Battle of Manila Bay on 1 May 1898, the squadron destroyed the Spanish fleet in the Philippines, and effectively took control of Manila Bay . Eight Spanish ships were sunk and over 150 killed while the Americans suffered only slight damage. Vessels of the squadron also fought the Spanish in the battle to capture Manila . Naval gunfire on
533-724: The public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships . The entry can be found here . [REDACTED] [REDACTED] List of ships with the same or similar names This article includes a list of ships with the same or similar names. If an internal link for a specific ship led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended ship article, if one exists. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=USS_Alaska&oldid=1152129302 " Categories : Set index articles on ships United States Navy ship names Hidden categories: Misplaced Pages articles incorporating text from
574-590: The screw sloops-of-war USS Alaska and USS Benicia , the sidewheel gunboat USS Monocacy , and the screw tug USS Palos . The objective of the operation was to ascertain the fate of the merchant ship SS General Sherman , establish trade relations, and receive an assurance from the Joseon government that shipwrecked American sailors would be safely treated should they become stranded in Korea. On 1 June 1871, while Rear Admiral Rodgers
615-655: The Americans won a military victory, the Koreans refused to sign a trade treaty until 1882. On 27 April 1898, the squadron, composed of the protected cruisers USS Olympia (the flagship of the squadron ' s commander, Commodore George Dewey ), USS Baltimore , USS Raleigh , and USS Boston , the gunboats USS Petrel and USS Concord , and the United States Revenue Cutter Service cutter USS McCulloch , sailed from Mirs Bay , China, to
656-679: The Asiatic Squadron slowly fought their way to take control of Tientsin away from the Boxers in order to relieve the Siege of the International Legations at Peking . In 1902, the Asiatic Squadron was upgraded in status, becoming the United States Asiatic Fleet . Except for a period from early 1907 until 28 January 1910 when it was downgraded to the status of First Squadron, United States Pacific Fleet ,
697-699: The Asiatic station. That duty continued until 28 October 1872 when the steamer departed Hong Kong, bound for New York. Alaska spent the first seven months of 1873 undergoing repairs at New York, before putting to sea on 28 August for duty with the European Squadron , under the command of Alexander A. Semmes . She arrived at Cadiz , Spain, on 25 September, but remained on station only a little over two months. Long restive under Spanish rule, separatist factions in Cuba had begun fighting for freedom. In 1870,
738-546: The Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships Articles with short description Short description is different from Wikidata All set index articles USS Alaska (1868) The first USS Alaska was a wooden-hulled screw sloop of war , built at the Boston Navy Yard and named for the then-newly acquired territory . The ship was launched on 31 October 1868 and sponsored by Miss Grace Hull,
779-703: The European Station on 9 April 1874 and, for most of what remained of the year, visited ports along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea . Either late in 1874 or early in 1875, she put into La Spezia , Italy, for repairs. On 10 May 1875, the warship departed La Spezia and resumed her schedule of Mediterranean port visits. Near the end of May, however, she exited the Mediterranean Sea for a circuit of calls at northern European and Baltic Sea ports. Alaska completed that cruise and reentered
820-750: The Filipino rebel Emilio Aguinaldo in March 1901 at Palawan Island . Later the gunboat USS Isla de Luzon supported the operation which led to the capture of the Filipino general Vicente Lukbán on Samar in November 1901. During the Boxer Rebellion , the Asiatic Squadron participated in the China Relief Expedition in 1900. At the time, Peking was home to many foreigners who were under siege by Boxer rebels. An international force including U.S. Marines and U.S. Navy sailors of
861-683: The Mediterranean Sea on 19 September. In December 1875, Alaska was ordered by Ulysses S. Grant to Cape Palmas in Maryland County , Liberia, for a show of force to stop the Grebo-Liberian War. The Alaska arrived at Cape Palmas on 3 February 1876. Liberia was in practice an American colony, and U.S. envoy James Milton Turner, the first African-American ambassador, requested a warship to protect American property in Liberia. Turner, bolstered by U.S. naval presence in harbor and
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#1732776770266902-684: The Spaniards' left flank helped American troops take the city without severe losses. The Philippines became an American possession. On 20 June 1898, the Asiatic Squadron protected cruiser USS Charleston captured Guam from the Spanish without resistance, beginning the American possession of the island. The Asiatic Squadron participated in the Philippine–American War from 1899 until its disbandment in 1902. American naval forces operated by sending landing parties ashore and by providing them with naval gunfire support. From 1899 to 1902,
943-475: The daughter of Mayor Liverus Hull of Charlestown, Boston . Alaska was commissioned on 8 December 1869, with Commander Homer C. Blake in command. On 9 April 1870, Alaska got underway from New York in company with Rear Admiral John Rodger's flagship, the screw frigate Colorado . However, the two warships soon parted company; and Alaska steamed independently to the Far East where she visited many of
984-550: The end of the day on the 11th, all three Korean forts belonged to the Americans. During the final assault Marine Private Hugh Purvis of Alaska was the first to scale the walls of the fort, and with Corporal Charles Brown of Colorado , captured the Sujagi (personal flag) of the Korean commanding General Eo Jae-yeon. Both men subsequently received the Medal of Honor . No less than fifteen Medals of Honor were awarded during
1025-404: The enterprise which was made up of 769 sailors and marines, seven 12-pounder howitzers , four stern launches, and numerous boats. Palos and Monocacy provided the distant, heavy support . The force, after initial difficulty getting ashore across tidal mudflats, quickly occupied the first of the three forts—abandoned by its garrison—and consolidated its beachhead in preparation for the assault on
1066-542: The more important ports to show the flag until May 1871. At that time, Alaska joined four other ships of the Asiatic Squadron in a visit to Korea in order to secure a treaty to open the " Hermit Kingdom " to the west. The five ships departed Nagasaki , Japan, on 16 May 1871 and arrived at Roze Roads near the mouth of the Salee River on the 24th. Due to her deep draft, Alaska herself was unable to ascend
1107-617: The nearby island where they made camp. Charleston ' s launch was sent out for help and, after ten days of being marooned , the American sailors were rescued by the gunboat USS Helena . On 7 November 1899, Helena bombarded San Fabian in Lingayen Gulf and covered the landing of 2,500 American troops there. Asiatic Squadron gunboats took part in the Battle of Mabitac in June 1900, where they bombarded Filipino forces while U.S. Army troops attacked their fortifications. In
1148-484: The outbreak of war which appeared to be imminent. On 30 November, Alaska and the rest of the European Squadron sailed for Key West where she and her sisters three squadrons were combined in a single fleet for several months of operations supporting diplomatic efforts to obtain redress. After negotiations freed the remaining prisoners and indemnities for the families were arranged, Alaska headed back to
1189-407: The protected cruisers Charleston , and the gunboats Concord , USS Callao , and Laguna de Bay bombarded Filipino positions during the Battle of Caloocan . Over 300 Filipinos were killed in action and three times as many wounded, with many of the casualties attributed to accurate naval gunfire. USS Petrel and USS Boston shelled Panay Island on 11 February 1899, and, on 22 February 1899,
1230-513: The rebels had acquired the American sidewheel steamship Virginius to carry irregular troops and supplies. Late in October 1873, the Spanish man-of-war Tornado captured the insurgent transport on the high seas and took her to Santiago, where passengers and crew were arrested. Speedily tried by court-martial, most of the prisoners were condemned to death; and, between 4 and 13 November 53 were executed—of whom eight were American citizens, including
1271-421: The remaining forts the following day. On that morning—thanks to Monocacy ' s, heavy ordnance—the second fort fell just as easily as the first had done. Palos had been damaged by an uncharted rock the previous evening and had to be withdrawn from the action. The main fort, however, had to be taken by storm and hand-to-hand combat. Discipline and modern weapons triumphed over greatly superior numbers and, by
USS Alaska - Misplaced Pages Continue
1312-446: The river. Nevertheless, her commanding officer was placed in charge of the surveying expedition—consisting of Palos , Monocacy , and some steam launches from the larger ships—which ascended the river. When the American vessels drew fire from a trio of Korean forts, Rear Admiral John Rodgers decided upon a punitive action to capture and destroy the forts in reprisal. In the Battle of Ganghwa Alaska ' s captain took command of
1353-526: The squadron conducted several missions against the Filipinos. Dewey ' s squadron engaged in naval operation against the Filipinos during and after the 1898 Battle of Manila against the Spanish. At the beginning of the Philippine–American War in February 1899, several American warships supported the occupation of the Philippine Islands. At the same time, the monitor USS Monadnock ,
1394-610: The support of the USS Alaska ' s captain, negotiated the incorporation of Grebo people into Liberian society and the ousting of foreign traders from Liberia. The warship continued operations in the Mediterranean for about a year and then returned to the United States early in October 1876. She was decommissioned at New York on 5 October 1876 for extended repairs. Alaska was placed back in commission on 23 April 1878 and put to sea from New York on 14 June, bound for
1435-406: The three-day conflict. The next day, officers and men of the landing force re-embarked in their ships to await the Korean government's response to the punitive expedition . By 3 July, it became apparent that the Korean government would make no official response to the action and that the desired treaty was not in the offing. Accordingly, Alaska and her consorts got underway to resume their duties on
1476-446: The town and sent men ashore to fight on the ground. Again the Filipinos retreated and set several buildings on fire as they went. In June 1899, American gunboats silenced an artillery piece during the Battle of Zapote River , which ended with an American victory. In the summer of 1899, American gunboats started patrolling Subic Bay . During a routine patrol, the collier USS Zafiro entered Subic Bay and came under fire from
1517-616: The transport's master, Capt. Joseph Fry. The United States consul at Santiago cabled reports of this tragic development, requesting the protection of United States warships to protect American lives. Anger at this wanton slaughter flared throughout the United States, and Secretary of the Navy George M. Robeson ordered the European and South Atlantic Squadrons to join the Home Squadron at Key West, Florida , to prepare for
1558-401: The two warships bombarded the fort there and sent United States Marines and sailors ashore. Only minor skirmishing occurred on land because the Filipinos retreated and burned the town as they left. On 7 May 1899, Laguna de Bay and another gunboat bombarded Sexmoan and routed the Filipinos there. Later that day, the gunboats fought at Guagua , where they bombarded Filipino positions in
1599-606: The year and entered the drydock there in December. Apparently surveyed and found wanting, she was decommissioned at San Francisco on 13 February 1883 and was sold at Mare Island on 20 November 1883. Asiatic Squadron The Asiatic Squadron was a squadron of United States Navy warships stationed in East Asia during the latter half of the 19th century. It was created in 1868 when the East India Squadron
1640-466: Was disbanded. Vessels of the squadron were primarily involved in matters relating to American commerce with China and Japan , though it participated in several conflicts over 34 years of service until becoming the Asiatic Fleet in 1902. In May 1871, Rear Admiral John Rodgers went to Korea, commanding an expedition of five Asiatic Squadron vessels, the screw frigate USS Colorado ,
1681-581: Was negotiating in Inchon , one of the Selee River forts opened fire on Palos as she traversed the Gangwha Straits. In the following engagement , Palos and Monocacy bombarded the fort until it was silenced and on 10 June 1871, the expedition attacked in force. Five of the six hostile forts were captured and destroyed, over 200 Koreans were killed and dozens of cannons were captured. Although