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PHILADELPHIA – The USS Olympia, a one-of-a-kind steel cruiser that returned home to a hero's welcome after a history-changing victory in the Spanish-American War, is a proud veteran fighting what may be its final battle.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100906/ap_on_re_us/us_endangered_warship
Olympia’s Historical Significance
From the moment of her launching in 1892, Olympia was a rare treasure in the U.S. naval fleet, as no sister ships were ever built. She is the world’s oldest floating steel warship and the sole surviving naval ship of the Spanish-American War. Olympia served as Admiral Dewey’s flagship at the Battle of Manila Bay, which marked the U.S.’s emergence as a world naval power. Olympia’s last official naval mission was to carry the body of the Unknown Soldier from France to the United States in 1921. In addition to being a National Historic Landmark, Olympia is also a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark, on the National Register of Historic Places, and part of the Save America’s Treasures program.
http://www.phillyseaport.org/ships_olympia.shtml
Battle of Manila Bay
On the morning of 1 May 1898, Commodore Dewey, with his flag aboard Olympia, steamed his ships into Manila Bay to confront the Spanish flotilla commanded by Rear Admiral Patricio Montojo y Pasarón. The Spanish ships were anchored close to shore, under the protection of coastal artillery, but both the ships and shore batteries were outdated. At approximately 05:40, Dewey instructed Olympia's captain, "You may fire when you are ready, Gridley". Gridley ordered the forward 8-inch gun turret, commanded by Gunners Mate Adolph Nilsson, to open fire, which opened the battle and prompted the other American warships to begin firing.
After initial success, Dewey briefly broke off the engagement at around 07:30 when his flagship ran low on 5 inch ammunition. He ordered the battle resumed shortly after 11:15. By early afternoon, Dewey had completed the destruction of Pasarón's squadron and the shore batteries, while his own ships were largely undamaged. Dewey anchored his ships off Manila and accepted the surrender of the city.
Classification: Protected Cruiser C-6 "Olympia" Class (no sisterships)
Keel Laid: June 17, 1891
Completed: April 1, 1893
Comissioned: February 5, 1895
Rig: Two military masts, with schooner rig.
Armament:
Four 8 inch Mark III guns in two turrets (two guns forward, two aft), which fired a 250 lb projectile, with a 105 to 115 pound brown powder service charge and a muzzle velocity of 2080 feet per second. The two main gun turrets, forward and aft, could rotate 137 degrees. The turret guns could be elevated 15 degrees.Each gun weighed approximately 31 tons.
Ten 5 inch Mark II guns, firing a 50 pound projectile with a 28 to 30 lb. brown powder service charge and a muzzle velocity of 2,250 feet per second
Fourteen 6-pounders
Six 1-pounders
Two Colt machine guns
One field piece (for landing parties)
Six 18" Whitehead above-surface torpedo tubes
Contractor: Union Iron Works, San Francisco, CA
Length: 344 feet, 1 inch
Beam: 53 feet
Mean draft: 21 feet, 6 inches
Max. draft fully loaded: 24 feet, 9-3/4 inches
Displacement: 5,870 tons
Complement:
33 officers and 378 enlisted men Commanded by Captain. Charles V. Gridley to May 25, 1898 when Captain. B. P. Lamberton assumed command.
Engine type: Vertical triple expansion engines, generating 17,313 hp.,
Boiler type: Four double-ended and two single ended cylindrical boilers.
Speed: 21.7 knots
Coal bunker capacity: 1,085.6 tons
Normal coal supply: 400 tons
Endurance @ 10 knots: 6,105 nautical miles
Armor:
Protective deck (interior of hull at approximate level of waterline) was 2 " thick on the flat, and 4 3/4" on the sloped portion.Additional armor was provided through the use of cellulose-packed cofferdams built inside the hull, above the waterline.Coal bunkers were strategically placed around the perimeter to act as additional armor to protect the vitals of the ship, such as the magazines, boilers and engine rooms.
Cost: $1,796,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://cruiserolympia.org/site/the-quarterdeck/
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100906/ap_on_re_us/us_endangered_warship
Olympia’s Historical Significance
From the moment of her launching in 1892, Olympia was a rare treasure in the U.S. naval fleet, as no sister ships were ever built. She is the world’s oldest floating steel warship and the sole surviving naval ship of the Spanish-American War. Olympia served as Admiral Dewey’s flagship at the Battle of Manila Bay, which marked the U.S.’s emergence as a world naval power. Olympia’s last official naval mission was to carry the body of the Unknown Soldier from France to the United States in 1921. In addition to being a National Historic Landmark, Olympia is also a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark, on the National Register of Historic Places, and part of the Save America’s Treasures program.
http://www.phillyseaport.org/ships_olympia.shtml
Battle of Manila Bay
On the morning of 1 May 1898, Commodore Dewey, with his flag aboard Olympia, steamed his ships into Manila Bay to confront the Spanish flotilla commanded by Rear Admiral Patricio Montojo y Pasarón. The Spanish ships were anchored close to shore, under the protection of coastal artillery, but both the ships and shore batteries were outdated. At approximately 05:40, Dewey instructed Olympia's captain, "You may fire when you are ready, Gridley". Gridley ordered the forward 8-inch gun turret, commanded by Gunners Mate Adolph Nilsson, to open fire, which opened the battle and prompted the other American warships to begin firing.
After initial success, Dewey briefly broke off the engagement at around 07:30 when his flagship ran low on 5 inch ammunition. He ordered the battle resumed shortly after 11:15. By early afternoon, Dewey had completed the destruction of Pasarón's squadron and the shore batteries, while his own ships were largely undamaged. Dewey anchored his ships off Manila and accepted the surrender of the city.
Classification: Protected Cruiser C-6 "Olympia" Class (no sisterships)
Keel Laid: June 17, 1891
Completed: April 1, 1893
Comissioned: February 5, 1895
Rig: Two military masts, with schooner rig.
Armament:
Four 8 inch Mark III guns in two turrets (two guns forward, two aft), which fired a 250 lb projectile, with a 105 to 115 pound brown powder service charge and a muzzle velocity of 2080 feet per second. The two main gun turrets, forward and aft, could rotate 137 degrees. The turret guns could be elevated 15 degrees.Each gun weighed approximately 31 tons.
Ten 5 inch Mark II guns, firing a 50 pound projectile with a 28 to 30 lb. brown powder service charge and a muzzle velocity of 2,250 feet per second
Fourteen 6-pounders
Six 1-pounders
Two Colt machine guns
One field piece (for landing parties)
Six 18" Whitehead above-surface torpedo tubes
Contractor: Union Iron Works, San Francisco, CA
Length: 344 feet, 1 inch
Beam: 53 feet
Mean draft: 21 feet, 6 inches
Max. draft fully loaded: 24 feet, 9-3/4 inches
Displacement: 5,870 tons
Complement:
33 officers and 378 enlisted men Commanded by Captain. Charles V. Gridley to May 25, 1898 when Captain. B. P. Lamberton assumed command.
Engine type: Vertical triple expansion engines, generating 17,313 hp.,
Boiler type: Four double-ended and two single ended cylindrical boilers.
Speed: 21.7 knots
Coal bunker capacity: 1,085.6 tons
Normal coal supply: 400 tons
Endurance @ 10 knots: 6,105 nautical miles
Armor:
Protective deck (interior of hull at approximate level of waterline) was 2 " thick on the flat, and 4 3/4" on the sloped portion.Additional armor was provided through the use of cellulose-packed cofferdams built inside the hull, above the waterline.Coal bunkers were strategically placed around the perimeter to act as additional armor to protect the vitals of the ship, such as the magazines, boilers and engine rooms.
Cost: $1,796,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://cruiserolympia.org/site/the-quarterdeck/
Jacqui
