US Navy Protected and Peace Cruisers: (C-14) Denver, (C-15) Des Moines, (C-16) Chattanooga, (C-17) Galveston, (C-18) Tacoma, (C-19) Cleveland, (C-20) St. Louis, (C-21) Milwaukee, (C-22) Charleston

US Navy Protected and Peace Cruisers: (C-14) Denver, (C-15) Des Moines, (C-16) Chattanooga, (C-17) Galveston, (C-18) Tacoma, (C-19) Cleveland, (C-20) St. Louis, (C-21) Milwaukee, (C-22) Charleston

In the pre-1920 period abbreviations were informal and not standardized; officially these ships were, e.g., “Cruiser No. 1”. Only the Montgomery class were unprotected cruisers, all the rest were protected cruisers. The Navy often referred to unprotected cruisers and obsolete protected cruisers (and some large gunboats without cruiser features) as peace cruisers due to their use in major policing and diplomatic roles. (Wikipedia)

Denver class

(C-14) Denver (1904) – WW1, later PG-28, CL-16
(C-15) Des Moines (1904) – WW1, later PG-29, CL-17
(C-16) Chattanooga (1904) – WW1, later PG-30, CL-18
(C-17) Galveston (1905) – WW1, later PG-31, CL-19
(C-18) Tacoma (1904) – United States occupation of Veracruz, WW1, later PG-32, CL-20
(C-19) Cleveland (1903), later PG-33, CL-22

St. Louis class

(C-20) St. Louis (1906) – WW1, later CA-18
(C-21) Milwaukee (1906), wrecked 13 January 1917
(C-22) Charleston (1905) – WW1, later CA-19

While classified as patrol gunboats by the Navy and as sloops by the 1930 London Naval Treaty, the 2,000 ton displacement Erie-class gunboats were designed to fulfill the role of peace cruisers in Asia and the Caribbean as detailed in internal Navy documents.

(C-14) Denver

(National Archives Photo, 16 Feb 1919)

USS Denver (C-14/PG-28/CL-16) was the lead ship of her class of protected cruisers in the United States Navy. She was the first Navy ship named for the city of Denver, the capital of Colorado.

Denver was launched on 21 June 1902 by Neafie and Levy Ship and Engine Building Company in Philadelphia, sponsored by Miss R. W. Wright, daughter of Robert R. Wright, the mayor of Denver; and commissioned on 17 May 1904, with Commander Joseph Ballard Murdock in command. She was reclassified PG-28 in 1920 and CL-16 on 8 August 1921. (Wikipedia)

(Boston Public Library Photo)

USS Denver (C-14/PG-28/CL-16) in drydock at the Charleston Navy Yard, 14 Oct 1928.

(U.S. Naval Historical Center Photo)

USS Denver (C-14/PG-28/CL-16).

(USN Photo)

USS Denver (C-14/PG-28/CL-16).

(C-15) Des Moines

(Detroit Publishing Co. Photo, c1909)

USS Des Moines (C-15/PG-29/CL-17) was a protected cruiser of the Denver class in the United States Navy during the First World War. She was the first Navy ship named for the city of Des Moines, Iowa.

Des Moines was launched on 20 September 1902 at the Fore River Ship and Engine Company, Quincy, Massachusetts, sponsored by Miss Elsie Macomber; and commissioned on 5 March 1904. She was designated PG-29 on 7 July 1920, and redesignated CL-17 on 8 August 1921. (Wikipedia)

(USN Photo)

USS Des Moines (C-15/PG-29/CL-17).

(USN Photo)

USS Des Moines (C-15).

(C-16) Chattanooga

(U.S. National Archives Photo, 12 Oct 1906)

USS Chattanooga (C-16/PG-30/CL-18) was a Denver-class protected cruiser in the United States Navy during World War I. She was the second Navy ship named for the city of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Chattanooga was one of six Denver-class protected cruisers ordered for the US Navy on 14 December 1899.[4] She was laid down at the Crescent Shipyard of Elizabethport, New Jersey on 29 March 1900, and launched on 7 March 1903.[6] Construction was much slower than contracted (the contracted completion date was 14 June 1902), and when the shipbuilding trust that owned the Crescent Shipyard, the US Government cancelled the contract and took possession of the part-completed ship, which was moved to the New York Navy Yard for finishing in October 1903.

Chattanooga was commissioned on 11 October 1904. After sea trials in January 1905, during which she reached a speed of 16.65 knots (30.84 km/h; 19.16 mph) in a four-hour trial, she reported to the Atlantic Fleet. (Wikipedia)

(Naval History and Heritage Command Photo)

USS Chattanooga (C-16/PG-30/CL-18).

(C-17) Galveston

(USN Photo)

USS Galveston (C-17/PG-31/CL-19) was a Denver-class protected cruiser in the United States Navy during the First World War. She was the first Navy ship named for the city of Galveston, Texas. Galveston was laid down 19 January 1901 by William R. Trigg Company, Richmond, Virginia; launched 23 July 1903; sponsored by Miss Ella Sealey; and commissioned at Norfolk, Virginia, 15 February 1905. (Wikipedia)

(USN Photo)

USS Galveston (C-17/PG-31/CL-19) in Manilla Bay.

(C-18) Tacoma

(Naval History and Heritage Command Photo)

USS Tacoma (C-18/PG-32/CL-20) was a Denver-class protected cruiser in the United States Navy during the First World War. She was the second Navy ship named after the city of Tacoma, Washington. Tacoma was laid down on 27 September 1900 at Mare Island, California, by the Union Iron Works. She was launched on 2 June 1903, sponsored by Miss Julia M. Harris, and commissioned on 30 January 1904, Commander Reginald Fairfax Nicholson in command. (Wikipedia)

(Naval History and Heritage Command Photo)

USS Tacoma (C-18/PG-32/CL-20).

(USN Photo)

USS Tacoma (C-18/PG-32/CL-20).

(Naval History and Heritage Command Photo)

USS Tacoma.

(Naval History and Heritage Command Photo)

USS Tacoma.

(C-19) Cleveland

(USN Photo)

USS Cleveland (C-19) in the “Dewey” Dry Dock, Olongapo Naval Station, Philippine Islands, circa 14 January 1908.

USS Cleveland (C-19/PG-33/CL-21) was a United States Navy Denver-class protected cruiser. She was launched 28 September 1901 by Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine, sponsored by “Miss R. Hanna” (probably Ruth Hanna McCormick), and commissioned 2 November 1903, with Commander William Henry Hudson Southerland in command. (Wikipedia)

(Library of Congress Photo)

USS Cleveland (C-19), 1910.

(C-20) St. Louis

(USN Photo)

USS St. Louis (C-20) underway off the Boston Naval Shipyard, Massachusetts (USA), 14 September 1917.

The USS St. Louis (C-20/CA-18), was the lead ship of her class of protected cruisers in the United States Navy. St. Louis was launched on 6 May 1905 by the Neafie & Levy Company, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was sponsored by Miss Gladys Bryant Smith and commissioned on 18 August 1906 with Captain Nathaniel R. Usher in command. (Wikipedia)

(USN Photo)

USS St. Louis (C-20), circa 1906-1907, soon after completion.

(USN Photo)

USS St. Louis (C-20) getting underway, possibly at Philadelphia in late 1906.

(USN Photo)

USS St. Louis (C-20) in wartime camouflage, c1918.

(U.S. Naval Historical Center Photo)

USS St. Louis (C-20), off San Francisco, California, c1909-1916.

(USN Photo)

USS St. Louis (C-20), Brest, Finistere, France, 2 January 1919.

(USN Photo)

USS St. Louis (C-20), in drydock at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

(USN Photo)

USS St. Louis (C-20) at Goat Island, San Francisco Bay, California, with USS Pensacola in the background, Dec 1911.

(C-21) Milwaukee

(U.S. Naval Historical Center Photo)

USS Milwaukee (C-21), c1906-1908.

The second USS Milwaukee (C-21) was a St. Louis-class protected cruiser in the United States Navy. Entering service in 1906, Milwaukee was deployed to the Pacific Ocean. On 13 January 1917, while aiding a grounded submarine, the cruiser grounded herself. The ship was decommissioned and sold for scrap in 1919. Milwaukee was laid down on 30 July 1902 by Union Iron Works at San Francisco, California, and launched on 10 September 1904, sponsored by Miss Janet Mitchell, daughter of U.S. Senator John L. Mitchell of Wisconsin. The cruiser was commissioned on 10 December 1906. (Wikipedia)

(U.S. Naval Historical Center Photo)

USS Milwaukee (C-21) stranded at Samoa Beach, near Eureka, California. She had gone aground on 13 January 1917 while attempting to salvage the grounded submarine H-3. This photograph was taken soon after her crew had been brought ashore. Note that her flag is still flying from her mainmast.

(C-22) Charleston

(IWM Photo, Q68322)

USS Charleston (C-22), c1905-1906.

The third USS Charleston (C-22/CA-19) was a United States Navy St. Louis-class protected cruiser. She was launched 23 January 1904 by Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newport News, Virginia, sponsored by Miss Helen Whaley Rhett, and commissioned on 17 October 1905, Captain Cameron McRae Winslow in command. She was reclassified CA-19 on 17 July 1920. (Wikipedia)