| Act of 7 June 1900: |
"._._. The President
is hereby authorized to have constructed by contract two seagoing battle
ships, carrying the heaviest armor and most powerful ordnance for vessels
of their class, upon a trial displacement of about thirteen thousand five
hundred tons, and to have the highest practicable speed and great radius
of action, and to cost, exclusive of armor and armament, not exceeding more
than three million six hundred thousand dollars each;
._._. Not more
than two of the vessels herein provided for shall be built in one yard or
by one contracting party;
._._. Not more
than two of the aforesaid vessels shall be built on or near the coast of
the Pacific Ocean,
._._." |
| The second Rhode Island was launched 17 May 1904 by Fore
River Shipbuilding Co., Quincy, Mass.; sponsored by Mrs. F. C. Dumaine; and
commissioned 19 February 1906, Capt. Perry Garst in command. |
| Rhode Island underwent extensive shakedown and acceptance
trials on the U.S. east coast between Hampton Roads and Boston before being
assigned to Division 2, Squadron 1, Atlantic Fleet 1 January 1907. The battleship
departed Hampton Roads 9 March 1907 for Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to participate
in gunnery practice and squadron operations evolutions. |
| She then returned north to cruise between Hampton Roads and Cape
Cod Bay. |
| Arriving in Hampton Roads 8 December 1907, Rhode Island
joined 15 other battleships, a torpedo boat squadron and transports, for
the great fleet review which began the cruise of the Atlantic Fleet to the
west coast and around the world. President
Theodore Roosevelt
reviewed the "Great White Fleet" 16 December and sent it on the first leg
of the long voyage. Rhode Island called at Trinidad, British West
Indies, Rio de Janeiro, Punta Arenas, Callao and Magdalena Bay before arriving
at San Diego, California, 14 April 1908. |
| The fleet remained on the west coast into July, Rhode Island
steaming north to visit the Puget Sound area during June. The entire fleet
departed San Francisco 7 July 1908 for Honolulu, Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne
and Manila, arriving in the Philippines 2 October. From Manila Rhode Island
made for Yokohama, Japan, returning to Olongapo, Philippine Islands, at the
end of October. Departing Cavite 1 December; Rhode Island visited
Colombo, Suez, Marseille, and Gibraltar before returning to Hampton Roads
22 February 1909. |
| Subsequently entering New York Navy Yard for overhaul, Rhode
Island was reassigned 8 March 1909 to Division 3, Squadron 1. She continued
to serve with the Atlantic Fleet into 1910, participating in exercises including
deployment southward to the Caribbean during February 1910. Assigned 20 October
1910 to Division 4, Squadron 1, Rhode Island and other fleet units were reviewed
2 November at Boston by President Taft prior to their departure for European
waters. In an elaborate battle and scouting problem, the fleet continued
its training, Rhode Island subsequently visiting Gravesend, England,
before returning to Guantanamo Bay 13 January 1911. |
| Rhode Island continued her duties attached to the Atlantic
Fleet up to the outbreak of war in Europe in 1914. She cruised southward
to Key West, Havana and Guantanamo Bay during June and July 1912 but otherwise
remained on the east coast operating between Hampton Roads and Rockland,
Maine. Reassigned to Division 3, Squadron 1, Atlantic Fleet, Rhode
Island became division flagship 17 July 1912. She transferred the division
flag to New
Jersey 1 August in the periodic rotation of additional flag duties
among units of her division. |
| The Commander, Division 3, Squadron 1, transferred his flag from
Virginia
to Rhode Island 28 June 1913 and remained on board until 18 January
1914. At the end of 1913, Rhode Island cruised off the Mexican coast to protect
citizens and property threatened by deteriorating political developments
ashore. Arriving off Vera Cruz 4 November 1913, Rhode Island operated
off Tampico and Tuxpan into February 1914. After 2 weeks at Guantanamo Bay,
the battleship returned northward to Virginia waters. |
| Rhode Island kept up her continuous schedule of annual
docking and overhaul, gunnery practice, and squadron maneuvers well into
1916. She remained off the U.S. eastern seaboard but occasionally steamed
into waters that are more southerly; she called at Caribbean ports during
October 1914 to March 1915 and January to February 1916. Rhode Island
undertook additional duty as flagship, Division 4, Squadron 1, from 19 December
1914 until 20 January 1915. |
| Placed in reduced commission in reserve 15 May 1916 at Boston
Navy Yard, Rhode Island was detached from the Atlantic Fleet the following
day. The battleship flew the flag of the Commander-in-Chief, Reserve Force,
Atlantic Fleet, from 24 June 1916 to 28 September. |
| Returned to full commission 27 March 1917 at Hampton Roads, Rhode
Island broke the flag of the Commander, Battleship Division 3, Atlantic
Fleet, 3 May 1917 shortly after the United States entered World War I.
Undertaking vigorous gunnery practice and emergency drills to reach combat
readiness, Rhode Island was assigned antisubmarine patrol duty off
Tangier Island, Maryland. Based at Hampton Roads into 1918, Rhode Island
was transferred to Battleship Division 2 during April. Remaining ready for
overseas deployment, Rhode Island undertook special torpedo proving
trials during June 1918. |
| Upon the war's end in November 1918, Rhode Island was ordered
to assist returning U.S. troops from France. Fitted with hundreds of extra
bunks, the battleship made five roundtrip voyages across the Atlantic between
18 December 1918 and 4 July 1919. In all she transported over 5,000 men from
Brest, France, to Hampton Roads and Boston. |
| Designated flagship of Battleship Squadron 1, Pacific Fleet, 17
July 1919 at Boston, Rhode Islanddeparted Boston Navy Yard 24 July
for Balboa, C.Z., and Mare Island Navy Yard to undertake her new assignment.
After remaining at Mare Island into 1920, Rhode Island decommissioned
30 June and was placed in reserve. |
| Rendered incapable of any further warlike service 4 October 1923
in accordance with the Washington Treaty limiting naval armaments, Rhode
Island was sold 1 November 1923 for scrapping. |
|
Bibliography
 |
Naval Historical Center FAQ --
Great
White Fleet |
|
United States Navy Department, Bureau of Navigation,
Men on Board Ships of the Atlantic Fleet Bound for the Pacific, December
16, 1907, (Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1908) |
|
Larry W. Jewell, Who's Who of United States
Battleships, (Internet publication), edition: 30 August, 1993. |
|
James L. Mooney, Dictionary of American Naval
Fighting Ships, (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office,
1964), Vol.1 -- A-B, p. 192 |
|
James L. Mooney, Dictionary of American Naval
Fighting Ships, (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office,
1968, Repring 1976), Vol.6: R-S, p. 91-92 |
|
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