The third USS ''Chesapeake'' and second USS ''Severn'' was a three-
masted, sheathed,
wood
Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin ...
en-
hulled
Husk (or hull) in botany is the outer shell or coating of a seed. In the United States, the term husk often refers to the leafy outer covering of an ear of maize (corn) as it grows on the plant. Literally, a husk or hull includes the protective ...
full-rigged ship
A full-rigged ship or fully rigged ship is a sailing vessel's sail plan with three or more masts, all of them square-rigged. A full-rigged ship is said to have a ship rig or be ship-rigged. Such vessels also have each mast stepped in three s ...
with auxiliary
steam power in commission in the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
during most of the period between 1900 and 1916.
Construction and commissioning
USS ''Chesapeake'' was laid down on 2 August 1898 by
Bath Iron Works
Bath Iron Works (BIW) is a major United States shipyard located on the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine, founded in 1884 as Bath Iron Works, Limited. Since 1995, Bath Iron Works has been a subsidiary of General Dynamics. It is the fifth-largest ...
at
Bath, Maine
Bath is a city in Sagadahoc County, Maine, in the United States. The population was 8,766 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Sagadahoc County, which includes one city and 10 towns. The city is popular with tourists, many drawn by its ...
. She was launched on 30 June 1899, sponsored by Miss Elise Bradford, and
commissioned on 12 April 1900.
Service history
As ''Chesapeake''
''Chesapeake'' was towed to
Annapolis, Maryland, where she assumed duties as
station ship
Station may refer to:
Agriculture
* Station (Australian agriculture), a large Australian landholding used for livestock production
* Station (New Zealand agriculture), a large New Zealand farm used for grazing by sheep and cattle
** Cattle statio ...
and as
training ship
A training ship is a ship used to train students as sailors. The term is mostly used to describe ships employed by navies to train future officers. Essentially there are two types: those used for training at sea and old hulks used to house class ...
for
midshipmen at the
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...
. Renamed ''Severn'' on 15 June 1905, she
decommissioned twice for repair and
overhaul
Overhaul may refer to:
*The process of overhauling, see
** Maintenance, repair, and overhaul
**Refueling and overhaul (eg. nuclear-powered ships)
**Time between overhaul
* Overhaul (firefighting), the process of searching for hidden fire extensio ...
, provided facilities for
seamanship
Seamanship is the art, knowledge and competence of operating a ship, boat or other craft on water. The'' Oxford Dictionary'' states that seamanship is "The skill, techniques, or practice of handling a ship or boat at sea."
It involves topics a ...
drills at the Naval Academy and conducted
summer cruises off southern
New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the Can ...
through 1909.
As ''Severn''
On 15 February 1910, ''Severn'' was ordered refitted as a
submarine tender
A submarine tender is a type of depot ship that supplies and supports submarines.
Development
Submarines are small compared to most oceangoing vessels, and generally do not have the ability to carry large amounts of food, fuel, torpedoes, and ...
. On completion of that work in mid-May 1910, she reported for duty with the 3rd
Submarine Division. Until 1913, she performed submarine tender duties off New England during the summer and in the
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the Eastern Shore of Maryland / ...
during the winter, her movements being accomplished under tow. She was decommissioned a third time for overhaul after summer maneuvers in 1913.
''Severn'' was recommissioned on 15 November 1913 and transferred to the
Panama Canal Zone. She arrived at
Coco Solo
Coco Solo was a United States Navy submarine base and naval air station, active from 1918 to the 1960s.
History
The submarine base at Coco Solo was established May 6, 1918. The site corresponds with modern-day Cativá in Panama. It was on th ...
,
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...
, on 12 December 1913 and served as tender to the 1st Submarine Division until July 1916.
''Severn'' was ordered back to the United States in July 1916. She arrived at
Norfolk, Virginia, under tow by
collier , on 1 August 1916.
Final decommissioning and disposal
''Severn'' was decommissioned for the last time on 3 October 1916. She was sold to F. G. McDonald of
Ardmore, Pennsylvania
Ardmore is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) spanning the border between Delaware and Montgomery counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The population was 12,455 at the 2010 census and had risen to 13,566 in the ...
, on 7 December 1916.
References
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Severn
1899 ships
Auxiliary steamers
Ships built in Bath, Maine
Submarine tenders of the United States Navy
Training ships of the United States Navy
World War I auxiliary ships of the United States