The first ''Thornton'' (Torpedo Boat No. 33) was laid down on 16 March 1899 at
Richmond, Va.
(Thus do we reach the stars)
, image_map =
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, map_caption = Location within Virginia
, pushpin_map = Virginia#USA
, pushpin_label = Richmond
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, by the
William R. Trigg Co.; launched on 15 May 1900; sponsored by Miss Mary Thornton Davis; and commissioned on 9 June 1902.
''Thornton'' participated in the summer maneuvers of the North
Atlantic Fleet off the eastern coast of the
United States. In November and December, the
torpedo boat moved south to the
West Indies for combined winter maneuvers. On 28 January 1903, she returned to
Norfolk, and she was assigned to the Reserve Torpedo Flotilla on 16 February.
On 19 June 1905, ''Thornton'' was placed back in full commission; and, the following month, she made a brief visit to
Annapolis, Md. On 21 July, she was again decommissioned and entered the
Norfolk Navy Yard. Three months later, the torpedo boat rejoined the Reserve Torpedo Flotilla at Norfolk. Recommissioned on 19 June 1907, she was assigned to the 3d Torpedo Flotilla; and, over the next several years, she operated along the eastern seaboard and cruised the
Gulf of Mexico. In the fall of 1909, she joined several other torpedo boats in ascending the
Mississippi River as far as
St. Louis. The following December, she entered
Charleston, S.C.
Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint ...
, and, on the 22d, was decommissioned and assigned to the Reserve Torpedo Flotilla at Charleston.
Though the Reserve Torpedo Flotilla was abolished in 1914, ''Thornton'' remained inactive at Charleston until 1917, she was in reserve until 14 March 1914 when the Reserve Torpedo Flotilla was disbanded. After that, she was placed in commission, in ordinary, at the
Charleston Navy Yard until 1917.
With America's entry into
World War I, ''Thornton'' was placed back in full commission on 7 April 1917. She was converted to a
minesweeper and, on 22 May, departed Charleston for Norfolk. Attached to the 5th Naval District, she performed minesweeping operations in
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name of both a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's ...
and off
Cape Henry
Cape Henry is a cape on the Atlantic shore of Virginia located in the northeast corner of Virginia Beach. It is the southern boundary of the entrance to the long estuary of the Chesapeake Bay.
Across the mouth of the bay to the north is Cape Cha ...
. On 8 April she collided with
USS Joseph F. Bellows (SP-323) in Hampton Roads. Because of extensive damage, Thornton was towed to the
Norfolk Navy Yard where she was decommissioned on 11 May 1918. On 1 August 1918, she was redesignated Coastal Torpedo Vessel No. 16 A board of inspection and survey examined her in March 1919 and recommended that she be sold. On 12 May her name was struck from the
Navy list. Fifteen months later, near the end of August 1920, she was sold to the Southern Oil & Transport Corp., of
New York City.
Sources
Bibliography
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Thornton (TB-33)
Torpedo boats of the United States Navy
1900 ships
Ships built in Richmond, Virginia