USS Marblehead

[Guest old4blue69]

Hi, i am new to the forum. i want to know if anybody knows the history of the USS marblehead, or anything about it. my great grandfather served on it, and i would like to know a little bit about the ship. thanks for any help in advance.

andy

[Neil Burns]

Hi Andy,

See below for WWI service. It is most likely the cruiser Marblehead but I will confirm,

Welcome to the forum, by the way.

Neil

>From the “Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships,”

(1969) Vol. 4, pp.229-230.

MARBLEHEAD

C-11

Displacement: 2,072 t.

Length: 269’6”

Beam: 37’

Draft: 14’6”

Speed: 18 k.

Complement: 274

Armament: 9 5”; 6 6-pdrs.; 2 1-pdrs.; 2 MG

Class: DETROIT

The second MARBLEHEAD, an unarmored cruiser, was laid

down in October 1890 by City Point Works, Boston, Mass.;

launched 11 August 1892; sponsored by Mrs. C. F. Allen and

commissioned 2 April 1894, Comdr. Charles O'Neil in command.

Assigned to the North Atlantic Station, MARBLEHEAD

departed New York 6 June 1894 for the Caribbean to protect

American lives and property threatened by a change of

government in Nicaragua. Arriving Bluefields 19 June, the

ship found that city to be the point of greatest danger. On

7 July, in response to dispatches from the American consul,

she put ashore a landing party of marines and bluejackets to

keep order and protect American interests. Reinforced by a

second party 31 July, this force remained ashore until 7

August. Five days later, MARBLEHEAD departed Bluefields to

continue cruising the Caribbean, showing the flag in Latin

American waters until 26 November, when she departed Port

Royal, Jamaica, for Hampton Roads, Va., arriving 6 December.

The cruiser stood out from Norfolk 4 March 1895 for

duty on the European Station. Sailing via the Azores, the

ship arrived Gibraltar on the 31st. During April and May,

she cruised the Mediterranean, spending much time on patrol

in Syrian waters, and then steamed for Germany to represent

the United States at the opening of the Kiel Canal 20 June.

For the next 5 months, the ship cruised along the coast of

western Europe and in the Mediterranean steaming over 11,000

miles and visiting more than 40 foreign ports. MARBLEHEAD

returned to the United States, anchoring at Tompkinsville,

N.Y., 23 November 1896.

On 1 February 1897, the ship was again assigned to the

North Atlantic Station, and for the remainder of the year

cruised the east coast and the Caribbean in training. At

the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, MARBLEHEAD was at

Key West, Fla. Immediately sailing for Cuban waters, she

arrived off Havana 23 April 1898 and then proceeded to

Cienfuegos where she shelled enemy vessels and

fortifications on the 29th. After joining the blockading

squadron, she cut the cables off Cienfuegos 11 May, and then

patrolled off Santiago de Cuba until the beginning of June.

In company with schooner-rigged cruiser YANKEE, MARBLEHEAD

captured the lower bay of Guantanamo as a base for the fleet

7 June, and on the 10th supported the landing of a battalion

of Marines there. Continuing operations in the bay, she

helped battleship TEXAS destroy the Spanish fort on Cayo del

Toro 15 June.

The ship remained in Cuban waters until 2 September,

when she sailed for the St. Lawrence River 20 October to

participate in ceremonies opening the Champlain monument in

Quebec. She repaired at Boston Navy Yard from 2 November

1898 to 9 February 1899, and, following a brief cruise to

the Caribbean, proceeded through the Straits Of Magellan 16

June to join the Pacific Squadron 4 July. She cruised off

the coast of South America, Mexico, and California until she

decommissioned at Mare Island Navy Yard 30 April 1900.

MARBLEHEAD recommissioned 10 November 1902 to devote

the next 4 years to cruising along the west coast of North

and South America, from Alaska to Chile on training and

protocol missions. From October 1903 to March 1904, she

served as flagship of Rear Adm. Henry Glass, Commander of

the Pacific Squadron. The cruiser decommissioned at Mare

Island Navy Yard 1 October 1906 and remained at the yard

until 31 March 1910, when she was loaned to the California

Naval Militia as a training ship. She was placed in

commission in reserve 22 July 1911, and in 1916 was turned

over to the Oregon Naval Militia as training ship for that

State.

MARBLEHEAD was again placed in full commission 6 April

1917 at the navy yard, Puget Sound, Wash., and on 4 May was

ordered to the Pacific Patrol Force. She was employed on

convoy, patrol, and survey duty, operating off Mexico and in

search of possible German raiders in the California area

until 11 June 1918, when she proceeded, via the Panama

Canal, to Key West for duty with the American patrol

detachment. Arriving Key West 22 June, the ship spent the

remainder of World War I in the Caribbean, engaged in escort

and patrol duty. Detached from patrol duty 4 December, the

veteran cruiser steamed to join Division 2, Pacific Fleet.

She arrived Mare Island 17 February 1919 and decommissioned

21 August. Reclassified PG-27 in July 1920, MARBLEHEAD was

sold 5 August 1921.

[Neil Burns]

Strangely the Marblehead qualified for the 'Atlantic Fleet' Clasp, although judging by it's service it would more likely be entitled to the 'Patrol' clasp.

Go figure.

Hope this helps,

Neil

[Michael Lowrey]

The Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships is available online at http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/

With Marblehead it's a question of which one -- the cruiser launched in 1892 http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/cruisers/c11.txt or the cruiser launched in 1923 http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/cruisers/cl12.txt

Best wishes,

Michael

[kin47]

Hello

If your great grandfather served in the MARBLEHEAD in the Far East in 1941/1942, I have the list of casualties in her sustained in that period, if interested.

don

[Guest old4blue69]

Hi Everyone, thanks you all for all of he information. my great grandfather served during ww1. actually my uncle has his uniform, and all of his gear from his service, and i was just interested in its history.

Neil thanks so much for the info.

Michael, thanks for the link, i will read it right now.

Don. no thanks, since my great grandfather didnt serve in ww2. but his son did, my grandfather.

thanks again everybody.

andy