USSWyoming(BB-32)was thelead shipofher classofdreadnoughtbattleshipsand was the third ship of theUnited States Navynamed Wyoming, although she was only the second named in honor ofthe 44th state.[a]Wyomingwas laid down at theWilliam Cramp & SonsinPhiladelphiain February 1910, was launched in May 1911, and was completed in September 1912. She was armed with amain batteryof twelve 12-inch (305 mm) guns and capable of a top speed of 20.5kn(38.0km/h;23.6mph).
 Wyoming,c. 1912–13
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Wyoming |
| Namesake | Wyoming |
| Ordered | 3 March 1909 |
| Builder | William Cramp & Sons,Philadelphia |
| Yard number | 365 |
| Laid down | 9 February 1910 |
| Launched | 25 May 1911 |
| Commissioned | 25 September 1912 |
| Decommissioned | 1 August 1947 |
| Stricken | 16 December 1947 |
| Fate | Sold for scrap, 30 October 1947 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Wyoming-classbattleship |
| Displacement | |
| Length | |
| Beam | 93 ft 3 in (28.42 m) |
| Draft |
|
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion | |
| Speed | |
| Range | 8,000 nmi (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
| Complement | 1,063 officers and enlisted |
| Armament | |
| Armor | |
| General characteristics 1925-27 refit | |
| Displacement |
|
| Draft | 32 ft (9.8 m) (max) |
| Installed power | 4 ×White-Forster oil-firedboilers |
| Armament |
|
| Aircraft carried | 3 ×floatplanes |
| Aviation facilities | 1 ×catapult(fitted on Turret 3) |
| General characteristics 1931 refit | |
| Displacement |
|
| Draft |
|
| Armament |
|
| Aircraft carried | Aircraft removed |
| Aviation facilities | Catapult removed |
| General characteristics 1944 refit | |
| Armament |
|
During theFirst World War,she was part of theBattleship Division Nine,which was attached to the BritishGrand Fleetas the6th Battle Squadron.During the war, she was primarily tasked with patrolling in theNorth Seaand escorting convoys to Norway. She served in both the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets throughout the 1920s, and in 1931–1932, she was converted into atraining shipaccording to the terms of theLondon Naval Treatyof 1930.
Wyomingserved as a training ship throughout the 1930s, and in November 1941, she became a gunnery ship. She operated primarily in theChesapeake Bayarea, which earned her the nickname "Chesapeake Raider". In this capacity, she trained some 35,000 gunners for the hugely expanded US Navy duringWorld War II.She continued in this duty until 1947, when she was decommissioned on 1 August and subsequently sold for scrap; she was broken up in New York starting in December 1947.
Design
editWyomingwas 562ft(171m)long overalland had abeamof 93 ft 3 in (28 m) and adraftof 28 ft 6 in (9 m). Shedisplaced26,000long tons(26,417t) as designed and up to 27,243 long tons (27,680 t) atfull load.The ship was powered by four-shaftParsonssteam turbinesand twelve coal-firedBabcock & Wilcoxboilersrated at 28,000shp(21,000kW), generating a top speed of 20.5 kn (38.0 km/h; 23.6 mph). The ship had a cruising range of 8,000nmi(15,000km;9,200mi) at a speed of 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph).[1]
The ship was armed with amain batteryof twelve12-inch/50 caliber Mark 7[b]guns in six Mark 9 twingun turretson the centerline, two of which were placed in asuperfiring pairforward. The other four turrets were placed aft of thesuperstructurein two superfiring pairs. Thesecondary batteryconsisted of twenty-one5-inch (127 mm)/51 caliber gunsmounted incasematesalong the side of the hull. The mainarmored beltwas 11 in (279 mm) thick, while the gun turrets had 12 in (305 mm) thick faces. Theconning towerhad 11.5 in (292 mm) thick sides.[1]
Modifications
editIn 1925,Wyomingwas modernized in the Philadelphia Navy Yard.[2]Her displacement increased significantly, to 26,066 long tons (26,484 t) standard and 30,610 long tons (31,100 t) full load. Her beam was widened to 106 ft (32 m), primarily from the installation ofanti-torpedo bulges,and draft increased to 29 ft 11.75 in (9 m). Her twelve coal-fired boilers were replaced with fourWhite-Forster oil-firedboilers that had been intended for the ships cancelled under the terms of theWashington Naval Treaty;performance remained the same as the older boilers. The ship's deck armor was strengthened by the addition of 3.5 in (89 mm) of armor to the second deck between the end barbettes, plus 1.75 in (44 mm) of armor on the third deck on the bow and stern. The deck armor over the engines and boilers was increased by 0.75 in (19 mm) and 1.25 in (32 mm), respectively. Five of the 5-inch guns were removed and eight3-inch (76 mm)/50 caliberanti-aircraftguns were installed. The mainmast was removed to provide space for an aircraft catapult mounted on the Number 3 turretamidships.[3]
Service history
editWyomingwas laid down at theWilliam Cramp & Sonsshipyard inPhiladelphiaon 9 February 1910, and was launched on 25 May 1911. She was completed a year and four months later, on 25 September 1912.[1]After her commissioning, the finalfitting-outwork was completed at theNew York Navy Yardover the next three months. She then proceeded to join the rest of the fleet atHampton Roadson 30 December, where she became theflagshipofRear AdmiralCharles J. Badger,the commander of theAtlantic Fleet.Wyomingleft Hampton Roads on 6 January 1913, bound for the Caribbean. She visited thePanama Canal,which was nearing completion, and then participated in fleet exercises off Cuba. The ship was back in port inChesapeake Bayon 4 March.[2]
Wyomingthen took part in gunnery drills off theVirginia Capes,and on 18 April, entered drydock at the New York Navy Yard for some repairs, which lasted until 7 May. She joined the rest of the fleet for maneuvers offBlock Islandthat lasted from 7–24 May. During the maneuvers, the ship's machinery proved troublesome, which necessitated repairs atNewportfrom 9–19 May. At the end of the month, she was in New York harbor, to participate in the ceremonies for the dedication of the monument to thearmored cruiserMaine,which had been destroyed inHavanaharbor on 15 February 1898. On 4 June,Wyomingsteamed toAnnapolis,where she took on a crew of naval cadets from theNaval Academyfor a summer midshipman cruise.[2]
After returning the midshipmen to Annapolis on 24–25 August,Wyomingtook part in gunnery and torpedo training over the next few weeks. On 16 September, she returned to New York for repairs, which lasted until 2 October. She then ran full–powersea trialsbefore proceeding to the Virginia Capes, where she participated in another round of fleet maneuvers. Next, she departed for a European goodwill cruise on 26 October. She toured theMediterranean Sea,stopping inValletta, Malta,Naples, Italy,andVillefranche, France.She departed France on 30 November, and arrived in New York on 15 December. There, she went into dock at the New York Navy Yard for periodic repairs, which lasted until January 1914. On the 6th,Wyomingleft for Hampton Roads, where she took on coal in preparation for the annual fleet maneuvers in the Caribbean.[2]
The exercises lasted from 26 January to 15 March, and the fleet was based inGuantanamo Bay Naval Basein Cuba.Wyomingand the rest of the fleet then proceeded toTangier Soundfor additional training, including gunnery drills. On 3 April,Wyomingleft the fleet for an overhaul in New York, which lasted until 9 May. She then returned to Hampton Roads, where she took on a contingent of troops and ferried them toVeracruz,arriving on 18 May. The US had intervened in theMexican Revolutionandoccupied Veracruzto safeguard American citizens there.Wyomingcruised off Veracruz into the Autumn of 1914, at which point she returned to the Virginia Capes for exercises. On 6 October, she entered New York for repairs; this work lasted until 17 January 1915.[2]
Wyomingthen proceeded to Hampton Roads, and then to Cuba, where she joined the fleet for the annual maneuvers off Cuba. These lasted until April, when she returned to the US. She participated in more exercises off Block Island over the next several months, and on 20 December, she returned to New York for another overhaul. On 6 January 1916, she emerged from dry dock, and then proceeded to the Caribbean. On 16 January, she reachedCulebra, Puerto Rico,then visitedPort-au-Prince,Haiti on 27 January. She entered port at Guantanamo the next day, and took part in fleet maneuvers until 10 April, after which she returned to New York. Another round of dockyard work took place from 16 April to 26 June. After returning to service,Wyomingtook part in more maneuvers off the Virginia Capes for the remainder of the year. She left New York on 9 January 1917, bound for Cuban waters for exercises that lasted through mid-March. She left Cuba on 27 March, and was cruising offYorktown, Virginia,when the US declared war on Germany on 6 April, formally enteringWorld War I.[2]
World War I
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Wyomingoperated out of the Chesapeake Bay area for the next seven months, training engine-room personnel for the expanding American fleet. On 25 November,Battleship Division 9(BatDiv 9), which at that time comprisedWyoming,New York,Delaware,andFlorida,departed the US, bound for Britain. BatDiv 9 was to reinforce the BritishGrand Fleetat its base inScapa Flow.The American ships reached Scapa on 7 December, where they became the6th Battle Squadronof the Grand Fleet. The American ships drilled with their British counterparts from December 1917 to February 1918.[2]
On 6 February,Wyomingand the other American battleships undertook their first wartime operation, to escort a convoy toStavanger,Norway, in company with eight Britishdestroyers.[2]On 7 February, lookouts on several ships, includingWyoming,thought they spotted GermanU-boatsattacking the ships withtorpedoes,though these proved to be incorrect reports.[4]The convoy successfully reached Norway two days later; the return trip to Scapa Flow took another two days.Wyomingpatrolled in theNorth Seafor the next several months, watching for a sortie by the GermanHigh Seas Fleet.On 30 June,Wyomingand the rest of the 6th Battle Squadron covered a minelaying operation in the North Sea; the operation lasted until 2 July.[2]During the operation, jumpy crewmen again incorrectly reported U-boat sightings, andWyomingopened fire on the supposed targets.[5]On the return voyage, the 6th Battle Squadron joined up with Convoy HZ40, which was returning from Norway.[6]
On 14 October,New Yorkcollided with a U-boat and sank it. The collision nevertheless damaged her screws, which forced Rodman to transfer his flag fromNew YorktoWyomingwhile the former was in dock for repair.[7]On 21 November, after theArmistice with Germanyended the war,Wyomingand an Allied fleet of some 370 warships met the High Seas Fleet in the North Sea and escorted it into internment in Scapa Flow.[2][8]On 12 December,Wyoming,now the flagship of Rear AdmiralWilliam Sims,the new BatDiv 9 commander, left Britain for France. There, she rendezvoused offBrest, France,withGeorge Washington,which was carrying PresidentWoodrow Wilsonto the peace negotiations in Paris.Wyomingthen returned to Britain two days later before departing for the US, arriving in New York on 25 December. She remained there through the new year, and on 18 January 1919, she became the flagship of BatDiv 7, flying the flag of Rear AdmiralRobert Coontz.[2]
Inter-war period
edit1919–1924
edit
On 1 February,Wyomingsteamed out of New York to join the annual fleet maneuvers off Cuba, before returning to New York on 14 April. On 12 May, she left port to help guide a group of NavyCurtiss NCflying boatsas they made the first aerial transatlantic crossing. The battleship was back in port by 31 May. She then took on a crew of midshipmen for a training cruise off the Chesapeake Bay and Virginia Capes. After finishing the cruise,Wyomingentered dry dock at theNorfolk Navy Yardon 1 July for a modernization for service in the Pacific.[2]Her secondary battery was reduced to sixteen 5-inch guns.[9]After emerging from the shipyard, she became the flagship of BatDiv 6 of the newly designatedPacific Fleet.On 19 July,Wyomingand the rest of the Pacific Fleet departed the east coast, bound for the Pacific. The ships transited the Panama Canal later that month, and reachedSan Diego,California on 6 August.[2]
On 9 August,Wyomingmoved toSan Pedro,where she was based for the next month. She went to thePuget Sound Navy Yardfor an overhaul that lasted until 19 April 1920. On 4 May, she was back in San Pedro and resumed her normal routine of fleet maneuvers off the California coast. On 30 August,Wyomingleft California for Hawaii, where she participated in more training exercises through September. She then returned to San Diego on 8 October for more maneuvers off the west coast. The ship left San Francisco on 5 January 1921 for a cruise to Central and South American waters; the trip culminated inValparaíso,Chile, where she was reviewed by thePresident of ChileArturo Alessandri Palmaon 8 February.Wyomingthen returned north, arriving in Puget Sound for repairs on 18 March.[2]
On 2 August,Wyomingwas inBalboain theCanal Zone,where she picked up Rear Admiral Rodman and a commission traveling from Peru back to New York. She arrived in New York on 19 August and rejoined the Atlantic Fleet. There, she became the flagship ofAdmiralHilary P. Jones,the commander of the Atlantic Fleet.Wyomingspent the next three and a half years on the normal routine of winter fleet exercises off Cuba, followed by summer maneuvers off the east coast of the US. Throughout the period, she served as the flagship ofVice AdmiralsJohn McDonald,Newton McCully,andJosiah McKeanin the Scouting Fleet. In the summer of 1924, she conducted a midshipman training cruise to Europe, and stopped inTorbay,Great Britain,Rotterdamin theNetherlands,Gibraltar,and theAzores.[2]In January and February 1924, the Navy conductedFleet Problem II, III, and IVconcurrently. During the FP III maneuvers,Wyoming,her sisterArkansas,and the twoFlorida-classbattleships stood in for the newColorado-class battleships.[10]During the FP IV portion of the maneuvers,Wyomingserved in the "Blue" force, which represented the US Navy. She was attacked by "Black" aircraft, but the umpires judgedWyoming's anti-aircraft fire and the escort fighters provided byLangleyto have effectively defended the fleet.[11]
1925–1930
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On 14 February 1925,Wyomingagain passed through the Panama Canal to return to the Pacific. There, she joined fleet exercises off California. She then proceeded to Hawaii, where she remained from late April to early June. She visited San Diego on 18–22 June, and then returned to the east coast via the Panama Canal, arriving in New York on 17 July. A cruise to Cuba and Haiti followed, after whichWyomingreturned to the New York Navy Yard for an overhaul that lasted from 23 November to 26 January 1926. During this period, then-CommanderWilliam F. Halsey, Jr.came aboard as the ship's executive officer; he served onWyominguntil 4 January 1927.[2]
Wyomingthen returned to the routine of winter maneuvers in the Caribbean and training cruises in the summer. In late August, the ship went to Philadelphia for an extensive modernization. Her old coal-fired boilers were replaced with new oil-fired models and anti-torpedo bulges were added to improve her resistance to underwater damage. The work was completed by 2 November, after whichWyomingconducted a shakedown cruise to Cuba and theVirgin Islands.She was back in Philadelphia on 7 December, and two days later, she returned to her post as the flagship of the Scouting Fleet, flying the flag of Vice AdmiralAshley Robertson.[2]
Wyomingspent the next three years in the Scouting Fleet. She conducted training cruises withNaval Reserve Officer Training Corps(NROTC) cadets from various universities, includingYale,Harvard,Georgia Tech,andNorthwestern.These cruises went throughout the Atlantic, including to theGulf of Mexico,to the Azores, and toNova Scotia.While on one of these cruises in November 1928,Wyomingpicked up eight survivors from the wrecked steamshipSSVestris;she took them to Norfolk on 16 November. On 19 September 1930,Wyomingwas transferred from the Scouting Force to BatDiv 2, where she became the flagship of Rear AdmiralWat Tyler Cluverius Jr.She served here until 4 November, when she was withdrawn from front-line service and became the flagship of the Training Squadron, flying the flag of Rear AdmiralHarley H. Christy.Thereafter, she conducted a training cruise to the Gulf of Mexico.[2]
1931–1941
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After returning to Philadelphia on 1 January 1931,Wyomingwas placed on reduced commission. Under the terms of theLondon Naval Treatysigned the previous year,Wyomingwas to be demilitarized. During the demilitarization process, her anti-torpedo bulges, side armor, and half of her main battery guns were removed. She was back in service by May, and on the 29th, she took on a crew of midshipmen from Annapolis for a training cruise to Europe, which began on 5 June. While en route on 15 June,Wyomingrescued the disabled submarineO-12and took it under tow toQueenstown, Northern Ireland.While in Europe, she stopped inCopenhagen,Denmark,Greenock, Scotland,Cadiz, Spain,and Gibraltar. The ship was back in Hampton Roads on 13 August; while on the cruise,Wyomingwas reclassified as "AG-17", to reflect her new role as a training ship.[2]
Wyomingspent the next four years conducting training cruises for midshipmen and NROTC cadets to various destinations, including European ports, the Caribbean, and the Gulf of Mexico. On 18 January 1935, she carried the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, from Norfolk toPuerto Ricofor amphibious assault exercises. On 5 January 1937, the ship left Norfolk and steamed to the Pacific via the Panama Canal. She took part in more amphibious assault exercises and gunnery drills atSan Clemente Island.On 18 February, during the exercises, a 5-inchshrapnel shellexploded as it was being loaded into one of her guns. The blast killed sixMarinesand wounded another eleven.Wyomingimmediately steamed to San Pedro and transferred the wounded Marines to thehospital shipRelief.[2]
On 3 March,Wyomingleft Los Angeles, bound for the Atlantic. She reached Norfolk on 23 March, where she served as the temporary flagship for Rear AdmiralWilson Brown,the commander of the Training Squadron, from 15 April to 3 June. On 4 June, she left port to conduct a goodwill cruise toKiel,Germany, arriving on 21 June. There, she visitedAdmiral Graf Spee.She left Germany on 29 June, stopping in Torbay, Britain, andFunchal, Madeira,and arrived in Norfolk on 3 August.Wyomingresumed her training ship duties for Naval and Merchant Marine Reserve units. She returned to Norfolk Navy Yard for an overhaul that lasted from 16 October to 14 January 1938.[2]
Wyomingperformed her typical routine of training cruises in the Atlantic through 1941. The cruises included another European trip in 1938; she took the midshipmen toLe Havre, France,Copenhagen, andPortsmouth.[2]After the outbreak ofWorld War IIin Europe in September 1939,Wyomingwas assigned to a naval reserve force in the Atlantic, alongside the battleshipsNew York,Arkansas,andTexasand theaircraft carrierRanger.[12]Wyomingbecame the flagship of Rear AdmiralRandall Jacobs,the commander of the Training, Patrol Force on 2 January 1941. In November,Wyomingbecame a gunnery training ship. Her first cruise in this new role began on 25 November; she was cruising offPlatt's Bankin theGulf of Mainewhen she received word of the Japaneseattack on Pearl Harboron 7 December.[2]
World War II
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Following the United States' entrance into World War II,Wyomingperformed her normal duties as a gunnery training ship with the Operational Training Command, United States Atlantic Fleet starting in February 1942. She operated primarily in the Chesapeake Bay area, and frequent sightings of the ship steaming around the bay earned her the nickname "Chesapeake Raider".Wyomingwas very busy, training thousands of anti-aircraft gunners on weapons ranging from light.50 caliber (12.7 mm) guns to medium-caliber 5-inch guns for the rapidly expanding American fleet.[2]Early in the war, the Navy briefly considered convertingWyomingback to her battleship configuration, but decided against the plan.[1]
These duties continued throughout the rest of the war.Wyomingwas modernized at Norfolk Navy Yard from 12 January to 3 April 1944;[2]the reconstruction removed the last of her three 12-inch gun turrets, and replaced them with four twin and two single enclosed mounts for5-inch/38 caliber guns.[9]New fire control radars were also installed; these modifications allowedWyomingto train anti-aircraft gunners with the most modern equipment they would use while in combat with the fleet. She was back in service in the Chesapeake Bay by 10 April. Over the course of the war,Wyomingtrained an estimated 35,000 gunners on seven different types of guns: 5-inch, 3-inch, 1.1-inch, 40-millimeter, 20-millimeter,.50 caliber, and.30 caliber (7.62 mm) weapons. Due to her extensive use as a gunnery training ship, she claimed the distinction of firing more ammunition than any other ship in the fleet during the war.[2]
Wyomingfinished her gunnery training duties in the Chesapeake area on 30 June 1945, when she left Norfolk for the New York Navy Yard, for further modifications. Work was completed by 13 July, after which she left forCasco Bay.There, she joined Composite Task Force 69 (CTF 69), under command of Vice AdmiralWillis A. Lee.Wyomingwas tasked with developing tactics to more effectively engage the Japanesekamikazesuicide aircraft. The gunners conducted experimental gunnery drills with towed sleeves, drone aircraft, and radio-controlled targets. On 31 August, CTF 69 was renamed Operational Development Force, United States Fleet.[2]
Wyomingcontinued in this unit through the end of the war, and began to be used to test new fire control equipment.[2]In the summer of 1946, then-EnsignJimmy Carter,the futurePresident of the United States,came aboard as part of the final crew of the old battleship.[13]On 11 July 1947,Wyomingput into Norfolk and was decommissioned there on 1 August. Her crew was transferred to the ex-battleshipMississippi(AG-128),which was also serving in the gunnery training unit.Wyomingwas stricken from theNaval Vessel Registryon 16 September, and she was sold for scrapping on 30 October. She arrived on 5 December in New York, where she was dismantled by Lipsett, Incorporated.[2]
Notes
edit
Footnotes
edit- ^The firstWyoming,USSWyoming(1859),was named in honor of theWyoming Valleyin easternPennsylvania,nine years before the creation of theWyoming Territory,which later became the state.
- ^/50 refers to the length of the gun in terms ofcalibers.A /50 gun is 50 times long as it is in bore diameter.
Citations
editReferences
edit- Breyer, Siegfried (1973).Battleships and Battle Cruisers 1905–1970.Doubleday and Company.ISBN978-0-385-07247-2.
- Cressman, Robert (10 May 2016)."Wyoming III (Battleship No. 32)".Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.Navy Department,Naval History and Heritage Command.Retrieved5 December2019.
- Friedman, Norman (1980). "United States of America". In Gardiner, Robert & Chesneau, Roger (eds.).Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946.Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. pp. 86–166.ISBN978-0-87021-913-9.
- Friedman, Norman (1986). "United States of America". In Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal (eds.).Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921.London: Conway Maritime Press. pp. 105–133.ISBN978-0-85177-245-5.
- Gherman, Beverly (2004).Jimmy Carter.Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Co.ISBN978-0-8225-0816-8.
- Herwig, Holger (1980)."Luxury" Fleet: The Imperial German Navy 1888–1918.Amherst: Humanity Books.ISBN978-1-57392-286-9.
- Jones, Jerry W. (1998).United States Battleship Operations in World War One.Annapolis: Naval Institute Press.ISBN978-1-55750-411-1.
- Nofi, Albert A.(2010).To Train The Fleet For War: The U.S. Navy Fleet Problems, 1923–1940.Washington, DC: Naval War College Press.ISBN978-1-88-473387-1.
- Rohwer, Jürgen(2005).Chronology of the War at Sea, 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two.Annapolis: Naval Institute Press.ISBN978-1-59114-119-8.
External links
edit- NavSource Naval History, USS Wyoming (BB-32)
- Log of the U.S. ShipWyoming,1936, MS 89andU.S.S.Wyoming Diary,1917-1919 (bulk 1918), MS 31held by Special Collections & Archives, Nimitz Library at the United States Naval Academy