Montana
See also Montana (BB 51), Montana (BB 67)
The 41st State, admitted
to the
Union
in 1889. The name is taken from
the Latin montănus meaning “mountainous.”
(ACR‑13:
dp. 14,500 (n.); l. 504'6"; b. 72'11"; dr. 25'0"; s. 22 k.; cpl.
859; a. 4 10", 16 6", 22 3", 12 3‑pdrs; 4 1‑pdrs., 4
21" tt.; cl. North Carolina)
The first Montana
(ACR‑13), was laid down by the Newport News Shipbuilding Co., Newport
News, Va., 29 April 1905; launched 15 December 1906; sponsored by Miss Minnie
Conrad; and commissioned at the Norfolk Navy Yard 21 July 1908, Capt. Alfred
Reynolds in command.
Assigned
to the Atlantic Fleet,
Montana
departed
Norfolk
5 August to cruise off the east coast
until 25 January 1909 when she sailed from
Charleston
,
S.C.
, for the Caribbean, arriving off
Colon
,
Panama
,
the 29th. While operating with the Special Service Squadron,
Montana
departed
Guantanamo Bay
,
Cuba
, 2 April for the
Mediterranean
to protect American interests during the aftermath of the Turkish Revolution of
1908. Leaving Gibraltar 23 July, she arrived
Boston
,
Mass.
,
3 August, and resumed east coast operations.
On 8 April
1910 the armored cruiser sailed from Hampton Roads,
Va.
,
to take part in in the Argentine Centennial Celebration, calling at
Uruguay
,
Argentina
,
and finally
Brazil
before heading for home 30 June, arriving Hampton Roads 22 July. Following local operations on the east coast that
fall, Montana left Charleston on 10 November as escort for Tennessee (ACR-10) then carrying President
Taft and his party on a week-long visit to Panama.
Montana was placed in the
Atlantic Reserve Fleet 26 July 1911 for major overhaul at Portsmouth Navy Yard,
Portsmouth, N.H., until 11 November 1912. In December
she departed on a second trip to the Near East, stopping at Beirut,
Syria (now Lebanon), and Alexandretta (now Iskenderun)
and Mersin, Turkey. Returning to the United
States In June 1913, Montana operated
off the east coast and made training cruises to Mexico,
Cuba, and Haiti until the United States entered World War I.
During the
first months of the war,
Montana
conducted
training exercises and transported supplies and men in the
York
River
area and along the east coast. Assigned to the Cruiser and
Transport Force 17 July 1917, she did convoy and escort duty out of Hampton
Roads; New York, N.Y.; and Halifax, Nova Scotia, through most of 1917 and 1918.
The armored cruiser also performed as a
Naval
Academy
practice ship in the
Chesapeake Bay
area early in 1918. Ordered to
France
in December, between January and July
1919
Montana
made six round trips from
Europe
, returning 8,800 American troops.
Following her arrival at Puget Sound Navy Yard,
Seattle
,
Wash.
,
Montana
remained
there from 16 August 1919 through her decommissioning 2 February 1921. On 7
June 1920
Montana
was renamed
Missoula
for a city of
Montana
and classified CA‑13 on 7 June
1920. She was struck from the Navy list 15 July 1930 and sold to John Irwin,
Jr., 29 September 1930. In October 1935 the armored cruiser was scrapped in
accordance with the London Treaty for the reduction of naval armament of 31
December 1930.
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