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USS Petrel (PG-2)
Encyclopedia
The third USS Petrel (PG-2) was a 4th rate gunboat
in the United States Navy
during the Spanish-American War
. She was named for a sea bird
.
Petrel was laid down on 27 August 1887, built by the Columbia Iron Works and Dry Dock Company in Baltimore, Maryland; launched on 13 October 1888; and commissioned 10 December 1889, with Lieutenant Commander
W. H. Bronson in command.
where she was to serve until 1911. Steaming north in May 1894, she reported at Unalaska, in July to operate with the Bering Sea
patrol to discourage seal poaching. In July, she operated off the Pribilof Islands
; and in August she returned to the Asiatic station.
Withdrawing from Hong Kong
in April 1898, Petrel became part of George Dewey
's fleet in the campaign against Manila
. On 1 May, after Dewey’s squadron had defeated the heavy Spanish
ships in the first engagement of the Spanish-American War
, Petrel entered the inner harbor and lowered a boat to destroy six Spanish ships there. (For more detailed information, see Battle of Manila Bay
.) Petrel then steamed to the navy yard at Cavite
and forced its surrender. Sent into Cavite to destroy any Spanish ships seeking refuge there on 2 May, Petrel sent a party ashore which seized the arsenal
at Cavite and returned with 2 tugs, and , plus 3 additional launch
es.
Petrel continued operations in the Philippines
throughout 1898 and 1899. She joined in shelling Panay Island
on 11 February 1899; on the 22nd, a force of 48 men from Petrel occupied Cebu
. In October, Petrel joined in supporting the Marine Corps
assault on Neveleta by bombarding ahead of the advancing Marine column.
in Manila Bay
, Petrel suffered a fire which resulted in the death of her captain, Lieutenant Commander Jesse M. Roper
. The fire originated in the sail room, a small compartment in the bottom of the ship, adjacent to the magazine
and accessible only by a hatchway from the berth deck above. While some sailors cleared ammunition out of the magazine, another group, led by Roper, took turns entering the compartment and fighting the blaze. The fire produced no visible flames but thick, acrid smoke and fumes. The sail room was also pitch black; the ship's electric generator had been turned off at dawn, and no other lamps would work in the harsh atmosphere of the compartment. A number of men, including Roper, were overcome by the bad air and were pulled out of the sail room semi-conscious. As the fumes grew thicker and more noxious, Roper ordered everyone out of the compartment, but one sailor, Seaman Patrick Toner, did not emerge from the room.
When a sound was heard from below, believed to be Toner fighting for breath, four men descended to rescue him. The four were Roper (not fully recovered from his first trip below), Cadet J.E. Lewis, Jack of the Dust Kessler, and Gunner's Mate Flaherty. When the four men did not return, Seaman Alphonse Girandy
tied a rope around his waist and climbed down the ladder. He found Kessler and Flaherty, both semi-conscious, and passed them up to be hauled through the hatchway. At the bottom of the ladder he found Toner and, although losing consciousness himself, held on to him as the sailors above pulled both men out of the compartment. Lieutenant J.S. McKean, with a rope around his waist, was next into the sail room, followed by Private Louis F. Theis
of the ship's Marine Corps detachment and Seaman Thomas Cahey. As McKean searched in the darkness for the two men still missing, Lieutenant Commander Roper and Cadet Lewis, the ship's generator finally came back online. With the help of a lamp lowered through the hatchway, McKean could see Roper and Lewis slumped against the walls of the compartment. McKean dragged Roper to the ladder to be hauled out and then, with the help of Theis and Cahey, rescued Lewis just before losing consciousness himself. The fire was extinguished later that day; Roper was killed by the fumes, but the other men all eventually recovered. For their actions during the incident, Cahey, Girandy, and Thies were each awarded the Medal of Honor
.
an waters in 1911, she returned to the Atlantic coast. Disturbances in the Caribbean
sent her to Mexican
and West Indian waters from 1912 to 1915 to protect American interests, and in 1916 she became station ship at Guantanamo. With the World War I
declaration of war
in April, Petrel returned to the United States
to serve with the American Patrol Detachment at Boston, Massachusetts, throughout the war.
After 30 years of service, Petrel was decommissioned at New Orleans, Louisiana
, on 15 July 1919 and was struck from the Naval Vessel Register
on 16 April 1920. She was subsequently sold to Snare and Treest, New York, on 1 November 1920.
Gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...
in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
. She was named for a sea bird
Petrel
Petrels are tube-nosed seabirds in the bird order Procellariiformes. The common name does not indicate relationship beyond that point, as "petrels" occur in three of the four families within that group...
.
Petrel was laid down on 27 August 1887, built by the Columbia Iron Works and Dry Dock Company in Baltimore, Maryland; launched on 13 October 1888; and commissioned 10 December 1889, with Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
W. H. Bronson in command.
Service in the Pacific
Assigned to the North Atlantic Station, Petrel continued with it until September 1891, when ordered to the Asiatic SquadronAsiatic Squadron
The Asiatic Squadron was a squadron of United States Navy warships stationed in East Asia during the latter half of the 19th century, it was created in 1868 when the East India Squadron was disbanded...
where she was to serve until 1911. Steaming north in May 1894, she reported at Unalaska, in July to operate with the Bering Sea
Bering Sea
The Bering Sea is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises a deep water basin, which then rises through a narrow slope into the shallower water above the continental shelves....
patrol to discourage seal poaching. In July, she operated off the Pribilof Islands
Pribilof Islands
The Pribilof Islands are a group of four volcanic islands off the coast of mainland Alaska, in the Bering Sea, about north of Unalaska and 200 miles southwest of Cape Newenham. The Siberia coast is roughly northwest...
; and in August she returned to the Asiatic station.
Withdrawing from Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
in April 1898, Petrel became part of George Dewey
George Dewey
George Dewey was an admiral of the United States Navy. He is best known for his victory at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War...
's fleet in the campaign against Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
. On 1 May, after Dewey’s squadron had defeated the heavy Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
ships in the first engagement of the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
, Petrel entered the inner harbor and lowered a boat to destroy six Spanish ships there. (For more detailed information, see Battle of Manila Bay
Battle of Manila Bay (1898)
The Battle of Manila Bay took place on 1 May 1898, during the Spanish-American War. The American Asiatic Squadron under Commodore George Dewey engaged and destroyed the Spanish Pacific Squadron under Admiral Patricio Montojo y Pasarón...
.) Petrel then steamed to the navy yard at Cavite
Cavite
Cavite is a province of the Philippines located on the southern shores of Manila Bay in the CALABARZON region in Luzon, just 30 kilometers south of Manila. Cavite is surrounded by Laguna to the east, Metro Manila to the northeast, and Batangas to the south...
and forced its surrender. Sent into Cavite to destroy any Spanish ships seeking refuge there on 2 May, Petrel sent a party ashore which seized the arsenal
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, issued to authorized users, or any combination of those...
at Cavite and returned with 2 tugs, and , plus 3 additional launch
Launch (boat)
A launch in contemporary usage refers to a large motorboat. The name originally referred to the largest boat carried by a warship. The etymology of the word is given as Portuguese lancha "barge", from Malay lancha, lancharan, "boat," from lanchar "velocity without effort," "action of gliding...
es.
Petrel continued operations in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
throughout 1898 and 1899. She joined in shelling Panay Island
Panay Island
Panay is an island in the Philippines located in the western part of the Visayas. Politically, it is divided into five provinces: Aklan, Antique, Capiz, and Iloilo, all in the Western Visayas Region. It is located southeast of the island of Mindoro and northwest of Negros, separated by the...
on 11 February 1899; on the 22nd, a force of 48 men from Petrel occupied Cebu
Cebu Island
Cebu is an island of the Philippines. It is the main island of Cebu Province at the center of the Visayan Islands, south of Manila.It lies to the east of Negros Island; to the east is Leyte and to the southeast is Bohol Island. It is flanked on both sides by the Cebu Strait and Tañon Strait...
. In October, Petrel joined in supporting the Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
assault on Neveleta by bombarding ahead of the advancing Marine column.
1901 fire
On the morning of March 31, 1901, while off CaviteCavite
Cavite is a province of the Philippines located on the southern shores of Manila Bay in the CALABARZON region in Luzon, just 30 kilometers south of Manila. Cavite is surrounded by Laguna to the east, Metro Manila to the northeast, and Batangas to the south...
in Manila Bay
Manila Bay
Manila Bay is a natural harbor which serves the Port of Manila , in the Philippines.The bay is considered to be one of the best natural harbors in Southeast Asia and one of the finest in the world...
, Petrel suffered a fire which resulted in the death of her captain, Lieutenant Commander Jesse M. Roper
Jesse M. Roper
Jesse M. Roper was an officer in the United States Navy during the Spanish-American War.-Biography:Born at Glasgow, Missouri, Roper was appointed midshipman in June 1868 and graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1872. Commissioned lieutenant commander in 1899, he assumed command of USS...
. The fire originated in the sail room, a small compartment in the bottom of the ship, adjacent to the magazine
Magazine (artillery)
Magazine is the name for an item or place within which ammunition is stored. It is taken from the Arabic word "makahazin" meaning "warehouse".-Ammunition storage areas:...
and accessible only by a hatchway from the berth deck above. While some sailors cleared ammunition out of the magazine, another group, led by Roper, took turns entering the compartment and fighting the blaze. The fire produced no visible flames but thick, acrid smoke and fumes. The sail room was also pitch black; the ship's electric generator had been turned off at dawn, and no other lamps would work in the harsh atmosphere of the compartment. A number of men, including Roper, were overcome by the bad air and were pulled out of the sail room semi-conscious. As the fumes grew thicker and more noxious, Roper ordered everyone out of the compartment, but one sailor, Seaman Patrick Toner, did not emerge from the room.
When a sound was heard from below, believed to be Toner fighting for breath, four men descended to rescue him. The four were Roper (not fully recovered from his first trip below), Cadet J.E. Lewis, Jack of the Dust Kessler, and Gunner's Mate Flaherty. When the four men did not return, Seaman Alphonse Girandy
Alphonse Girandy
Alphonse Girandy was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of America's highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor.-Biography:...
tied a rope around his waist and climbed down the ladder. He found Kessler and Flaherty, both semi-conscious, and passed them up to be hauled through the hatchway. At the bottom of the ladder he found Toner and, although losing consciousness himself, held on to him as the sailors above pulled both men out of the compartment. Lieutenant J.S. McKean, with a rope around his waist, was next into the sail room, followed by Private Louis F. Theis
Louis Fred Pfeifer
Louis Fred Pfeifer was a private in the United States Marine Corps who received the Medal of Honor for risking his life to rescue several shipmates during a fire aboard ....
of the ship's Marine Corps detachment and Seaman Thomas Cahey. As McKean searched in the darkness for the two men still missing, Lieutenant Commander Roper and Cadet Lewis, the ship's generator finally came back online. With the help of a lamp lowered through the hatchway, McKean could see Roper and Lewis slumped against the walls of the compartment. McKean dragged Roper to the ladder to be hauled out and then, with the help of Theis and Cahey, rescued Lewis just before losing consciousness himself. The fire was extinguished later that day; Roper was killed by the fumes, but the other men all eventually recovered. For their actions during the incident, Cahey, Girandy, and Thies were each awarded the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
.
Service in the Atlantic
Decommissioned at Cavite after the war, Petrel was re-commissioned on 9 May 1910. After visiting EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an waters in 1911, she returned to the Atlantic coast. Disturbances in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
sent her to Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and West Indian waters from 1912 to 1915 to protect American interests, and in 1916 she became station ship at Guantanamo. With the World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
declaration of war
Declaration of war
A declaration of war is a formal act by which one nation goes to war against another. The declaration is a performative speech act by an authorized party of a national government in order to create a state of war between two or more states.The legality of who is competent to declare war varies...
in April, Petrel returned to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to serve with the American Patrol Detachment at Boston, Massachusetts, throughout the war.
After 30 years of service, Petrel was decommissioned at New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, on 15 July 1919 and was struck from the Naval Vessel Register
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
on 16 April 1920. She was subsequently sold to Snare and Treest, New York, on 1 November 1920.
External links
- Photo gallery at navsource.org