USS Topeka (PG-35)
Encyclopedia
USS Topeka (PG-35) was a gunboat
of the United States Navy
.
The ship was built in 1881 as the steamer Diogenes by the Howaldtswerke
at Kiel, Germany. Acquired by the Navy from the Thames Iron Works, London
, England
, on 2 April 1898, she was renamed Topeka, and placed in commission the same day, Lieutenant
John J. Knapp in command.
, England, on 19 April 1898 and arrived at Tompkinsville, New York
, on 1 May 1898. The following day, she moved to the New York Navy Yard to begin a two-month overhaul during which she received her armament and generally prepared for duty on the Cuban blockade. The gunboat departed New York on 30 June 1898 and, after a five-day stop at Key West
, Florida
, joined the blockading forces off Havana
on 11 July 1898. That same day, she was assigned station off Nipe Bay
, located on the northeastern shore of Cuba
almost directly opposite Santiago de Cuba
on the island's southeastern coast. On 17 July 1898, she and captured the Spanish sloop
Domingo Aurelio off Nipe Bay. Four days later, Topeka joined gunboat , armed yacht
, and armed tug
in a foray into Nipe Bay. The four warships encountered no real resistance from the Spanish and, therefore, easily captured the port and sank the , abandoned by her crew, in the Battle of Nipe Bay
.
Following the capture of the Bahia de Nipe littoral, Topeka steamed to Key West
with dispatches. She returned to Cuban waters on 28 July and remained until 5 August, when she again steamed to Key West. She made one more voyage to Cuba in mid-August, visiting Port Francis on the 14th before heading north on the 15th. After stops at Key West and Hampton Roads
, she visited Provincetown and Boston
, Massachusetts, and then arrived at the New York Navy Yard on 13 September. Topeka exited New York harbor
on 22 October and reached Philadelphia the following day. She remained there until 19 November when she sailed for the Caribbean. During that cruise, she visited Cuba
, Haiti
, San Domingo, and Puerto Rico
before returning — via Norfolk, Virginia
, and Newport, Rhode Island
— to Boston, early in February 1899. On 15 February 1899, Topeka was placed out of commission at the Boston Navy Yard
.
on 27 September. Steaming via the Azores
and Lisbon
, Portugal
, and Gibraltar
, she entered the Mediterranean on 7 November. During the cruise, she visited Villefranche
, Genoa
, Livorno
, Naples
, Algiers
, and Tangier
. Topeka, transited the Strait of Gibraltar
on 5 January 1901 and, after visits to the Azores
and to St. Vincent
and Barbados
in the West Indies, returned to the United States at Hampton Roads, Virginia, on 4 March 1901.
For more than a year, Topeka operated along the southeastern coast of the United States and in the West Indies, working out of Norfolk and the South Carolina ports of Charleston
and Port Royal
. On 16 May 1902, the gunboat cleared Port Royal and headed — via Port-au-Prince
, Haiti
, and San Juan
, Puerto Rico
to the Caribbean for a summer training cruise in the waters off Venezuela
. Over the next three months, when not conducting gunnery drills, she was a frequent caller at the Venezuelan ports of Puerto Cabello
and La Guaira
as well as at nearby Curaçao
in the Dutch West Indies. She departed Puerto Cabello on 23 August 1902 and reached Hampton Roads on 5 September. That same day, she entered the Norfolk Navy Yard for three months of repairs.
On 10 December, Topeka completed repairs and departed Norfolk to join the fleet in the West Indies. She reached Culebra, Puerto Rico
, on the 16th and, for the following two months, conducted exercises in the West Indies and the Caribbean. On 21 February 1903, the ship got underway from Kingston, Jamaica
, to return to the United States. She arrived in Charleston, South Carolina, on 1 March, and began operations along the length of the eastern seaboard. Those operations occupied her until late in the year.
On 10 December, she steamed out of Hampton Roads to return south to the Caribbean Sea—Gulf of Mexico area. After a visit to New Orleans, Louisiana, between 16 and 22 December, she began duty with the Caribbean Squadron. In January and early February 1904, she cruised along the coast of Panama in the wake of the revolution which separated that republic from Colombia
and paved the way for the construction of the Panama Canal. During the latter part of February, Topeka visited Kingston, Jamaica; Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; and San Juan, Puerto Rico, before joining other units of the fleet off the coast of Dominican Republic
late in the month. She plied the waters around Hispanola through the end of March protecting American lives and interests while civil strife tore the island asunder.
Topeka left the West Indies on 30 March and returned to the United States upon her arrival at Charleston on the 5th. On 15 May, the warship reported for duty at Newport, Rhode Island, and, for the next four months, participated in wireless telegraphy
experiments conducted off the New England coast. During October and November, Topeka participated in the trials of three new warships — (Armored Cruiser No. 7), (Armored Cruiser No. 5), and (Armored Cruiser No. 4). Late in November, she resumed duty along the east coast.
On 5 January 1905, Topeka stood out of Newport News, Virginia
, to return to the West Indies. She stopped at Key West for 11 days, from 11 to 22 January and then continued on to Cuba. Between 23 and 25 January, the warship gathered hydrographic and commercial information at Havana. She coaled at Bahia de Nipe on the 27th and headed for Puerto Rico, where she trained with the North Atlantic Fleet until 17 February. She operated out of Guantanamo Bay from 19 February to 22 March and then headed back to the United States. After visits in Florida at Key West and Pensacola
, Topeka arrived in Hampton Roads on 11 April. On the 23rd, the gunboat again headed south to the troubled waters of the West Indies. She arrived off the Dominican Republic
on the 28th and patrolled the coastline of that strife-torn country into August. On 13 August, the gunboat weighed anchor at Guantanamo Bay and shaped a course for Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where she arrived on the 21st. Topeka was placed out of commission on 7 September 1905 and assigned duty as station ship at Portsmouth.
, and returned to Portsmouth. There, she served as a training ship for 1st Naval District recruits throughout the United States' participation in World War I.
Topeka was recommissioned again on 2 July 1923 and was turned over to the 4th Naval District as a training ship for Philadelphia units of the Naval Reserve Forces.
. In accordance with the terms of the London Treaty for the Limitation and Reduction of Naval Armaments
, on 13 May 1930 she was sold for scrapping to the Union Shipbuilding Co., of Baltimore, Maryland.
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:...
of 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...
.
The ship was built in 1881 as the steamer Diogenes by the Howaldtswerke
Howaldtswerke
Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft is a German shipbuilding company, headquartered in Kiel. In 2009 it was the largest shipyard in Germany and has more than 2,400 employees. It has been part of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems owned by ThyssenKrupp, since 2005...
at Kiel, Germany. Acquired by the Navy from the Thames Iron Works, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, on 2 April 1898, she was renamed Topeka, and placed in commission the same day, Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
John J. Knapp in command.
Spanish-American War, 1898–1899
Topeka cleared FalmouthFalmouth, Cornwall
Falmouth is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,635.Falmouth is the terminus of the A39, which begins some 200 miles away in Bath, Somerset....
, England, on 19 April 1898 and arrived at Tompkinsville, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, on 1 May 1898. The following day, she moved to the New York Navy Yard to begin a two-month overhaul during which she received her armament and generally prepared for duty on the Cuban blockade. The gunboat departed New York on 30 June 1898 and, after a five-day stop at Key West
Key West, Florida
Key West is a city in Monroe County, Florida, United States. The city encompasses the island of Key West, the part of Stock Island north of U.S. 1 , Sigsbee Park , Fleming Key , and Sunset Key...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, joined the blockading forces off Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
on 11 July 1898. That same day, she was assigned station off Nipe Bay
Nipe Bay
Nipe Bay is a bay on the northern coast of eastern Cuba. It is where the statue of Our Lady of Charity, Patroness of Cuba, was discovered miraculously around 1600. The Battle of Nipe Bay happened on July 21, 1898; it was a naval engagement in the Spanish-American War. Fidel Castro was born near...
, located on the northeastern shore of Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
almost directly opposite Santiago de Cuba
Santiago de Cuba
Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city of Cuba and capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province in the south-eastern area of the island, some south-east of the Cuban capital of Havana....
on the island's southeastern coast. On 17 July 1898, she and captured the Spanish sloop
Sloop
A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....
Domingo Aurelio off Nipe Bay. Four days later, Topeka joined gunboat , armed yacht
Yacht
A yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...
, and armed tug
Tugboat
A tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
in a foray into Nipe Bay. The four warships encountered no real resistance from the Spanish and, therefore, easily captured the port and sank the , abandoned by her crew, in the Battle of Nipe Bay
Battle of Nipe Bay
The Battle of Nipe Bay on July 21, 1898 was an engagement of the Spanish-American War. The battle was fought in Nipe Bay, Cuba, by four United States Navy warships against the Spanish sloop-of-war Jorge Juan and three gunboats which were supported by forts guarding the harbor.-Battle:Nipe Bay had...
.
Following the capture of the Bahia de Nipe littoral, Topeka steamed to Key West
Key West
Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida on the North American continent at the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys. Key West is home to the southernmost point in the Continental United States; the island is about from Cuba....
with dispatches. She returned to Cuban waters on 28 July and remained until 5 August, when she again steamed to Key West. She made one more voyage to Cuba in mid-August, visiting Port Francis on the 14th before heading north on the 15th. After stops at Key West and Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
, she visited Provincetown and Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts, and then arrived at the New York Navy Yard on 13 September. Topeka exited New York harbor
New York Harbor
New York Harbor refers to the waterways of the estuary near the mouth of the Hudson River that empty into New York Bay. It is one of the largest natural harbors in the world. Although the U.S. Board of Geographic Names does not use the term, New York Harbor has important historical, governmental,...
on 22 October and reached Philadelphia the following day. She remained there until 19 November when she sailed for the Caribbean. During that cruise, she visited Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, San Domingo, and Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
before returning — via Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, and Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
— to Boston, early in February 1899. On 15 February 1899, Topeka was placed out of commission at the Boston Navy Yard
Boston Navy Yard
The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. Established in 1801, it was officially closed as an active naval installation on July 1, 1974, and the property was...
.
1900–1905
After 18 months of inactivity, the gunboat was re-commissioned at Boston on 15 August 1900, Comdr. Francis H. Delano in command. She departed Boston on 19 September and, after a five-day stop at Tompkinsville, New York, embarked upon a training cruise to the Mediterranean SeaMediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
on 27 September. Steaming via the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
and Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, and Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
, she entered the Mediterranean on 7 November. During the cruise, she visited Villefranche
Villefranche-sur-Mer
Villefranche-sur-Mer is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the French Riviera.-Geography:...
, Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
, Livorno
Livorno
Livorno , traditionally Leghorn , is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of approximately 160,000 residents in 2009.- History :...
, Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
, and Tangier
Tangier
Tangier, also Tangiers is a city in northern Morocco with a population of about 700,000 . It lies on the North African coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel...
. Topeka, transited the Strait of Gibraltar
Strait of Gibraltar
The Strait of Gibraltar is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Spain in Europe from Morocco in Africa. The name comes from Gibraltar, which in turn originates from the Arabic Jebel Tariq , albeit the Arab name for the Strait is Bab el-Zakat or...
on 5 January 1901 and, after visits to the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
and to St. Vincent
Saint Vincent (island)
Saint Vincent is a volcanic island in the Caribbean. It is the largest island of the chain called Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It is located in the Caribbean Sea, between Saint Lucia and Grenada. It is composed of partially submerged volcanic mountains...
and Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
in the West Indies, returned to the United States at Hampton Roads, Virginia, on 4 March 1901.
For more than a year, Topeka operated along the southeastern coast of the United States and in the West Indies, working out of Norfolk and the South Carolina ports of Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
and Port Royal
Port Royal
Port Royal was a city located at the end of the Palisadoes at the mouth of the Kingston Harbour, in southeastern Jamaica. Founded in 1518, it was the centre of shipping commerce in the Caribbean Sea during the latter half of the 17th century...
. On 16 May 1902, the gunboat cleared Port Royal and headed — via Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The city's population was 704,776 as of the 2003 census, and was officially estimated to have reached 897,859 in 2009....
, Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, and San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
to the Caribbean for a summer training cruise in the waters off Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. Over the next three months, when not conducting gunnery drills, she was a frequent caller at the Venezuelan ports of Puerto Cabello
Puerto Cabello
Puerto Cabello is a city on the north coast of Venezuela. It is located in Carabobo State about 75 km west of Caracas. As of 2001, the city has a population of around 154,000 people. The city is the home to the largest port in the country and is thus a vital cog in the country's vast oil...
and La Guaira
La Guaira
La Guaira is the capital city of the Venezuelan state of Vargas and the country's chief port. It was founded in 1577 as an outlet for Caracas, to the southeast. The town and the port were badly damaged during the December 1999 floods and mudslides that affected much of the region...
as well as at nearby Curaçao
Curaçao
Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
in the Dutch West Indies. She departed Puerto Cabello on 23 August 1902 and reached Hampton Roads on 5 September. That same day, she entered the Norfolk Navy Yard for three months of repairs.
On 10 December, Topeka completed repairs and departed Norfolk to join the fleet in the West Indies. She reached Culebra, Puerto Rico
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Isla Culebra is an island-municipality of Puerto Rico originally called Isla Pasaje and Isla de San Ildefonso. It is located approximately east of the Puerto Rican mainland, west of St. Thomas and north of Vieques. Culebra is spread over 5 wards and Culebra Pueblo...
, on the 16th and, for the following two months, conducted exercises in the West Indies and the Caribbean. On 21 February 1903, the ship got underway from Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
, to return to the United States. She arrived in Charleston, South Carolina, on 1 March, and began operations along the length of the eastern seaboard. Those operations occupied her until late in the year.
On 10 December, she steamed out of Hampton Roads to return south to the Caribbean Sea—Gulf of Mexico area. After a visit to New Orleans, Louisiana, between 16 and 22 December, she began duty with the Caribbean Squadron. In January and early February 1904, she cruised along the coast of Panama in the wake of the revolution which separated that republic from Colombia
Separation of Panama from Colombia
The Separation of Panama from Colombia was formalized on 3 November 1903 with the establishment of the Republic of Panama from the Republic of Colombia's Department of Panama.-Prelude:...
and paved the way for the construction of the Panama Canal. During the latter part of February, Topeka visited Kingston, Jamaica; Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; and San Juan, Puerto Rico, before joining other units of the fleet off the coast of Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
late in the month. She plied the waters around Hispanola through the end of March protecting American lives and interests while civil strife tore the island asunder.
Topeka left the West Indies on 30 March and returned to the United States upon her arrival at Charleston on the 5th. On 15 May, the warship reported for duty at Newport, Rhode Island, and, for the next four months, participated in wireless telegraphy
Wireless telegraphy
Wireless telegraphy is a historical term used today to apply to early radio telegraph communications techniques and practices, particularly those used during the first three decades of radio before the term radio came into use....
experiments conducted off the New England coast. During October and November, Topeka participated in the trials of three new warships — (Armored Cruiser No. 7), (Armored Cruiser No. 5), and (Armored Cruiser No. 4). Late in November, she resumed duty along the east coast.
On 5 January 1905, Topeka stood out of Newport News, Virginia
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
, to return to the West Indies. She stopped at Key West for 11 days, from 11 to 22 January and then continued on to Cuba. Between 23 and 25 January, the warship gathered hydrographic and commercial information at Havana. She coaled at Bahia de Nipe on the 27th and headed for Puerto Rico, where she trained with the North Atlantic Fleet until 17 February. She operated out of Guantanamo Bay from 19 February to 22 March and then headed back to the United States. After visits in Florida at Key West and Pensacola
Pensacola
Pensacola is a city in the western part of the U.S. state of Florida.Pensacola may also refer to:* Pensacola people, a group of Native Americans* A number of places in the Florida:** Pensacola Bay** Pensacola Regional Airport...
, Topeka arrived in Hampton Roads on 11 April. On the 23rd, the gunboat again headed south to the troubled waters of the West Indies. She arrived off the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
on the 28th and patrolled the coastline of that strife-torn country into August. On 13 August, the gunboat weighed anchor at Guantanamo Bay and shaped a course for Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where she arrived on the 21st. Topeka was placed out of commission on 7 September 1905 and assigned duty as station ship at Portsmouth.
World War I, 1916–1918
She remained at Portsmouth — serving as station ship, auxiliary to and as a prison ship — until the summer of 1916. On 14 June 1916, she was recommissioned and moved to New York where she served as receiving ship until decommissioned again on 14 September. Two weeks later, she departed New York, under tow by the tugTugboat
A tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
, and returned to Portsmouth. There, she served as a training ship for 1st Naval District recruits throughout the United States' participation in World War I.
Post-World War I, 1919–1929
On 24 March 1919, Topeka was recommissioned at Boston, Comdr. Earl P. Finney in command. After fitting out, she cleared Boston on 28 May and headed south. She arrived in Charleston, South Carolina, on 9 June and reported for duty with the American Patrol Detachment. From then until late October, she cruised the Gulf of Mexico along the coast of Mexico. The gunboat returned to Charleston on 23 October. Topeka was placed out of commission on 21 November 1919 and was turned over to the Commandant of the Charleston Navy Yard. On 17 July 1920, the Navy adopted the alpha-numeric system of hull designations, and the gunboat became PG-35. Almost a year later, on 1 July 1921, she was redesignated IX-35. On 1 July 1922, Topeka was put up for sale. However, no satisfactory bids were forthcoming; and the vessel was withdrawn from the market on 29 September.Topeka was recommissioned again on 2 July 1923 and was turned over to the 4th Naval District as a training ship for Philadelphia units of the Naval Reserve Forces.
Final decommissioning and sale
Topeka was decommissioned for the last time on 2 December 1929. On 2 January 1930, her name was struck from the Navy ListNaval 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...
. In accordance with the terms of the London Treaty for the Limitation and Reduction of Naval Armaments
London Naval Treaty
The London Naval Treaty was an agreement between the United Kingdom, the Empire of Japan, France, Italy and the United States, signed on April 22, 1930, which regulated submarine warfare and limited naval shipbuilding. Ratifications were exchanged in London on October 27, 1930, and the treaty went...
, on 13 May 1930 she was sold for scrapping to the Union Shipbuilding Co., of Baltimore, Maryland.