USS Maine (ACR-1)

History of the USS Maine (ACR-1)

Shortly after the end of the American Civil War (1861-1865), on August 3, 1888, the U.S. government ordered the construction of a new armed steamship to match the growing naval aspirations of Latin and South America. The ship was originally named "Armored Cruiser #1" ("ACR-1"), but was renamed USS Maine and reclassified as "Battleship II". Her keel was laid on October 17, 1888 by the New York Navy Yard in Brooklyn, New York.

She was officially launched on November 18, 1890, and commissioned on September 17, 1895. At the time of her service, she was only the second battleship in the United States Navy (USN) and the first to be named the USS Maine.

Because most of her designs stemmed from well-developed European developments, the USS Maine was born when steam engine technology was advanced enough to reduce its reliance on sailing power. For this reason, the sail-mounted mast was eliminated from her design and replaced by a pair of observation masts - one amidships and the other aft.

In the middle is the superstructure and two chimneys that occupy its outline. Armament includes a variety of guns guided by 2 x 10 in (254 mm) guns in twin front and rear turrets. It was complemented by a 6 x 6 in (152 mm) gun in a single turret of its design. 7 x Driggs-Schroeder 6 lb (57mm/2.2") guns and 4 x Hotchkiss 1 lb (37mm/1.5") guns mounted.

4 x Gatling guns for close range work. The ship also receives torpedo launch facilities from 4 x 18 in (457 mm) launchers mounted above the waterline. The battleship's armor protection (made of nickel steel) included a 12" belt and up to 3" upper deck, 8" main turret and 10" superstructure.

Electricity is provided by 8 Scottish coal boilers driving 2 vertical triple expansion steam engines with 2 shafts. Top speed in ideal conditions is 16 knots and range is about 4,000 miles. The ship is piloted by a crew of 374.

An interesting design layout of the USS Maine is her main gun armament, which is centered on two off-center circular turrets, allowing both guns to be forward, aft, and to either side as needed Shooting - that's what all four of the main weapons guns really might allow for targeting (however, this turned out to be a Maine balancing issue with the turret configuration). The front turret is offset to starboard, while the rear turret is offset to port.

Each tower relies on hydraulic power to traverse and lift. In initial line work, the 10-inch main gun will be mounted in an open-air turret, although it was changed to a closed turret during construction.

The USS Maine began her ocean-going career in November 1895 and ended in Sandy Hook Sound, New Jersey. From there she moved to Newport, Rhode Island, and then to Portland, Maine, where she joined the North Atlantic Squadron for exercises. She lived most of her life in Norfolk, Virginia, and spent most of her time on the east coast of the United States and in the waters of the Caribbean.

As problems in Cuba began to intensify, and the local population threatened Americans and American interests on the island (which was then ruled by Spain), the USS Maine was sent to anchor in the harbor of Havana. The ship was carefully approved by the Spanish government.

Tensions between Cubans and Spain have been rising for decades as islanders seek independence. A movement spread across the United States to garner support for the initiative, and an initiative of 1868-1878 was crushed by the Spaniards.

This led to a second attempt to kill tens of thousands of Cubans.

Tensions between the Spaniards and Americans also did not improve, as in October 1873 the Spaniards captured the USS Virginius, a side steamer that appeared as a Confederate warship during the American Civil War (from 1873 Captured from the North in April). 1865). The Virginius actively supported Cuban independence and was immediately targeted by Spanish authorities. The ship was eventually hunted down and captured, after which her crew of 53 (British and American nationals) were executed. This event nearly brought the United States (and Britain) to war with Spain.

The event showed the Americans the lack of ironclad power compared to the Spaniards, and it sparked a new plan for the U.S. Navy to build five such ships.

The story of the USS Maine took a disastrous turn one night in February. On February 15, 1898, at 9:40 pm, while most of the crew of the USS Maine was sleeping, her 5-ton gunpowder charge (located in the forward magazine) caught fire and the ship was blown away by a massive explosion Shocked. The front of Maine was completely blown up, killing 260 people where they were lying or standing, while others quickly recovered from their injuries. Many were enlisted officers, usually stationed aft.

The complete loss of the forecastle forced the open hull to flood and sink into port. Nearby Spanish troops moved into action to aid the wounded and help control the fire.

After a four-week investigation, the U.S. Naval Commission unanimously concluded that a mine of unknown origin may have been the culprit in the explosion. The mine is thought to have struck the Maine's hull and exploded, which in turn detonated her front magazine and caused a fatal explosion. As news of the outcome reached the American people, calls for retaliation began, with the news media pressuring to capitalize on the public outrage. Forced to act, then U.S.

President McKinley ordered a naval blockade against Cuba, which Spain returned to the blockade on April 25, 1898, formally declaring war on the United States, ending the Spanish-American War (25 May 1898). The war lasted just over 3.5 months, claimed tens of thousands of lives, and wiped out Spain's status as the official world power - the Spanish Empire and all its prestige are now gone. In turn, the war marked the United States as a true world power. The conflict ended with the Treaty of Paris signed in 1898, when Spain demanded peace and handed control of Cuba to the U.S. government.

The sinking of the battleship Maine proved to be a key catalyst in the war between the United States and the great powers of Europe.

Between 1911 and 1912, the U.S. Navy entered Havana Harbor to attempt to raise the hull of the USS Maine to remove it as an obstacle and inspect it for damage. An investigation backed up the previous Navy mine theory, according to which the Maine was then towed miles north of Havana until, under the command of the U.S.

Navy, it sank with full military honor, resulting in her death.

Despite the official statement, many experts agree that the cause of the explosion was actually related to spontaneous combustion of coal in the bunker next to the 6-inch gun magazine. For naval history students, however, the sinking of the battleship Maine remains unresolved.

The U.S. Navy dropped the keel for the second time a year after they lost it to commemorate their first Maine. The USS Maine became part of the U.S. "Great White Fleet," which tours the world in displays of force.

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