The first USS Montana (ACR-13), also referred to as "Armored Cruiser No. 13", later renamed Missoula and designated CA-13, was an armored cruiser of the United States Navy, a sister-ship of North Carolina (ACR-12).
On January 11, 1905, the Newport News Shipbuilding Company ordered the first material for her hull and on January 21 her lines were laid on the builders’ yard. Her first frame was erected on May 13, 1905. She had her keel laid down on April 29, 1905. Montana was launched 15 December 1906, and was sponsored by Miss Minnie Conrad the daughter of W. G. Conrad of Great Falls, Montana. Martin Maginnis who was the ex-Territorial Delegate in Congress represented Governor Toole, along with Montana Senator Carter and Montana Representative Dixon were also present on the platform. Absent from the launching platform were any U.S. Navy representatives. At the time of her launching, she was said to be about 58% completed.
The newly christened ship was formerly accepted from her builders on July 10, 1908 at the contract cost of $3,575,000 and was fully commissioned into the navy at the Norfolk Navy Yard 21 July 1908, with Captain Alfred Reynolds in command of 40 Officers and 844 enlisted men and a detachment of 66 enlisted marines.
The Montana had not even been commissioned yet a week when the first misfortune struck the ship. On July 28, the crew is busy coaling the ship, likely the first time by the crew. By noon that day it is all backsides and elbows as the crew is busy shoveling those ‘black diamonds’ into the Montana’s bunkers. On the starboard side of the ship forward, near the rail Ordinary Seaman George Harvey Kerr is busy shoveling his share of the coal. At 43-minutes past noon a bag of coal being hoisted at the time strikes Seaman Kerr unexpectedly in the chest, knocking him backwards off the deck and into the bay. He is unable to be rescued in time and was drowned because of the accident.
Assigned to the Atlantic Fleet, Montana departed Norfolk August 5, 1908 to cruise off the east coast until 25 January 1909 when she sailed from Charleston, South Carolina where she was to meet her sister ship the USS North Carolina. There the two ships were preparing for the upcoming trip to take President-elect William Howard Taft on an inspection tour of the nearly finished Panama Canal in February of 1909. Both the North Carolina and the Montana were to sail from Savannah, Georgia with Taft on board on January 25, 1909 to start the trip south to Panama, arriving off Colon, Panama, the 29th. Taft had chosen the North Carolina as his flagship for the trip as she was the Navy’s newest warship, and would represent the best that the navy had at the time as a show of her might and advanced naval technologies to the region. Additionally, the North Carolina and the Montana had the new wireless radio sets should Taft need to use them to communicate with the States.
However, during the trip south from Charleston, SC to Colon, Panama one of the Montana’s sailors was drowned. Coal Passer Clarence Demint was lost overboard and drowned as the ship was steaming south on January 28, 1909. It was not known why or how he fell from the ship. He could have been relaxing, cooling off along the rail of the ship, and washed overboard by a wave or wind, or he could have slipped or even jumped, any number of things could have been his demise.
While operating with the Special Service Squadron, Montana departed Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, 2 April 1909 for the Mediterranean to protect American interests during the aftermath of the Turkish Revolution of 1908. Leaving Gibraltar 23 July, she arrived Boston on 3 August, and resumed east coast operations.
Another tragedy befell the Montana on October 31, 1909 when Ordinary Seaman Lloyd Harrison Hamp was drowned in an accident. On the morning of October 31, there was a lighter moored to the port side of the Montana as she is at anchor. At about 9:00 that morning one of the Montana’s steam launches is operating along the port side of the Montana, and passed near where the lighter was moored to the ship, when Seaman Hamp, who was a member of the steam launch’s crew accidentally fell off the steamer and somehow became trapped under the lighter long enough to be drowned.
On 8 April 1910, Montana sailed from Hampton Roads, Virginia, to take part in the Argentine Centennial Celebration, calling at Uruguay, Argentina, and finally Brazil before heading for home 30 June, arriving Hampton Roads 22 July. During this cruise her ships officers were as follows:
| Captain John Gardner Quinby Lt. Commander Cluade B. Price Lt. Commander Duncan M. Wood Lt. Commander Amon Bronson, Jr. Lt. Arthur P. Fairfield Lt. Joseph L. Hileman Lt. John H. Newton Lt. Virgil Baker Ensign Louis H. Maxfield Ensign John E. Iseman, Jr. Ensign James McC. Irish Ensign Rufus King Ensign Maurice R. Pierce Ensign Harold A. Strauss Ensign Lloyd C. Stark Ensign Franklin P. Conger Midshipman Cummings L. Lothrop Midshipman Frank T. Leighton Midshipman Ralph E. Sampson Midshipman Clifford E. Van Hook Midshipman Alfred Y. Lamphier |
Midshipman Frederick C. Sherman Midshipman Romuald P. P. Meclewski Midshipman Francis G. Marsh Surgeon George F. Freeman Surgeon Charles G. Smith Asst. Surgeon Harry R. Hermesch Asst. Surgeon Harry E. Jenkins Paymaster Arthur F. Huntington Paymaster George C. Schafer 1st Lt. Henry N. Manney, Jr. USMC 2nd Lt. Davis S. Combes, USMC Chief Boatswain John C. Rickertts Chief Gunner Samuel Chiles Gunner Charles H. Anderson Chief Carpenter William Boone Chief Machinist Lemuel T. Cooper Chief Machinist George Crofton Machinist Orrin R. Hewitt Pay Clerk F. W. Jepson Pay Clerk Francis C. Colville |
The Montana on her way to Buenos Ayres reached the port of Havana, Cuba on April 11, 1910. Aboard the Montana was the United States Special Envoy to the Argentine Republic, Major General Leonard Wood, USA. As the Montana reached her buoy to drop her anchor she was surrounded by a welcoming flotilla of yachts, tugs and officials with a delegation of Spanish War Veterans, along with the United States Consular Officers and representatives of various commercial bodies.
General Wood and his wife held an informal reception on the quarterdeck of the Montana, which was filled with visitors wanting to welcome the General and the former Military Governor of Cuba (1899-1902). General Wood had remarked that he was delighted to be back in Havana and was especially pleased to renew acquaintances with so many dear friends and colleagues of his former administration. One prominent guest was Dr. Guiteras, Chief of the Sanitary Service.
On the evening of April 11 General Wood, Rear Admiral Staunton, commander of the special service squadron, Capt. Quinby, the Montana’s commanding officer, Consul General Rodgers and others were the guests at dinner of American Minister Jackson. General Wood entertained another group the next morning at a breakfast held at the Havana Yacht Club, and in the afternoon, Cuban President Gomez held another party followed by a formal Cuban State dinner that evening at the palace. The Montana remained in Cuba until she met with the scout cruiser Chester and on April 14 the Montana and the Chester together steamed south on to Rio de Janeiro.
After stopping in Rio de Janeiro, the Montana steamed farther south and was in Montevideo, Uruguay in early May 1910.
On May 12, 1910, the Montana is conducting a coaling operation when at 7:45 in the morning an accident took place where Boatswain’s Mate 2c Raymond Stanley Greeble of Baltimore, Maryland was drowned. One of the coaling hooks used to hoist the large bags of coal aboard was being swung out away from the deck where BM2c Greeble was standing, when it caught in his clothes and carried him overboard causing him to hit the rail of the collier moored next to the Montana. Greeble then glanced off the rail and fell until his body hit the armor shelf of the Montana several feet below injuring him badly, and then ultimately hitting the water between the two ships. Greeble did not come up and his body was not recovered.
After her South American cruise, Montana returned to the east coast for the remainder of the summer of 1910. On November 10, 1910 President Taft and his party embarked aboard the Montana then at Charleston, South Carolina for a planned visit south to the Panama Canal Zone. President Taft and his party returned to Hampton Roads on November 22.
Montana was to steam to Mexican waters but orders were changed and she was instead sent to Cuban waters to participate in fleet training. In December of 1910 the Atlantic Battleship Fleet was in England and was due to participate in the winter battle practice. This year’s practice would have the battleship fleet sail from England and make a mock attack on the Panama Canal Zone. The defending force was made up of the following ships; the armored cruisers USS Tennessee, Montana, North Carolina and Washington, the scout cruisers Salem and Birmingham, and the destroyers Smith, Flusser, Reid, Lamson, and Preston. The North Atlantic Battleship fleet of 16 ships steamed from England on December 30, 1910 and the defending force of 11 cruisers and destroyers were to seek out this invading force in mid ocean. The cruiser fleet defeated the battleship fleet and then the combined ships steamed on to Guantanamo, Cuba for target practice.
While the Montana, Tennessee, and North Carolina are in Cuban waters conducting target practice, back at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, new searchlights sat awaiting the three cruisers to return to have them installed. However, on February 16, 1911 the yard workers at the Portsmouth Navy Yard had instructions to ship the searchlights to the New York Navy Yard. It was noted in the February 16, 1911 Portsmouth Herald, Navy Yard notes section, that although the work did not amount to much the Portsmouth yard workers were a bit displeased that the work was sent to the New York Yard. The Portsmouth Yard was the homeport of the Atlantic Fleet Armored Cruisers and the Portsmouth Yard workers saw this as an insult that the work on their cruisers was sent to New York.
On the morning of March 13, 1911, the Fifth Division of the Atlantic Fleet commanded by Rear Admiral Sydney A. Staunton, arrived in Caimanera, Cuba, which included the cruisers Tennessee, North Carolina and the Montana. Joining the Fifth Division was the auxiliary cruiser Prairie with a battalion of marines aboard. The fleet would be undertaking training exercises held in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Galveston, Texas. After the battle practice the 4-cruisers, Tennessee, Montana, North Carolina, and Washington were held in the area with orders from the Navy Department. They had been cleared to steam north to Portsmouth, but because of the unrest in Mexico between President Diaz’s forces and the rebels under Madero, the Navy Department kept them and the Marine Battalion with them at Guantanamo for several months.
Nevertheless, before the Montana steamed north there was time for a bit of fun for the crew. In navy circles having a winning race boat crew entitled that ship to have bragging rights and always first drinks at the local watering holes, wherever they sailed. These 12-oar boat races between ships also served to unite the crew of the ship by cheering their respective oarsmen. When the Montana reached the Portsmouth Yard, word was “leaked” out about a high-stakes boat race held in Guantanamo several days previous between the Montana and the Washington’s race boats. The “leaking” of the story was actually just another form of bragging rights for the Montana’s crew. The large sum of money wagered between the two ships was not disclosed but the Montana’s crew under Ensign Rufus King bested the Washington’s crew.
Once released from Cuban waters the Montana steamed north to the Portsmouth Navy Yard, which was her homeport, for a scheduled overhaul period. Leaving Guantanamo, the Montana had aboard a large detachment of marines that were being transported from Guantanamo to the Charlestown Navy Yard. Montana made a stop at the Boston Navy Yard on July 7, and disembarked the marines and then she steamed on to Portsmouth where she arrived on July 8, 1911.
While the Montana is steaming north from Cuban waters to Portsmouth, several of the Montana’s baseball team write to friends back in their homeport of Portsmouth stating boldly that the Montana’s baseball team is one of the best in the Atlantic Fleet. During the two-month overhaul period, they were expecting to spend some quality time on the local baseball diamonds to prove their proficiency of the game.
On March 18, 1911 workmen at the Portsmouth Yard were notified that on or about April 10 the Montana would arrive at the yard, but she was delayed and remained in Cuban waters until early July. Once the Montana arrived at the Portsmouth Yard the cruiser would be in the yard for about a 2-month period of overhaul. During the overhaul, the foremast of the Montana was removed and she was re-fitted with the new cage style masts being installed in many of the ships at that time. The Montana would be the first of her class to have the new Fire-Control Mast installed. Once this work was completed, the Montana left the Portsmouth Navy Yard and arrived at the New York Navy Yard where she stayed for 10-days, in which time she had new searchlights installed. After completion, she steamed back to the Portsmouth Yard. Once her overhaul and re-fits were completed, the Montana was placed in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet in late August 1911 at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, where she remained until November 11, 1912. During this time in reserve, much of the crew of the Montana would be disbursed and she would have a skeleton crew to look after her.
As the Montana begins her overhaul period it is time for crew re-assignments and transfers from the ship. On July 5, 1911, Chief Boatswain James Glass reports aboard the Montana for duty. Chief Glass had been assigned to the USS Hist until her crew was re-assigned when she was decommissioned in July of 1911. The Hist was a 472-ton yacht, which was built for private use at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1895. The U.S. Navy purchased the Hist in April 1898 for use in the Spanish-American War. Hist was active in Cuban waters during that conflict and participated in the Battle of Santiago on June 3, 1898. Following the war, Hist served along the U.S. Atlantic coast and in the Caribbean area until July 1911, when she was decommissioned.
On July 12 over 300 sailors were detached from the Montana and re-assigned to duty aboard the battleship USS New Jersey then stationed at the Boston Navy Yard. And on the following day, July 13 another 40 men were sent to duty aboard the USS Wisconsin. Also on July 12 the Montana had been anchored in the lower harbor of Portsmouth was moved in the afternoon to the flatiron dock in the upper harbor by the tugs Penacook and M. Mitchell Davis. There at the flatiron dock on July 13 the torpedoes and ammunition from the Montana were offloaded from the ship, and taken to storage at the Navy Yard.
For the local towns folk near the Portsmouth Navy Yard the presence of the big cruisers drew much curiosity. It was common practice for the Yard to open its gates and allow the locals in to look around and tour the big ships. These tours were often a social event and attended by many who wanted to see the big ships up close. One such open house was held on Sunday July 16 where hundreds swarmed both the Montana and the Tennessee. Work on the overhaul progresses throughout July and into August on the Montana and Tennessee. By July 19 both ships have their electrical generating stations put out of commission for rebuilds and had no internal power of their own, so both cruisers were hooked up to the yard’s central power plant for several days.
While the Montana is being overhauled, there is time for the crew to be ashore and take in some of the area towns and beaches. When a sailor is off duty on Liberty and he sees danger, his naval training may be called on at any moment. This training to act quickly when danger is present was called on when three Montana sailors were spending the day in York Harbor, Maine on July 13, 1911. York Harbor is just a few miles up the coast from the Portsmouth Naval Yard. The three, Boatswain mate J. J. McKenna, Ship Fitter J. W. Gessner and Coxswain G. W. Pyle, sprang into action when a forest fire got out of control and began to threaten the nearby York Beach area. The three sailors took the lead in organizing and fighting the fire, which was about to overwhelm the town of York Beach. For their efforts Beekman Winthrop, the Acting Secretary of the Navy sent Letters of Commendation to each of the three sailors. After the fire was under control the navy sent two detachments of 25-men each from the Montana and the battleship Wisconsin to aid the citizens of York Beach in cleaning up after the fire.
On July 26, 1911, another large contingent of sailors were detached from the Montana. The navy even had a special passenger train brought into the local rail yard and several hundred sailors boarded who were bound for duty aboard the USS Wabash and Boston. As enlisted men were being sent away from the Montana for duty elsewhere, civilian workmen who had been laid off now were returning to the yard for work. On Monday morning, July 31, 1911 over fifty workers returned to work because of the Montana’s overhaul then in progress.
A bit of excitement came to the Montana on Thursday August 24, 1911, when a United States Postal Inspector by the name of William W. Stone, went to the Portsmouth Navy Yard and came aboard the Montana for the purpose of investigating a case of forgery and robbery. Inspector Stone questioned 21-year old Seaman Ben A. Grenkowski of Michigan in regards to this case. It turns out that Seaman Grenkowski was out of money and worked out a scheme of forgery against his bunkmate Seaman Joseph O’Connell.
Grenkowski had discovered that O’Connell had a bank account in New York by the discovery of his bank withdraw slips that Grenkowski had found in O’Connell’s possessions. Grenkowski stole them, and filled out one and signed O’Connell’s name for $10 and sent it off in the mail to O’Connell’s bank. A few days later, back came $10 and Grenkowski intercepted the envelope. This seemed simple enough so Grenkowski forged another one for $50, which also worked like a charm. Then O’Connell himself made a legitimate withdraw and found that when he sent off his withdraw slip to the bank it came back with his money and a note complaining he had been making several of the mail withdraws and the bank did not appreciate the frequent withdraws by mail.
Navy regulations states that all mail for the crew is to be delivered directly to the ship, but Grenkowski’s scheme called for the bank to send his forged withdraw money by registered mail to the Portsmouth Yard office where Grenkowski could retrieve it. The curt letter from the bank caused O’Connell to begin to get suspicious of this and began to do some investigations of his own. O’Connell began to notice that his bunkmate Seaman Grenkowski suddenly was seemly flush with money and began to suspect him. O’Connell then reported the suspicions of Grenkowski to officers of the Montana, and then the officers called in the authorities.
When Inspector Stone came aboard the Montana he asked that Seaman Grenkowski be brought to the Captain’s cabin and was questioned for over an hour. Grenkowski finally admitted to the scheme and confessed his guilt. Then Captain Quinby called the Marine guard and had Grenkowski locked in the Montana’s brig. Grenkowski remained in the brig until Friday evening when United States Deputy Marshall Fred S. Johnson took possession of Grenkowski from the ships brig. Prisoner Grenkowski was taken to Manchester where he was arraigned before United States Commissioner Crawford and bound over for trial in Portsmouth at a later date.
Captain John Gardner Quinby’s term of commanding the Montana was up, and he was ordered to take command of the USS Franklin. The Franklin was a wooden hulled frigate built in 1854 and had been the Receiving Ship at the Norfolk Navy Yard since 1877. On September 8, 1911, Captain Hilary Pollard Jones reported aboard the Montana to take command from Captain Quinby.
When sailors are ashore with idle time, they find or invent ways to entertain themselves. One such unnamed Montana sailor had went with the Navy football team to watch the game in Dover, Delaware on Saturday evening October 14, 1911. After the game was over, he needed to return to the Portsmouth Navy Yard to return to his ship. The customary method was to buy a ticket and ride in one of the passenger cars of the train, but that was not the case for this sailor. Back in Dover, some of his shipmates also at the game had thought they had left him behind in the station, but he must have jumped on at the last moment. When the train pulled into the Portsmouth Station, the bluejacket was standing on the cowcatcher of the engine just as if he was standing watch aboard the Montana. As the train pulled into the Portsmouth depot, the people saw him riding the cowcatcher and began to get excited. Quickly his fellow shipmates hustled him away and so ended the free trip of the stowaway sailor.
Aboard navy man-o-war ships, sailors have from ancient times kept pets of all sorts. The Montana was a typical ship in as much as the keeping of pets was concerned, but aboard the Montana, Chief Carpenters Mate Fletcher was an exception. Chief Fletcher had recently in October of 1911, been given a crow as a pet. Chief Fletcher liked to boast that the crow was much better than a parrot, and that he will have his crow trained for public exhibition soon. This made other bird fanciers on the ships in the Portsmouth Navy Yard a bit jealous of Chief Fletcher’s new pet. Fletcher claimed to be the only man alive that has so far tamed the crow from the cornfields.
Crows were not the only pets aboard the Montana, sailors also kept dogs as well. Once such dog was a Boston terrier puppy. However, it turns out the puppy came aboard ship in some questionable ways. On December 14, 1911 Portsmouth Police patrolman James P. McCaffrey asked permission to come aboard the Montana to look for the Boston Terrier that was said to have been stolen from a local woman. A Mrs. Susan Townsend complained that sailors had taken her puppy and that was the reason Patrolman McCaffrey was aboard the Montana. Mrs. Townsend reported to the police that sailors who were returning to their ship after liberty in town took the puppy on Thursday evening. When Patrolman McCaffrey came aboard, he found the puppy being admired by several sailors. When questioned they told patrolman McCaffrey that the pup had followed them to the ship and they had not stolen the pup. In the end, McCaffrey took the pup and returned it back to Mrs. Townsend, and so ended the stay of the pup aboard the Montana.
In December of 1912, she departed on a second trip to the Near East, stopping at Beirut, Alexandretta (now Iskenderun) and Mersin, Turkey. On December 2, 1912, she sailed from Port Said, Egypt to join her sister ship the Tennessee in Beirut to protect Americans in that city. On Sunday afternoon of May 18, 1913 the Montana was passing through the Strait of Gibraltar and passed close to the British garrison at Gibraltar. The Montana fired an unusual salute to the British garrison there. The British officer on duty in the garrison promptly ordered a return salute fired from the battery in the fort. Evidently, this was unusual enough that it made the news the next day as Marconi Transatlantic Wireless Telegraph transmitted it to the New York Times.
Returning to the United States in June of 1913, the Montana operated off the east coast and made training cruises to Mexico, Cuba, and Haiti until the United States entered World War I.
The navy routinely retires officers and in July of 1913 the Navy “Plucking Board” met and announced a list of 14 officers who would be retired on the mandatory list. The Naval Personnel Act of 1899 established a new “plucking board” that was designed to review the records of Captains and to “select out” those who did not merit the potential for promotion to the Flag ranks. It was the first introduction of a merit based promotion system. While the system held promise in the fact that it at least tried to do something, its practice was less than optimal.
On July 2nd the board selected Captain John M. Ellicott, who was then in command of the Maryland, then on station in Alaskan waters making reconnaissance surveys for coal deposits and anchorages, to be among the 14 officers selected for mandatory retirement. On July 3, it was announced that Commander Phillip Andrews would be the Maryland’s next skipper. Commander Andrews was currently the commanding officer of the USS Montana serving with the Atlantic Fleet then at the Portsmouth, NH Navy Yard. Commander Andrews had previously served as the Chief of the Bureau of Navigation with the temporary rank of Rear Admiral before his command of the Montana. He was returned to rank of Captain when assigned to the Maryland in order that he could have more sea service in his present grade.
Aboard the USS Montana, then at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, orders were given to the Montana’s commanding officer, Commander Philip Andrews. His orders state that he is relieved of command of the Montana and is to proceed to Alaskan waters and assume command of the USS Maryland from Captain Ellicott. At about the same time as Commander Andrews received his orders; Captain Ellicott aboard the Maryland also receives orders, which are not welcomed by Ellicott, but orders were orders and he had to act in accordance with them. On the 24th of July 1913 Captain Ellicott relinquished his command of the Maryland to Captain Andrews at Seward, Alaska. Captain Ellicott left Alaska on the steamer Northwestern for transportation to Washington, DC where it was reported that he would lodge a protest against the Plucking Board’s decision of his retirement. Commander Francis Laird Chadwick then took command of the Montana from Captain Andrews.
The Montana on January 27, 1914 landed a force of 2 officers and 54 enlisted men, under the command of Lt. (jg) N. L. Nichols, USN ashore in Port-au-Prince, Haiti for the protection of American lives and interests there. This force patrolled ashore until recalled to the Montana on February 9, 1914. While the Montana’s men were in Port-au-Price there were along with them forces from the USS South Carolina and the British ships HMS Lancaster and HMS Bremen and the French cruiser . All these forces were ordered recalled to their respective ships on February 9.
Once the Montana was recalled from Haiti she steamed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and anchored there throughout February and March 1914. Liberty on Cuba always was fun for the sailors, many of whom would bring pets aboard to be shipboard mascots. Once such Montana mascot was “Pete the Parrot.” There was a photo taken aboard the Montana next to one of her main gun turrets. The writing on this photo states: “USS Montana Guantanamo Bay, Cuba February 28, 1915 Gunners Mates and Stricker with Mascot ‘Pete the Parrot.” There are twelve Gunners Mates in this photo and ‘Pete the Parrot’ can be seen on the left hand of the third man from the left in the front row. The sailor holding ‘Pete’ is believed to be identified as Stricker.
In April of 1914, Montana was rushed to Veracruz, Mexico in order to support actions that were already underway there. Montana reached Guantanamo Bay, Cuba on April 22, 1914 where she embarked a marine detachment under the command of Captain F. L. Bradman, USMC, consisting of 1 officer and 72 enlisted men. As soon as they were loaded, the Montana steamed for Vera Cruz, Mexico where the marines were landed on April 28, 1914 as reinforcements to those forces already engaged in Vera Cruz.
On the morning of April 21, 1914, warships of the United States Atlantic Fleet under the command of Rear Admiral Frank Friday Fletcher, began preparations for the seizure of the Veracruz waterfront. By 11:30 a.m., with whaleboats swung over the side, 502 U.S. Marines from the 2nd Advanced Base Regiment, 285-armed Navy sailors, known as "Bluejackets," from the battleship USS Florida (BB-30) and a provisional battalion composed of the Marine detachments of the Florida and her sister ship USS Utah (BB-31) began landing operations. Plowing through the surf in whaleboats toward pier 4, Veracruz's main wharf, a large crowd of Mexican and American citizens gathered to watch the spectacle. The invaders encountered no resistance as they exited the whaleboats, formed ranks into a Marine and a seaman regiment, and began marching toward their objectives. This initial show of force was enough to prompt the retreat of the Mexican forces led by General Gustavo Maass. In the face of this, Mexican Commodore Manuel Azueta encouraged cadets of the Veracruz Naval Academy to take up the defense of the port for them. Also, about 50 line soldiers of the Mexican Army remained behind to fight the invaders along with the citizens of Veracruz.
On the night of the 21st, Fletcher decided that he had no choice but to expand the initial operation to include the entire city, not just the waterfront. Five additional U.S. battleships and two cruisers, one of which was the Montana, had reached Veracruz during the hours of darkness and they carried with them Major Smedley Butler and his Marine Battalion, which, had been rushed from Panama. The battleship's seaman battalions were quickly organized into a regiment of 1,200-men strong, supported by the ship's Marine detachments providing an additional 300-man battalion. These newly arrived forces went ashore around midnight to await the morning's advance.
At 7:45 a.m., the advance began. The Leathernecks adapted to street fighting, which was a novelty to them. The sailors were less adroit at this style of fighting. A regiment led by Navy Captain E. A. Anderson advanced on the Mexican Naval Academy in parade ground formation, making his men easy targets for the cadets barricaded inside. This attack was repulsed with casualties, and the advance was only saved when three warships in the harbor, the USS Prairie (1890), San Francisco (C-5), and Chester (CL-1), pounded the Academy with their long guns for a few minutes, silencing all resistance and killing 15 of the cadets inside.
In the end the American forces suffered 22 men killed and 70 wounded. The Mexican casualties numbered 152-172 killed and 195-250 wounded. Seventeen of the 22 American dead were loaded onto the USS Montana, which had arrived in Veracruz on the night of April 21, for transportation back to New York. Montana reached New York Harbor on May 10, 1914 with the bodies of those who were killed.
For her service on station in Mexican waters, the crew of the Montana is entitled to wear the Mexican Service Medal for the following dates of service: April 28-May 3, 1914.In mid-February of 1917 the commanding officer of the Montana, Captain Chester Wells is ordered to steam to Cuban waters. On February 25, 1917, a landing force consisting of 11 officers and 165 men under the command of Lt. A.J. James, USN, was landed from the Montana at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. This force was augmented by a detachment of 40 marines under the command of Lt. M.B. Humphrey, USMC, from Fisherman’s Point, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The entire force was towed by a tug to Caimanera, Cuba and then embarked on train for Guantanamo City. Montana’s landing party, with the exception of the marine detachment under Lt. H. Schmidt, USMC, returned aboard ship on March 6, 1917.
Again on March 9, 1917, a landing force consisting of 10 officers and 111 men, under the command of Lt. Commander Ralph E. Pope, USN, was put ashore from the Montana, at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and then were transported by tug and rail to Guantanamo City. The entire landing party of navy bluejackets and marines returned aboard the Montana on March 24, 1917. 1
Orders were issued on March 3, 1917, for a detachment of 20 marines from the Marine Barracks, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, under the command of Ensign James E. Boak, USN, were attached to the Montana. This detachment was on duty at Boqueron for the protection of American property from March 13th to March 24th, 1917.
A detail of eight men under command of a Chief gunner landed from the Montana on March 10, 1917, to March 23, 1917, for duty Caimanera, Cuba. Nevertheless, this small force was not allowed to remain ashore at night and was returned to the Montana each night between the 10-23 of March.
During the first months of the WWI, 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 July 17, 1917, she did convoy and escort duty out of Hampton Roads; New York, New York; and Halifax, Nova Scotia, through most of 1917 and 1918.
On one convoy trip while at sea on December 7, 1917 Yeoman 3c Bruce Brecheen Williams is standing his watch as lookout on the quarterdeck of the Montana. Around 10:30 in the morning, Yeoman Williams standing near the edge of the deck was washed off his feet and taken over the side into the sea by a wave that came up suddenly. As the ship was steaming along with the convoy Williams was not able to be rescued and he was drowned.
On Monday February 18, 1918 the Montana is conducting target practice firing of her guns. One of the 3-inch guns was accidentally double loaded and a cartridge case ignites causing an explosion in the gun. Eight men are injured, two of which died of wounds sustained during the explosion.
Boatswain’s Mate 1c Charles W. Pauly of Chicago died while the Montana was steaming back to Norfolk, Virginia and Seaman 2c Roy Lee Putnam of Phoenix, Alabama died in the Naval Hospital in Norfolk two days later on the 20th of February as a result of multiple injuries he sustained during the explosion. Seaman Lawrence N. Finley of Cawker City, Kansas who was also seriously wounded in the accident, but he survived.
The other five men injured during the explosion while their injuries were not life threatening but still serious enough, all survived. They are Private Richard N. Guion, USMC, of New Orleans; Seaman William T. Fredrichs of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin; Seaman Charles E. Pyle of Lamar, Colorado; Seaman John H. Atkerson of Salmons, Kentucky; and Seaman N. T. Leroy, unknown address.
Montana also performed as a Naval Academy practice ship under the command of Captain George Calvin Day (b. Nov. 8, 1871 d. Nov. 3, 1940) in the Chesapeake Bay area early in 1918. Captain Day commanded the Montana throughout mid-summer 1919 when he turned over command to Captain Ivan C. Wettengall. The Montana was ordered to steam to France in December of 1918 to return Army troops to America after the war ended. Between January and July 1919, Montana would make six roundtrips from Europe, returning 8,800 American troops. Captain Day early in the war was the commanding officer of the former German liner Amerika, that had been taken over by the United States Navy and re-fitted as a troopship and re-named the USS America, and now as the Commanding Officer of the Montana, was returning some of the very same soldiers he may have taken to France.
In early August 1919, the Pacific Fleet under command of Admiral Hugh Rodman was assembling off San Diego California for a Fleet review that was to take place in San Francisco in several days. The Montana arrived off San Diego at 7:30 on the evening of August 6, 1919 and would escort Navy Secretary Daniels who would be reviewing the fleet from the deck of the Montana. As the Montana entered her anchorage she was next to the USS Georgia, which was the flagship of Admiral W. N. Shoemaker’s division, the Montana fired a 17-gun salute in honor of Admiral Shoemaker who was aboard the Georgia. The Montana had been under orders to steam direct to San Francisco from the Atlantic but on the way her orders were changed when Secretary Daniels selected the Montana to use while reviewing the fleet.
The Official Fleet review took place in early September where 52-ships were reviewed by Secretary Daniels. The official start to the review was began when the old Battleship USS Oregon steamed to an honored position, just off the marina near Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay. The Oregon had recently been put back into commission just for this review and was under command of Captain Ivan C. Wettengall. Captain Wettengall was the commanding officer of the Montana but for this review, he was bestowed the honor of command of the Oregon for this event. As Secretary Daniels came aboard the famed Spanish-American battleship for ceremony, the Coast Artillery guns from Fort Winfield Scott gave the Secretary a rousing 19-gun salute.
Following her arrival at Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington, Montana remained there from 16 August 1919 through her decommissioning 2 February 1921. On 7 June 1920 Montana was renamed Missoula for Missoula, Montana and classified CA-13. She was struck from the Navy list 15 July 1930 and sold to John Irwin, Jr., 29 September 1930 to be salvaged and eventually scrapped.
The old cruiser languished on stripped of her essential machinery and weapons in the Navy Yard at Mare Island awaiting the breakers torches. The old Missoula just lay there rusting quietly but in the memory of her former crew, she was still shiny and bright. After all, she was a home for many men who gave her life. On February 25, 1931 a group of marines paid her a visit when seven former marines who had sailed aboard the Montana as part of her marine detachment during WWI boarded the ship and in a quiet ceremony paid their respects to the ship and their memories of those days. The seven ex-marines all lived in the Eastbay area and were members of the E. D. Howard detachment of the Marine Corps League in San Francisco.
In October 1935, the armored cruiser Missoula was scrapped in accordance with the London Treaty for the reduction of naval armament.
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| The unfinished hull of the USS Montana as she slides into the water for the first time on December 15 1906 at the Newport News Shipbuilding Co., Newport News, Virginia. | This photo was taken at the Norfolk Navy Yard on October 8, 1909, while visitors were aboard. Nice view of the Bridge and forward 10-inch guns. Each time they are fired each gun takes 365-pounds of powder and the projectile weighs 850-pounds. The total charge for one gun is 1,215 pounds. |
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The Montana getting up steam in Mexican Waters on May 3, 1914. She has on board the bodies of the sailors killed in the capture of Vera Cruz, Mexico. |
