User:GGOTCC/USS Vesuvius (1888)

For other ships with the same name, see USS Vesuvius.

Vesuvius in 1891
Class overview
Planned	2
Completed	1
Cancelled	1
Scrapped	1
History
United States
Name	USS Vesuvius
Namesake	Mount Vesuvius
Ordered	3 August 1886
Builder	William Cramp & Sons, Philadelphia
Laid down	September 1887
Launched	28 April 1888
Sponsored by	Mary Brackenridge
Commissioned	2 June 1890
General characteristics
Type	Dynamite gun cruiser
Speed	21.6 knots (40.0 km/h; 24.9 mph) (achieved)
Armament	3 × 15 in (380 mm) pneumatic guns 3 × 3-pounder guns

Development

During the late 19th century, naval architecture and marine engineering rapidly changed due to the decline of wooden hulls and sail power in favor of steam engines and larger steel ships. These new ironclad warships were largely impervious to traditional cannonballs. By the 1880s, newly-invented dynamite was viewed as a possible method to create extremely explosive shells thanks to the substance's destructive energy, although the chemical properties were poorly understood. Dynamite, a sensitive material, could not be loaded into existing cannons due to its tendency to explode in the gun barrel when exposed to the heat and forces required to traditionally fire a gun. Edmund Zalinski, a US Army artillery officer, solved this issue by powering his experimental dynamite gun with pneumatics. By using a steam engine to compress air into the gun barrel, a dynamite-filled projectile could be launched without accidental detonation. After experimenting at Fort Lafayette, the resulting weapon promised to be cheaper, more accurate, and more explosive then existing technology.

The Pneumatic Dynamite Gun Company was formed to build and sell finished versions of Zalinski's guns. He first designed a coastal gun for the Army, but the first order was from the Navy after several officers were impressed by a test-firing.

Congress authorized the construction of a ship from the company on 3 August 1886. While the award went to Pneumatic Dynamite Gun, the Cramp Shipbuilding Company was sub-contracted to construct the vessel. Congress laid out several requirements in the contract, including a minimum size, a speed of 20 knots, and the inclusion of three ten and one-half inches caliber pneumatic dynamite-guns that could throw a 200 pound warhead a mile.

Design

1 2 3 4 5

Longitudinal view of Vesuvius as built 1 Pneumatic gun 2 Revolving magazines 3 Steam engine 4 Conning tower 5 Air chambers

Pneumatic-dynamite guns

The muzzles of the three smoothbore pneumatic-dynamite guns near the ship's bow. Several decks below were the guns' breeches.

The pneumatic system consisted of three smoothbore barrels 55 ft (17 m) long and 15 in (0.38 m) wide mounted on the forward part of the ship. The muzzles were fixed several feet above the ship's deck while the breeches were near the keel several decks below. The guns were mounted at an 18 degree angle and were unable to move independent from the ship. Compressed air was provided by a compressor and two reservoirs at 2,000 psi. The two reservoirs had a maximum capacity of 630 cubic feet. Each shot used about 150 cubic feet of compressed air, and about 140 cubic feet could have been generated every hour. As the guns could not be trained, the amount of compressed air in each shot determined the distance each shot flew. The weapon was controlled from the conning tower where the steering wheel was located along with three levers to discharge each gun. Due to the weapon's relatively low muzzle velocity at about 350 miles an hour, each shot could be watched from the conning tower and used to inform the aim of succeeding rounds. After being launched, shots followed a parabolic path after climbing to an altitude of several hundred feet, leveling off, and falling down onto the target.

The pneumatic weapons had several advantages compared to contemporary designs. With no need for gunpowder, the risk of a magazine detonation was mitigated and the guns were stealthy with no muzzle flashes or loud noises. The guns were made up of .5 in (1.3 cm) thick brass and was significantly lighter than comparable naval guns, which allowed for a shallow draft and greater maneuverability close to shore. In addition, the accuracy of the shots were unaffected by the pitching of the ship.

Ammunition

Illustration of a cartridge for Vesuvius. The cigar-shaped body contained the explosive (usually X) and the tails provided stability as it travels on a parabolic path.

There were three variations of cartridges dependent on the size of the warhead. The largest was filled with 500 lbs of explosives and took up the entire barrel while smaller 200 lbs and 50 lbs cartridges required wooden sabots to fit. The primary version, with a 200 lbs warhead, was 7 feet (2.1 m) long and 10.5 inches (0.27 m) wide. The explosives were packed into the hollow casing and were detonated when the primer exploded against whatever was struck. To prevent accidents and premature detonation, each cartridge's fuse was enabled by its corckscrew flight pattern that unfastened an internal screw mid-air, which primed the weapon at about 1/8th of a mile after launch. As dynamite was sensitive and tended to disintegrate, the Navy avoided using it onboard due to the risks posed to the ship.

The ship's magazine consisted of six rotating revolvers, two for each gun. Each revolver could fit 5 cartridges, which allowed for a maximum capacity of 30. To reload, the bottom portions of each gun barrel would detach and become level with one revolver. A mechanical device would then push the next cartridge into the gun barrel, and the barrel would raise and become continuous with the rest of the gun. Then, compressed air would be released into the gun before it shoots. To onload ammunition, the cartridges were pushed down the gun barrels and placed into each revolver.

The ship's air chambers situated behind the gun breeches provided compressed air to the pneumatic guns.

Hull

To meet the speed requirement, her hull form resembled that of a yacht with a high length-to-breadth ratio. This left little space for the propellers and their shafts which were problematically close to one another; this limited her ability to turn and overall maneuverability in ports. The limited interior also caused other problems in her design. The small steering engine was too weak to sufficiently turn the rudder when traveling faster than 14 knots and more powerful replacements were unable to fit. This lead to a large turning radius of about 1 nm, nearly twice that of other vessels. Her engine room was cramped and uncomfortable, which lead to instances where the engine room operators mistakenly disobeyed orders from the bridge and the ship operating out of control.

Her hull was structurally weak 80 feet from the bow, and crewmembers reported rivets popping out when the hull plating was under high stress. To prevent the ship from breaking in two, her speed was reduced when in heavy weather. As launched, there was no way to access the conning tower from the deck. Instead, crews had to go below and through an indirect path, which was a hazard if the ship was damaged or had to be abandoned. She suffered from poor stability and handled poorly in the open ocean, with an extreme roll of 40 degrees to either side regularly achieved in one incident.

History

Construction and early service

She was laid down in September 1887 at the Philadelphia yard of the Cramp Shipbuilding Company. She was launched on 28 April 1888, commissioned on 2 June 1890 by Mary Brackenridge, and given the name Vesuvius after the Italian volcano.

Her first sea trial was on 8 December 1888, where she achieved a speed of 21.47 knots. By January, further trials in the Delaware River established a top speed of 21.6 knots.

1891 New Orleans lynchings -

In 1890, Congress allocated funds for a sistership of Vesuvius equipped with two pneumatic guns. By 1894, no work was done and Congress instead used the funds on torpedo boats. The Pneumatic Dynamite Gun Company, already financially struggling, soon went into bankruptcy, permanently ending further attempts to enlarge the class.

Spanish-American War

In mid June, Vesuvius bombarded Spanish positions in Santiago eight times as part of the American blockade. In every instance, she sailed close to the coastline under the cover of darkness, launched several shots, and quickly withdraw. Her crew had no exact understanding of where the targets were located on land, where the ship was located, or the accuracy of previous shots, which was further exacerbated by the night-time darkness. Instead, the ship bracketed the Spanish with one round aimed slightly high, one slightly low, and one on target in hopes that at least some damage would be delt. A Spanish lieutenant who witnessed one attack described a salvo of 200 lbs cartridges destroy a lighthouse keeper's house, nearly miss the cruiser Reina Mercedes and a destroyer, damage the Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca, create a large crater in the ground, and injure three sailors.

American opinion of her role was split. A report by Admiral Sampson states that, “Vesuvius has done almost nightly firing since she has been here. There is no doubt that shells of this character have a very important effect.” While Secretary of the Navy yada yada "The effect produced was materially unimportant though morally great. This experience confirmed the view that the ship was of limited usefullness"