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USS Samar (PG-41)
Encyclopedia
USS Samar was a gunboat
of the United States Navy
. She was initially built for the Spanish Navy
, but was captured during the Spanish-American War
and taken into service with the US Navy .
by US Army personnel, brought to Manila
between 13–20 April 1899 and commissioned at Manila
on 26 May 1899, under the command of Ensign George C. Day.
, assisting Army operations ashore. In November the gunboat
helped escort an Army Expeditionary Brigade under Brigadier General Lloyd Wheaton to San Fabian
in Lingayan Gulf, then firing on insurgent entrenchments on the landing beaches. The gunboat served out of Vigan in northwestern Luzon
into the new year, cruising on patrols, carrying detachments of troops and maintaining communications in the region. On 24 April 1900 the gunboat carried Brigadier General Young on a tour of inspection from San Fernando to Vigan. In May, Samar carried pay and supplies to Bojeador lighthouse and, in June, carried a detachment of the 33d Infantry from Aparri to Kandon. Returning to Aparri, the crew spent a few days scaling the boiler and overhauling the engines before conducting a survey of the Kagayen River with USS Bennington
20–21 June. Following a short overhaul at the Cavite Naval Station, the gunboat sailed south to Zamboanga
in southwestern Mindanao
, where she patrolled from Cebu
in the north to the Jolo
island group in the south into 1901. Admiral John A. Schofield, then an Ensign commanding Samar, later wrote the gunboat captured a banca in a cove off Paragua and rescued two "fair young maidens" who had been kidnapped by bandits from the town of Puerto Princessa. At the start of the rainy season that summer, the gunboat proceeded to Cavite
, Luzon
, for boiler repairs and was decommissioned on 23 September 1901.
Recommissioned on 19 June 1902, Lt. Montgomery M. Taylor in command, Samar steamed south to Zamboanga
, Mindanao
, where she carried messages and stores for Marine detachments assisting the Army in suppressing the Moro rebellions among the southern islands. She patrolled the Sulu Archipelago
as well, visiting ports throughout the island group and stopped for coal at Sandakan
in British Borneo
as required. The gunboat returned to Cavite
in December, in preparation for fleet maneuvers with the Southern Squadron of the Asiatic Fleet in January 1903. After fitting out for survey work at Canacao in February, Samar began hydrographic surveys off southern Mindanao
area, conducting an extensive survey of Polloc
harbor before supporting Army operations at Simpetan. Following the closing of the Naval Station at Polloc in June 1904, the gunboat returned to Cavite and decommissioned there on 22 August 1904.
's Third Squadron, which mainly patrolled the Yangtze River
and along the Chinese coast in the vicinity of Canton
. The Squadrons' purpose was to protect American missionaries, businessmen and shipping in the free-trade ports along China's coast and major rivers, concessions for trade and missionary activity the result of so-called "unequal treaties" forced on the Chinese government following the Boxer Rebellion
. The gunboat sailed from Manila
in mid-April, arriving at Hong Kong
on 18 April. Assigned to Chinese river service, the gunboat patrolled the Chu-Kiang delta between Hong Kong
, Macau
and Canton
, patrolled the Si-Kiang river up to Wuchow and cruised along the Chinese coast north to Swatow and Amoy
. Every year the gunboat also sailed north to Nimrod Sound, outside Ning Po, Che-Kiang province, for target practice near the Imperial Chinese Navy
's gunnery school.
In late 1909 the gunboat changed station to Shanghai
, where she regularly patrolled the lower Yangtze River
up to Nanking and Wuhu. Following an anti-foreign riots in Changsha in April 1910, which destroyed a number of missions and merchant warehouses, Samar sailed up the Yangtze River
to Hankow and then Changsa to show the flag and help restore order. The gunboat was also administratively assigned to the Asiatic Fleet that year, which had been re-established by the Navy to better protect, in the words of the Bureau of Navigation
, "American interests in the Orient." After returning to Shanghai
in August, she sailed up river again the following summer, passing Wuhu in June but then running aground off Kichau on 1 July 1911. After staying stuck in the mud for two weeks, Samar broke free and sailed back down river to coal ship. Returning upriver, the gunboat reached Hankow in August and Ichang in September where she wintered over owing to both the dry season and the outbreak of rebellion at Wuchang in October 1911. Following the collapse of the Qing Dynasty
and the declaration of the Republic of China by Sun Yat-sen
that winter, tensions eased and the gunboat turned downriver in July 1912, arriving at Shanghai
in October. Samar patrolled the lower Yangtze after fighting broke out in the summer 1913, a precursor to a decade of conflict between provincial warlords in China. Following another cruise upriver to Hankow in February 1914, the gunboat returned to Shanghai
for an overhaul in March.
, then, in July 1919, was placed on the disposal list at Shanghai following a collision with a Yangtze river steamer that damaged her bow. A year later, she was designated PG-41, but was ordered inspected and appraised for sale the same day, 17 July 1920. The following month she returned to Cavite
, where she was decommissioned on 6 September 1920 and sold on 11 January 1921.
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...
. She was initially built for the Spanish Navy
Spanish Navy
The Spanish Navy is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces, one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Armada is responsible for notable achievements in world history such as the discovery of Americas, the first world circumnavigation, and the discovery of a maritime path...
, but was captured 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...
and taken into service with the US Navy .
Spanish career
Samar was launched in November 1887 by the Manila Ship Co., Canacao, Philippine Islands. She was captured on 9 November 1898 at ZamboangaZamboanga City
The City of Zamboanga : is a highly urbanized, independent and a chartered city located in Mindanao, Philippines....
by US Army personnel, brought to 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,...
between 13–20 April 1899 and commissioned at 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 26 May 1899, under the command of Ensign George C. Day.
Philippines
Following local operations out of Manila that summer, Samar patrolled off Negros and PanayPanay
Panay may refer to*Panay Island*Panay *Panay, Capiz*Panay River*Panay Gulf* USS Panay *Panay incident...
, assisting Army operations ashore. In November the gunboat
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:...
helped escort an Army Expeditionary Brigade under Brigadier General Lloyd Wheaton to San Fabian
San Fabián
San Fabián is one of 21 communes in the Ñuble Province of central Chile's Biobío Region. The capital is the town of San Fabián de Alico. The commune spans an area of .-Administration:...
in Lingayan Gulf, then firing on insurgent entrenchments on the landing beaches. The gunboat served out of Vigan in northwestern Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
into the new year, cruising on patrols, carrying detachments of troops and maintaining communications in the region. On 24 April 1900 the gunboat carried Brigadier General Young on a tour of inspection from San Fernando to Vigan. In May, Samar carried pay and supplies to Bojeador lighthouse and, in June, carried a detachment of the 33d Infantry from Aparri to Kandon. Returning to Aparri, the crew spent a few days scaling the boiler and overhauling the engines before conducting a survey of the Kagayen River with USS Bennington
USS Bennington (PG-4)
USS Bennington was a member of the of steel-hulled, twin-screw gunboats in the United States Navy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She was the first U.S. Navy ship named in honor of the town of Bennington, Vermont, site of the Battle of Bennington in the American Revolutionary War.The...
20–21 June. Following a short overhaul at the Cavite Naval Station, the gunboat sailed south to Zamboanga
Zamboanga City
The City of Zamboanga : is a highly urbanized, independent and a chartered city located in Mindanao, Philippines....
in southwestern Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
, where she patrolled from Cebu
Cebu
Cebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
in the north to the Jolo
Jolo
Jolo may refer to:* Jolo Island* Jolo, Sulu* Jolo, West Virginia* Jolo is also the nickname of Swedish author Jan Olof Olsson....
island group in the south into 1901. Admiral John A. Schofield, then an Ensign commanding Samar, later wrote the gunboat captured a banca in a cove off Paragua and rescued two "fair young maidens" who had been kidnapped by bandits from the town of Puerto Princessa. At the start of the rainy season that summer, the gunboat proceeded to 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...
, Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
, for boiler repairs and was decommissioned on 23 September 1901.
Recommissioned on 19 June 1902, Lt. Montgomery M. Taylor in command, Samar steamed south to Zamboanga
Zamboanga City
The City of Zamboanga : is a highly urbanized, independent and a chartered city located in Mindanao, Philippines....
, Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
, where she carried messages and stores for Marine detachments assisting the Army in suppressing the Moro rebellions among the southern islands. She patrolled the Sulu Archipelago
Sulu Archipelago
The Sulu Archipelago is a chain of islands in the southwestern Philippines. This archipelago is considered to be part of the Moroland by the local rebel independence movement. This island group forms the northern limit of the Celebes Sea....
as well, visiting ports throughout the island group and stopped for coal at Sandakan
Sandakan
Sandakan is the second-largest city in Sabah, East Malaysia, on the north-eastern coast of Borneo. It is located on the east coast of the island and it is the administrative centre of Sandakan Division and was the former capital of British North Borneo...
in British Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
as required. The gunboat returned to 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...
in December, in preparation for fleet maneuvers with the Southern Squadron of the Asiatic Fleet in January 1903. After fitting out for survey work at Canacao in February, Samar began hydrographic surveys off southern Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
area, conducting an extensive survey of Polloc
Polloc
Polloc Island is an uninhabited island in the province of Romblon in the Philippines. It is part of barangay Yabawon in the municipality of Banton....
harbor before supporting Army operations at Simpetan. Following the closing of the Naval Station at Polloc in June 1904, the gunboat returned to Cavite and decommissioned there on 22 August 1904.
Yangtze service
Recommissioned on 11 March 1908, Ensign Reed M. Fawell in command, Samar was assigned to the Pacific FleetUnited States Pacific Fleet
The United States Pacific Fleet is a Pacific Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources under the operational control of the United States Pacific Command. Its home port is at Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hawaii. It is commanded by Admiral Patrick M...
's Third Squadron, which mainly patrolled the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
and along the Chinese coast in the vicinity of Canton
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
. The Squadrons' purpose was to protect American missionaries, businessmen and shipping in the free-trade ports along China's coast and major rivers, concessions for trade and missionary activity the result of so-called "unequal treaties" forced on the Chinese government following the Boxer Rebellion
Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion, also called the Boxer Uprising by some historians or the Righteous Harmony Society Movement in northern China, was a proto-nationalist movement by the "Righteous Harmony Society" , or "Righteous Fists of Harmony" or "Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists" , in China between...
. The gunboat sailed from 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,...
in mid-April, arriving at 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...
on 18 April. Assigned to Chinese river service, the gunboat patrolled the Chu-Kiang delta between 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...
, Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
and Canton
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, patrolled the Si-Kiang river up to Wuchow and cruised along the Chinese coast north to Swatow and Amoy
Amoy
Xiamen, or Amoy, is a city on the southeast coast of China.Amoy may also refer to:*Amoy dialect, a dialect of the Hokkien lects, which are part of the Southern Min group of Chinese languages...
. Every year the gunboat also sailed north to Nimrod Sound, outside Ning Po, Che-Kiang province, for target practice near the Imperial Chinese Navy
Imperial Chinese Navy
The Chinese Imperial Navy came into existence from 1132 during the Song Dynasty to the end of the Qing period in 1912. Prior to 12th century, Chinese naval ships were not organized into a uniform force...
's gunnery school.
In late 1909 the gunboat changed station to Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, where she regularly patrolled the lower Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
up to Nanking and Wuhu. Following an anti-foreign riots in Changsha in April 1910, which destroyed a number of missions and merchant warehouses, Samar sailed up the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
to Hankow and then Changsa to show the flag and help restore order. The gunboat was also administratively assigned to the Asiatic Fleet that year, which had been re-established by the Navy to better protect, in the words of the Bureau of Navigation
Bureau of Navigation
The Bureau of Navigation was an agency of the U.S. government established in 1884 to enforce laws relating to the construction, equipment, operation, inspection, safety, and documentation of merchant vessels. The Bureau of Navigation was an agency of the U.S. government established in 1884 to...
, "American interests in the Orient." After returning to Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
in August, she sailed up river again the following summer, passing Wuhu in June but then running aground off Kichau on 1 July 1911. After staying stuck in the mud for two weeks, Samar broke free and sailed back down river to coal ship. Returning upriver, the gunboat reached Hankow in August and Ichang in September where she wintered over owing to both the dry season and the outbreak of rebellion at Wuchang in October 1911. Following the collapse of the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
and the declaration of the Republic of China by Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen was a Chinese doctor, revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the "Father of the Nation" , a view agreed upon by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China...
that winter, tensions eased and the gunboat turned downriver in July 1912, arriving at Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
in October. Samar patrolled the lower Yangtze after fighting broke out in the summer 1913, a precursor to a decade of conflict between provincial warlords in China. Following another cruise upriver to Hankow in February 1914, the gunboat returned to Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
for an overhaul in March.
Final years
Samar remained on the China Station throughout World War IWorld 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...
, then, in July 1919, was placed on the disposal list at Shanghai following a collision with a Yangtze river steamer that damaged her bow. A year later, she was designated PG-41, but was ordered inspected and appraised for sale the same day, 17 July 1920. The following month she returned to 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...
, where she was decommissioned on 6 September 1920 and sold on 11 January 1921.
External links
- Photo gallery at navsource.org