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Montgomery-class cruiser
The Montgomery-class cruisers were three unprotected cruisers built for the United States Navy in the early 1890s. They had a thin water-tight protective deck, and also relied for protection upon their coal bunkers, cellulose packing, and numerous compartments. Roomy accommodations were provided for officers and crew, these cruisers being mainly intended for long cruises on distant stations.
Known initially as cruisers Nos. 9, 10, and 11, the Montgomery-class cruisers were authorized by an Act of Congress approved September 7, 1888.
As the U.S. Navy began to rebuild its fleet with steel-hulled vessels to keep pace with the advance of naval technology in the 1880s, it explored a wide range of conceptual designs. One of these was the "peace cruiser," a barely-armored vessel that amounted to a large gunboat, and in the 1888 naval appropriations bill, Congress set aside money to build three such vessels.
In May 1889, the Department of the Navy invited proposals for the construction of three cruisers of about 2,000 tons displacement each, at a cost of not more than $700,000 each. When the bids were opened on August 22 of that year, Bath Iron Works and William Cramp & Sons submitted bids that were over the limit fixed by Congress in the act of September 1888, and it was decided to re-advertise for proposals. The revised terms reduced the required speed from 18 knots to 17 knots and set a premium for increased speed at $23,000 for each quarter-knot in excess of the required speed of 17 knots; a penalty of $25,000 was set for every quarter-knot short of the required speed and in case of failure to develop and maintain a speed of 16 knots for four hours straight, the vessels could be rejected. The time fixed for completion was also extended from two years to two years and six mouths.
Bath resubmitted a bid, Cramp and Sons dropped out, and other bids were received from the Union Iron Works of San Francisco, N.F. Palmer Jr. & Company of New York (representative of Delaware River Shipbuilding and of Quintard Iron Works, who made Marblehead's machinery), Columbian Iron Works of Baltimore and Harrison Loring, owner of City Point Iron Works of Boston.
On October 28, 1889, the department awarded contracts to the Columbian Iron Works and Dry Dock Company for the construction of two of these cruisers (Montgomery and Detroit) for the sum of $612,500 each, and on November 1 it awarded City Point Iron Works the contract for the construction of the other cruiser (Marblehead) for the sum of $674,000. The ships built by Columbian were laid down in February 1890 and Marblehead was laid down in October 1890; Detroit was launched first, in October 1891; Montgomery was launched in December of that year and Marblehead the next August.
These ships were designed with a main gun armament of two 6 in (152 mm)/35 caliber Mark 3 rapid fire (RF) guns (one each fore and aft) and eight 4 in (102 mm)/40 caliber RF guns along the sides. However, 5 in (127 mm)/40 caliber Mark 2 RF guns were substituted for the 4-inch guns prior to construction. The class had poor stability as built due to the armored deck, and only one ship (either Detroit or Montgomery) was actually completed with the 6-inch guns. References vary as to how the lack of 6-inch guns was compensated for. The Register of Ships of the US Navy states that Detroit was completed in 1893 with 6-inch guns, which were removed by 1894, and the other ships were completed with only eight 5-inch guns. In 1895-96 Montgomery and Marblehead had a 5-inch gun added on the forward deck, and by 1897 all three ships had 10 5-inch guns, probably due to an additional gun on the aft deck.
Secondary armament was six 6-pounder (57 mm (2.2 in)) RF guns, two 1-pounder (37 mm (1.5 in)) RF guns, along with one Gatling gun and three 18 inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes. Along with Olympia and the Cincinnati class, these were among the first US Navy ships to carry 5-inch guns.
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Montgomery-class cruiser
The Montgomery-class cruisers were three unprotected cruisers built for the United States Navy in the early 1890s. They had a thin water-tight protective deck, and also relied for protection upon their coal bunkers, cellulose packing, and numerous compartments. Roomy accommodations were provided for officers and crew, these cruisers being mainly intended for long cruises on distant stations.
Known initially as cruisers Nos. 9, 10, and 11, the Montgomery-class cruisers were authorized by an Act of Congress approved September 7, 1888.
As the U.S. Navy began to rebuild its fleet with steel-hulled vessels to keep pace with the advance of naval technology in the 1880s, it explored a wide range of conceptual designs. One of these was the "peace cruiser," a barely-armored vessel that amounted to a large gunboat, and in the 1888 naval appropriations bill, Congress set aside money to build three such vessels.
In May 1889, the Department of the Navy invited proposals for the construction of three cruisers of about 2,000 tons displacement each, at a cost of not more than $700,000 each. When the bids were opened on August 22 of that year, Bath Iron Works and William Cramp & Sons submitted bids that were over the limit fixed by Congress in the act of September 1888, and it was decided to re-advertise for proposals. The revised terms reduced the required speed from 18 knots to 17 knots and set a premium for increased speed at $23,000 for each quarter-knot in excess of the required speed of 17 knots; a penalty of $25,000 was set for every quarter-knot short of the required speed and in case of failure to develop and maintain a speed of 16 knots for four hours straight, the vessels could be rejected. The time fixed for completion was also extended from two years to two years and six mouths.
Bath resubmitted a bid, Cramp and Sons dropped out, and other bids were received from the Union Iron Works of San Francisco, N.F. Palmer Jr. & Company of New York (representative of Delaware River Shipbuilding and of Quintard Iron Works, who made Marblehead's machinery), Columbian Iron Works of Baltimore and Harrison Loring, owner of City Point Iron Works of Boston.
On October 28, 1889, the department awarded contracts to the Columbian Iron Works and Dry Dock Company for the construction of two of these cruisers (Montgomery and Detroit) for the sum of $612,500 each, and on November 1 it awarded City Point Iron Works the contract for the construction of the other cruiser (Marblehead) for the sum of $674,000. The ships built by Columbian were laid down in February 1890 and Marblehead was laid down in October 1890; Detroit was launched first, in October 1891; Montgomery was launched in December of that year and Marblehead the next August.
These ships were designed with a main gun armament of two 6 in (152 mm)/35 caliber Mark 3 rapid fire (RF) guns (one each fore and aft) and eight 4 in (102 mm)/40 caliber RF guns along the sides. However, 5 in (127 mm)/40 caliber Mark 2 RF guns were substituted for the 4-inch guns prior to construction. The class had poor stability as built due to the armored deck, and only one ship (either Detroit or Montgomery) was actually completed with the 6-inch guns. References vary as to how the lack of 6-inch guns was compensated for. The Register of Ships of the US Navy states that Detroit was completed in 1893 with 6-inch guns, which were removed by 1894, and the other ships were completed with only eight 5-inch guns. In 1895-96 Montgomery and Marblehead had a 5-inch gun added on the forward deck, and by 1897 all three ships had 10 5-inch guns, probably due to an additional gun on the aft deck.
Secondary armament was six 6-pounder (57 mm (2.2 in)) RF guns, two 1-pounder (37 mm (1.5 in)) RF guns, along with one Gatling gun and three 18 inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes. Along with Olympia and the Cincinnati class, these were among the first US Navy ships to carry 5-inch guns.