for armored ship Thursday this week we have the USN sea going monitor USS Miantonomoh. Miantonomoh was commissioned into the USN 9/18/1865. she was 258' 6" in length and displaced 3,455t.. she was powered by two horizontal return connecting rod engines driving two shafts/screws for a top speed of around 7kts. her main battery was four 15" smoothbore Dahlgren cannons in two turrets with 10" armor. her side armor was 5" and her deck 1.5" of wrought iron. Miantonomoh was considered the name ship of her class of four double turreted monitors. after being commissioned she was sent to the North Atlantic Squadron for duty. the ship returned to the New York Navy Yard in April of 1866 in preparation of an extended European Cruise. under command of Commander John C. Beaumont Miantonomoh sailed in company with USS Ashuelot and USS Augusta for their first port of call at Halifax, Nova Scotia. calling next at St. John's, Newfoundland Miantonomoh picked up assistant secretary of the navy Gustavus Fox who was to deliver a special communication to the Czar of Russia. from here the ships took passage to Europe. the journey took 11 days with Miantonomoh under tow by USS Augusta most of the way. this was faster for all concerned as monitors were very slow for the most part. the ships reached Queenstown 6/16/1866 and left there for Portsmouth, England and after that Cherbourg, France. while in Cherbourg USS Miantonomoh was inspected by Emperor Napoleon III. returning to England the Miantonomoh was examined by the British Royalty, Naval Officials and the press. leaving England Miantonomoh, Ashuelot and Augusta next went to Russia by way of Denmark. arriving at Kronshtadt in the Russian Empire, Miantonomoh was there inspected by the Czar and his Naval Officials and the crews were lavishly entertained by the Russians. after leaving Russia the ships called at Kiel and Hamburg in Germany and from there proceeded to the Mediterranean and visited France again as well as Portugal, Spain and Italy. at the end of this cruise the US ships left from Gibraltar on their return voyage to the USA. they returned by way of the Cape Verde and Canary Islands and also some ports in the Caribbean and the Bahamas. the ships arrived off League Island Philadelphia 8/22/1867 and thus completed a successful cruise of almost 18,000 miles. at the end of the cruise the Miantonomoh was said to be in fine shape and able to undertake any service demanded of her. USS Miantonomoh was then laid up in the League Island Yards until November of 1869 when she was re-commissioned and remained in service until 8/28/70 when she was again laid up. Miantonomoh was broken up in 1875 in a supposed rebuild and a few of her parts may have been used in a succeeding vessel. the first picture is a water color by Oscar Parkes of USS Miantonomoh cruising at sea. next is a picture of assistant secretary Fox and some of Miantonomoh's officers and their Russian counterparts. third is a view of Miantonomoh from astern as she is at anchor. fourth is Miantonomoh in the Navy Yard at Washington, D.C. and last a painting by Ron Marlett of USS Miantonomoh apparently at top speed by the evidence of her funnel smoke and wake.
for armored ship Thursday this week we have the USN sea going monitor USS Miantonomoh. Miantonomoh was commissioned into the USN 9/18/1865. she was 258' 6" in length and displaced 3,455t.. she was powered by two horizontal return connecting rod engines driving two shafts/screws for a top speed of around 7kts. her main battery was four 15" smoothbore Dahlgren cannons in two turrets with 10" armor. her side armor was 5" and her deck 1.5" of wrought iron. Miantonomoh was considered the name ship of her class of four double turreted monitors. after being commissioned she was sent to the North Atlantic Squadron for duty. the ship returned to the New York Navy Yard in April of 1866 in preparation of an extended European Cruise. under command of Commander John C. Beaumont Miantonomoh sailed in company with USS Ashuelot and USS Augusta for their first port of call at Halifax, Nova Scotia. calling next at St. John's, Newfoundland Miantonomoh picked up assistant secretary of the navy Gustavus Fox who was to deliver a special communication to the Czar of Russia. from here the ships took passage to Europe. the journey took 11 days with Miantonomoh under tow by USS Augusta most of the way. this was faster for all concerned as monitors were very slow for the most part. the ships reached Queenstown 6/16/1866 and left there for Portsmouth, England and after that Cherbourg, France. while in Cherbourg USS Miantonomoh was inspected by Emperor Napoleon III. returning to England the Miantonomoh was examined by the British Royalty, Naval Officials and the press. leaving England Miantonomoh, Ashuelot and Augusta next went to Russia by way of Denmark. arriving at Kronshtadt in the Russian Empire, Miantonomoh was there inspected by the Czar and his Naval Officials and the crews were lavishly entertained by the Russians. after leaving Russia the ships called at Kiel and Hamburg in Germany and from there proceeded to the Mediterranean and visited France again as well as Portugal, Spain and Italy. at the end of this cruise the US ships left from Gibraltar on their return voyage to the USA. they returned by way of the Cape Verde and Canary Islands and also some ports in the Caribbean and the Bahamas. the ships arrived off League Island Philadelphia 8/22/1867 and thus completed a successful cruise of almost 18,000 miles. at the end of the cruise the Miantonomoh was said to be in fine shape and able to undertake any service demanded of her. USS Miantonomoh was then laid up in the League Island Yards until November of 1869 when she was re-commissioned and remained in service until 8/28/70 when she was again laid up. Miantonomoh was broken up in 1875 in a supposed rebuild and a few of her parts may have been used in a succeeding vessel. the first picture is a water color by Oscar Parkes of USS Miantonomoh cruising at sea. next is a picture of assistant secretary Fox and some of Miantonomoh's officers and their Russian counterparts. third is a view of Miantonomoh from astern as she is at anchor. fourth is Miantonomoh in the Navy Yard at Washington, D.C. and last a painting by Ron Marlett of USS Miantonomoh apparently at top speed by the evidence of her funnel smoke and wake.
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