List of ships built at the Boston Navy Yard facts for kids
The Boston Navy Yard, also known as the Charlestown Navy Yard or Boston Naval Shipyard, was a very important place where many ships for the United States Navy were built. For over 150 years, from 1800 to 1974, skilled workers here constructed and repaired naval vessels. This list shows some of the amazing ships launched from this historic shipyard, along with the year they were launched and some of the important events they took part in.
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The Boston Navy Yard was a huge shipbuilding and repair center for the U.S. Navy. It was located in Charlestown, Massachusetts. Imagine a giant workshop where everything needed to build a ship, from cutting wood to forging metal, happened in one place. It played a key role in building the U.S. fleet, especially during major wars.
Early Ships: From Sail to Steam
In the early days, ships were powered by wind and sails. The Boston Navy Yard built many of these impressive vessels. Later, as technology advanced, they started building ships that used steam engines.
- 1814: USS Independence
* This was a huge 90-gun ship of the line. It was one of the first ships built here. It served in the War of 1812 and the Mexican–American War.
- 1825: USS Boston
* An 18-gun sloop of war, which was a smaller warship. It also saw action in the Mexican–American War.
- 1827: USS Warren
* A 20-gun sloop of war, another important ship from this period. It fought in the Mexican–American War.
- 1837: USS Cyane
* This 22-gun sloop of war was involved in both the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War.
- 1842: USS Cumberland
* A 50-gun frigate, a fast and powerful warship. It fought in the Mexican–American War and was famously sunk during the Battle of Hampton Roads in the Civil War.
- 1858: USS Hartford
* A 22-gun sloop of war that became famous during the American Civil War. It played a big part in battles like the Battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip and the Battle of Mobile Bay.
- 1861: USS Housatonic
* An 11-gun sloop of war. It was sunk by the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley, a very famous event in naval history.
- 1863: USS Monadnock
* This was a monitor, a type of ironclad warship with heavy armor and rotating gun turrets. It took part in the First Battle of Fort Fisher and Second Battle of Fort Fisher during the Civil War.
Ships of the World Wars
The Boston Navy Yard was incredibly busy during World War I and especially World War II. They built many different types of modern warships.
Destroyers: Fast and Powerful
Destroyers are fast, agile warships designed to protect larger ships and attack enemy vessels.
- 1934: USS MacDonough (DD-351)
* This was a Farragut-class destroyer. It was at Attack on Pearl Harbor and fought in major battles like the Battle of Savo Island and the Battle of the Philippine Sea.
- 1935: USS Monaghan (DD-354)
* Another Farragut-class destroyer. It was also at Pearl Harbor and fought in the Battle of Midway and the Battle of the Coral Sea.
- 1939: USS O'Brien (DD-415)
* A Sims-class destroyer that served in the tough Guadalcanal Campaign.
- 1941: USS Forrest (DD-461)
* A Gleaves-class destroyer. It participated in many important operations, including the invasion of North Africa, the Normandy invasion (D-Day), and the Battle of Okinawa.
- 1942: USS Guest (DD-472)
* A Fletcher-class destroyer, one of the most successful destroyer designs of WWII. It fought in the Battle of the Philippine Sea and the battles of Battle of Iwo Jima and Battle of Okinawa.
- 1943: USS Newcomb (DD-586)
* Another Fletcher-class destroyer that saw heavy action in the Battle of Surigao Strait and the battles of Battle of Iwo Jima and Battle of Okinawa.
Destroyer Escorts: Protecting Convoys
Destroyer escorts were smaller, but very important, ships. They were designed to protect convoys of merchant ships from enemy submarines, especially during the Battle of the Atlantic.
- 1942: USS Evarts (DE-5)
* This was an Evarts-class destroyer escort, one of the first of its kind built at the yard. It helped protect ships in the Battle of the Atlantic.
- 1943: USS Griswold (DE-7)
* An Evarts-class destroyer escort that helped sink a Japanese submarine and fought in the Battle of Okinawa.
- 1943: USS William C. Miller (DE-259)
* Another Evarts-class destroyer escort, credited with sinking a Japanese submarine.
- 1943: USS Mason (DE-529)
* This Evarts-class destroyer escort is famous because its crew was mostly African American, a significant step forward for diversity in the Navy during WWII. It served in the Battle of the Atlantic.
Submarines and Landing Ships
The shipyard also built submarines and large landing ships used to carry troops and equipment for invasions.
- 1944: USS Amberjack (SS-522)
* A Tench-class submarine, designed for long patrols and attacking enemy ships underwater.
- 1945: USS Donner (LSD-20)
* This was a Casa Grande-class dock landing ship. These ships were like floating garages that could launch smaller landing craft. The Donner later helped recover the Mercury-Redstone 2 space capsule.
- 1945: USS Tortuga (LSD-26)
* Another Casa Grande-class dock landing ship. It served in both the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
