USS Nero facts for kids
USS Nero prior to World War I
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 United States |
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| Name | USS Nero |
| Namesake | Nero |
| Launched | 8 December 1894 |
| Acquired | 30 June 1898 |
| Commissioned | 8 June 1898 |
| Decommissioned | 12 September 1921 |
| Fate | Sold 29 July 1922 to A. Bercovich and Company, Oakland, California |
| __1B0X_5H1P__ | career |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Collier |
| Displacement | 6,360 long tons (6,460 t) |
| Length | 320 ft (98 m) |
| Beam | 41 ft (12 m) |
| Draft | 20 ft (6.1 m) |
| Speed | 9 kn (17 km/h) |
| Complement | 80 |
| Armament | 4 × 6-pounder guns |
| __1B0X_5H1P__ | characteristics |
USS Nero (AC-17) was a vital steam-powered cargo vessel that served the United States Navy. Built originally as a commercial freighter, it spent over two decades helping naval operations across the globe. The ship is best remembered for hauling coal to keep warships running, surveying uncharted ocean depths, and supporting troops during major conflicts.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, naval fleets depended entirely on coal to generate steam power. Without a steady supply of fuel, even the mightiest battleships could not travel far from home. Auxiliary support ships like Nero acted as floating fuel stations. They traveled across vast oceans to keep frontline vessels fully operational.
Contents
History and Design of USS Nero
Construction and Early Commercial Career
The ship was originally built in 1894 under the name Whitgift by J.L. Thompson and Sons in Sunderland, England. Sunderland was famous worldwide as a bustling center of shipbuilding innovation during the Industrial Revolution. The vessel was designed as a durable, steel-hulled steamship capable of carrying heavy bulk cargo across rough seas.
In early 1898, tensions between the United States and Spain escalated rapidly. The U.S. Navy realized it needed more support vessels to supply its growing fleet. On 30 June 1898, the Navy bought the ship from McCondray and Company in San Francisco. The ship was renamed USS Nero and officially entered military service.
Ship Specifications and Mechanical Capabilities
- Length: 320 ft (98 m) from bow to stern.
- Beam: 41 ft (12 m) in width, providing a stable hull for heavy loads.
- Displacement: 6,360 long tons (6,460 t) when fully loaded with cargo and fuel.
- Draft: 20 ft (6.1 m), measuring how deep the ship sat in the water.
- Top Speed: 9 kn (17 km/h), powered by industrial marine steam engines.
- Crew: Around 80 officers and enlisted sailors.
- Defensive Armament: Four 6-pounder quick-firing guns to defend against small surface threats.
Early Military Missions and Exploration
Action in the Spanish-American War
USS Nero was immediately assigned to the Navy's first mobile fleet supply train. It sailed from San Francisco on 23 June 1898, heading toward the Philippines. It traveled alongside the heavily armored warship Monadnock. The ships stopped at Honolulu and Guam before arriving in Manila on 14 August 1898.
Nero remained in Philippine waters to deliver coal, food, and supplies to American forces. In October 1898, it made a supply run to Taku, China, and Nagasaki, Japan. After returning to Cavite, the ship sailed back to California, completing its first wartime deployment in January 1899.
Deep-Sea Sounding and Oceanographic Discoveries
In April 1899, Nero took on a peaceful scientific mission. The U.S. government wanted to lay underwater telegraph cables across the Pacific Ocean. To do this safely, engineers needed to know the exact topography of the ocean floor.
Nero was fitted with deep-sea sounding gear to measure ocean depths. While surveying the waters near Guam, the crew took soundings in the Mariana Trench. The crew recorded a depth of 5,269 fathoms (31,614 ft; 9,636 m) (over 31,600 feet or 9,600 meters) near what is now known as the Challenger Deep. This was the greatest ocean depth recorded anywhere in the world at that time.
Global Travels and Fleet Support
Voyages Across the Atlantic and Pacific
Between 1900 and 1905, Nero became one of the most traveled auxiliary vessels in the fleet. It repeatedly crossed the Pacific Ocean, visiting Hawaii, Japan, and the Philippines. During one major journey in 1901, the ship returned to the United States via the Indian Ocean, the Suez Canal, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Atlantic Ocean.
The collier also navigated around the stormy waters of Cape Horn at the southern tip of South America multiple times. It delivered fuel to remote naval stations, including Tutuila in American Samoa, and traveled as far north as Kiska in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska.
Atlantic Fleet Operations and Grounding Incidents
From 1905 to 1911, Nero served with the Atlantic Fleet. It operated from Boston down to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The ship faced several maritime challenges during this period:
- On 1 August 1906, Nero ran aground in dense fog near Long Island, New York, but was freed by tugboats.
- On 1 July 1909, the vessel ran aground on Brenton's Reef off Newport, Rhode Island.
- It was salvaged by the Arbuckle Wrecking Company and repaired at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
World War I Service and Final Years
Cargo Duty in European Waters
When the United States entered World War I in 1917, the demand for supply ships surged. Nero sailed through the newly opened Panama Canal to reach the East Coast. In September 1917, it crossed the Atlantic to Europe, arriving in Queenstown, Ireland.
The ship joined the Naval Overseas Transportation Service and was stationed in Cardiff, Wales. Nero carried coal across the hazardous English Channel to supply Allied forces in France. Crew members braved rough winter storms and the constant threat of underwater mines and hostile submarines.
Final Missions and Retirement
After World War I ended, Nero returned to the United States for maintenance. In 1920 and 1921, it completed its final supply runs to the Caribbean, Hawaii, and Samoa.
During its final voyage in 1921, the ship delivered emergency food and medical supplies to a remote copra plantation on Palmyra Atoll. USS Nero was officially decommissioned on 12 September 1921. It was sold for scrap in 1922, concluding over twenty-three years of dedicated naval service.
Related Pages
- Collier (ship type)
- Spanish–American War
- Mariana Trench
- Panama Canal
