USS RHODE ISLAND (SSBN 740)

USS Rhode Island (1861 - 1867) Side Wheel Steamer
 

USS Rhode Island, a 1517-ton side-wheel steamer, was the civilian steamship Eagle when she was acquired by the Navy in June 1861. Commissioned in late July of that year, Rhode Island was initially employed as a supply ship, carrying men and cargo from Northern bases to the units operating along the Confederate coastline. After service in the Gulf of Mexico, she was assigned to tow the ironclad USS Monitor from Hampton Roads, Virginia, south to join the Naval forces in South Carolina waters. On 30-31 December 1862, after encountering a severe storm off Cape Hatteras, Monitor was overcome by the weather and sank. Under very difficult conditions, boats from Rhode Island rescued most of the lost ship's officers and men.

In early 1863, Rhode Island was sent to the West Indies to look for Confederate cruisers thought to be operating in the area. During the rest of that year and into 1864, she operated along the Atlantic coast. Placed out of commission for repairs in April 1864, Rhode Island returned to active service in early September with a greatly increased gun battery, better suiting her for a cruising role. In addition to serving in that mission, she also towed several monitors to and from the combat zone and participated in the assaults on Fort Fisher, North Carolina, in December 1864 and January 1865. Throughout her Civil War service, Rhode Island took part in the capture or destruction of seven blockade runners.

Several months after the end of the conflict, Rhode Island helped bring the former Confederate ironclad Stonewall from Cuba to the U.S. She remained in service through 1866 and beyond, cruising in the western Atlantic and West Indies areas. USS Rhode Island was decommissioned in 1867 and sold in October of that year. She subsequently had a lengthy civilian career under the name Charleston.

USS Rhode Island (1906 - 1923) BB-17
 

USS Rhode Island, a 14,948-ton Virginia class battleship, was built at Quincy, Massachusetts. She commissioned in February 1906 and spent most of that and the next year along the U.S. east coast and in the Caribbean area. Beginning in December 1907, Rhode Island took part in the World cruise of the "Great White Fleet", steaming from Hampton Roads, Virginia, around South America to the U.S. west coast, then across the Pacific to visit Australia, the Philippines and Japan. The route home included the Indian Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic, with arrival back at Hampton Roads taking place in February 1909.

Modernized after this historic voyage, Rhode Island received a "cage" foremast and numerous other alterations before again taking up her duties with the Atlantic Fleet. She was fitted with a second "cage" mast in 1910 and later in the year visited Europe with other U.S. battleships. From 1911 to 1917, Rhode Island took part in regular fleet operations in the western Atlantic and Caribbean. She also participated in U.S. actions along Mexico's Gulf coast during 1913 and 1914.

After the United States entered World War I in April 1917, Rhode Island served in training, developmental and anti-submarine patrol roles. With the return of peace, she was assigned to transport duty, bringing over 5000 men home from France in five trans-Atlantic round-trips between December 1918 and July 1919. The battleship next transited the Panama Canal to join the Pacific Fleet and spent the rest of her operational career in the vicinity of the U.S. west coast. Decommissioned in June 1920 and soon thereafter given the hull number BB-17, USS Rhode Island had no further active service. She was sold for scrapping in November 1923.

USS Rhode Island (1994 - Present) SSBN-740

The submarine USS RHODE ISLAND (SSBN 740) is the third U.S. Naval vessel to be named in honor of the thirteenth state admitted into the union, and is the fifteenth Trident Submarine to be commissioned.

Keel Layed:  15 September 1988
Christening Date:  17 July 1993
Commissioning Date:  9 July 1994
Currently:  In Active Service

USS RHODE ISLAND PHOTOGRAPHS

USS RHODE ISLAND (SideWheel Steamer)

USS RHODE ISLAND (SideWheel Steamer)

USS RHODE ISLAND (BB-17)

USS RHODE ISLAND (BB-17)

USS RHODE ISLAND (BB-17)

USS RHODE ISLAND (SSBN 740)