Admiral David W. Bagley-- Part 2: Quite the Varied Naval Career

He was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, on January 8, 1883, and attended North Carolina State College for two years before entering the United States Naval Academy in 1900 and graduating February  4, 1904.  He went to sea on the USS Missouri (BB-11).

In 1905, Passed Midshipman Bagley was transferred to the  Asiatic Fleet and assigned to the gunboat USS Concord and later to the USS  West Virginia (ACR-5).  He was commissioned an ensign while on the Concord.  In 1908, he reported to the USS Rhode Island (BB-17) of the Atlantic Fleet and made the  voyage around the world as part of the Great White Fleet

In April 1909, he left the Rhode Island and spent a year with the General Electric Company in New York for a year of instruction.  After this came service on the staffs of the Atlantic and Asiatic fleets.  In 1914, he was a lieutenant on the USS Michigan (BB-27) in the Atlantic Fleet.

He got his first command in September 1915 when he took over the USS Drayton (DD-23).

--Cooter

Adm. John McCain-- Part 2: World War II Service

Upon commissioning, he took part in the Great White Fleet's voyage around the world, then joined the battleship USS Connecticut.

After that, he was ordered to the Asiatic Squadron and then based at San Diego, California, on the armored cruiser Colorado, patrolling off the Pacific coast of the troubled Mexico.  He was executive and engineering officer on this ship.  His next posting was to the flagship of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, the armored cruiser USS San Diego.

After the United States entered World War I, the San Diego did convoy duty in the Atlantic Ocean escorting troop and supply ships.    The USS San Diego was based out of New York and Halifax.

In may 1918, he transferred to the Bureau of Navigation.  Two months later, the USS San Diego was sunk by a mine placed by a German U-boat off the coast of Long Island.

During the interwar years, McCain advanced  in rank and became a major proponent of naval aviation which had so much impact on the next war.

I'll write about his service in World War II in my Tattooed On Your Soul World War II blog.

--Cooter

Ships By the Name of USS Missouri-- Part 2: 3rd One Was a Battleship

3rd USS MISSOURI

Commissioned December 1903.  Cost $5 million.  Main armament of four 12-inch guns able to throw a shell weighing 870 pounds almost eight miles.

The ship went around the world with the Great White Fleet from 1907-1908.

It was the second ship to pass through the Panama Canal.

It was scrapped in 1922.

The ship's punch bowl is at the governor's mansion.

--CooterMo

US Naval Ships at LaGuaira, Venezuela, 1905

Shorpy Old Photos October 17th, had a photograph of a group of US Naval vessels at LaGuaira, Venezuela and called it the Great White Fleet Gunboat Diplomacy.

Six US ships were pictured, unfortunately, there was no caption to identify the ships.

One reader examined the ships and determined them to be USS Raleigh, USS Cincinnati, USS Texas, USS Newark, USS Brooklyn, and USS New York.

Looking at the histories of these ships, none were listed as participating in the Great White Fleet. Plus, the Great White Fleet didn't leave until 1907.

LaGuaira is the principal port of Venezuela.

Interesting photo though.

You can see the photograph at Shorpy gunboat diplomacy 1905.

US Naval Might for the 20th Century. --Cooter