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The USS ''Iowa'' at anchor
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(US)
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5 August 1893
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28 March 1896
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16 June 1897
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31 March 1919
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Sunk as bombing target
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11,346 tons
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360 ft
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721 ft
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24 ft
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17 knots
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727 officers and men
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4 × 12 in (305 mm) guns<br />8 × 8 in (203 mm) guns<br />6 × 4 in (102 mm) guns<br />20 × 6 pounders<br />4 × 1 pounders<br />4 × 14 in (356 mm) torpedo tubes
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''For other ships of the same name, see
USS Iowa .''
was the first ship commissioned in honor of
The 29th State . She was of unique design, not a member of a class of ship. Her keel was laid down by
William Cramp And Sons of
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania , on
5 August 1893 . She was
Launched on
28 March 1896 , sponsored by Miss Mary Lord Drake, daughter of the
Governor Of Iowa ,
Francis M. Drake , and
Commissioned on
16 June 1897 , with
Captain W.T. Sampson in command. She was designated a "seagoing coastal battleship," but with her raised
Freeboard compared to the preceding
''Indiana'' Class , ''Iowa'' was the
United States ' first true seagoing battleship.
After shakedown off the Atlantic coast, ''Iowa'' was assigned to the Atlantic Fleet and was ordered to blockade duty,
28 May 1898 , off
Santiago De Cuba . On
3 July 1898 , she was the first to sight the Spanish ships approaching and fired the first shot in the
Battle Of Santiago . In a 20-minute battle with Spanish cruisers ''Maria Teresa'' and ''Oquendo'', her effective fire set both ships aflame and drove them on the beach. ''Iowa'', continuing the battle in company with converted yacht ''Gloucester'', sank the Spanish
Destroyer ''Pluton'' and so damaged destroyer ''Furor'' that she ran upon the rocks. ''Iowa'' then turned her attention to the Spanish cruiser ''Viscaya'' which she pursued until ''Viscaya'' ran aground. Upon the conclusion of the battle, ''Iowa'' received on board Spanish Admiral
Pascual Cervera and the officers and crews of the ''Viscaya'', ''Furor'', and ''Pluton''.
After the
Battle Of Santiago De Cuba , ''Iowa'' left Cuban waters for
New York City , arriving
20 August 1898 . On
12 October 1898 , she departed for duty in the Pacific, sailed around
Cape Horn , and arrived at
San Francisco, California , on
7 February 1899 . The battleship then steamed to
Bremerton, Washington , where she entered drydock on
11 June 1899 . After refit, ''Iowa'' served in the Pacific Squadron for 2½ years, conducting training cruises, drills, and target practice. ''Iowa'' left the Pacific early in February 1902 to become flagship of the South Atlantic Squadron. She sailed for New York
12 February 1903 , where she decommissioned
30 June 1903 .
''Iowa'' recommissioned
23 December 1903 and joined the North Atlantic Squadron. She participated in the
John Paul Jones Commemoration ceremonies,
30 June 1905 . ''Iowa'' remained in the North Atlantic until she was placed in reserve
6 July 1907 . She decommissioned at Philadelphia
23 July 1908 .
''Iowa'' recommissioned
2 May 1910 , and served as an at-sea training ship and as a component of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. During the next four years she made a number of training cruises to Northern Europe and participated in the
Naval Review at Philadelphia,
10 October to
15 October 1912 . She decommissioned at
Philadelphia Navy Yard on
27 May 1914 . At the outbreak of
World War I , ''Iowa'' was placed in limited commission
28 April 1917 . After serving as Receiving Ship at Philadelphia for six months, she was sent to
Hampton Roads and remained there for the duration of the war, training men for other ships of the Fleet, and doing guard duty at the entrance to
Chesapeake Bay . She decommissioned for the final time on
31 March 1919 .
On
30 April 1919 , ''Iowa'' was renamed "Coast Battleship No. 4" to free her name for
A New ''South Dakota'' Class Battleship , and was the first radio-controlled target ship to be used in a fleet exercise. She was sunk
23 March 1923 , in
Panama Bay by a salvo of 14 inch shells. ''Iowa'' was decommissioned before the development of the modern
Hull Classification Symbol system in 1921, and never carried the designation "BB-4" in active service but instead was referred to as "Battleship no. 4" through her entire lifespan.
Alden, John D. ''American Steel Navy: A Photographic History of the U.S. Navy from the Introduction of the Steel Hull in 1883 to the Cruise of the Great White Fleet.'' Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1989. ISBN 0870212486
Friedman, Norman. ''U.S. Battleships: An Illustrated Design History.'' Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1985. ISBN 0870217151
Reilly, John C. and Robert L. Scheina. ''American Battleships 1996-1923: Predreadnought Design and Construction.'' Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1980. ISBN 0870215248
