View source for USS Sacramento (PG-19)

{{short description|Gunboat of the United States Navy}}
{{other ships|USS Sacramento}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{More citations needed|date=July 2008}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image= [[Image:USS Sacramento (PG-19) off Tsingtao.jpg|300px|USS Sacramento]]
|Ship caption=USS ''Sacramento'' steaming off Tsingtao, China.
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=United States
|Ship flag={{USN flag|1946}}
|Ship name=USS ''Sacramento''
|Ship namesake=[[Sacramento, California]]
|Ship ordered=
|Ship builder=[[William Cramp & Sons]], [[Philadelphia]]
|Ship yard number=403
|Ship laid down=
|Ship launched=21 February 1914
|Ship acquired=
|Ship commissioned=26 April 1914
|Ship decommissioned=6 February 1946
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship struck=
|Ship renamed=
|Ship reclassified=PG-19, 17 July 1920
|Ship homeport=
|Ship motto=
|Ship nickname=
|Ship honors=2 [[Service star|battle stars]] (World War II)
|Ship fate=Sold for mercantile service, 23 August 1947
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship type=[[Gunboat]]
|Ship displacement={{convert|1425|LT|t|0|abbr=on}}
|Ship length={{convert|226|ft|2|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|40|ft|10.5|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship draft={{convert|12|ft|6.5|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship propulsion=
|Ship speed={{convert|12|kn|mph km/h|lk=in|abbr=on}}
|Ship range= 
|Ship complement=171 officers and enlisted
|Ship armament=*3 × [[4"/50 caliber gun|4"/50 cal gun]]s
*2 × [[QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss#US service|3-pounder gun]]s
*2 × [[QF 1-pounder pom-pom|1-pounder gun]]s
|Ship notes=
}}
|}

The second '''USS ''Sacramento'' (PG-19)''' was a [[gunboat]] in the [[United States Navy]].

''Sacramento'' was launched on 21 February 1914 by the [[William Cramp & Sons|William Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding Company]], [[Philadelphia]]; sponsored by Miss Phebe Briggs; and [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] on 26 April 1914 at the [[Philadelphia Navy Yard]] under the command of [[Commander (United States)|Commander]] [[Luke McNamee]].

==Construction and design==
In 1911, it was decided to order a new gunboat as a cheaper alternative to the US Navy's [[Denver-class cruiser|''Denver''-class cruiser]]s, designed to patrol in the Caribbean. The new ship would carry much less armament and not be able to carry troops, allowing a much smaller ship.<ref name="conways06 p131">{{Harvnb|Gardiner|Gray|1985|p=131}}</ref><ref name="Fried p417">{{Harvnb|Friedman|1987|p=417}}</ref> Construction of the ship was authorized by Act of Congress on 4 March 1911,<ref name="jasne15 p916">{{Harvnb|Sicard|1915|p=916}}</ref> but no shipyard was willing to build the Navy's design for the target cost of $500,000, and the Navy was forced to further reduce the design, cutting speed and range, before it could be ordered.<ref name="Fried p417"/>

The final design was {{convert|226|ft|2|in|m}} [[length overall|long overall]] and {{convert|210|ft|m|2}} long [[length between perpendiculars|between perpendiculars]], with a [[Beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|40|ft|10|in|m}} and a [[Draft (ship)|draft]] of {{convert|11|ft|6|in|m}}. The ship was of [[flush deck]]ed design and was made of steel.<ref name="jasne15 p917">{{Harvnb|Sicard|1915|p=917}}</ref> [[Displacement (ship)|Displacement]] was {{convert|1425|LT|t}} normal and {{convert|1592|LT|t}} full load.<ref name="conways06 p131"/> A single three-cylinder [[Compound steam engine#Multiple expansion engines|triple expansion engine]], rated at {{convert|950|ihp|kW}}, drove a single shaft, and were supplied with two [[Babcock & Wilcox]] coal-fired [[water-tube boilers]] feeding steam at {{convert|215|psi|kPa}}.<ref name="jasne15 p927,37">{{Harvnb|Sicard|1915|pp=927, 937}}</ref> This gave a contract speed of {{convert|12.5|kn}}. 428 t of coal were carried, giving a range of {{convert|4000|nmi}}.<ref name="conways06 p131"/>

The ship was armed with three [[4"/50 caliber gun|4-inch 50 calibre]] guns, with two 3-pounder saluting guns and two [[QF 1-pounder pom-pom|1-pounder gun]]s. The ship had a complement of 163 officers and men.<ref name="conways06 p131"/>

''Sacramento'' (or Gunboat No. 19) was ordered from [[William Cramp & Sons]] at a contract price of $492,500,<ref name="jasne15 p916"/> and was [[Keel laying|laid down]] at Cramp's [[Philadelphia]] shipyard on 30 April 1913. She was [[Ceremonial ship launching|launched]] on 21 February 1914,<ref name="Fried p462">{{Harvnb|Friedman|1987|p=462}}</ref><ref name="danfs">{{cite DANFS|url=http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/s/sacramento-ii.html|title=Sacramento (Gunboat No. 19) ii|access-date=28 November 2015}}</ref> and successfully met her contracted speed during [[sea trials]] on 31 March–1 April, reaching a maximum speed of {{convert|13.260|kn}} and an average speed of {{convert|12.781|kn}} on a 4-hour speed run.<ref name="jasne15 p941,4">{{Harvnb|Sicard|1915|pp=941, 944}}</ref> She was [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] on 26 April 1914.<ref name="Fried p462"/><ref name="danfs"/>

==Service history==

===World War I===
''Sacramento''{{'}}s first duty was in [[Mexico|Mexican]] and [[Caribbean]] waters, and she arrived off [[United States occupation of Veracruz|Vera Cruz]] on 14 May 1914. ''Sacramento'' visited [[Dominican Republic|Dominican]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Santo Domingo |url=https://archive.org/stream/independen79v80newy#page/n77/mode/1up |newspaper=The Independent |date=20 July 1914 |access-date=23 August 2012}}</ref> Mexican, [[Nicaragua]]n, and [[Honduras|Honduran]] ports repeatedly into 1916, protecting U.S. interests and observing uneasy local political conditions. Arriving at [[New Orleans]] on 17 March 1917, ''Sacramento''{{'}}s crew assisted [[United States Customs Service|U.S. Customs]] authorities in taking over the interned German merchant vessels ''Breslau'', ''Andromeda'', ''Anna'', ''Louise'', and ''Teresa'' after the U.S. entered [[World War I]].

Departing New Orleans on 15 April, ''Sacramento'' proceeded to [[Newport, Rhode Island]], to commence patrol and escort duty off the [[New England]] coast. She rescued the crew of the burning British motor ship ''Sebastian'' on 8 May and vainly attempted to tow her to Newport, receiving commendation from the British government for her efforts. In late June, she took part in refloating the grounded [[Protected cruiser|cruiser]] {{USS|Olympia|C-6|2}}.
[[File:Sacramento at the base.jpg|thumb|''Sacramento'' at the base]]
Assigned to European waters, ''Sacramento'' departed New York on 22 July in company with a British mercantile convoy bound for [[Gibraltar]], arriving on 6 August. As a unit of the U.S. Patrol Force based at Gibraltar, she performed continuous convoy escort duty to the [[British Isles]] with additional service along the North African and Italian coasts into 1918. Following the Armistice, ''Sacramento'' was ordered back to the U.S. She departed Gibraltar on 11 December 1918 for New Orleans.

===Inter-war period===
After completing repairs there, the gunboat steamed to New York prior to her next assignment with the U.S. Naval Forces, Northern [[Russia]]. ''Sacramento'' arrived at [[Murmansk]] on 22 May 1919; and, through July, served as a dispatch ship, distributed food and clothing, provided medical help, and assisted in the withdrawal of American forces from areas bordering the [[White Sea]]. Subsequently, sailing southward, ''Sacramento'' called at [[Norway|Norwegian]], British, and French ports before arriving at Gibraltar on 20 September to assist in demobilizing the naval forces there. She returned to [[Hampton Roads]], on 15 February 1920 to join the [[Atlantic Patrol Force]] and [[Special Service Squadron]].

Designated '''PG-19''' on 17 July 1920, Sacramento's new assignment took her back to Caribbean waters where she spent considerable time cruising off troubled [[Honduras]].

====Asiatic Squadron====
She was reassigned to the [[Asiatic Squadron]] in 1922, and departed [[Charleston, South Carolina]], on 12 June ''en route'' for the [[Philippine Islands]]. Passing through the Mediterranean and transiting the [[Suez Canal]], ''Sacramento'' called at [[Bombay]], [[Colombo]], and Singapore while progressing eastward to [[Manila]]. Her [[United States Asiatic Fleet|Asiatic Fleet]] service was spent largely in Chinese and Japanese ports but included a visit to [[Vladivostok]], Russia from 11 September-24 November 1922. She remained on station until 21 December 1928, when she departed [[Cavite]] for Caribbean duty.

She sailed first to [[Mare Island]], California, then joined the Special Service Squadron and cruised the Caribbean, calling at Central American and [[West Indies]] ports, into 1932. She departed [[Balboa, Panama|Balboa, Canal Zone]], on 11 January 1932 bound for [[San Diego]] and San Francisco, preparatory to crossing the [[Pacific Ocean|Pacific]] for duty with the Asiatic Fleet. She arrived at Shanghai, China, on 1 April 1932 and remained in adjacent waters throughout the gradually worsening crisis, just short of war, during the rest of the 1930s. With other U.S. forces, she helped to protect national interests during this period. Ordered home toward the end of the decade, the veteran gunboat departed Cavite on 12 January 1939 for New York, via the Mediterranean. She earned the nickname "the Galloping Ghost of the China Coast".

''Sacramento'' served as a training ship for [[9th Naval District]] Reservists, on the [[Great Lakes (North America)|Great Lakes]], from 20 November 1939 into 1940. Returning to the [[Boston Navy Yard]] for refitting, she subsequently departed the [[Norfolk Navy Yard]] ''en route'' to her next assignment in the [[Hawaiian Islands]].

===World War II===
Entering [[Pearl Harbor]] on 15 August 1941, she was assigned to the Naval Coastal Force of the [[14th Naval District]], with fellow gunboat {{USS|Niagara|PG-52|2}} and [[United States Coast Guard|U.S. Coast Guard]] [[patrol boat]]s ''Reliance'' and ''Tiger''. At the time of the [[Attack on Pearl Harbor|Japanese attack]] on 7 December 1941, ''Sacramento'' was berthed in the Navy Yard's repair berth B-6, with destroyers {{USS|Mugford|DD-389|2}} and {{USS|Jarvis|DD-393|2}} nested beside her. ''Sacramento'''s battle stations were manned by 08:00; two minutes later, her gun crews opened fire on Japanese aircraft attacking "Battleship Row" off [[Ford Island]]. Her batteries assisted in destroying one enemy plane which crossed her bow {{convert|200|yd|m|abbr=on}} ahead and later helped down another which was pressing home an attack on {{USS|Nevada|BB-36|2}}. Her boat crews participated in rescue and salvage operations throughout the aftermath of the battle.

''Sacramento'' patrolled the Hawaiian Sea Frontier out of Pearl Harbor until 27 September 1942, when she commenced service as a tender for Torpedo Boat Unit 6, Division 2, of MTBRon 1, at [[Palmyra Atoll|Palmyra Island]], south of Hawaii; with additional duty as air-sea rescue vessel for the Naval Air Station. She departed Palmyra on 25 November for [[San Diego]] and duty with the Western Sea Frontier patrol force. There she trained gun crews from December of that year to March 1945. Based at San Francisco thereafter, ''Sacramento'' operated on weather patrol and plane guard station for the remainder of [[World War II]].

''Sacramento'' was decommissioned on 6 February 1946 at [[Suisun Bay]], California, and simultaneously transferred to the [[War Shipping Administration]] for disposal. She was sold on 23 August 1947 for mercantile service, initially operating under Italian registry as '''''Fermina'''''.

==Awards==
*[[Mexican Service Medal]] 21 April 1914 to 23 April 1914
*[[Haitian Campaign Medal]] 9 July 1915 to 6 December 1915
*[[Dominican Campaign Medal]] 5 May 1916 to 4 December 1916
*[[World War I Victory Medal (United States)|Victory Medal]]
*[[Yangtze Service Medal]]
*[[Second Nicaraguan Campaign Medal]] 27 August 1926 and 2 January 1933
*[[China Service Medal]]
*[[American Defense Service Medal]] with "FLEET" clasp
*[[Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal]] with two [[Service star|battle stars]] (Dates: Code; 21 Jun 45 – 30 Jun 45 P34-1; 7 Dec 41 P1)
*[[American Campaign Medal]]
*[[World War II Victory Medal]]
<ref>Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual Rev. 1953</ref>
*[https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/n/navy-mc-awards-manual-rev1953/pt4-campaign-service-medals.html#sec2-16]***

==See also==
*[[List of patrol vessels of the United States Navy]]

==Citations==
{{Reflist}}

==References==

*{{cite book|last=Friedman|first=Norman|title=U.S. Small Combatants: Including PT-Boats, Subchasers and the Brown-Water Navy|year=1987|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland, USA|isbn=0-87021-713-5}}
*{{cite book|editor1-last=Gardiner|editor1-first=Robert|editor2-last=Gray|editor2-first=Randal|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921|year=1985|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=London|isbn=0-85177-245-5}}
*{{cite journal|last=Sicard|first=W.F.|title=Description and Trials of U.S.S. Sacramento.: (Gunboat No. 19) |journal=Journal of the American Society of Naval Engineers|date=November 1915|volume= XXVII|issue= 4|pages=916–945|doi=10.1111/j.1559-3584.1915.tb00579.x |url=https://archive.org/details/journalamerican02engigoog}}

==External links==
{{Commons category-inline|USS Sacramento (ship, 1914)}}
*[http://www.history.navy.mil/research/archives/digitized-collections/action-reports/wwii-pearl-harbor-attack/ships-s-z/uss-sacramento-pg-19-action-report.html After action report from Pearl Harbor attack]
*{{navsource|12/09019|USS Sacramento}}
{{DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/s/sacramento-ii.html}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sacramento (PG-19)}}
[[Category:Gunboats of the United States Navy]]
[[Category:Ships built by William Cramp & Sons]]
[[Category:1914 ships]]
[[Category:Ships present during the attack on Pearl Harbor]]