USS St. Louis (C-20)

USS St. Louis (C-20), off the Boston Navy Yard, Massachusetts, 14 September 1917.
History
United States
Name:	St. Louis
Namesake:	City of St. Louis, Missouri
Ordered:	7 June 1900
Awarded:	11 March 1901
Builder:	Neafie & Levy Co., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cost:	$2,740,000 (contract price of hull and machinery)
Laid down:	31 July 1902
Launched:	6 May 1905
Sponsored by:	Miss Gladys Bryant Smith
Commissioned:	18 August 1906
Decommissioned:	3 March 1922
Reclassified:	CA-18, 17 July 1920
Struck:	20 March 1930
Identification:	Hull symbol:C-20 Hull symbol:CA-18
Fate:	sold for scrapping on 13 August 1930, in accordance with the provisions of the London Naval Treaty
Notes:	14 July 1912, assigned to the Oregon Naval Militia 27 April 1914, designated as a Receiving Ship 29 July 1916, assigned as a Submarine tender
General characteristics (as built)
Class and type:	St. Louis-class protected cruiser
Displacement:	9,700 long tons (9,856 t) (standard) 10,839 long tons (11,013 t) (full load)
Length:	426 ft 6 in (130.00 m)oa 424 ft (129 m)pp
Beam:	66 ft (20 m)
Draft:	22 ft 6 in (6.86 m) (mean)
Installed power:	12 × Babcock & Wilcox boilers 21,000 ihp (16,000 kW)
Propulsion:	2 × vertical triple expansion reciprocating engines 2 × screws
Speed:	22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph) 22.13 knots (40.98 km/h; 25.47 mph) (Speed on Trial)
Armament:	14 × 6 in (152 mm)/50 caliber Mark 6 Breech-loading rifles 18 × 3 in (76 mm)/50 cal guns 12 × 3-pounder (47 mm (1.9 in)) saluting guns 8 × 1-pounder (37 mm (1.5 in)) rapid-fire guns 4 × 1-pounder (37 mm) guns
Armor:	Belt armor: 4 in (102 mm) Deck (amidships): 2–3 in (51–76 mm) Shields: 4 in Conning tower: 5 in (127 mm)
General characteristics (1921)
Armament:	12 × 6 in/50 caliber breech-loading rifles 4 × 3 in/50 caliber guns 2 × 3 in/50 anti-aircraft guns 4 × 3-pounder (47 mm) saluting guns

The fourth USS St. Louis (C-20/CA-18), was the lead ship of her class of protected cruisers in the United States Navy. St. Louis was launched on 6 May 1905 by the Neafie & Levy Company, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was sponsored by Miss Gladys Bryant Smith and commissioned on 18 August 1906 with Captain Nathaniel R. Usher in command.

Assigned to the Pacific Fleet, St. Louis departed Tompkinsville, New York, on 15 May 1907 following completion of her trials along the Virginia coast. St. Louis called at Port Castries, Bahia, Rio de Janeiro, Montevideo, Punta Arenas, Valparaíso, Callao, and Acapulco before arriving at San Diego on 31 August 1907. Operating off the west coast into the spring of 1908, she steamed from Puget Sound to Honolulu in June, then cruised in Central American waters from July to October. On 5 November 1909, St. Louis returned to Puget Sound and was placed in reserve on 14 November.

Decommissioned on 3 May 1910, St. Louis was recommissioned, in reserve, on 7 October 1911 at the Puget Sound Navy Yard. She departed Puget Sound on 13 July 1911 for San Francisco and brief service as receiving ship there. After undergoing repairs, 22 July 1911 to 28 February 1912, she joined the Pacific Reserve Fleet again on 12 March. From 14 July 1912 until 26 April 1913, she operated in support of the Oregon Naval Militia, then returned to the Puget Sound Navy Yard to be placed in the Pacific Reserve Fleet for a year. She departed Puget Sound on 24 April 1914 and commenced her next assignment as receiving ship at San Francisco on the 27th. Returning north to Bremerton, St. Louis was again placed in the Pacific Reserve Fleet on 17 February 1916.