Monday, October 2, 2023

USS Olympia, A Spanish American War Veteran

Last month I visited Philadelphia for a meeting about professional Actuarial exams.  Unlike W C Fields, I quite like Philly which has a lot of history in its downtown core.  This was my second visit and last time I visited many of the museums relating to 1776 and all that.  This time I used a free afternoon to visit the Independence Sea Port Museum.  The big attraction for me wad the Protected Cruiser USS Olympia, Admiral Dewey's flagship at the Battle of Manilla in 1989


Gloucester Moose and I looking for Nicholas Cage at Idependence Hall. 

USS New Jersey on the Jersey side of the Delaware River





Olympia looking very smart in her white and buff trim.

Aft superstructure and turret.  Five inch guns in the case mates with light Quick firers above and below.

Wardroom with a 6-pounder QF


My wife sews so I took pictures of the vintage singers on board.  







Close up of the breech of a QF gun.

Loved the story of the quaranteened sailors in the main top. 

A five inches.  Love the brass work and the close proximity to the hammocks.

Another shot of New Jersey from on deck.

View from the bridge over the fore turret and f'csle.

The bridge with Binnacle and engine telegraphs/. Would have been very exposed in battle.

Another shot from the bridge forward.  There's a WW2 sub alongside as part of the musum and a couple of tall ships nearby/

1 pounder QF on the upper deck and looking very exposed/

Exiting the ship a shot of the forecastle and for turret.   There's a pair of 8" guns in each of the two turrets plus 5 5" secondaries in the casemates between them.

This view shows the bridge, pilot house and masts.  Not a lot of room for quarantined sailors in the fighting top.

Barquentine Gazela (1901) tied up close by.  I can remember her visiting Halifax during various Tall Ship tours, and she looks great under sail.


2 comments:

  1. Nice post, I like a pre dreadnought before everything went grey and drab, maybe battle of Manila in 1889?
    Best Iain

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    1. Thanks Iain. For Span-Am war the USN should be in grey but the white and buff looks so much nicer. Tumbling Dice 1:2400 models on order, I have some older scratch builds in 1:1200.
      https://singlehandedadmiral.blogspot.com/2011/03/santiago-project.html

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