USS Winslow (Torpedo Boat No. 5/TB-5) was a Foote-class torpedo boat of the United States Navy. She was named for Rear Admiral John Ancrum Winslow.
Construction and Commissioning Winslow was laid down on 8 May 1896 at the Columbian Iron Works in Baltimore, Maryland. She was launched on 8 May 1897, sponsored by Miss E. H. Hazelton, and commissioned at the Norfolk Navy Yard on 29 December 1897, Lieutenant John B. Bernadou in command.
Service History
- Spanish–American War: Following commissioning, Winslow operated along the East Coast and in the Caribbean. At the outbreak of the Spanish–American War in April 1898, she was assigned to the blockade of Cuba. On 11 May 1898, during the Battle of Cárdenas, Winslow engaged Spanish gunboats and shore batteries in the harbor of Cárdenas, Cuba. The vessel sustained heavy damage; her steering gear was shot away, and she was disabled under fire. The revenue cutter USRC Hudson, under First Lieutenant Frank H. Newcomb, towed Winslow out of range. During the engagement, Ensign Worth Bagley was killed, becoming the first U.S. naval officer killed in the war. Several crew members were wounded, and the ship's commanding officer, Lieutenant Bernadou, was injured. For their actions, the crew of the Hudson received congressional medals, and Bernadou was advanced in grade for "eminent and conspicuous conduct in battle."
- Post-War Operations: After repairs, Winslow served briefly in the North Atlantic Fleet. She was placed in reserve at the Norfolk Navy Yard in 1901. Recommissioned in 1902, she served as a training ship at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and later at the Naval Torpedo Station in Newport, Rhode Island.
Decommissioning and Fate Winslow was decommissioned for the final time on 12 February 1909 at the Charleston Navy Yard. Her name was struck from the Navy list on 14 November 1912. She was sold for scrapping on 10 January 1914 to Henry A. Hitner's Sons Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Specifications (as built)
- Displacement: 142 long tons (144 t)
- Length: 160 ft (49 m)
- Beam: 16 ft 3 in (4.95 m)
- Draft: 4 ft 9 in (1.45 m)
- Propulsion: 2 × Thornycroft boilers, 2 × vertical triple-expansion engines, 2 shafts, 2,000 ihp (1,491 kW)
- Speed: 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph) (trial speed)
- Complement: 20 officers and enlisted
- Armament: 2 × 1-pounder (37 mm) rapid-fire guns, 2 × 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes
