USS Amphitrite (BM-2) - Training Ship

Training Ship

For the next few months, Amphitrite operated off the eastern seaboard of the United States, off Sandy Hook, out of Hampton Roads, and out of Port Royal before she returned to Hampton Roads from 21 to 30 May 1899 for gunnery instruction. She subsequently visited Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Newport, Rhode Island, and New Bedford.

Owing to her light draft and steady platform, Amphitrite was deemed well adapted for gunnery work, and received on board two classes a year consisting of 60 men. From 1 July to 4 October 1899, the monitor carried out gunnery instruction out of New Bedford, and on 12 October sailed for the New York Navy Yard for necessary repairs. Upon completion of this yard period, Amphitrite sailed for Port Royal on 3 December, stopping en route at Norfolk for coal and ammunition. Arriving at her destination on 9 December, she commenced her gunnery training course nine days later. On 17 January 1900, the tug Chickasaw was turned over to Amphitrite and fitted with a battery of one 6-pounder and one one-pounder; for the remainder of the course, the tug proved a valuable adjunct to the monitor, serving as an "economical, handy, and effective moving platform" for moving subcaliber practice. Amphitrite completed her work at Port Royal on 19 April and proceeded north, accompanied by Chickasaw, stopping at Norfolk en route, and reached Tompkinsville on 9 May, proceeding thence to New Bedford, arriving there on 14 June. The tug Osceola subsequently replaced Chickasaw as Amphitrite's tender, joining the monitor off New Bedford on 25 June 1900.

Amphitrite carried out her gunnery training until departing New Bedford on 5 October for the Boston Navy Yard, where she underwent repairs from 7 October to 14 November. Receiving drafts of men for gunnery class at Tompkinsville and Norfolk, the monitor proceeded back to Port Royal, arriving there on 29 November. Outside of a brief port visit to Brunswick, Ga., between 28 January and 6 February 1901, Amphitrite remained at Port Royal until 10 May, when she sailed for Norfolk and Tompkinsville, arriving at the latter on 3 June, en route back to her ultimate destination of New Bedford. Amphitrite continued the important work of training gun captains through the summer and into the fall. Deemed in need of a general overhaul, Amphitrite was placed out of commission at the Boston Navy Yard on 30 November 1901.

Recommissioned at Boston on 1 December 1902, Lt. Comdr. Edwin H. Tellman in command, Amphitrite was ordered to the Naval Training Station at Newport, for duty, on 10 January 1903. She served there until early in 1904, when she was sent to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba, for duty as station ship. She performed this duty until detached on 19 June 1907, and was placed out of commission at League Island on 3 August 1907.

Placed in commission, in reserve, on 14 June 1910, Amphitrite was assigned to duty, training reservists, at St. Louis, Missouri, under the command of Chief Boatswain Patrick Shanahan, a duty she performed until assigned to training reservists at New Orleans, Louisiana, on 12 May 1912. Detached from this duty four years later, on 12 May 1916, the ship then proceeded to New Haven, Connecticut, for assignment with the naval militia of the state of Connecticut.