USS Montana (ACR-13)



The first USS Montana (ACR-13), also referred to as "Armored Cruiser No. 13", later renamed Missoula and designated CA-13, was a armored cruiser of the United States Navy, a sister ship of USS North Carolina (ACR-12).

She was laid down by the Newport News Shipbuilding Co., Newport News, Virginia on 29 April 1905, launched on 15 December 1906, sponsored by Miss Minnie Conrad, and commissioned at the Norfolk Navy Yard on 21 July 1908, Captain Alfred Reynolds in command.

Pre-World War I
Assigned to the Atlantic Fleet, Montana departed Norfolk on 5 August to cruise off the east coast until 25 January 1909, when she sailed from Charleston, South Carolina, for the Caribbean, arriving off Colón, Panama on the 29th. While operating with the Special Service Squadron, Montana departed Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba on 2 April for the Mediterranean to protect American interests during the aftermath of the Turkish Revolution of 1908. Leaving Gibraltar on 23 July, she arrived Boston on 3 August, and resumed east coast operations.

On 8 April 1910, the armored cruiser sailed from Hampton Roads, Virginia, to take part in the Argentine Centennial Celebration, calling at Uruguay, Argentina, and finally Brazil before heading for home 30 June, arriving Hampton Roads on 22 July. Montana left Charleston, with President William Howard Taft and his party embarked on 10 November for a visit to Panama, returning her passengers to Hampton Roads on 22 November.

Montana was placed in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet on 26 July 1911 for major overhaul at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine until 11 November 1912. In December, she departed on a second trip to the Near East, stopping at Beirut, Alexandretta (now İskenderun) and Mersin, Turkey. Returning to the U.S. in June 1913, Montana operated off the east coast and made training cruises to Mexico, Cuba, and Haiti until the United States entered World War I.

World War I
During the first months of the war, Montana conducted training exercises and transported supplies and men in the York River area and along the east coast. Assigned to the Cruiser and Transport Force on 17 July 1917, she did convoy and escort duty out of Hampton Roads; New York; and Halifax, Nova Scotia through most of 1917–1918. The armored cruiser also performed as a Naval Academy practice ship in the Chesapeake Bay area early in 1918. Ordered to France in December, Montana made six round trips from Europe from January–July 1919, returning 8,800 American troops.

Inter-war period
Following her arrival at Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington, Montana remained there from 16 August 1919 – 2 February 1921, when she was decommissioned. On 7 June 1920, Montana was renamed—in order to use her original name for a prospective new battleship of the South Dakota class, BB-51---Missoula, for Missoula, Montana, and reclassified CA-13. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 15 July 1930 and sold to John Irwin, Jr. on 29 September. In October 1935, the armored cruiser was scrapped in accordance with the London Naval Treaty.