This file contains information on all major warships named MAINE

From: DICTIONARY OF AMERICAN NAVAL FIGHTING SHIPS, James L. 
Mooney, ed., Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy, 
Washington, DC., 1969

MAINE BB 2/c 
displacement. 6,682
length. 319' 
beam. 57' 
draft. 21'6" 
complement. 874 
speed. 17 k. 
armament. 4 10", 6 6", 7 6-pdrs., 8 1-pdrs., 4 14" tt. 
class. MAINE

The first MAINE, a second-class armored battleship, was laid 
down at New York Navy Yard 17 October 1888; launched 18 November 
1889; sponsored by Miss Alice Tracy Wilmerding, granddaughter of 
Secretary of the Navy Benjamin Tracy; and commissioned 17 
September 1895, Capt. Arent B. Crowninshield in command.

MAINE departed New York Navy Yard 5 November 1895 for Newport, 
R.I., via Gardiner's Bay, N.Y., to fit out 16 to 23 November, 
and then proceeded on the 25th to  Portland, Maine, to visit her 
namesake. The battlewagon then put to sea on the 29th on trials 
and inspection, being  assigned to the North Atlantic Squadron 
16 December, and sailing via Newport to Tompkinsville, N.Y., 
arriving 28 December. The ship sailed the next day for Fort 
Monroe, Va., arriving on Christmas Day. She operated out of that 
place and Newport News through June 1896 and then on the 4th 
sailed for Key West on a 2-month training cruise, returning to 
Norfolk 3 August. MAINE continued extensive east coast 
operations until late 1897. Then the ship  prepared for a voyage 
to Havana, Cuba, to show the flag and to protect American 
citizens in event of violence in the Spanish struggle with the 
revolutionary forces in Cuba.

On 1l December MAINE stood out of Hampton Roads bound for Key 
West, arriving on the 15th. She was joined there by ships of the 
North Atlantic Squadron on  maneuvers, then left Key West 24 
January 1898 for Havana.

Arriving 25 January, MAINE anchored in the center of the port, 
remained on vigilant watch, allowed no liberty, and took extra 
precautions against sabotage. Shortly after 2140, 15 February, 
the battleship was torn apart by a tremendous explosion that 
shattered the entire forward part of the ship. Out of 350 
officers and men on board that night (4 officers were ashore), 
252 were dead or missing. Eight more were to die in Havana 
hospitals during the next few days. The survivors of the 
disaster were taken on board Ward Line steamer CITY OF 
WASHINGTON and Spanish cruiser ALFONSO XII. The Spanish 
officials at  Havana showed every attention to the survivors of 
the  disaster and great respect for those killed. The court of 
Inquiry convened in March was unable to obtain evidence 
associating the destruction of the battleship with any person or 
persons, but public opinion in the United States was so Inflamed 
that the MAINE disaster led eventually to the declaration of war 
on Spain 21 April.

On 5 August 1910, Congress authorized the raising of MAINE and 
directed Army engineers to supervise the work. A second board of 
inquiry appointed to inspect the wreck after it was raised 
reported that injuries to the ship's bottom were caused by an 
external explosion of low  magnitude that set off the forward 
magazine, completing  destruction of the ship. It has never been 
determined who placed the explosive; responsibility for the 
sinking of MAINE remains one of the continuing enigmas of 
American history.

MAINE's hulk was finally floated 2 February 1912 and towed out 
to sea where it was sunk in deep water in the Gulf of Mexico 
with appropriate ceremony and military honors 16 March.

MAINE BB-10 
displacement. 12,846 (n.) 
length. 393'11" 
beam. 72'3" 
draft. 24'4" 
speed. 18 k. 
complement. 561 
armament. 4 12", 16 6", 6 3", 8 8-pdrs., 6 1-pdrs., 2 18" tt. 
class. MAINE

The second MAINE (Battleship No. 10) was laid down by William 
Cramp & Sons, Philadelphia, Pa., 15 February 1899, a year to the 
day after the destruction of the first MAINE; launched 27 July 
1901; sponsored by Miss Mary Preble Anderson; and commissioned 
at Philadelphia 29 December 1902, Capt. Eugene H. C. Leutze In 
command.

From 1903 to 1907 MAINE cruised along the Atlantic coast south 
to the West Indies, and she completed one cruise to the 
Mediterranean. On 16 December 1907 she left Hampton Roads with 
the rest of the Atlantic Fleet en route to the Pacific where she 
joined ships of that fleet for a cruise around the world. In 
company with the  Alabama, she went to Guam and the Philippines, 
through the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean, and returned to 
the Atlantic coast in October 1908, considerably in advance of 
the rest of the "Great White Fleet."

Fitted out as flagship of the 3d Squadron, Atlantic Fleet, MAINE 
resumed operations along the Atlantic coast and into Caribbean 
waters during the next several months. She decommissioned at 
Portsmouth, N.H., 31 August 1908. Recommissioned 15 June 1911, 
MAINE  operated along the east coast. During World War I, she 
trained engineers, armed guard crews, and midshipmen. Following 
the defeat of the Central Powers, she took part in the review of 
the fleet at New York 26 December 1918.

MAINE operated with ships of the Atlantic Fleet until 15 May 
1920 when she decommissioned at Philadelphia Navy Yard. 
Classified as BB-10 on 17 July 1920, she was sold to J. G. 
Hitner & W. F. Cutler of Philadelphia, Pa., 23 January 1922; 
rendered incapable of further warlike service 17 December 1923; 
and subsequently broken up and scrapped In accordance with terms 
of the Washington treaty limiting naval armaments.

MAINE BB-69 
displacement. 60,500 
length. 925' 
beam. 121'2" 
armament. 12 16", 32 40mm. 
class. MONTANA

The name MAINE was assigned to BB-69 on 28 December 1940, but 
construction of the MONTANA-class battleship at the New York 
Navy Yard was canceled 21 July l943.

Transcribed and edited by:
Larry W. Jewell
jewell@mace.cc.purdue.edu