U.S. Navy has history of naming ships for Montana locations

HELENA — Earlier this yr, the united statesMontana, a Virginia-class quick assault submarine, was commissioned by the Navy, however it’s removed from the primary naval watercraft named in honor of Huge Sky nation.

Since 1897, the Navy has commissioned 30 boats or ships of assorted varieties beginning with the primary USS Helena. The Helena was a gunboat that noticed motion on a number of events within the waters close to Cuba and ultimately the Philippines throughout the Spanish-American battle.

The latest ship or boat to bear a Treasure State title is the second USS Montana, a Virginia-class submarine commissioned in June.

Particular person ships will not be the the one vessels named for Montana. Earlier than the USA entered World Conflict II, the Navy had named a whole class of battleships after the state.

The Montana-class battleships had been designed to be bigger, stronger, and have extra firepower than their predecessors, the Iowa class. The Navy initially ordered 5 Montana-class battleships, however leaders scrapped these plans earlier than constructing the primary ships.

“By that point, the U.S. had received or fought on the battles of the Coral Sea and Halfway, and it was acknowledged in a short time that plane carriers had been going to turn out to be a precedence,” stated Man Nasuti, a historian with Naval Historical past and Heritage Command (NHHC). “And due to this fact, the necessity for battleships was going to be a lot much less. So once more, sadly, a Montana battleship by no means emerged.”

Among the many 30 ships and boats with Montana namesakes, 21 had been constructed throughout World Conflict II. One of many few constructed after World Conflict II was the fourth USS Helena, a Los Angeles class submarine commissioned in 1987.

The Secretary of the Navy is accountable for naming ships as a part of a legislation handed by congress in 1819. And whereas that accountability nonetheless rests with the Secretary immediately, the NHHC says, “the procedures and practices concerned in Navy ship naming are as a lot, if no more, merchandise of evolution and custom than of laws.”

At the moment, Navy command compiles an inventory of appropriate names for brand spanking new ships. These really helpful names forwarded to the Chief of Naval Operations who forwards them to the Secretary of the Navy for ultimate approval.

To study extra in regards to the historical past Navy ships and their names go to the NHHC web site