European Squadron

The European Squadron, also known as the European Station, was a part of the United States Navy in the late 19th century and the early 1900s. The squadron was originally named the Mediterranean Squadron and renamed following the American Civil War. In 1905, the squadron was absorbed into the North Atlantic Fleet.^[1]

European Squadron
USS Franklin – squadron flagship from 1867 to 1868
Active	1865–1905
Country	United States
Branch	United States Navy
Type	Naval squadron

Second Anglo-Egyptian War

United States Marines and Royal Marines during the occupation of Alexandria in 1882.

The Egyptian Expedition in June and July 1882 was a response by the United States to the British and French attack on Alexandria during the Anglo-Egyptian War. To protect American citizens and their property within the city, ships of the European Squadron, under Rear Admiral James Nicholson, were sent to Egypt with orders to observe the conflict ashore and make a landing if necessary. British and French forces heavily damaged the city and started a large fire so a force of marines and sailors were landed and they assisted in fire fighting and guarding the American consulate from insurgents.^[2] Casper F. Goodrich, who served as an executive officer on the USS Lancaster, commanded the landing party and would later publish an extensive report on the bombardment.^[3]

Early 20th century

The European Squadron returned to U.S. waters at the start of the Spanish–American War in April 1898, and did not return to Europe until July 1901, when Admiral Bartlett J. Cromwell was placed in command with the cruiser USS Chicago as flagship. Other ships of the squadron from July 1901 included the cruiser USS Albany and the gunboat USS Nashville.^[4]

Commanders

Name	Picture	Rank	Assigned (Orders)	Assumed (On Station)	Relieved (Orders)	Relieved (On Station)	Flagship(s)
RADM Louis M. Goldsborough			February 1865	18 July 1865[5]	1867	14 July 1867[5]	Colorado[6]
ADM David G. Farragut			?	14 July 1867[5]	?	10 November 1868[5]	Franklin[7]
CDRE Alexander M. Pennock			?	10 November 1868[5]	?	28 February 1869[5]	Ticonderoga[8]
RADM William Radford[9]			?	1869[9]	?	1 March 1870[9]	Franklin[7]
RADM Oliver S. Glisson[8]			?	August 1870[8]	?	January 1871[8]	Franklin[8]
RADM Charles S. Boggs[8]			?	January 1871[8]	?	1 January 1872	Franklin Plymouth Brooklyn[8]
RADM James Alden Jr.			?	1 January 1872[10]	?	2 June 1873[10]	Wabash[11] Brooklyn[8]
RADM Augustus Case			?	1873[12]	?	1875[12]	Franklin Wabash[8]
RADM John L. Worden			?	1875[13]	?	5 October 1877[8]	Franklin Marion Trenton[8]
RADM William E. Le Roy[8]			?	5 October 1877[8]	?	23 January 1879	Trenton[8]
CAPT John Lee Davis (pro tem)[8]			?	23 January 1879[8]	?	February 1879	Trenton[8]
RADM John C. Howell[14]			1878	February 1879[8]	?	16 September 1881	Trenton Quinnebaug Wyoming[8]
RADM James W. Nicholson			?	16 September 1881[15]	February 1883[15]	10 March 1883	Lancaster[8]
RADM Charles H. Baldwin			?	10 March 1883[16]	?	September 1884	Lancaster[8]
RADM Earl English			?	September 1884[8]	?	May/June 1885	Lancaster[8]
RADM Samuel Rhoads Franklin			?	May/June 1885[8]	20 July 1887[17]	24 August 1887[18]	Pensacola[8]
RADM James A. Greer			?	1887[19]	?	1889[19]	?
Unknown?		?	?	1889	?	1893	?
RADM Henry Erben			June 1893[20]	?	August 1894[20]	?	Chicago[21]
RADM William A. Kirkland[22]			April 1894[20]		November 1895[20]		San Francisco[23]
RADM Thomas O. Selfridge Jr.[24]			November 1895[20]		February 1898[20]		Minneapolis[25]
RADM John Adams Howell			January 1898[20]		April 1898[20]		?
The European Squadron returned to U.S. waters at the start of the Spanish–American War in April 1898, and did not return until July 1901.
RADM Bartlett J. Cromwell			?	July 1901	9 February 1902[26]	9 February 1902[27]	Chicago[28]
CAPT Joseph E. Craig (Senior Officer Present)[29]			?	9 February 1902	?	April 1902	?
RADM Arent S. Crowninshield			March 1902[26]	30 April 1902[30]	3 March 1903[31]	20 March 1903[32]	Illinois[33]
CAPT James Henry Dayton (Senior Officer Present)[32]			?	20 March 1903	?	28 April 1903	?
RADM Charles S. Cotton			?	28 April 1903[32]	?	16 February 1904	Kearsarge (June–July 1903)[34] Brooklyn[35]
CAPT Harry Knox (Senior Officer Present)[36]			?	16 February 1904	?	28 March 1904	Brooklyn
RADM Joseph Coghlan			?	?	?	20 April 1904[36]	?
RADM Theodore Frelinghuysen Jewell			?	20 April 1904[36]	?	?	Olympia
In 1905 the European Squadron was absorbed into the North Atlantic Fleet.

References

1. For a general history of the post Civil War period, see William N. Still Jr., American Sea Power in the Old World: the United States Navy in European and Near Eastern waters, 1865-1917, (Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1980).
2. "USS Nipsic (1879–1913) – Relics and Miscellaneous Views". Naval History & Heritage Command. 2002. Archived from the original on 4 April 2002. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
3. Goodrich, Caspar F. (Caspar Frederick) (1885). Report of the British naval and military operations in Egypt, 1882. The Library of Congress. Washington, Govt. Print. Off.
4. "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36501. London. 8 July 1901. p. 6.
5. Eicher, John H. & Eicher, David J. (2001). Civil War High Commands. California: Stanford University Press. p. 864. ISBN 9780804736411.
6. "USS Colorado". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. 2010. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
7. "USS Franklin". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History & Heritage Command. 2004. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
8. "RG45: Appendix B. List of Volumes of Letters Received by the Secretary of the Navy From Officers Commanding Squadrons". Naval History & Heritage Command. 2005. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
9. "Rear Admiral William Radford, USN (1808–1890)". Destroyer History Foundation. 2008. Retrieved 2 June 2010.
10. "USS Alden". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History & Heritage Command. 2004. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
11. "USS Wabash". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History & Heritage Command. 30 July 2001. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
12. "USS Case". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History & Heritage Command. 2004. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
13. "Worden, John L. (1818–1897)". Naval History & Heritage Command. 2006. Archived from the original on 21 September 2012. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
14. "Rear Admiral John C. Howell". Naval History & Heritage Command. 2009. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
15. "USS Nicholson". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History & Heritage Command. 2004. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
16. "USS Lancaster". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History & Heritage Command. 2004. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
17. Nott, Charles C.; Hopkins, Archibald (1890). Cases Decided in the Court of Claims of the United States, at the Term of 1893–94. Washington, D.C.: W.H. & O.H. Morrison. pp. 6–7.
18. United States Catholic Historical Society (1911). Historical Records and Studies. Part I, Volume VI. New York: United States Catholic Historical Society. p. 197.
19. "USS Greer". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History & Heritage Command. 2004. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
20. "Flag Assignments 1890–1900". fleetorganization.com. 2011. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
21. "Proceedings". 1941.
22. "William Alexander Kirkland Papers". Joyner Library – East Carolina University. 2011. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
23. "Annual Report of the Secretary of the Navy". 1895.
24. "USS Selfridge". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History & Heritage Command. 2004. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
25. "USS Minneapolis". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History & Heritage Command. 2004. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
26. "Will Succeed Crowninshield". San Francisco Call. San Francisco. 27 October 1901. p. 21. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
27. President, United States (1903). "The Abridgment: Containing Messages of the President of the United States to the Two Houses of Congress with Reports of Departments and Selections from Accompanying Papers".
28. "Finding Aid Viewer".
29. "Commanders of the Sixth Fleet". USS Little Rock Association. 2012. Archived from the original on 23 March 2013. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
30. "Register of the commissioned and warrant officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps and reserve officers on active duty". archive.org. 1 January 1903. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
31. "The Rock Island Argus 4 March 1903 — Illinois Digital Newspaper Collections".
32. "Annual Reports of the Navy Department". 1903.
33. "All Hands". 1960.
34. "USS Kearsarge – European Cruise, 1903". history.navy.mil. 2007. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
35. "Squadron's Lisbon Visit: King Charles Inspects the Brooklyn and Toasts the President — Tells Admiral Cotton That He Will Cable His Thanks to Mr. Roosevelt". The New York Times. 2 August 1903. p. 5. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
36. "Annual Reports of the Navy Department". 1904.

•  This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

External links

• Notes on U.S. Fleet Organisation and Disposition, 1898–1941