Asheville, during her service in the Canal Zone.
Class overview
Builders	Charleston Naval Shipyard,North Charleston, South Carolina
Operators	United States Navy
Preceded by	USS Sacramento
Succeeded by	Erie class
Built	1917–1919
In commission	1920–1946
Completed	2
Lost	1
Scrapped	1
General characteristics
Type	Gunboat
Displacement	1,575long tons (1,600 t)
Length	241 ft 2 in (73.51 m)
Beam	41 ft 3 in (12.57 m)
Draft	11 ft 4 in (3.45 m)
Propulsion	3 ×Thornycroft Bureau Modifiedsteam boilers
Speed	12knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement	159
Armament	3 ×4 in (102 mm)/50 caliber guns 2 ×3-pounder guns 2 × 1-pounder 37 mm (1.46 in) guns 4 × .30 Lewis MG

TheAsheville-class gunboat was a class of two gunboats, theAsheville andTulsa,^[1][2] which was based on theUSS Sacramento, an earlier gunboat.^[3] Laid down between 1917 and 1919, construction was completed in the early 1920s after which both ships were employed to project US naval power across several different theaters, including Central America and the Pacific, during the interwar years.Tulsa principally served in Asia, assigned variously with theSouth China Patrol,Yangtze Patrol, and theInshore Patrol;Asheville mostly stayed in Central America, but did spend a few years on the South China Patrol alongsideTulsa. When war broke out with Japan in the Pacific, both ships were used to escortconvoys.Asheville was lost during the war, butTulsa survived to be broken up in the late 1940s. The class was awarded a total of threebattle stars, one forAsheville and two forTulsa.^[1][2]

The class' design was derived fromSacramento;^[3] which had been ordered in 1911 under the 1912 fiscal year. The US Navy was displeased withSacramento, since budgetary limitations had produced a weakly armed vessel, carrying only three 4-inch (100 mm) guns compared to the ten 5 in (130 mm) guns of theDenver-class cruisers that had preceded her. In 1913, the General Board began preparing design requirements for the next gunboat, scheduled for the 1914 fiscal year; the board planned a vessel that had half the endurance ofSacramento—2,000nautical miles (3,700 km; 2,300 mi) instead of 4,000 nmi (7,400 km; 4,600 mi)—a reduction that would afford the weight of a fourth gun. By April 1913, funding could not be secured for a gunboat in 1914, so the board requested it be built the following year, but now asked for an armament of six 5 in (130 mm) guns. TheBureau of Ordnance informed the General Board that the standard gun of that caliber, the5"/51 caliber gun, was far too heavy, being two and a half times as heavy as the 4 in gun used aboardSacramento. The board then requested the older and lighter5"/40 caliber gun, but then agreed to the 4 in gun. Nevertheless, no gunboat was ordered for 1915.^[4]

In May 1914, the General Board reissued the previous year's request, albeit for a vessel armed with six 4 in guns, hoping to secure funding to build four vessels. Tensions inCentral America increased the need for gunboats, which the Navy lacked in sufficient numbers. In October 1915, the design was finalized for what would be the gunboat of 1917; suggestions were solicited fromSacramento's commander now that he had experience with the vessel in service. He suggested that the new gunboat be lengthened by 15 feet (4.6 m), which would provide room for two additional boilers. He also requested an increase in displacement of 75 long tons (76 t) to accommodate a fourth gun. Operational experience during theMexican Revolution demonstrated thatSacramento's 2 kW radio was too weak. Their endurance was to be doubled, so that they could steam for 8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 10knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). The General Board accepted these recommendations, with the exception of the fourth gun. TheBureau of Steam Engineering argued that four boilers would take up too much room, but three boilers that were slightly larger than those used inSacramento would be possible. The first vessel,Asheville was authorized under the 1917 program, and a second,Tulsa, followed in 1918.^[4]

With the first vessel approved, the General Board attempted to secure two, or possibly three of the 5"/51-cal. guns in November, but theBureau of Construction and Repair informed the board that only two guns would fit in the existinghull design. A third gun placed aft would be too close to therudder, and the hull could not support the recoil from the gun. A substitution of the larger guns would also necessitate a reduction in the ammunition allotment, from 350 rounds per gun to 250. Ultimately, theAshville class emerged as incremental improvements overSacramento.^[4]

TheAshevilles were 225 feet (69 m)long at the waterline and 241 feet 2 inches (73.51 m)long overall. They had abeam of 41 feet 3 inches (12.57 m) and adraft of 11 feet 4 inches (3.45 m) at adisplacement of 1,575 long tons (1,600 t) normally; their full load displacement increased to 1,760 long tons (1,790 t). The vessels had aflush deck and they were fitted with twomasts. Each vessel had a crew of 159 officers and enlisted men.^[5]

Each vessel was powered by oneParsonsgeared turbine driving a singlescrew propeller. Steam for the turbine was provided by three coal-firedThornycroft Bureau Modified boilers, which were vented into a singlefunnel locatedamidships. The ships' propulsion system was rated at 850shaft horsepower (630 kW) and provided a top speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph). The ships had a cruising radius of 2,000 nautical miles (3,700 km; 2,300 mi).^[5]Tulsa was one of the last US Navy ships to be given auxiliary sails to supplement her steam engines.^[6] In 1922,Asheville was converted to burnfuel oil in her boilers.^[3]

They were armed with three 4-inch (100 mm) 50-caliber guns in single mounts, one on thebow and two at thestern on the centerline. They also carried a battery of lighter weapons, including two 3-pounder 47 mm (1.9 in) guns, two 1-pounder (37 mm (1.46 in) guns and four.30 Lewis MGs.^[2]Tulsa later had adepth charge rack installed, giving her some manner ofanti-submarine capacity.^[6]

The two gunboats were built in the Charleston Navy Yard inNorth Charleston,South Carolina.Tulsa was sponsored by Dorothy V. McBirney, the daughter of a prosperousTulsa banker, andAsheville was sponsored by Alyne J. Reynolds, the daughter of a wealthyAsheville doctor.^[1][2]

Tulsa spent her first five years in Central American watersshowing the flag, projecting America's naval power among the Central American states. She was later involved in the civil strife inNicaragua in the late 1920s during whichbluejackets andmarines fromTulsa helped maintain order ashore.Tulsa was involved in operations in Nicaragua from August 1926 to December 1928.^[1] On 1 April 1929,Tulsa was assigned as theflagship of theSouth China Patrol, which was based in Canton andHong Kong, and patrolled thePearl River andSouth China Sea. In June 1929, she was reassigned to a two-week deployment with theYangtze Patrol. The following month she was reassigned toTianjin, to gather intelligence, and reported it back to theAsiatic Fleet. In May 1941, she was reassigned to thePhilippines, and joined theInshore Patrol, which guarded the littoral zone ofManila Bay.^[6]

Asheville spent some time "showing the flag" in Central America and then transferred to the Middle East, forming part of the Asiatic Fleet in 1922. She also later served in the South China Patrol, but returned to Central America in 1929.^[2]

Tulsa served in thePacific during World War II. The majority of her service was in escortingconvoys, but she was also deployed in support of landings aroundHollandia and theWakde in New Guinea. She was attacked on 20 January 1943 by six Japanese bombers. In the short, sharp action which followed, the ship's crew utilizedTulsa's 3 in (76 mm) main gun and 20 mm (0.79 in) antiaircraft battery to drive off the attackers with no damage to their ship, while dodging 12 bombs.^[1] She was decommissioned on 6 March 1946, and then struck from the navy list on 17 April. In October 1946, she was turned over to theWar Shipping Administration to be broken up.^[6] Her 300 lb (136.08 kg) bell was placed in the Naval and Marine Corps Training Center in Tulsa, and fell from its mooring in 1953. This incident led to research on the safety of such heavy bells being used.^[7]

Asheville also served in the Pacific during the war, seeing action during theDutch East Indies campaign in the early stages of the war with Japan. On 1 March 1942,Tulsa,Lark,Isabel, andAsheville sailed out ofTjilatjap, and made for Australia.Asheville had engine difficulties during the voyage, which resulted in her being cornered and sunk byArashi,Nowaki, andMaya on 3 March 1942, south of the island ofJava, in what wasNetherlands East Indies.^[2][6] Only one crewmember survived.^[2]

• Gunboats of the United States Navy
• Asheville-class gunboats (1917)
• Gunboat classes

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