Bering Sea Squadron

{{Infobox military unit |unit_name= Bering Sea Squadron | image= USS Mohican Mare island.jpg | image_size = 300 |caption=''USS Mohican was the flagship of the Bering Sea Squadron.'' |dates=1891 |country={{flag|United States}}<br>{{flag|United Kingdom}} |allegiance= |branch= [[File:United States Department of the Navy Seal.svg|23px]] [[United States Navy]]<br>{{flagicon|United Kingdom|naval}} [[Royal Navy]] |type= [[Squadron (naval)|naval squadron]] |role= |size= |command_structure= |garrison= |garrison_label= |nickname= |patron= |motto= |colors= |colors_label= |march= |mascot= |equipment= |equipment_label= |battles= |anniversaries= |decorations= |battle_honours= |disbanded= |commander1= |commander1_label= |commander2= |commander2_label= |commander3= |commander3_label= |commander4= |commander4_label= |identification_symbol= |identification_symbol_label= |identification_symbol_2= |identification_symbol_2_label= |identification_symbol_3= |identification_symbol_3_label= |identification_symbol_4= |identification_symbol_4_label= }}

The '''Bering Sea Squadron''' was a combined [[United States|American]] and [[United Kingdom|British]] naval station formed and disbanded in 1891 to suppress [[Pinniped|seal]] [[poaching]] in the [[Bering Sea]]. Eleven vessels were assigned to the squadron including eight [[United States Navy]] and [[United States Revenue Cutter Service|Revenue Cutter Service]] ships plus three from the [[Royal Navy]].<ref>Harry Allanson Ellsworth, pg. 14-15</ref>

==Anti-Poaching Operations== {{Main|Bering Sea Anti-Poaching Operations}} The United States and United Kingdom government banned [[seal hunting|sealing]] in the Bering Sea in 1891 due to the near extinction of the animals so that year [[Commander]] [[Charles S. Cotton]] of the American navy was ordered to lead a force of two [[sloop-of-war|sloops]], [[USS Mohican (1883)|USS ''Mohican'']] and [[USS Marion (1839)|USS ''Marion'']], two [[Steamship|steamers]], [[USS Thetis (1881)|USS ''Thetis'']] and [[SS Al-Ki|SS ''Al-Ki'']], plus the [[gunboat]]s [[USS Alert (AS-4)|USS ''Alert'']] and [[USS Nantucket (IX-18)|USS ''Ranger'']] to [[Bering Sea Anti-Poaching Operations|operate]] against poachers. The [[revenue cutter]]s [[USRC Rush (1885)|USRC ''Rush'']] and [[USRC Thomas Corwin (1876)|USRC ''Corwin'']] were also placed under Cotton's command. British forces sent the [[cruiser]] [[HMS Porpoise (1886)|HMS ''Porpoise'']], the screw sloop [[HMS Nymphe (1888)|HMS ''Nymphe'']] and the steamer [[HMS Pheasant (1888)|HMS ''Pheasant'']]. From the beginning of the operation on June 22, 1891 to its end on October 5, American and British [[marine (military)|marine]]s boarded and expelled dozens of merchant vessels mainly around the [[Aleutian Islands]] though only four [[schooner]]s were found to be hunting seals illegally. Two of these vessels were taken over by marines and towed over 1,200 miles by the ''Al-Ki'' to [[Sitka, Alaska|Sitka]], the other two were taken into British custody and sent to [[Asia]].<ref>Harry Allanson Ellsworth, pg. 14-15</ref>

==Ships of the Squadron== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Ship || Type || Branch |- | [[USS Mohican (1883)|''Mohican'']] || [[screw sloop]]-of-war || [[United States Navy|USN]] |- | [[USS Marion (1839)|''Marion'']] || [[sloop-of-war]] || USN |- | [[USS Alert (AS-4)|''Alert'']] || [[gunboat]] || USN |- | [[USS Nantucket (IX-18)|''Ranger'']] || gunboat || USN |- | [[USS Thetis (1881)|''Thetis'']] || [[steamship|steamer]] || USN |- | [[SS Al-Ki|''Al-Ki'']] || steamer || USN |- | [[USRC Rush (1885)|''Rush'']] || [[cutter (ship)|cutter]] ||[[United States Revenue Cutter Service|USRCS]] |- | [[USRC Thomas Corwin (1876)|''Corwin'']] || cutter || USRCS |- |[[HMS Porpoise (1886)|''Porpoise'']] || [[cruiser]] || [[Royal Navy|RN]] |- | [[HMS Nymphe (1888)|''Nymphe'']] || screw sloop-of-war || RN |- | [[HMS Pheasant (1888)|''Pheasant'']] || steamer || RN |}

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DANFS}} *{{cite book|author=Harry Allanson Ellsworth|title=One Hundred Eighty Landings of the United States Marines 1800-1934|year=1974|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office|oclc=433952608}}

{{US Squadrons}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bering Sea}}

[[Category:Ship squadrons of the United States Navy]] [[Category:Military units and formations established in 1891]]