# Bering Sea Squadron

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Bering Sea Squadron USS Mohican was the flagship of the Bering Sea Squadron. Active 1891 Country United States United Kingdom Branch United States Navy Royal Navy Type naval squadron

Military unit

The **Bering Sea Squadron** was a combined [American](/source/United_States) and [British](/source/United_Kingdom) naval station formed and disbanded in 1891 to suppress [seal](/source/Pinniped) [poaching](/source/Poaching) in the [Bering Sea](/source/Bering_Sea). Eleven vessels were assigned to the squadron including eight [United States Navy](/source/United_States_Navy) and [Revenue Cutter Service](/source/United_States_Revenue_Cutter_Service) ships plus three from the [Royal Navy](/source/Royal_Navy).[1]

## Anti-Poaching Operations

Main article: [Bering Sea Anti-Poaching Operations](/source/Bering_Sea_Anti-Poaching_Operations)

The United States and United Kingdom government banned [sealing](/source/Seal_hunting) in the Bering Sea in 1891 due to the near extinction of the animals so that year [Commander](/source/Commander) [Charles S. Cotton](/source/Charles_S._Cotton) of the American navy was ordered to lead a force of two [sloops](/source/Sloop-of-war), [USS *Mohican*](/source/USS_Mohican_(1883)) and [USS *Marion*](/source/USS_Marion_(1839)), two [steamers](/source/Steamship), [USS *Thetis*](/source/USS_Thetis_(1881)) and [SS *Al-Ki*](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=SS_Al-Ki&action=edit&redlink=1), plus the [gunboats](/source/Gunboat) [USS *Alert*](/source/USS_Alert_(AS-4)) and [USS *Ranger*](/source/USS_Nantucket_(IX-18)) to [operate](/source/Bering_Sea_Anti-Poaching_Operations) against poachers. The [revenue cutters](/source/Revenue_cutter) [USRC *Rush*](/source/USRC_Rush_(1885)) and [USRC *Corwin*](/source/USRC_Thomas_Corwin_(1876)) were also placed under Cotton's command. British forces sent the [cruiser](/source/Cruiser) [HMS *Porpoise*](/source/HMS_Porpoise_(1886)), the screw sloop [HMS *Nymphe*](/source/HMS_Nymphe_(1888)) and the steamer [HMS *Pheasant*](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=HMS_Pheasant_(1888)&action=edit&redlink=1). From the beginning of the operation on June 22, 1891 to its end on October 5, American and British [marines](/source/Marine_(military)) boarded and expelled dozens of merchant vessels mainly around the [Aleutian Islands](/source/Aleutian_Islands) though only four [schooners](/source/Schooner) 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](/source/Sitka%2C_Alaska), the other two were taken into British custody and sent to [Asia](/source/Asia).[2]

## Ships of the Squadron

Ship Type Branch Mohican screw sloop-of-war USN Marion sloop-of-war USN Alert gunboat USN Ranger gunboat USN Thetis steamer USN Al-Ki steamer USN Rush cutter USRCS Corwin cutter USRCS Porpoise cruiser RN Nymphe screw sloop-of-war RN Pheasant steamer RN

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Harry Allanson Ellsworth, pg. 14-15

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Harry Allanson Ellsworth, pg. 14-15

*This article incorporates text from the [public domain](/source/Public_domain)*[Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships](/source/Dictionary_of_American_Naval_Fighting_Ships)*.*

- Harry Allanson Ellsworth (1974). *One Hundred Eighty Landings of the United States Marines 1800-1934*. U.S. Government Printing Office. [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [433952608](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/433952608).

v t e United States Navy squadrons 19th century Africa Squadron Brazil Squadron Chesapeake Bay Flotilla East India Squadron Home Squadron Mediterranean Squadron Mosquito Fleet New Orleans Squadron Pacific Squadron West Indies Squadron Civil War Atlantic Blockading Squadron East Gulf Blockading Squadron Mississippi River Squadron North Atlantic Blockading Squadron Potomac Flotilla South Atlantic Blockading Squadron West Gulf Blockading Squadron West India Squadron Post-Civil War Asiatic Squadron Bering Sea Squadron European Squadron Flying Squadron North Atlantic Squadron North Pacific Squadron Pacific Station South Atlantic Squadron South Pacific Squadron Special Service Squadron Squadron of Evolution

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