# USS General Alava

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Cargo ship of the United States Navy

History Name General Alava Namesake Miguel Ricardo de Álava Owner 1895: Spanish Government 1900: US Department of War Operator 1900: United States Navy Builder A McMillan & Son, Dumbarton Yard number 334 Launched 8 May 1895 Commissioned by US Navy, 9 March 1900 Decommissioned 28 June 1929 Identification from 1920: US Navy pennant number AG-5 Captured by US forces, 21 February 1900 Fate Sunk as a target ship, 17 July 1929 General characteristics Type cargo ship Tonnage as built: 794 GRT, 476 NRT Length 212.0 ft (64.6 m) Beam 30.0 ft (9.1 m) Draft 13 ft (4.0 m) Depth 17.8 ft (5.4 m) Installed power 118 NHP Propulsion triple-expansion engine Speed 10+1⁄2 kn (19.4 km/h) Complement in US Navy service: 76 Armament in US Navy service: 1 × 6-pounder gun 2 × 3-pounder guns

**USS *General Alava* (AG-5)** was a [cargo](/source/Cargo_ship) [steamship](/source/Steamship) that was built in [Scotland](/source/Scotland) in 1895 and sunk in the [Pacific Ocean](/source/Pacific_Ocean) in 1929. She was built for the [Spanish Government](/source/Restoration_(Spain)); however, in 1900 United States forces captured her in the [Spanish–American War](/source/Spanish%E2%80%93American_War). She spent most of her career in the [United States Navy](/source/United_States_Navy).

## Building

Archibald McMillan & Son built *General Alava* at [Dumbarton](/source/Dumbarton), Scotland, launching her on 8 May 1895.[1] She was named after [Miguel Ricardo de Álava](/source/Miguel_Ricardo_de_%C3%81lava), who had been a [brigadier general](/source/Brigadier_general) in the [Spanish Army](/source/Spanish_Army) in the [Napoleonic Wars](/source/Napoleonic_Wars) and in 1835 briefly served as [Prime Minister of Spain](/source/Prime_Minister_of_Spain).

The ship's registered length was 212.0 ft (64.6 m), her beam was 30.0 ft (9.1 m) and her depth was 17.8 ft (5.4 m). Her [tonnages](/source/Tonnage) were 794 [GRT](/source/Gross_register_tonnage) and 476 [NRT](/source/Net_register_tonnage).[2] She had a single [screw](/source/Propeller), driven by a three-cylinder [triple-expansion engine](/source/Marine_steam_engine#Triple_or_multiple_expansion) built by David Rowan & Son of [Glasgow](/source/Glasgow). It was rated at 118 [NHP](/source/Horsepower#Nominal_horsepower) and gave her a speed of 10+1⁄2 [kn](/source/Knot_(unit)) (19.4 km/h).[1]

## Capture and initial US service

US forces captured *General Alava* in the Spanish–American War. She was transferred from the [War Department](/source/United_States_Department_of_War) to the Navy on 21 February 1900, and commissioned at [Cavite](/source/Cavite), [Philippines](/source/History_of_the_Philippines_(1898%E2%80%931946)) on 9 March 1900. In US Navy service her tonnage was revised to 1,390 [GRT](/source/Gross_register_tonnage).[1]

She served in the Philippines as a transport ship and [lighthouse tender](/source/Lighthouse_tender). She carried [US Marines](/source/United_States_Marine_Corps) between various garrisons in the Philippines, making a voyage to [Guam](/source/Guam) in November 1900 to return survivors of *Yosemite* — lost at sea in a [typhoon](/source/Typhoon) — to Cavite. After a tour of the [Archipelago](/source/Archipelago) with the [Army Board](/source/Army_Board) for selection of a [leper colony](/source/Leper_colony) site, she carried a [Naval Observatory](/source/United_States_Naval_Observatory) party to [Pendang](/source/Pendang), [Sumatra](/source/Sumatra), to observe a partial eclipse of the Sun on 16 May 1901. From 3 to 26 September 1901 she cruised with [Rear Admiral](/source/Rear_admiral_(United_States)) C.C. Remey on inspection of the southern islands. She carried Governor [William Howard Taft](/source/William_Howard_Taft) from [Manila](/source/Manila) to [Singapore](/source/Singapore) and back from 5 to 22 August 1902. She again sailed from Manila on 29 October, transporting a Forestry Commission to the southern islands, Northern [Luzon](/source/Luzon), [Formosa](/source/Taiwan) and [Nagasaki](/source/Nagasaki), Japan. She returned to [Subic Bay](/source/Subic_Bay) on 30 December and was decommissioned at Cavite on 24 January 1903.

## Recommissioning

*General Alava* was recommissioned on 11 June 1904 for transport service between the islands until May 1905, when she left for the coast of [China](/source/China). She returned to Cavite from [Shanghai](/source/Shanghai) on 21 November and decommissioned on 26 February 1906.

*General Alava* recommissioned on 18 December. She was mainly used to carry passengers between Cavite and [Olongapo](/source/Olongapo) until February 1925. This service was interrupted from May to November 1919 by a cruise to [Batavia](/source/Batavia%2C_Dutch_East_Indies), [Saigon](/source/Saigon), and [Celebes](/source/Sulawesi) to show the flag. With the assignment of hull classification and numbers to ships in 1920, she was designated a [miscellaneous auxiliary](/source/United_States_Navy_Designations_(Temporary)) "(AG-5)". The transport departed Manila on 18 February 1925 once again to show the flag at Batavia and Saigon and to proceed via [Hong Kong](/source/British_Hong_Kong) to Shanghai, arriving on 24 April.

## China service

For the next two years, *General Alava* carried passengers between Chinese ports, twice returning to the Philippines for brief visits. In several inspection cruises from Shanghai, she carried the [US Asiatic Fleet](/source/United_States_Asiatic_Fleet) Commander to such ports as [Dalian](/source/Dalian), [Yantai](/source/Yantai), [Qingdao](/source/Qingdao), [Tianjin](/source/Tianjin), and [Qinhuangdao](/source/Qinhuangdao). On 24 August 1927, she became receiving ship at Shanghai for transient officers of the [Yangtze Patrol](/source/Yangtze_Patrol) and from time to time made inspection trips along the river.

## Decommissioning

*General Alava* returned from her last cruise on the river to [Nanjing](/source/Nanjing) on 3 June 1929 and decommissioned at Shanghai on 28 June. She was used as a target during gunnery practice off the Asiatic coast and sunk on 17 July 1929.[1]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-SBS_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-SBS_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-SBS_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-SBS_1-3) ["General Alava"](https://www.clydeships.co.uk/view.php?&ref=13950). *Scottish Built Ships*. Caledonian Maritime Research Trust. Retrieved 12 September 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [*Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping*](https://archive.org/details/HECROS1899ST/page/n397/mode/1up). Vol. I–Steamers. London: [Lloyd's Register](/source/Lloyd's_Register) of Shipping. 1898. GEN. Retrieved 12 September 2022 – via [Internet Archive](/source/Internet_Archive).

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

## External links

- [Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships](https://archive.today/20011005083318/http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/#Anchor-Editoria-14954)

- [Photo gallery](http://www.navsource.net/archives/09/49/49005.htm) of USS *General Alava* at NavSource Naval History

v t e Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1929 Shipwrecks 2 Jan: Malakoff 16 Jan: Hsin Wah 12 Feb: Alloway 19 Feb: Kanowna 22 Mar: I'm Alone 25 Mar: Muggia 29 Mar: Selje 26 May: Aleutian 9 Jul: HMS H47 17 Jul: USS General Alava 1 Aug: Asakaze 30 Aug: San Juan 7 Sep: Kuru 9 Sep: Andaste 11 Sep: Acielle 2 Oct: Commandant Bultinck 22 Oct: Milwaukee 29 Oct: Wisconsin 31 Oct: Senator 4 Nov: Gilbert San 29 Nov: Norwich City 7 Dec: Ägir 18 Dec: Fort Victoria Unknown date: San Antonio Other incidents 5 Jan: Siboney 20 Jan: President Garfield 29 Jan: City of Cairo 28 Feb: Liberty Glo 7 Mar: Thétis 10 Mar: Pengreep 22 Mar: USCGC Dexter 25 Mar: Germaine L D 26 Mar: Europa 28 Mar: Libia 30 Mar: Naïade 6 Apr USS Childs 7 Apr Paris 18 Apr Paris 27 Apr: Duchess of Richmond April (unknown date) Franconia 15 May: Irwell May (unknown date): Duke of Lancaster, Duke of Rothesay 9 Jul: HMS L12 11 Jul: I-55, Kinugasa 3 Aug: Medway Queen 9 Aug: Viceroy of India 20 Aug Paris September (unknown date): Binnendijk, Eider 5 Oct: NRP Adamastor 12 Oct: USFS Widgeon 13 Oct: Empress of Canada 19 Oct: Bowes Castle 20 Oct: USAT Liberty 6 Nov: Barbana G 13 Nov: Ro-63 22 Nov: Parizhskaya Kommuna 7 Dec: Aba 18 Dec: Algonquin 24 Dec: Roosevelt 1928 1930

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [USS General Alava](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_General_Alava) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_General_Alava?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.