USS North Carolina Armoured Cruiser ACR-12

This is about the second USS North Carolina Navy Ship. I have been collecting postcards, diaries and other items from this ship for about 3 years. I consider it the lesser known ship by the name North Carolina. Most think of the third USS North Carolina BB-55 when they hear the name USS North Carolina mentioned.

The North Carolina ACR-12 was part of the Armoured Cruiser class of ships that were built between the late 1800's through the early 1900's. US armoured cruisers were some of the first of the US "steel Navy" ships to be built. They replaced the old monitor class ships and were themselves replaced with the larger dreadnought battleships. The famed USS Maine which sparked the Spanish-American War after it sank was the first armoured cruiser.

The North Carolina ACR-12 was laid down March 21, 1905. It was launced on October 6, 1906 and was commisioned on May 7, 1908. The North Carolina ACR-12 was used to launch the first airplane by catapult while underway on November 5, 1915. It served in the World War I as an escort for transport ships in the US Navy's Cruiser and Transport Force. After the war it was used to return American soldiers back home. On June 7, 1920 it was renamed the USS Charlotte CA-12. It was decommissioned on February 18, 1921 making way from the construction of the USS North Carolina BB-52. It's name was struck from the Navy list on July 15, 1930. It was sold for scrap on September 29, 1930.