Dewey's flagship Olympia had been designed with commerce-raiding qualities but became the centerpiece of a squadron built almost entirely from cruisers and gunboats. Her four eight-inch guns, ten five-inch guns, torpedo tubes, speed, and range made her suitable for an aggressive overseas command. Baltimore, Raleigh, and Boston added three more protected cruisers, while Concord, Petrel, and the revenue cutter McCulloch supplied lighter support. This force complicates a battleship-only reading of Mahan because the war demanded reach and adaptable cruiser operations even when public prestige favored battle fleets.
Chapter · 31:36-34:50
USS Olympia and a cruiser-centered American force
Olympia, Baltimore, Raleigh, and Boston demonstrate how protected cruisers supplied the speed, range, and firepower for America's decisive overseas campaign.