Note
1. At that moment was the Spanish-American War of 25 April-12 August 1898 lost by Spain going on. The Spanish navy suffered heavy losses and the Spanish colonies Puerto Rico, Guam and Philippines were handed over to the United States which latter country also temporarily controlled Cuba. She was named after master commandant Richard Somers. She was laid down at the yard of Friedrich Schichau at Elbing, Germany in 1897 with building No. 450, purchased by the American government on 25 March 1898, commissioned 28 March 1898, renamed as Coast Torpedo Boat No. 9 on 1 August 1918, decommissioned on 22 March 1919 and stricken on 7 October of the same year and finally sold to the U.S. Rail and salvage Corporation at Newburgh, New York to be broken up. With a displacement of 143 tons were her dimensions 156 x 17’6”x 5’10” ore 48 x 5,33 x 1,78 metres. Her one shaft vertical quadruple expansion engine and the one Loco boiler supplied 1,700 ihp allowing a speed of 23 knots. Her crew numbered 24 men. The armament consisted of 4-1pdr guns and 3-45,7cm torpedo tubes. The British contracted crew refused to set sail with her to the United States thinking she was not seaworthy and when a second attempt to depart also didn’t succeed she was laid up at Falmouth, England until the end of the war.
Photo dated 1 February 1900, NHC no. 63737. Source http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/tb/050322.htm
Sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Somers_(TB-22)
http://www.warboats.org/EarlyPatrolBoats.htm
http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/tb/050322.htm The explanation given in this webpage dealing with her crew is somewhat else as what the Dutch newspaper suggested.
