FIRST TOPEKA WAS COMBAT VETERAN

The first TOPEKA, a gunboat, with a hull designation of PG-35, was a combat veteran of the Spanish American War. She participated in the blockade of Cuba from 11 July to 15 August 1898. While engaged in these maneuvers, she assisted in the capture of the Spanish sloop, Domingo Aurelio at Nipe Bay, Cuba, on 17 July 1898. Four days later on 21 July she took part in the action which resulted in the capture of Port Nipe and the sinking of the Spanish cruiser, Jorge Juan.

The PG-35 was built under the name DIOGENES by G. Howaldt of Kiel, Germany, in 1881. She was purchased by tile Navy on 2 April 1898 from the Thames Iron Works of London, England. Her over-all length was 259' 4"; beam, 35'; normal displacement, 2255 tons; mean draft, 17'8"; and main battery of six 4-inch guns. Her complement in 1899 was 14 officers and 153 men.

TOPEKA was commissioned on 15 August 1900 and departed New York on 27 September on a cruise to the western Mediterranean. She returned to Hampton Roads on 4 March 1901 and underwent repairs in the Norfolk Navy Yard. On 25 May 1901 she arrived at Port Royal, South Carolina, where she first served as station ship. She subsequently became a training ship and made a cruise to the Caribbean in the late spring and summer of 1902. Returning to Norfolk, she sailed on 10 December 1902 for duty with the Caribbean Squadron, returning to Charleston, South Carolina, 1 March 1903. She was assigned duty with the Training Squadron of the North Atlantic Fleet, conducting tests of wireless telegraphy equipment with cruises along the Atlantic coast and in the Caribbean until 23 April 1905. She then joined the Second Squadron of the U. S. Atlantic Fleet for duty in Dominican waters, protecting American lives and property during a civil disturbance in the Dominican Republic. On 21 August 1905 she returned to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, being placed out of commission on 5 September 1905. Thereafter she served as a prison and station ship at the Portsmouth Navy Yard. In June 1916 she was towed to New York.

TOPEKA was commissioned on 14 July 1916 and assigned duty as receiving ship at New York until placed out of commission on 14 September 1916. She was taken in tow by tug UNCAS on 28 September and arrived at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on 30 October 1916.

With her engines removed, she was used for the training of recruits in the First Naval District. On 7 May 1918 she was ordered to be towed to the Boston Navy Yard :for installation of engines and fitting out.

TOPEKA was commissioned at Boston on 24 March 1919. She departed on 28 May to join the American Patrol Detachment at Charleston, South Carolina, 9 June 1919. The next day she sailed for Tampico, Mexico, where she commenced patrol of Mexican waters, returning to Charleston on 23 October 1919. She was placed out of commission on 21 November 1919 and put up for sale. Satisfactory bids were not received and she was again commissioned in July 1923 for use as a Naval Reserve Training Ship in the Fourth Naval District until decommissioned on 2 December 1929. Her name was stricken from the Navy list on 2 January 1930.

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