General information

The United States Fleet was formed during the country’s War of Independence, but was disbanded shortly thereafter. In the 1890s, American merchant ships were attacked many times by Moorish pirates in the Mediterranean Sea. In response, the Americans commissioned the construction of 6 powerful frigates and in 1794 they re-enacted the creation of the fleet – this time for good.

Early in the history of the US Navy, US ships took part in the campaign against the Berber pirates and the War of 1812, doing very well.

The Civil War brought a new technological quality. Ironclads were introduced into service in the fleet. Their first representative was the USS Monitor, which named the entire class of ships. At the end of the war, the US Navy was one of the most powerful navies in the world. Unfortunately, just after the Civil War, funds were drastically cut and the fleet collapsed.

Only at the turn of the 1880s and 1890s, when the Americans noticed that even some South American countries had stronger navies than the US, not to mention weaker European countries such as Spain, the so-called “New Navy” programm started. As part of it, the construction of a number of new ships was funded, with the Americans having to acquire many skills related to the design or construction of modern ships from the very beginning, hence many of their ships from the 80s and 90s were out of quality from comparable European designs. By the middle of the first decade of the 20th century, however, they more than made up for any delays and built one of the most powerful and modern navies in the world.

6th Era – predrednoughts

GMT-US-001 American starter fleet

This is the perfect set for the beginning of the adventure with the American fleet. It includes the following:
Ship models:
– Iowa battleship (BB-4),
– Texas old battleship,
– Brooklyn armored cruiser,
– Gloucester armed yacht,
– Vixen armed yacht,
– 2 Ericsson class torpedo boats (2 for one base)
Dial sets x6
Ship’s cards x6
Card sleeves x6
HDF bases for ships x6

GMT-US-002 Iowa battleship

Class: 1.
Base length: 12 cm.
Color scheme: Standard American war scheme.
Models in a set: 1.
Models on one base: 1.
Cards in a set: 1

USS Iowa (BB-4) was a pre-dreadnought battleship built for the United States Navy in the mid-1890s. The ship was a marked improvement over the previous Indiana-class battleships, correcting many of the defects in the design of those vessels. Among the most important improvements were significantly better seaworthiness owing to her greater freeboard and a more efficient arrangement of the armament.

Well-armed and armored, though smaller than the era battleships, Iowa would be a worthy adversary for them.

GMT-US-003 Indiana class battleship

Class: 1.
Base length: 12 cm.
Color scheme: Standard American war scheme.
Models in a set: 1.
Models on one base: 1.
Cards in a set: 1

The Indiana-class was a class of three pre-dreadnought battleships launched in 1893. Relatively small battleships with heavy armor and ordnance that pioneered the use of an intermediate battery.

The biggest disadvantage of the Indiana-class battleships was the low freeboard, which caused great problems in sailing in rough seas.

However, they were very heavily armed and heavily armored ships. If only sea conditions permit, they will be a deadly threat even to the newer enemy battleships.

GMT-US-004 Texas battleship

Class: 2.
Base length: 10 cm.
Color scheme: Standard American war scheme.
Models in a set: 1.
Models on one base: 1.
Cards in a set: 1

USS Texas was a pre-dreadnought battleship built by the United States in the early 1890s. The first American battleship commissioned, Texas developed a reputation as a jinxed or unlucky ship after several accidents early in her career; she consequently earned the nickname “Old Hoodoo”.

Although old, not as well armored as the newer battleships, and far less armed, Texas will be a suitable and formidable opponent for most enemy armored cruisers. Will your leadership finally bring her luck?

GMT-US-005 Brooklyn armored cruiser

Class: 2.
Base length: 12 cm.
Color scheme: Standard American war scheme.
Models in a set: 1.
Models on one base: 1.
Cards in a set: 1

USS Brooklyn was the third United States Navy armored cruiser, the only one to be named at commissioning for a city rather than a state.

Brooklyn was said to be an improved New York at the time of her completion. She was also designed by the Navy Department and was about 1,000 tons larger, which allowed for a raised forecastle for better seakeeping.

For its size, Brooklyn is insufficiently armored, although it can develop good speed and powerful armament. It will be a good idea to keep the enemy at bay by destroying him with your artillery.

GMT-US-006 Gloucester & Vixen armed yacht

Class: 4.
Base length: 8 cm.
Color scheme: Standard American war scheme.
Models in a set: 2.
Models on one base: 1.
Cards in a set: 2

USS Gloucester was a gunboat in the United States Navy. She was built in 1891 as the yacht Corsair II for J. P. Morgan by Neafie & Levy of Philadelphia, to a design by John Beavor-Webb. The yacht was acquired by the Navy on 23 April 1898 and commissioned Gloucester on 16 May 1898

The Gloucester with its light weapons and good speed will be a very good choice for fighting enemy destroyers and torpedo boats.

USS Vixen (PY-4) was a yacht acquired by the U.S. Navy for operations in the Spanish–American War, where she served with distinction during the Battle of Santiago.

The United States Navy purchased the yacht, renamed Vixen, the erstwhile pleasure craft was armed and fitted out for naval service at the Philadelphia Navy Yard where she was commissioned on 11 April 1898.

Vixen with its light weapons and good speed will be a very good choice for fighting enemy destroyers and torpedo boats.

The set includes two models that we place individually on separate bases.

GMT-US-007 Ericsson class torpedo boat

Class: 4.
Base length: 6 cm.
Color scheme: Standard American war scheme.
Models in a set: 4.
Models on one base: 2.
Cards in a set: 2.

The first USS Ericsson was the second torpedo boat built for the United States Navy. The first,Cushing, had been built seven years earlier.

Ericsson was launched on 12 May 1894 by Iowa Iron Works, Dubuque, Iowa. It was named for John Ericsson, designer of the USS Monitor.

This small and cheap unit can pose a great threat to much more valuable enemy ships.

GMT-US-008 Cincinnati class cruiser

Class: 3.
Base length: 10 cm.
Color scheme: Standard American war scheme.
Models in a set: 1.
Models on one base: 1.
Cards in a set: 1.

The Cincinnati-class protected cruisers were built for the United States Navy in the early 1890s. They were smaller and more lightly armed and protected than most previous US cruisers, and were intended for commerce raiding.

These third-class cruisers will be very good against smaller enemy ships, such as torpedo boats or destroyers. Thanks to their torpedo armament, they can count on luck against larger cruisers, but their low durability and weak armor mean that they should stay away from large ships.

GMT-US-009 Boston class cruiser

Class: 3.
Base length: 10 cm.
Color scheme: Standard American war scheme.
Models in a set: 1.
Models on one base: 1.
Cards in a set: 1.

USS Boston, together with the sister ship USS Atlanta, were the first ships of the so-called “new navy”, a program thanks to which the US Navy was to be equipped with a whole series of modern ships, which in turn were to replace obsolete ships that still remember the Civil War. Built in the mid-1980s, Boston and Atlanta displaced just over 3,000 tons and were armed with two 203mm (8 inch) guns, six 152mm (6 inch) guns and several smaller ones. Their maximum speed – 16 knots, however, was not very impressive, even for the time in which they were built.

Strong armament will allow them to fight many lighter ships (they are Tier 3 ships), providing good cover for heavier ships.