USS Chattanooga ( CL - 18 ) USS " Chattanooga " ( C - 16 / PG - 30 / CL - 18 ) was a protected cruiser in the United States Navy during World War I . She was the second Navy ship named for the city of Chattanooga , Tennessee . " Chattanooga " launched 7 March 1903 by Crescent Shipyard , Elizabethport , New Jersey ; sponsored by Miss L . N . Chambliss ; completed at the New York Navy Yard ; commissioned 11 October 1904 , Commander Alexander Sharp in command ; and reported to the Atlantic Fleet . " Chattanooga " ' s first cruise following shakedown was to the Caribbean , from which she returned to New York City to join the squadron which cleared for Cherbourg , France 18 June 1905 . At Cherbourg , received on board the body of John Paul Jones , which the squadron brought home to the United States Naval Academy , arriving at Annapolis 23 July . Through the remainder of the year , " Chattanooga " aided in training men of the Maine and Massachusetts Naval Militia , and cruised briefly in the Caribbean . On 28 December she cleared San Juan , Puerto Rico , for the Suez Canal and duty in the Pacific . Between 29 April 1906 , when she arrived at Cavite , P . I . , and 10 August 1910 , when she reported at Puget Sound Navy Yard for inactivation , " Chattanooga " joined the Asiatic Fleet in its winter operations in the Philippines and summer cruises to China , aiding in representing America ' s strength and interest in the Orient . " Chattanooga " was decommissioned at Puget Sound Navy Yard 17 September 1910 . " Chattanooga " was placed in reserve commission 31 August 1912 , remaining at Puget Sound , and in full commission 21 April 1914 , for duty in Mexican waters . Through 1915 and 1916 , she cruised to protect American interests from the disorder of the Mexican Revolution , and this duty continued after America ' s entrance into World War I until May 1917 . " Chattanooga " then sailed through the Panama Canal for several months of patrol duties in the Caribbean , searching for German raiders . From July 1917 , she escorted convoys from the Atlantic coast to rendezvous with other escorts in the approaches to French ports . This rugged duty across the stormy mid - Atlantic was broken only by two escort missions to Nova Scotia . " Chattanooga " took part in the Victory Fleet Review taken by the Secretary of the Navy in New York harbor 26 December 1918 . After an overhaul , the cruiser carried a party of Liberian officials to Monrovia , then turned north for Plymouth , England , which she reached 7 May . As flagship of U . S . Naval Forces , European Waters , " Chattanooga " sailed among English and French ports until June . On 29 June , she served as leading honor escort guarding President Woodrow Wilson ' s departure from France in " George Washington " , then sailed on to call at German and Belgian ports before arriving in the Mediterranean for service as flagship for U . S . Naval Forces , Turkish Waters . Cruising primarily in the Black Sea , she also served in the Adriatic in connection with the disposal of ships of the former Austro - Hungarian Navy . From January through May 1921 , she conducted regular patrols with the cruiser squadron assigned to European waters , and on 1 June , returned to the United States . She was decommissioned at Boston 19 July 1921 , and laid up at Portsmouth Navy Yard until sold 8 March 1930 .