There have been four United States Navy ships named USS Pensacola: The first was a steamer launched in 1859 and was decommissioned in 1911. The second was a German steamer seized when the United States entered World War I and used as a transport. The third was a cruiser launched in 1926 that served until the end of World War II. The fourth was a landing ship launched in 1971 and decommissioned in 1999. United States Navy ship names