Four ships of the United States Navy have borne the name USS Vesuvius, commemorating the Italian volcano located on the eastern side of the Bay of Naples, whose most famous eruption, on 24 August 79, completely destroyed the city of Pompeii and the town of Herculaneum.

The bomb ketch USS Vesuvius operated during the first decade of the 19th century.

The bomb brig USS Vesuvius saw action during the Mexican-American War.

Tippecanoe, a Canonicus-class monitor, was renamed Vesuvius on 15 June 1869 and subsequently renamed USS Wyandotte on 10 August 1869.

The cruiser USS Vesuvius, a unique vessel armed with pneumatic guns, bombarded Cuba during the Spanish-American War.

USS Vesuvius (AE-15), an ammunition ship, saw action during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.