USS Vesuvius (1845) was a 239-ton steamer acquired by the U.S. Navy for use during the Mexican-American War which was an armed military conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 in the wake of the 1845 U.S. annexation of Texas. Vesuvius, outfitted with a heavy 10-inch mortar that was designed to attack and damage land-based fortifications, was assigned by the Navy to operations in the Mexican battle zones.