USS New York (hull number ACR-2/CA-2) was the second United States Navy armored cruiser so designated; the first was the ill-fated , which was soon redesignated a second-class battleship. Due to the unusually protracted construction of Maine, New York was actually the first armored cruiser to enter U.S. Navy service. The fourth Navy ship to be named in honor of the state of New York, she was later renamed Saratoga and then Rochester. With six 8-inch guns, she was the most heavily armed cruiser in the US Navy when commissioned.

She was laid down on 19 September 1890 by William Cramp & Sons, Philadelphia, launched on 2 December 1891, and sponsored by Miss Helen Clifford Page, She was designed by the Navy Department. Secondary armament was twelve /40 caliber rapid fire (RF) guns in sponsons along the sides, along with eight 6-pounder () Driggs-Schroeder RF guns, four 1-pounder () Driggs-Schroeder RF guns, and three torpedo tubes for Howell torpedoes. New York had a greater number of heavy guns than the French cruiser. The hull protection of both ships was superior to their main rival, the British , which were the largest cruisers at the time but had no side armor. The British had switched from building armored cruisers to favor very large, first class protected cruisers, and stuck with this policy until after the .

Engineering

Along with having competitive weapons and armor, New York was intended to be relatively fast at , and achieved on trials. This was achieved with four triple-expansion engines totaling , two clutched in tandem on each of two shafts. As built, eight coal-fired cylindrical boilers supplied steam to the engines. The new turrets and barbettes had improved Krupp cemented armor, with up to on the turrets and - on the barbettes. On 1 August 1893 New York was commissioned at Philadelphia, Captain John Philip in command.

USS New York (ACR-2)

thumb|left|USS New York c. 1899

thumb|left|1898 color illustration of the New York

Assigned to the South Atlantic Squadron, New York departed New York Harbor on 27 December 1893 for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Arriving at Taipu Beach in January 1894, she remained there until heading home on 23 March, via Nicaragua and the West Indies. Transferred to the North Atlantic Squadron in August, the cruiser returned to West Indian waters for winter exercises and was commended for her aid during a fire that threatened to destroy Port of Spain, Trinidad.

Returning to New York, New York joined the European Squadron in 1895, and steamed to Kiel, where she represented the United States at the opening of the Kiel Canal. Rejoining the North Atlantic Squadron, she operated off Fort Monroe, Charleston, and New York through 1897. The Battle of Santiago de Cuba on 3 July resulted in complete destruction of the Spanish fleet. In the early 1920s, she operated along the east coast.

Awards

thumb|The Sampson Medal from the USS New York

  • 106px Sampson Medal
  • 106px Spanish Campaign Medal
  • 106px Philippine Campaign Medal
  • World War Victory Medal with "ARMED GUARD" and "ESCORT" clasps
  • 106px Second Nicaraguan Campaign Medal
  • 106px Yangtze Service Medal

Dive site Rochester

Since being scuttled, Rochester has been transformed into an artificial reef and is popular with divers given its somewhat shallow depth of , ease of access, and proximity to other wrecks. There is minimal damage to the vessel when it was scuttled and the wreck is relatively intact.

From 11 July 1967 to 20 July 1967 Harbor Clearance Team Four and Yard Light Lift Craft Two attached to Harbor Clearance Unit One conducted demolition as the U.S. Navy decided to try to flatten the wreck. Large charges were used on the central hull and these resulted in extensive damage around the midsection. This lowered the wreck; enabling deep draft tankers to approach and moor to the POL buoy planned for Subic Bay (at the same time, Navy divers helped to clear more than 650 wrecks from Manila bay).

In 2001, two divers, a Hong Kong national and his American instructor, died while exploring the wreck.

References

Bibliography

  • Alden, John D. American Steel Navy: A Photographic History of the U.S. Navy from the Introduction of the Steel Hull in 1883 to the Cruise of the Great White Fleet. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1989.
  • Burr, Lawrence. US Cruisers 1883–1904: The Birth of the Steel Navy. Oxford : Osprey, 2008.
  • Davis, Charles W. "Subic Bay: Travel & Diving Guide." Manila, Philippines, Encyclea Publications, 2007.
  • Jane's Fighting Ships 1905/6. Arco Publishing Company, Inc. (reprint) 1970.
  • Munsey's Magazine Volume XXVI. October 1901, to March 1902. Page 880 (article with paragraph on the Driggs-Schroeder six pounder guns used on USS Olympia, USS Brooklyn, and USS New York)
  • Musicant, Ivan. U.S. Armored Cruisers: A Design and Operational History. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1985.
  • USS New York (CA-2) photos at Naval History & Heritage Command