USS New York BB 34
The USS New York BB 34 was a New York-class battleship that was launched on October 30th, 1912 from Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York and was commissioned on April 15th, 1914 with the command resting in the hands of Captain Thomas S. Rogers. Soon after being commissioned, the New York became the flagship for Rear Admiral Frank F. Fletcher, commanding the fleet occupying and blockading Veracruz until resolution of the crisis with Mexico in July of 1914 which arrived shortly after the city was secured by U. S. ground forces.
The USS New York then headed north for fleet operations along the Atlantic coast as war broke out in Europe. During World War I, and under the command of Captain Edward L. Beach, Sr., the New York sailed as flagship with Battleship Division 9 commanded by Rear Admiral Hugh Rodman to strengthen the British Grand Fleet in the North Sea, arriving Scapa Flow on December 17th, 1917. While during her World War I service, the New York was visited by royal and other high-ranking representatives of the Allies. She was also present for one of the most dramatic moments of the war, the surrender of the German Fleet in the Firth of Forth on November 21st, 1918.
When World War II began the New York was sent to guard convoys in the Atlantic from Iceland to Scotland where they encountered numerous German U-Boats. However, they were able to escort all their convoys securely without any problems. The New York was sent to assist in the invasion of Northern Africa and upon success of her missions there in the Atlantic, was repaired and sent to the Pacific war zone where she then participated in the assault on Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
After the war she participated in the Operation Crossroads and was placed as a target for the Bikini Atoll atomic bomb tests. After surviving two atomic explosions, the USS New York BB 34 was taken in and decommissioned on August 29th, 1946. She received three battle stars for her service in World War II. After the atomic tests, she was brought to Pearl Harbor and studied for 2 years before becoming the target of full-scale maneuvers and weapons training exercises and was eventually sunk after 8 hours of being pounded by fire on July 8th, 1948.
The USS New York BB 34 and her crew had suffered many threats during their service, but the dangers from bad weather and attacks from enemy ships weren’t the only perils present and with them. Asbestos was commonly used in the construction of ships and submarines during this time period and crewmembers were at great risk of inhaling these deadly airborne asbestos fibers. The insulation of a ship is where asbestos was mainly utilized, specifically the insulation built with piping. Any members of the crew of the USS New York BB 34 concerned about being exposed to asbestos material should monitor their respiratory health carefully. Mesothelioma cancer and asbestos exposure have been directly linked, and any veteran who has been diagnosed with this disease should speak with their doctor regarding the best course of mesothelioma treatment.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
