USN
Built
1891 Philidelphia, PA
Tony Basi 1967
Ship History
This ship has several names over its career: Armored Cruiser No. 2, USS
New York and USS Saratoga, before being renamed USS Rochester.
Wartime History
Officially
designated as Armored Cruiser No. 2, began her career on December 2,
1891
when she was launched from a Philadelphia shipyard as USS New York.
After
serving as Admiral Sampson's flagship during the Spanish-American
War, she steamed to Yokohama, Japan, and became the flagship of the
US Asiatic
Fleet.
WWI Service
In February,
1911 she was formally renamed USS Saratoga. During
World War I she served with the Pacific Patrol Force,
and in December, 1917 underwent yet another name change, becoming USS
Rochester.
Following service with the Atlantic Fleet and in the
Caribbean, Rochester returned to Asiatic waters in June 1932 and served
off
the Yangtze River in China. The following year she moved
to Cavite, just outside Manila, and was officially decommissioned there
on
April 29, 1933. She was then towed to Subic
Bay and moored
off the Olongapo Naval Station, where she served for the next eight
years as an auxiliary power plant and machine shop.
WWII & Japanese
Invasion
In
December, 1941, as Japanese forces approached Subic
Bay,
she moved by tug boats into the bay and scuttled to prevent capture.
Post War Demolision
In the late 1960's the wreck was partially demolished
to clear Subic Bay.
Tony Basi Adds:
"About 10 of July 1967 to about the 22 of July 1967 the
outfit I was in Harbor Clearance Unit-1 began and
finished demolition on the USS New York or Rochester as she was called,
although
the reporter
who did the story said the heavy cruiser was blown up, I do not
recall him being aboard when we were making the charge and the divers
were planting the charges on the wreak. I was able to get
two shots off of the waterspout. I was not a diver I was one of
the crew on the YLLC-2 and packed the hose charges that were used. She
was too big and too tough to blow completely up, the bow was pointed
upwards and had to be pushed down to make room for a POL Buoy"
Rediscovery
The Rochester rested forgotten for more than 30 years, until
rediscovered by divers in the early 1970s. Dale Sanders, made numerous
dives on the
hull between 1973 and 1978. The Rochester rests on her side, her 384'
hull half buried in the sand.
"Much of the superstructure is lying apart from the hull, and said that her smokestacks are also visible. Her guns, however, are gone, although some have been spotted in the sandy bottom close to the hull. During their years of exploring the Rochester, Sanders and his fellow divers were able to recover a number of items from the ship - brass portholes and fittings, porcelain coffee cups, and miscellaneous smaller items. Many of these items were on display at the Subic Bay Yacht Club."
Shipwreck
Although
US Navy officials placed the Rochester off limits to
divers, that prohibition ended in the fall of 1992 when the
Navy
vacated Subic Bay and returned the base to the Philippines.
The ship lies on her side in 15 fathoms of water.
27m
