NAMESAKES

Through American history, there have been several warships named USS New York, and each one played a part in establishing America's legacy of defending freedom.

• Battleship (BB 34) — In 1911, a battleship took the name "New York."
  
  Following flagship duty in WWI, it was transferred to the Pacific, then back
  
  to the Atlantic in 1935. The ship's crew supported the invasion of North
  
  Africa in 1942, returned to the Pacific for the bombardment of Iwo Jima,
  
  and was used in atomic tests after WWII. The ship was eventually
  
  decommissioned in 1946, earning one battle star each for Iwo Jima,
  
  Okinawa and North Africa.

• Armored Cruiser (CA2) — Commissioned in 1893, it served as flagship of
  
  the U.S. South Atlantic squadron at the outbreak of the Spanish-American
  
  War. The ship served as flagship of the Asiatic Fleet in the early 1900s,
  
  assisting in the destruction of the Spanish Fleet, before being named
  
  Saratoga. The ship played important roles in World Wars I and II and
  
  participated in atomic tests in 1946. The ship was decommissioned later
  
  that year.

• Screw Sloop — This steam-powered single-master started out as the
  
  Ontario in 1863, and was renamed New York in 1869 and was sold in 1888
  
  after never leaving port. The ship never served in war.

• Ship-of-the-Line — One of nine such vessels ordered by Congress after the
  
  War of 1812, this 74-gun New York was completed in 1825 but never saw
  
  active duty. Near the start of the Civil War, Union forces destroyed the ship
  
  rather than let it fall into the hands of Confederate Troops approaching from
  
  Virginia.

• Frigate — This 36-gun vessel was commissioned in October 1800 and was
  
  commanded by Capt. Richard V. Morris. Along with five other frigates, the
  
  ship protected merchantmen en route to the Caribbean during a period of
  
  military tension with France in 1800-1801. The ship saw action between
  
  1802-1803, only to be burned in harbor by the British at the culmination of
  
  the War of 1812.

• Gondola — Commissioned by Gen. Benedict Arnold in 1776, the first New
  
  York was a gondola featuring one 12 and two 9-pounder cannons along with
  
  eight swivel guns. The ship participated in the Battle of Valcour Island (
  
  Lake Champlain) on October 1776 but was burned two days later to
  
  avoid capture by the British.