Battleships: New York Class

[Pelican]

Haze Grey History

USS New York (BB-34) with her sister Texas (BB-35) anchored forward of her; the training battleship Wyoming (AG-17, formerly BB-32) is the last ship in the distance. The three ships comprised the Training Detachment of the Atlantic Fleet, and are seen in Copenhagen, Denmark, between 5-9 July 1938 during the US Naval Academy’s annual Midshipmen’s cruise. Other stops were the French port of Le Havre just a week prior, and Britain’s famous base at Portsmouth after leaving Denmark. The looming threat of war would see the summer cruise stay in the western Atlantic and US Eastern Seaboard the following year, and in 1940 the destinations were primarily South and Central American.
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New York and Texas operated together during service with the Grand Fleet in WWI, and served fairly frequently together thereafter, not to mention being modernized in adjacent Norfolk dry docks. However, photos of the two together are not as plentiful as one would assume; while there are certainly images from fleet exercises showing the pair as part of a great gathering of US dreadnoughts, photos of just the two sisters are a bit tougher to come by. There were four in particular that I considered for today’s post - which, in case you didn’t notice, extends “sister week” into a new week, meaning it’s not over yet - but this was the only one of the four that showed them after their mid-1920s rebuilds, though it was also the only one to contain a third battleship. There is another, of the sisters side by side, on Navsource - but, the photo shown here, from Museum of Copenhagen, is less common, so it won the day.
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Note that the two sisters differ in three major visual ways. First is the placement of the yardarms on the forward fighting top - Texas’ is at the lowest level, while New York’s is one higher. The mainmasts are also different - New York’s lookout platform and “Movie Operating Platform” are not separated, while on Texas they are spaced apart. Texas also has an additional level, a new flag bridge, on her forward superstructure above her navigation bridge. As a bonus, by this date Texas had a distinctive “bird bath” machine gun platform atop the foremast, added in 1935.
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Caption is property of Evan Dwyer and may not be reposted without direct attribution to the page Haze Grey History or express written permission. Image is from the Museum of Copenhagen and is shared under the provisions of Fair Use.

[Brian James]

New York Class Dreadnought Battleship USS Texas..Launched 109 years ago, May 18th 1912.

[Brian James]

Lead Ship, Dreadnought Battleship USS New York pictured at Brooklyn Navy Yard.

[Brian James]

New York Class Dreadnought Battleship USS Texas pictured during sea trials, 1913.

[designeraccd]

A excellent view of the TEXAS in 1942 off the Norfolk Navy Yard! DFO

[Brian James]

New York Class Dreadnought Battleship USS Texas pictured off Norfolk Navy Yard, Virginia, March 15th 1943.

[Brian James]

New York Class Dreadnought Battleship USS Texas pictured off Hawaii, while preparing for Pacific combat operations, January 6th 1945.

[designeraccd]

A high 1942 view of NEW YORK in Halifax, plus a close '43 view of bridge area. The incomplete JEAN BART can be seen in the back ground......... DFO

[Brian James]

Lead Ship, Dreadnought Battleship USS New York pictured post refit, off Norfolk Navy Yard on February 1st 1942.

[designeraccd]

A interesting, detail laden view on NEW YORK looking aft! DFO