New York Class Battleship

New York Class Battleship

The New York class battleship was the fifth series of two dreadnought battleships of the United States Navy. They served during World War I and World War II. The class represented the first use of the 14" naval gun by the U.S. Navy. The ships were designed in 1910, keels laid down in 1911, and launched in 1912.

During World War I, both New York-class battleships saw service in the Atlantic Ocean escorting Allied convoys. In the interwar period, both underwent overhauls which improved their anti-aircraft batteries, and they were active in the Pacific Ocean training naval personnel. During World War II both ships served in the Atlantic and Pacific, escorting Allied convoys to Europe, bombarding beachheads ahead of Allied amphibious assaults, and providing naval artillery support for US Army and Marine Corps personnel involved in ground operations. Decommissioned after World War II, the two ships of the class met different fates: New York was used as a target for atomic testing during Operation Crossroads and was ultimately sunk as a target, while Texas was donated to her namesake state for use as a museum ship.