It was in the Gulf of California, in 1915, that a chain reaction of boiler explosions onboard resulted in two of San Diego‘s crew being awarded the Medal of Honor. Its final resting place, which sits more than 100 feet below the storm-churned waters south of Fire Island, has even earned a nickname as an artificial reef — the "lobster hotel.". After a refueling stop in Portsmouth, N.H., the 1,180 crewmembers of the San Diego were a few hours away from a night on the town. USS San Diego sinking off Fire Island, New York on July 19,1918. San Diego remains the only major U.S. warship sunk in World War I. On a summer morning in July 1918, the USS San Diego was steaming off the coast of Long Island, N.Y., when it was rocked by an explosion. As the armored cruiser passed eight miles south of Fire Island, a powerful explosion hit just below the midpoint of the ship. According to the Naval History and Heritage Command, German submarines frequented the waters where the USS San Diego was that fateful day — in fact, the ship's crew had been on alert for them at the time of the attack. Sonar mosaic scan, from July 2018, of the USS San Diego. Ensign Robert Webster Cary and Fireman Second Class Telesforo Trinidad are awarded Medals of Honor for their actions in getting crewmates out of danger. Crews had packed the San Diego with coal for the return trip to Europe, including 150 tons sitting on the open deck. In a case of cosmic karma, the same German submarine that placed that mine, the U-156, was itself sank by American mines in the eastern Atlantic. Captain Harley Hannibal Cristy gave the order to abandon ship after only 15 minutes and it only took less than a half hour for the 500-foot ship to capsize on its side and sink in about 100 feet of water. hide caption. U.S. Navy. Aboard the USS San Diego on the day she was sunk in 1918, there was a Japanese-American sailor by the name of Deyichi Kawasaki. Visibility was reported as being from 6–8 mi (9.7–12.9 km). The researchers made six trips to the USS San Diego wreck site from 2016 to June 2018. Nahshon said the crew of the USS San Diego did everything correctly in responding to the explosion. Some had already changed into their spiffy white liberty uniforms as the ship approached the entrance to New York Harbor. Until now, the cause of the explosion was a mystery. USS California, a 13,680-ton Pennsylvania class armored cruiser, was built at San Francisco, California. Within 30 minutes, the vessel listed and sank, forcing its crew of more than 1,000 to abandon ship. Am 1. On July 18th, 1918, an explosion shook the hull of the USS San Diego and the vessel sank 20 minutes later. Even though he was Japanese by birth Mr. Kawasaki was an American … The armored cruiser was reportedly the only major U.S. warship to be lost in World War I. That was answered by historical charts from the U.S. Navy Hydrographic Office that showed a particular German sub off Long Island in July 1918: U-156. Aside from a cruise to Hawaii and Samoa in the fall of 1909, the cruiser operated along the west coast, sharpening her readiness through training exercises and drills, until December 1911, when she sailed for Honolulu, and in March 1912 continued westward for duty on the Asiatic Station. Aber im Gegensatz zu vielen anderen Rätseln fanden die Ermittler schließlich Antworten – fast ein Jahrhundert nachdem es untergegangen war. 6), 1907-1918. Renamed San Diego in 1914. Some experts thought that a German saboteur had smuggled a bomb on board. The scientific data gleaned from the investigation backs up reports at the time that a U-boat had been patrolling the area. Others were convinced that a torpedo fired by a German U-boat was to blame, even though lookouts never saw the tell-tale bubble trail left on the water’s surface. The USS San Diego — seen here on Jan. 28, 1915, while serving as flagshi Mystery Blast Sank The USS San Diego in 1918. Early on 19 July 1918, San Diego left the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard bound for New York where she was to meet and escort a convoy bound for France. It also launched the only known attack on American soil when it fired on tugboats docked in Orleans, Massachusetts. New Report Reveals What Happened | America On Cue In July 1918, the 15,000-ton armored cruiser USS San Diego sank off Long Island, New York, losing six sailors from a crew of 1,200 after a mysterious explosion struck the vessel. Researchers with the Naval History and Heritage Command say they now believe a … The USS San Diego — seen here on Jan. 28, 1915, while serving as flagship of the Pacific Fleet — was sunk 100 years ago off the coast of Long Island, N.Y. 01. And after reading transcripts from interviews with crew members, researchers concluded that the weapon used was a naval mine from a U-boat — because no one on board the San Diego mentioned seeing a stream of bubbles, the telltale sign of an approaching torpedo. In July, the Navy commemorated the 100-year anniversary of the cruiser's sinking in a wreath-laying ceremony for the six sailors lost in the attack. In fact, the U-156 had been spotted by other ships and was one of Germany’s most successful, sinking a total of 44 Allied ships in only 13 months of sea patrols. Die USS California war ein US-amerikanischer Kreuzer der Pennsylvania-Klasse, der von 1907 bis 1918 in Dienst stand. In July 1918, the 15,000-ton armored cruiser San Diego sank off Long Island, New York, losing six sailors from a crew of 1,100. US Navy Painting by Francis Muller Steaming to New York with a belly full of coal, the armored cruiser USS San Diego (ACR-6) struck a mine deployed by a German U-boat on July 19, 1918. Her captain — Harley H. Christy— ordered a zigzag course at a speed of 15 kn (17 mph; 28 km/h). USS SAN DIEGO (AFS-6) Crew Links. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! READ MORE: First Wrecked Slave Ship Discovery Yields Brutal Details. The USS San Diego sank about 8 miles off the coast of Fire Island, New York, on July 19, 1918. USS San Diego, armoured cruiser, lost 19 July 1918 (US, click to enlarge) return to World War 1, 1914-1918 ... SAN DIEGO, 19 July 1918, North Atlantic, 10 miles SE of Fire Island, Long Island, New York (c 40-30’N, 73-00’W) - torpedoed or mined by German U.15. As NPR's Greg Myre writes: "President Woodrow Wilson won re-election in 1916 with the slogan 'He kept us out of war.' USS San Diego (ACR-6) (vor 1914: USS California (ACR-6)), ein Kreuzer der Pennsylvania-Klasse, in Dienst von 1907 bis 1918 USS San Diego (CL-53), ein Kreuzer der Atlanta-Klasse, in Dienst von 1942 bis 1946 USS San Diego (AFS-6), ein Frachtschiff der Mars-Klasse, in Dienst von 1969 bis 1997 ", Missing Nazi Submarine Found Near Denmark; Spoiler: Hitler Is Probably Not On Board, Six Miles Offshore: The Wreck Of Montebello. The damage was extensive and the ship went down within a mere 30 minutes. SS San Diego-Navy Cruiser 1918 The Armored Cruiser 6 was originally named the USS California, the ship that would later be renamed to the USS San Diego. USS San Diego (LPD-22), a San Antonio -class amphibious transport dock, is the fourth ship of the United States Navy to be named for San Diego, California. Kawasaki serving aboard the San Diego as a Cabin Steward. German submarines had mined the coast, implicating a mine. Ensign Robert Cary, on dut… “The eye-opening part to us was that there was so many openings inside the ship,” Nahshon said. On July 19, 1918, the USS San Diego had been heading towards New York and was only a few miles offshore when it was suddenly hit by a huge explosion on its port side. "However, the sea itself played a defining role in the turn of the war.". © 2020 A&E Television Networks, LLC. “We believe the U-156 [U-boat] sunk the USS San Diego and used a mine to do so,” said Alexis Catsambis, a maritime archaeologist at the U.S. Catsambis and his team said the mine explosion did little damage to the ship, but that seawater breached a series of bulkheads and caused the top-heavy ship to topple over quickly. The armored cruiser was reportedly the only major U.S. warship to be lost in World War I. The ship was returning home after escorting U.S. troop and cargo ships across the perilous North Atlantic passage to Europe, defending convoys against marauding German U-boats and transforming the course of the conflict by delivering 10,000 doughboys a day to the Allied Powers. 44 vorgesehen war. "USS San Diego" auf einer zeitgenössischen Aufnahme: Das 150 Meter lange Schiff, auf diesem Bild noch unter seinem ersten Namen "USS California" unterwegs, sank am 19. Six enlisted sailors died. Juli 1918 vor Fire Island, New York City, nach einem Minentreffer. She spent most of the years leading up to World War I as part of the West Coast Naval fleet. But now military historians and scientists have finally confirmed an initial Navy court of inquiry finding that a German-laid underwater mine sank the warship. The sinking of the USS San Diego was a mystery for 100 years. Within 30 … One of the ships that did not see the war through was the U.S.S. Naval History and Heritage Command. Die Top-Ten. Now, a team of researchers say they have determined the source of the blast: an underwater mine from a German U-boat. The first boilers exploded in fire room 2. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. On a summer morning in July 1918, the USS San Diego was steaming off the coast of Long Island, N.Y., when it was rocked by an explosion. USS San Diego. HullNumber.com's mission is to provide a means for shipmates to keep in touch with one another. Her captain — Harley H. Christy — ordered a zigzag course at a speed of 15 kn(17 mph; 28 km/h). Die Geschichte der USS San Diego, die 1918 vor der Küste New Yorks versenkt wurde, ist eines dieser Geheimnisse. 1870 in Circleville, Ohio), den Befehl erhielt, einen nach Frankreich fahrenden Konvoi zu treffen und zu begleiten. All Rights Reserved. They used a process of elimination to come to their final conclusion. Over the years, the wreck has kept intact by the ship’s iron “torpedo belt” installed along the waterline. The San Diego was sailing to New York on July 19, 1918, when an external explosion near the engine room shook the armored cruiser. Visibility was reported as being from 6–8 mi (9.7–12.9 km). Add Your Name to the AFS-6 Crew Roster . That lead them to investigate the third possibility, an attack from outside the ship. “We now know more than ever before about what likely happened during the USS San Diego’s final moments,” said Catsambis. In announcing the results of the investigation on Tuesday, Ken Nahshon of the Naval Surface Warfare Center said the research group wanted to figure out whether the ship was lost to sabotage, an accident or attack. September 1914 wurde er in San Diego umbenannt, da der Name California für den Schlachtschiffneubau Nr. Within 30 minutes, the vessel listed and sank, forcing its crew of more than 1,000 to abandon ship. Renamed USS San Diego, designated flagship of Pacific Fleet: 21 January 1915: San Diego suffers an explosion in her No. The team of investigators, which included experts from 10 federal agencies and academic institutions, used a new kind of predictive computer program developed by the Navy to simulate the flooding of the ship. "Telling an accurate history of what happened honors their memory," Catsambis said. A team of U.S. military and oceanographic experts presented the results of a two-year investigation on December 11, 2018 at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union in Washington, D.C., bringing to a close a century of debate. Teams of Navy divers added additional information about the general condition of the wreck. USS California (Armored Cruiser No. But which U-boat likely carried out the attack? 100 years ago, the armored cruiser met her fate eight miles off the coast of New York. In his report to a Board of Inquiry on the cruiser's loss, Christy stated that all lookouts, gun watches, and fire control parties were at their appointed stations and on full alert, and that all necessary orders to safegu… Der Kreuzer trug zunächst den Namen California. Die USS San Diego wurde zunächst als USS California bezeichnet. The USS San Diego has long been a source of fascination for naval historians and divers. The problem was more likely in the design of the ship’s interior coal storage compartments, which flooded quickly and were unable to contain the seawater. Advertisement . After this service representing American power and prestige in the Far East, she r… "For most Americans, World War I was a conflict fought abroad, in trench warfare, on land," said one of the researchers, Alexis Catsambis of the Naval History and Heritage Command. Water rushed into the hull. Researchers said Tuesday they found no indication that the crew's actions contributed to the disaster. 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