Skip to main content
Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

Log of Battleship U. S. S. New York

[Extract]

Feb. 16th [1918]           UNITED STATES SHIP  New York.

REMARKS

Commences and until 4:00 a.m.:- At 2:20 H.M.S. CAMPANIA1 got underway and stood out. Made preparations for getting underway. At 3:18 6th B.S. got underway and stood out. Draft of ship on getting underway:- For’d 28'- 9¼"; Aft. 30'- ¾". Steamed on various courses to conform with channel, speed 12 kts. Av. St. 265 Av. Revs. 39.2

M Griffin3        

Lieutenant U.S. Navy.

4:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.:- Steaming on various courses in column, natural order, astern of QUEEN ELIZABETH,4 standing out of harbor, standard speed 12 kts. At 4:00 closed water-tight doors. At 4:20 went to General Quarters and set watch, BJ-2. At 4:32 Changed speed to 10 kts. At 4:52 changed speed to 14 kts. At 5:55 steadied on course 90° (pgc).5 At 6:30 set watch, BJ-1. At 7:28 Morgenstern, C.O. (Cox) was washed overboard while working on the forecastle. Being contrary to regulations to sheer out of formation, signal was immediately made to screening destroyers to attempt to pick him up.6 Av. St. 250 Av. Revs. 76.75.

CBC Carey7        

Lieutenant U.S. Navy.

. . . 8:00 p.m. to Midnight:-  Steaming as before following in column astern of QUEEN ELIZABETH on course 246 (pgc) standard speed 12 kts. At 9:14 sighted Copensay Light8 2 pts on stbd. Bow. At 9:22 increased standard speed to 14 kts. On signal. At 9:30 increased standard speed to 16 kts. At 9:47 Copensay Light broad on stbd. Bow bearing 291 (pgc). At 10:47 c.c.9 to 268 (pgc) and headed for skerries. At 11:40 opened to double distance. At 11:50 entered Pentland Skerries.10 Av. St. 252. Av. Revs. 88.25.

R Wilson11        

Lieutenant, U.S. Navy.

Source Note: D, DNA, RG 24, Entry 118-G-N. New York was the flagship of Battleship Division Nine, which was composed of four U.S. Navy battleships that had been assigned to serve with the Royal Navy’s High Seas Fleet then based at Scapa Flow, Orkney Islands. Battleship division Nine was commanded by RAdm. Hugh Rodman; New York was commanded by Capt. Charles F. Hughes.

Footnote 1: H.M.S. Campania was a Royal Navy aircraft carrier, carrying seaplanes.

Footnote 2: “Av. St.” is average steam pressure; “Av. Revs.” is average revolutions per minute.

Footnote 3: Lt. Martin Griffin.

Footnote 4: H.M.S. Queen Elizabeth, the lead ship in a class of dreadnoughts built for the Royal Navy in the 1910s.

Footnote 5: That is, per gyrocompass.

Footnote 6: Coxswain C. O. Morgenstern was not rescued and on 18 February an inquiry was held into his death. Ibid.

Footnote 7: Lt. Charles B.C. Carey.

Footnote 8: Copinsay Lighthouse is located on an island to the east of the mainland of Orkney Island.

Footnote 9: That is, course correction.

Footnote 10: The Pentland Skerries are four uninhabited islands just south of Scapa Flow.

Footnote 11: Lt. Roy J. Wilson.

Related Content