USN v USS New York divers

[RikRaeder]

I recently saw a post mentioning that the US Navy was denying divers in Subic Bay, Philippines from diving the USS New York. While I was there, we were prohibited from that wreck for a couple of days while a USN ship was around. Does anyone know why? Is this a common practice; for the Navy to disallow people from diving it's wrecks?

 

[PerroneFord]

Was there ordinance found on the boat? Human remains? Something else sensitive?

 

[RikRaeder]

The ship was scuttled prior to Japanese occcupation to deny it to the enemy. As far as I know, no one was killed during the scuttle and I'd assume that it was pretty well stripped (except for the 8in guns). I don't think that the WWI technology is an issue, although if the aliens arrived BEFORE Roswell...
Seriously, no bodies, munitions, or technology that I know of. There are other USN wrecks in Subic that they don't seem to mind people diving, but those are all smaller. There are some old IJN wrecks (probable war graves) big enough to get you into trouble, but as far as I know USN doesn't mind you diving those.
<---That's me at the helm of a Japanese Patrol Boat (no known casualties). I seem to have taken a wrong turn

 

[Tom Winters]

Especially overseas, the Navy doesn't want non-Navy divers remotely near anything afloat.

 

[Gilldiver]

I think that

while a USN ship was around.[/QUOT

Is the reason. The navy gets real funny about divers in the water near any ship.

 

[pakman]

I recently saw a post mentioning that the US Navy was denying divers in Subic Bay, Philippines from diving the USS New York. While I was there, we were prohibited from that wreck for a couple of days while a USN ship was around. Does anyone know why? Is this a common practice; for the Navy to disallow people from diving it's wrecks?

Rik, this has happened to me once at Subic. It's only when the USN is in port. As the USS New York in right in the channel very close to the port, they close off diving not just to the USS NY, but to the other wrecks in the area for security reasons. You can usually still dive the other wrecks in the outer bay.

 

[octotat]

Agreed, they are just keeping divers away from the surface ship, they couldn't care less about the USS New York. Hell, the dynamited the hell out of it to clear the channel back during the base days.

I do miss diving that ship though, such rich history, it was Admiral Sampsons flag ship during the battle of Santiago de Cuba. Unfortunately, the last chance I got to dive it the vis was near zero due to heavy rains.

 

[pakman]

Octotat, you'd probably groan at the state the old USS NY nowadays... there has been a lot of reported illegal salvaging going on with panels getting ripped off... Still one of my favorite penetration dives though...