World War I Chronology-- July 1918: USS San Diego Hits Mine and Sinks

JULY 19

The armored cruiser USS San Diego hits a mine and sinks off Fire Island, New York, with the loss of six lives.

The USS San Diego was originally the USS California (ACR-6) and later renamed USS San Diego to free up the name California for a new battleship.  Commissioned 1 August 1904.  503 feet 11 inches length, beam 69 feet 6 inches.  Main armament four 8-inch rifles, fourteen 6-inch rifles.

Was renamed USS San Diego on 1 September 1914 in order to free up the name for the battleship USS California (BB-44) which was later at Pearl Harbor when it was attacked in 1941.

Served in the Pacific fleet until a boiler explosion in January 1915 put her at Mare Island.  Ensign Robert Cary and Fireman Second Class Telesforo Trinidad received Medals of Honor for the event.  Afterwardsshe was a popular attraction at the Panama-California Exposition in San Diego, Ca. 1 January 1915 to Jan. 1, 1917.

She was put into reserve status shortly thereafter until the beginning of World War I.

--Cooter