When war was declared on Cuba in 1898, New York bombarded defenses at Matanzas. She joined the rest of the US fleet to hunt for the Spanish fleet and later joined in the bombardment of San Juan. New York served as flagship of Admiral Sampson’s squadron as he destroyed the Spanish fleet at the battle of Santiago. For the next few years New York operated in this area. In 1901 she was transferred to the Asiatic Fleet and operated from Yokohama to the Philippine islands. New York visited Hong Kong and other Chinese ports in 1902 before returning stateside by way of Vladivostok, Russia, and Korea before making San Francisco to honor President Roosevelt.

In 1903 she was transferred to the Pacific Squadron and operated up and down the coast of Central and South America protecting American interests. In 1905 she sailed for Boston for modernization. she rejoined the Asiatic Fleet arriving in Manila August of 1910. In February 1911 she was renamed Saratoga to allow the name New York to be assigned to the new battleship to be laid down that year.

As Saratoga, she operated in the Far East before returning stateside and being placed in reduced commission with the Pacific reserve fleet at Bremerton. When US involvement in World War I became immanent, Saratoga returned to active duty with the Pacific Patrol Force. She operated off Mexico intercepting and helping to capture a ship transporting German agents. Later in 1917 she passed through the Panama Canal to join the Atlantic Fleet at Hampton Roads as part of the Cruiser Force. By the end of the year she again lost her name to make way for another planned warship, this time a carrier. She was renamed Rochester and served as an escort for convoys across the Atlantic for the remainder of the war. After the war, she transported troops home. Rochester continued to serve until finally decommissioning in April 1933 at Cavite in the Philippines. She survived until the start of World War II when she was scuttled to prevent her capture by the Japanese.
 

This new kit by Niko has been made possible through the efforts of Pacific Front Hobbies. It represents the ship as built to her first modernization in 1905.