Wikipedia

USSArkansas(BB-33)

For other ships with the same name, seeUSS Arkansas.

USSArkansas(BB-33)was adreadnoughtbattleship,the second member of theWyomingclass,built by theUnited States Navy.She was the third ship of the US Navy named in honor ofthe 25th state,and was built by theNew York Shipbuilding Corporation.She was laid down in January 1910, launched in January 1911, and commissioned into the Navy in September 1912.Arkansaswas armed with amain batteryof twelve 12-inch (305 mm) guns and capable of a top speed of 20.5knots(38.0 km/h; 23.6 mph).

Arkansascirca 1918
History
United States
NameArkansas
NamesakeArkansas
BuilderNew York Shipbuilding Corporation
Laid down25 January 1910
Launched14 January 1911
Commissioned17 September 1912
Decommissioned29 July 1946
Stricken15 August 1946
FateSunk on 25 July 1946, as part ofOperation Crossroads
General characteristics
Class and typeWyoming-classbattleship
Displacement
Length
Beam93 ft 3 in (28.42 m)
Draft28 ft 6 in (8.69 m) (mean)
Installed power
Propulsion
Speed20.5knots(38.0 km/h; 23.6 mph) (design)
Range8,000nmi(15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement1,063 officers and enlisted
Armament
Armor
General characteristics 1925-1927 refit
Displacement
  • 26,100 long tons (26,519 t) (standard) (torpedo bulges added)
  • 31,000 long tons (31,497 t) (full load) (torpedo bulges added)
Draft32 ft (9.8 m) (max)
Installed power4 ×White-Forster oil-firedboilers
Armament
  • 12 × 12 in/50 cal Mark 7 guns
  • 16 × 5 in/51 cal guns (reduced in 1919)
  • 8 ×3 in (76 mm)/50 caliberAA guns(added in 1919)
  • 4 × 3-pounder saluting guns
  • Torpedo tubes removed
Aircraft carried3 ×floatplanes
Aviation facilities1 ×catapult(fitted on Turret 3)
General characteristics 1942 refit
Sensors and
processing systems
Armament

Arkansasserved in both World Wars. DuringWorld War I,she was part ofBattleship Division Nine,which was attached to theBritishGrand Fleet,but she saw no action during the war. During the interwar years,Arkansasperformed a variety of duties, including training cruises for midshipmen and goodwill visits overseas.

Following the outbreak ofWorld War II,ArkansasconductedNeutrality Patrolsin the Atlantic prior to America's entry into the war. Thereafter, she escorted convoys to Europe through 1944; in June, she supported theinvasion of Normandy,and in August she provided gunfire support to theinvasion of southern France.In 1945, she transferred to thePacific,and bombardedJapanesepositions during theinvasionsofIwo JimaandOkinawa.After the end of the war, she ferried troops back to the United States as part ofOperation Magic Carpet.Arkansaswas expended as a target inOperation Crossroads,a pair ofnuclear weapon testsatBikini Atollin July 1946.

Design

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Main article:Wyoming-class battleship

Arkansaswas 562ft(171m)long overalland had abeamof 93 ft 3 in (28 m) and adraftof 28 ft 6 in (9 m). Shedisplaced26,000long tons(26,417t) as designed and up to 27,243 long tons (27,680 t) atfull load.The ship was powered by four-shaftParsonssteam turbinesand twelvecoal-firedBabcock & Wilcoxwater-tube boilersrated at 28,000shp(21,000kW), generating a top speed of 20.5 knots (38.0 km/h; 23.6 mph). The ship had a cruising range of 8,000nmi(15,000km;9,200mi) at a speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).[1]

The ship was armed with amain batteryof twelve12-inch/50 caliber Mark 7 guns[a]guns in six twin Mark 9gun turretson the centerline, two of which were placed in asuperfiring pairforward. The other four turrets were placed aft of thesuperstructurein two superfiring pairs. Thesecondary batteryconsisted of twenty-one5-inch (127 mm)/51 caliber gunsmounted incasematesalong the side of the hull. The mainarmored beltwas 11 in (279 mm) thick, while the gun turrets had 12 in (305 mm) thick faces. Theconning towerhad 11.5 in (292 mm) thick sides.[1]

Modifications

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In 1925,Arkansaswas modernized in the Philadelphia Navy Yard.[2]Her displacement increased significantly, to 26,066 long tons (26,484 t) standard and 30,610 long tons (31,101 t) full load. Her beam was widened to 106 ft (32 m), primarily from the installation ofanti-torpedo bulges,and draft increased to 29 ft 11.75 in (9 m). Her twelve coal-fired boilers were replaced with fourWhite-Forster oil-firedboilers that had been intended for the ships cancelled under the terms of theWashington Naval Treaty;performance remained the same as the older boilers. The ship's deck armor was strengthened by the addition of 3.5 in (89 mm) of armor to the second deck between the end barbettes, plus 1.75 in (44 mm) of armor on the third deck on the bow and stern. The deck armor over the engines and boilers was increased by 0.75 in (19 mm) and 1.25 in (32 mm), respectively. Five of the 5-inch guns were removed and eight3 in (76 mm)/50 caliberanti-aircraftguns were installed. The mainmast was removed to provide space for an aircraft catapult mounted on the Number 3 turretamidships.[3]

Service history

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Pre-World War I

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Arkansaswas laid down on 25 January 1910, atNew York Shipbuildingin Camden, New Jersey. She was launched on 14 January 1911, after whichfitting-outwork was effected. The ship was completed by September 1912, and was commissioned into the US Navy on 17 September, at thePhiladelphia Navy Yard,under the command ofCaptainRoy C. Smith. Following her commissioning,Arkansasparticipated in afleet reviewon 14 October 1912, for PresidentWilliam Howard Taft.The ship took Taft aboard that day for a trip toPanamato inspect thePanama Canal,which was still under construction.Arkansasbegan hershakedown cruiseafter delivering Taft and his entourage to theCanal Zone.[2]During this cruise, the Navy's first long-distance,continuous-wave,wireless telegraphysystem was successfully tested, with regular transmissions received byArkansasfrom a prototypePoulsen-arctransmission facility located in Arlington, Virginia.[4]On 26 December, she returned to the Canal Zone to take Taft toKey West,Florida. After completing the voyage,Arkansaswas assigned to theAtlantic Fleetand participated in fleet maneuvers off the east coast of the United States.Arkansas's first overseas cruise, to theMediterranean Sea,began in late October 1913. While there, she stopped in several ports, includingNaples, Italyon 11 November, where the ship celebrated the birthday of KingVictor Emmanuel III of Italy.[2]

Arkansassailing on 15 October 1912

In early 1914, an international incident with Mexico culminated in theAmerican occupation of Veracruz.Arkansasparticipated in the occupation, contributing four companies of naval infantry, which amounted to 17 officers and 313 enlisted men. The American forces fought their way through the city until they secured it. Two ofArkansas's crewmen were killed in the fighting, and another two,John GradyandJonas H. Ingram,received theMedal of Honorfor actions during the occupation. The ship's detachment returned on 30 April;Arkansasremained in Mexican waters until she departed on 30 September, to return to the United States. While stationed in Veracruz, the ship was visited by CaptainFranz von Papen,the Germanmilitary attachéto the United States and Mexico, and Rear AdmiralChristopher Cradock,the commander of the British4th Cruiser Squadron,on 10 May and 30 May 1914, respectively.[2]

Arkansasarrived inHampton Roads,Virginia,on 7 October, after which she took part in exercises for a week. She then sailed to theNew York Navy Yardfor periodic maintenance. After repairs were completed, the ship steamed down to theVirginia Capesarea for training maneuvers. She returned to the New York Navy Yard on 12 December, for additional maintenance. The repairs were completed within a month, and on 16 January 1915,Arkansasdeparted for the Virginia Capes for exercises on 19–21 January. The ship then steamed down toGuantánamo Bay, Cubafor exercises with the fleet.Arkansasreturned for training off Hampton Roads on 7 April, followed by another maintenance period at the New York Navy Yard, starting on 23 April.[2]

On 25 June, the repairs were complete, andArkansasdeparted forNewport, Rhode Island,for torpedo practice and tactical maneuvers inNarragansett Bay,which lasted through late August. On 27 August, the ship was back in Hampton Roads. There, she participated in exercises off Norfolk through 4 October. She then returned to Newport, where she took part in strategic maneuvers on 5–14 October. She went to the New York Navy Yard on 15 October, where she wasdrydockedfor extensive maintenance. The work was completed by 8 November, whenArkansasreturned to Hampton Roads. The ship was inBrooklynfor repairs on 19 November, which lasted until 5 January 1916, when she steamed south to theCaribbean Sea,via Hampton Roads, for winter exercises. She steamed toMobile Bayon 12 March, for torpedo practice, before returning to Guantánamo Bay. She returned to the New York Navy Yard on 15 April, for anoverhaul.[2]

World War I

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Main article:World War I

TheUnited States declared war on Germanyon 6 April 1917, joining theAllied Powersin World War I.Arkansaswas at the time assigned toBattleship Division7 stationed in Virginia. The ship patrolled the east coast and trained gun crews for the next fourteen months.[2]The ship was sent to Britain in July 1918 to relieve the battleshipDelaware,which had been assigned to operate with theGrand Fleetin the 6th Battle Squadron since December 1917.[5]Arkansasdeparted the United States on 14 July; while approaching theRoyal Navybase inRosyth,the battleship fired on what was thought to be a periscope from a GermanU-boat.ThedestroyersescortingArkansasdroppeddepth chargesbut did not hit the alleged submarine.Arkansasarrived in Rosyth on 28 July, and joined the rest ofBattleship Division 9stationed there. For the remainder of the conflict, Battleship Division 9 operated as the6th Battle Squadronof the Grand Fleet.[2][6]

On 11 November, theArmistice with Germanythat ended World War I went into effect. The terms of the Armistice required Germany to intern the bulk of theHigh Seas FleetinScapa Flow,under the supervision of the Grand Fleet.Arkansasand the other American warships participated in the internment; a combined fleet of 370 British, American, and French warships met the High Seas Fleet in the North Sea on 21 November, and escorted it into Scapa Flow.[7]On 1 December, Battleship Division 9 was detached from the Grand Fleet, after whichArkansasdeparted theFirth of Forthfor theIsle of Portland.She then went to sea to meet theocean linerGeorge Washington,which was carrying President Wilson to Europe.Arkansasand the other American naval forces in Europe escorted the ship intoBrest, France,on 13 December. After completing the escort,Arkansassailed for New York City, arriving on 26 December, where the fleet participated in aNaval ReviewforSecretary of the NavyJosephus Daniels.[2]

Inter-war period

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1919–1927

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Arkansasunderway in 1920

The peacetime training regimen forArkansasconsisted of individual training, an annual fleet maneuver, and periodic maintenance in drydock. She also participated in gunnery and engineering competitions. After returning to the United States,Arkansaswent into drydock at theNorfolk Navy Yardfor an extensive overhaul. She then rejoined the fleet to conduct training exercises off Cuba, after which she crossed the Atlantic, bound for Europe. She reachedPlymouth,on 12 May 1919, and then took weather observations on 19 May, and later served as a reference vessel to guide the NavyCurtiss NCflying boatsflying fromTrepassey Bay, Newfoundland,to Europe. After completing that task, she steamed to Brest, on 10 June, and picked upAdmiralWilliam S. Benson,theChief of Naval Operations,and his wife.Arkansascarried them back to New York, after Benson was finished at the Peace Conference in Paris, arriving on 20 June.[2]

On 19 July,Arkansasdeparted Hampton Roads, to join her new assignment, theUS Pacific Fleet,bound forSan Francisco.She arrived 6 September, via the Panama Canal, and embarked Secretary and Mrs. Josephus Daniels. She took Daniels and his wife toBlakely Harbor, Washington,on 12 September, and the following day, participated in a naval review for President Wilson. On 19 September,Arkansasentered thePuget Sound Navy Yardfor a general overhaul. She returned to the fleet in May 1920 for training operations off California. The Navy adopted ahull classification system,and on 17 July, assignedArkansasthe designation "BB-33". She steamed toHawaii,in September, the first time she went to the islands. In early 1921,ArkansasvisitedValparaíso,Chile, where she was received byPresidentArturo Alessandri Palma;the ship's crewmanned the railto honor the Chilean president.[2]

In August 1921,Arkansasreturned to the Atlantic Fleet, where she became theflagshipof the Commander, Battleship Force, Atlantic Fleet. Throughout the 1920s,Arkansascarriedmidshipmenfrom theUnited States Naval Academyon summer cruises. She went on a tour of Europe in 1923; there, on 2 July, she stopped inCopenhagen,and was visited by KingChristian X of Denmark.She also stopped inLisbonandGibraltar.Another midshipmen cruise to Europe followed in 1924; the cruise for the next year went to the west coast of the United States. On 30 June 1925, she stopped inSanta Barbara, California,to assist in the aftermath of the1925 Santa Barbara earthquake.Arkansas,the destroyerMcCawley,and thepatrol craftPE-34sent detachments ashore to help the police in Santa Barbara. They also established a temporary radio station in the city.[2]

Arkansasvisiting Kiel, Germany in July 1930. Photo taken from the battleshipSchleswig-Holstein.

After returning from the 1925 cruise, the ship was modernized at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. She had her twelve old coal-fired boilers replaced with four oil-fired models, which were trunked into a single larger funnel. She also had more deck armor added to protect her fromplunging fire,and a short tripod mast was installed in place of the aftcage mast.The modernization was completed in November 1926, after whichArkansasconducted a shakedown cruise in the Atlantic. She returned to Philadelphia, where she ran acceptance trials before she could rejoin the fleet. On 5 September 1927,Arkansaswas present for ceremonies unveiling a memorial tablet honoring the French soldiers and sailors who died during theYorktown campaignin 1781.[2]

1928–1941

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She returned to training cruises in May 1928, when she took a crew of midshipmen into the Atlantic along the east coast, along with a trip down toCuba.[2]In June, she participated in a joint Army-Navy coast defense exercise as part of the hostile "attacking" fleet.[8]In early 1929,Arkansascruised in the Caribbean and near the Canal Zone. She returned to the United States in May 1929, for an overhaul in the New York Navy Yard. After emerging from drydock, she conducted another training cruise, this time to European waters; she spent time in the Mediterranean and visited Britain.Arkansasreturned to the United States in August and operated with theScouting Fleetoff the east coast. The training cruise for 1930 again went to Europe. She called inCherbourg,France,Kiel,Germany,Oslo,Norway, andEdinburgh,Scotland. The cruise continued through the end of the year, and in 1931, the battleship visited Copenhagen,Greenock,Scotland, andCádizand Gibraltar in Spain. By September, the ship had crossed the Atlantic, and she stopped inHalifax,Nova Scotia.[2]In February,Arkansasparticipated inFleet Problem XII.[9]During the maneuvers, she served as AdmiralArthur L. Willard's flagship,[10]and she was "sunk" by asubmarine.[11]A month later, on 21–22 March,Arkansasconducted exercises with the carriersLe xing tonandSaratoga.[12]

Arkansasunderway in 1927

Arkansasparticipated in the Yorktown Sesquicentennial celebrations in October 1931, marking the 150th anniversary of theSiege of Yorktown.She embarked PresidentHerbert Hooverand his entourage on 17 October, and took them to the exposition, and returned them to Annapolis on 19–20 October. She then went into drydock for an extensive refit in the Philadelphia Navy Yard, which lasted until January 1932.[2]During this time, she was under the command ofGeorge Landenberger.[13]Arkansaswas transferred to the Pacific Fleet after completing the refit; while en route, she stopped inNew Orleansto participate in theMardi Grascelebration. She operated off the west coast through early 1934, at which point she was transferred back to the Atlantic Fleet, where she served as the flagship of the Training Squadron.[2]

She conducted another training cruise to Europe in the summer of 1934. She stopped in Plymouth, England,Nice, France,Naples, Italy, and Gibraltar. She returned to Annapolis in August, after which she steamed to Newport. In Newport, PresidentFranklin Delano Rooseveltreviewed the battleship from the yachtNourmahal.While there,Arkansasentered one of hercuttersin a competition with the British cruiserHMSDragonfor theBattenberg Cup,and theCity of Newport Cup;Arkansas's cutter won both races. The ship carried the 1stBattalion,5th MarinestoCulebra,for aFleet Landing Exercise No. 1 (FLEX 1)in January 1935. She returned to training cruise duties in June, and she again took the midshipmen to Europe. Among the stops were Edinburgh, Oslo, Copenhagen, Gibraltar, andFunchal,on the island ofMadeira.She disembarked the Naval Academy crew in August and began another training cruise to Halifax, this time for Naval Reservists, the following month. A refit was conducted in October after completing the cruise.[2]

Arkansasparticipated in theFLEX 2at Culebra in January 1936, and then visited New Orleans, during Mardi Gras. She went to Norfolk for a major overhaul that lasted through the spring of 1936. After completing the overhaul, the ship took another midshipmen crew to European waters; she called in the ports ofPortsmouth,England,Gothenburg,Sweden, and Cherbourg, and returned to Annapolis, in August. As in the previous year, she conducted another Reserve training cruise, and then went into drydock for an overhaul in Norfolk. The remainder of the 1930s followed a similar pattern; in 1937, the midshipmen training cruise went to Europe, but the 1938 and 1939 cruises remained in the western Atlantic.[2]

At the outbreak ofWorld War IIin September 1939,Arkansaswas moored at Hampton Roads, preparing to depart on a training cruise for the Naval Reserve. She departed to transportseaplanemooring and aviation equipment from Norfolk to Narragansett Bay, where the Navy planned to set up a seaplane base. While in Newport,Arkansaspicked up ordnance for destroyers and brought it back to Hampton Roads.[2]After returning to Virginia,Arkansaswas assigned to a reserve force for theNeutrality Patrolsin the Atlantic, along with her sisterWyoming,the battleshipsNew YorkandTexasand the carrierRanger.[14][15]On 11 January 1940,Arkansas,New York,andTexasleft for fleet maneuvers off Cuba. She underwent an overhaul at Norfolk between 18 March and 24 May. After emerging from her refit,Arkansasconducted another midshipman training cruise, along withTexasandNew York,to Panama and Venezuela. In late 1940, she conducted three Naval Reserve training cruises in the Atlantic.[2]

On 19 December 1940, with 500 naval reservists on board, theArkansascollided at ~0300 hrs. with the outboundCollier Melrose,of theMystic Steamship Companyof Boston, off ofSea Girt,New Jersey. Although a glancing blow, the collier's below-water plates were cracked, and she sank just short of aBrooklyndrydock after a 40-mile race to port. "The warship proceeded to herHudson riveranchorage, minus only some paint and with a smashed lifeboat. "[16]

Over the months that followed, the United States gradually edged toward war in the Atlantic.[2]The ship was assigned to the escort force for the Marines deployed tooccupy Iceland,in July 1941, along withNew York,two cruisers, and eleven destroyers. The task force deployed fromNS Argentia,Newfoundland,on 1 July, and were back in port by 19 July.[17]Starting on 7 August,Arkansaswent on a neutrality patrol in the mid-Atlantic that lasted a week.[18]After returning to port,Arkansastraveled to theAtlantic Charterconference with President Roosevelt and British Prime MinisterWinston Churchill,which took place on boardHMSPrince of Wales.While there, theUS Under Secretary of State,Sumner Welles,stayed aboardArkansas.[2]She conducted another neutrality patrol between 2 and 11 September.[18]

World War II

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Arkansasunderway on 11 April 1944

Arkansaswas anchored inCasco Bay,Maine, on 7 December 1941, when Japanattacked Pearl Harborand brought the United States into the war. A week later, she steamed toHvalfjordur, Iceland,and returned to Boston on 24 January 1942. She conducted training maneuvers in Casco Bay, to prepare her crew for convoy escort duties.[2]On 6 March, she arrived at Norfolk, to begin overhaul. The secondary battery was reduced to six 5-inch/51 cal guns. Also, 3640 mm Boforsanti-aircraft (AA) guns (in quadruple mounts) and 2620 mm OerlikonAA guns were added, the experience at Pearl Harbor having made the US Navy aware of the need for increased light AA armament. The 3-inch/50 caliber gun armament was also increased from 8 guns to 10.[19]Work lasted until 2 July, after which timeArkansasconducted a shakedown cruise inChesapeake Bay;she then proceeded to New York, arriving on 27 July. There, she became the flagship of Task Force 38 (TF 38), the escort for a convoy of twelve transports bound for Scotland. The convoy arrived in Greenock, on 17 August, andArkansasreturned to New York on 4 September.[2]

Arkansasagain escorted a convoy to Scotland, returning to New York by 20 October. Thereafter, convoys were sent to North Africa, to supportthe invasion of North Africa.[2]Arkansascovered her first such convoy, along with eight destroyers, on 3 November.[20]She returned to New York on 11 December, where she went into dock for another overhaul.[2][21]On 2 January 1943,Arkansasdeparted New York to conduct gunnery training in Chesapeake Bay. Back in New York by 30 January, the ship's crew prepared for a return to convoy escort duty. She escorted two convoys toCasablanca,between February and April, before returning to New York, for yet another period in drydock, which lasted until 26 May.Arkansasreturned to duty as a training ship for midshipmen based at Norfolk. She resumed her convoy escort duties after four months, and on 8 October, she steamed toBangor, Northern Ireland.She remained in Northern Ireland, through November, and departed on 1 December, bound for New York. After arriving on 12 December,Arkansaswent into dock for more repairs, and then returned to Norfolk, on 27 December. The ship escorted another convoy bound for Ireland, on 19 January 1944, before returning to New York, on 13 February. Another round of gunnery drills followed on 28 March, after whichArkansaswent toBostonfor more drydock period.[2]

Arkansasengaging shore batteries off Omaha beach

On 18 April,Arkansasdeparted for Northern Ireland, where she trained forshore bombardmentduties, as she had been assigned to the shore bombardment force in support ofOperation Overlord,the invasion of northern France.[2]She was assigned to Group II, along withTexasand five destroyers.[22]Her float planeartillery observerpilots were temporarily assigned toVOS-7flyingSpitfiresfromRNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus).[23]On 3 June, she left her moorings, and on the morning of 6 June, took up a position about 4,000 yd (3,700 m) fromOmaha Beach.At 05:52, the battleship's gunsfired in angerfor the first time in her career. She bombarded German positions around Omaha Beach until 13 June, when she was moved to support ground forces inGrandcamp les Bains.On 25 June,Arkansasbombarded Cherbourg,in support of the American attack on the port; German coastal guns straddled her several times, but scored no hits. Cherbourg fell to the Allies the next day, after whichArkansasreturned to port, first inWeymouth, England,and then toBangor, Northern Ireland,on 30 June.[2]

On 4 July,Arkansasdeparted Northern Ireland for the Mediterranean Sea; she reachedOran,Algeria, on 10 July, before proceeding on toTaranto,arriving on 21 July.[2]There, she joined the support force forOperation Dragoon,the invasion of southern France. Again, the battleship provided gunfire support to the amphibious invasion along with six Allied cruisers, starting on 15 August.[24]The bombardment lasted for two more days, after which she withdrew, first toPalermo,and then to Oran.Arkansasthen returned to the United States, arriving in Boston, on 14 September, where she underwent another refit that lasted until early November. She then steamed to California, via the Panama Canal, and spent the rest of the year conducting training maneuvers. On 20 January 1945,Arkansasdeparted California forPearl Harbor,and then proceeded toUlithi,to join the fleet in preparation for theamphibious assaultonIwo Jima.[2]There, she was assigned toTask Force 54(TF 54), which included five other battleships, four cruisers, and sixteen destroyers.[25]

On 16 February,Arkansaswas in position off Iwo Jima, and at 06:00, she opened fire on Japanese positions on the island's west coast. The bombardment lasted until 19 February, though she remained off the island throughout theBattle of Iwo Jima,ready to provide fire support to the American Marines ashore. She departed on 7 March, bound for Ulithi, and arrived on 10 March, where she rearmed and refueled in preparation for the next major operation in the Pacific War, the invasion ofOkinawa.She departed Ulithi, on 21 March, and arrived off Okinawa, four days later,[2]when she began the bombardment along with the rest of Task Force 54.[26]The soldiers and Marines went ashore on 1 April, andArkansascontinued to provide gunfire support over the course of 46 days throughout theBattle of Okinawa.Kamikazesrepeatedly attacked the ship, though none struck her. She left the island in May, arriving inGuamon 14 May. She then proceeded toLeyte Gulf,on 12 June, arriving four days later.[2]There, she was assigned toTask Group 95.7,along withTexasand three cruisers.[27]She remained in the Philippines until 20 August, when she departed for Okinawa, arriving inBuckner Bayon 23 August, by which timeJapan had surrendered,ending World War II. Over the course of the war,Arkansasearned fourbattle stars.[2]

Post-war

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Arkansasbeing sunk in the Baker nuclear test. The black mark on the right of the column marks the position of the capsizingArkansas.

After the end of the war,Arkansasparticipated inOperation Magic Carpet,the repatriation of American servicemen from the Pacific. She took around 800 men back to the United States, departing on 23 September, and reachingSeattle,Washington on 15 October. She made another three Magic Carpet trips between Pearl Harbor and the continental United States to ferry more soldiers home.[2]During the first months of 1946,Arkansaslay at San Francisco. In late April, the ship got underway for Hawaii. She reached Pearl Harbor on 8 May, and departed Pearl Harbor on 20 May, bound forBikini Atoll,earmarked for use as a target foratomic bombtesting inOperation Crossroads.On 1 July,Arkansaswas exposed to an air burst inABLE,but survived with extensive shock damage to her upper works, while her hull and armored turrets were lightly damaged.[28]

On 25 July, the battleship was sunk by the underwater nuclear testBAKERat Bikini Atoll. Unattenuated by air, the shock was "transmitted directly to underwater hulls", andArkansas,only 250 yd (230 m) from the epicenter, appeared to have been "crushed as if by a tremendous hammer blow from below".[29]It appears that the wave of water from the blast capsized the ship, which was then hammered down into the shallow bottom by the descent of the water column thrown up by the blast.[28]Decommissioned on 29 July,Arkansaswas struck from theNaval Vessel Registeron 15 August. The ship lies inverted in about 180 ft (55 m) of water at the bottom of Bikini Lagoon, where it acts as an artificial reef. There are many pictures of the wreck on theNational Park Servicewebsite.[28]

Relationship with the Arkansas Flag

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TheArkansaswas the catalyst for the creation of theFlag of Arkansas.In 1912 theDaughters of the American Revolution(DAR) decided that they would present three flags to the battleship as she was nearing her commission date. The three flags the DAR chose to present were theAmerican Flag,Navy battalion Ensign[clarification needed],and a state flag. When the DAR learned from the Arkansas Secretary of State, Earle W. Hodges, that Arkansas possessed no official state flag, they decided to hold a statewide competition to come up with one. The winning design was fromWillie Kavanaugh HockerofPine Bluff,Arkansas, who was also a member of the DAR.[30]On 26 February 1913, with a few alterations, Hocker's design become the official flag of Arkansas and was soon thereafter presented to the USS Arkansas by the DAR.[31]

Arkansas Flag presented in 1913 to USSArkansasbefore its restoration
Arkansas Flag presented to USSArkansasin 1913 after its restoration

Notes

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Footnotes

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  1. ^/50 refers to the length of the gun in terms ofcalibers.A /50 gun is 50 times long as it is in bore diameter.

Citations

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  1. ^abFriedman 1986,p. 114.
  2. ^abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzaaabacadaeafagahaiajDANFS Arkansas (BB-33).
  3. ^Friedman 1980,p. 91.
  4. ^Adams.
  5. ^Friedman 1985,p. 172.
  6. ^Campbell,p. 233.
  7. ^Herwig,pp. 254–255.
  8. ^Nofi,p. 105.
  9. ^Nofi,pp. 22–23.
  10. ^Nofi,p. 140.
  11. ^Nofi,p. 142.
  12. ^Nofi,pp. 145–146.
  13. ^The New York Times& 16 January 1936.
  14. ^Rohwer,p. 4.
  15. ^Nofi,p. 253.
  16. ^"U. S. Warship, Collier Crash".The San Bernardino Daily Sun.Vol. 46. San Bernardino, California. Associated Press. 20 December 1940. p. 1.
  17. ^Rohwer,p. 84.
  18. ^abRohwer,p. 79.
  19. ^Breyer,p. 202.
  20. ^Rohwer,p. 208.
  21. ^Rohwer,p. 215.
  22. ^Rohwer,p. 338.
  23. ^Mersky, Peter (1986). "Naval Aviators in Spitfires".Proceedings.112(12).United States Naval Institute:105–106.
  24. ^Rohwer,p. 350.
  25. ^Rohwer,p. 394.
  26. ^Rohwer,p. 410.
  27. ^Rohwer,p. 423.
  28. ^abcDelgado & Murphy.
  29. ^Ireland,pp. 186–187.
  30. ^"Encyclopedia of Arkansas".Encyclopedia of Arkansas.Retrieved24 March2021.
  31. ^"Arkansas Secretary of State".sos.arkansas.gov.Retrieved24 March2021.

References

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