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USSArizona

Coordinates:21°21′53″N157°57′00″W/ 21.364775°N 157.950112°W/21.364775; -157.950112
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For other ships with the same name, seeList of ships named USS Arizona.

Arizonaduring the 1920s
History
United States
NameArizona
NamesakeArizona
Ordered4 March 1913
BuilderBrooklyn Navy Yard
Laid down16 March 1914
Launched19 June 1915
Commissioned17 October 1916
Decommissioned29 December 1941[1]
Stricken1 December 1942[1]
IdentificationHull number:BB-39
FateSunk during theattack on Pearl Harbor,7 December 1941
StatusMemorialwreck
General characteristics (as completed)
Class and typePennsylvania-classbattleship
Displacement29,158long tons(29,626t) (standard)
Length608 ft (185.3 m)
Beam97 ft (29.6 m)
Draft29 ft 3 in (8.9 m) (deep load)
Installed power
Propulsion4 shafts; 4 sets ofsteam turbines
Speed21knots(39 km/h; 24 mph)
Range8,000nmi(15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement1,087 (1,358 in 1931)
Armament
Armor

USSArizonawas a battleship built for theUnited States Navyin the mid-1910s. Named in honor of the48th state,she was the second and last ship in thePennsylvaniaclass.After beingcommissionedin 1916,Arizonaremained stateside duringWorld War Ibut escorted PresidentWoodrow Wilsonto the subsequentParis Peace Conference.The ship was deployed abroad again in 1919 to represent American interests during theGreco-Turkish War.Two years later, she was transferred to thePacific Fleet,under which the ship would remain for the rest of her career.

The 1920s and 1930s sawArizonaregularly deployed for training exercises, including the annualFleet Problems,excluding a comprehensive modernization between 1929 and 1931. The ship supported relief efforts in the wake of a1933 earthquake near Long Beach, California,and was later filmed for a role in the 1934James CagneyfilmHere Comes the Navybefore budget cuts led to significant periods in port from 1936 to 1938. In April 1940, the Pacific Fleet's home port was moved from California toPearl Harbor,Hawaii, as a deterrent to Japanese imperialism.

On 7 December 1941, the Japaneseattacked Pearl Harbor,andArizonawas hit by several air-dropped armor-piercing bombs. One detonated an explosive-filledmagazine,sinking the battleship and killing 1,177 of its officers and crewmen. Unlike many of the other ships attacked that day,Arizonawas so irreparably damaged that it was not repaired for service inWorld War II.The shipwreck still lies at the bottom of Pearl Harbor beneath theUSSArizonaMemorial.Dedicated to all those who died during the attack, the memorial is built across the ship's remains.

Description

[edit]

ThePennsylvania-class ships were significantly larger than their predecessors, theNevadaclass.Arizonahad anoverall lengthof 608 feet (185.3 m), abeamof 97 feet (29.6 m) (at thewaterline), and adraftof 29 feet 3 inches (8.9 m) atdeep load.This was 25 feet (7.6 m) longer than the older ships. She displaced 29,158long tons(29,626t) atstandardand 31,917 long tons (32,429 t) at deep load, over 4,000 long tons (4,060 t) more than the older ships. The ship had ametacentric heightof 7.82 feet (2.4 m) at deep load.[2]Her crew numbered 56 officers and 1,031enlisted menas built.[3]

Arizona's launch, 19 June 1915

The ship had four direct-driveParsonssteam turbinesets, each of which drove a propeller 12 feet 1.5 inches (3.7 m) in diameter[4]using steam provided by twelveBabcock & Wilcox boilers.[2]The turbines were designed to produce a total of 34,000shaft horsepower(25,000kW), but achieved only 33,376 shp (24,888 kW) duringArizona'ssea trials,when she met her designed speed of 21knots(39 km/h; 24 mph).[5]However, she did manage to reach 21.5 knots (39.8 km/h; 24.7 mph) during a full-power trial in September 1924.[6]She was designed to carry enoughfuel oilto steam at a speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) for 8,000nautical miles(15,000 km; 9,200 mi) with a clean bottom. She had four 300-kilowatt (402 hp)turbo generators.[2]

Arizonacarried twelve 45-caliber14-inch gunsin triplegun turrets.[2]The turrets were numbered from I to IV from front to rear.[7]Defense againsttorpedo boatswas provided by twenty-two 51-caliber5-inch (127 mm) gunsmounted in individualcasematesin the sides of the ship's hull. Positioned as they were they proved vulnerable to sea spray and could not be worked in heavy seas.[8]The ship mounted four 50-caliber3-inch (76 mm) gunsforanti-aircraftdefense, although only two were fitted when completed. The other pair was added shortly afterwards on top of Turret III.[9]Arizonaalso mounted two 21-inch (533 mm)torpedo tubesunderwater, one on eachbroadside,and carried 24torpedoesfor them.[2]

ThePennsylvania-class design continued theall-or-nothingprinciple of armoring only the most important areas of the ship begun in theNevadaclass. The waterlinearmor beltofKrupp armormeasured 13.5 inches (343 mm) thick and covered only the ship's machinery spaces andmagazines.It had a total height of 17 feet 6 inches (5.3 m), of which 8 feet 9.75 inches (2.7 m) was below the waterline; beginning 2 feet 4 inches (0.7 m) below the waterline, the belt tapered to its minimum thickness of 8 inches (203 mm).[2]The transversebulkheadsat each end of the ship ranged from 13 to 8 inches in thickness. The faces of the gun turrets were 18 inches (457 mm) thick while the sides were 9–10 inches (229–254 mm) thick and the turret roofs were protected by 5 inches (127 mm) of armor. The armor of thebarbetteswas 18 to 4.5 inches (457 to 114 mm) thick. Theconning towerwas protected by 16 inches (406 mm) of armor and had a roof eight inches thick.[3]

The main armor deck was three plates thick with a total thickness of 3 inches; over the steering gear the armor increased to 6.25 inches (159 mm) in two plates. Beneath it was the splinter deck that ranged from 1.5 to 2 inches (38 to 51 mm) in thickness.[10]The boiler uptakes were protected by a conicalmantletthat ranged from 9 to 15 inches (230 to 380 mm) in thickness.[3]A three-inchtorpedo bulkheadwas placed 9 feet 6 inches (2.9 m) inboard from the ship's side and the ship was provided with a completedouble bottom.Testing in mid-1914 revealed that this system could withstand 300 pounds (140 kg) ofTNT.[10]

Construction and trials

[edit]
Arizonaon theEast River,New York City (1916)

Thekeelof battleship number 39 (hull number:BB-39) was laid on the morning of 16 March 1914 withAssistant Secretary of the NavyFranklin Delano Rooseveltin attendance.[11]The builders intended to set a world-record ten months between the ship's keel-laying andlaunch,[12]for whatThe New York Timesdeclared would be "the world's biggest and most powerful, both offensively and defensively,superdreadnought[sic] ever constructed, "[13]but the ship was only a little over half complete a year later.[14]She was launched on 19 June 1915, making it about fifteen months from keel-laying to launch. In the meantime, the ship was named after the newest state in the union bySecretary of the NavyJosephus Daniels.[15]

The New York Timesestimated that 75,000 people attended the launch, includingJohn Purroy Mitchel,the mayor of New York City,George W. P. Hunt,thegovernor of Arizona,and many high-ranking military officials. Several warships were also nearby, including many of the new dreadnoughts which had already entered service (Florida,Utah,Wyoming,Arkansas,New York,andTexas). Esther Ross, the daughter of W. W. Ross of Prescott, Arizona, was given the honors of ship sponsor and christening.[16][17]To acknowledge a ban on alcohol recently passed by the state legislature, the state's governor decided that two bottles would be used: one full of sparkling wine from Ohio, and another filled with water from theRoosevelt Dam.After the launch,Arizonawas towed to theBrooklyn Navy Yardforfitting-out.[16]

Arizonawascommissionedinto the Navy on 17 October 1916 withCaptainJohn McDonaldin command.[18]She departed New York on 10 November 1916 after the crew had cleaned the ship and the propulsion system had been tested at the dock.[19]Afterdeclinatingthe ship's magnetic compasses, the ship sailed south for hershakedown cruise.OutsideGuantanamo Bay,a stripped turbine on 7 December forced the navy to orderArizonaback to New York for repairs, although she was able to enterChesapeake Bayto test hermainand secondary gun batteries on 19–20 December. The turbine could not be repaired inside the ship, so the yard workers had to cut holes in the upper decks to lift the damaged casing out. It was reinstalled after almost four months of repairs at the naval yard.[20]

World War I

[edit]
Arizonaat the New York City naval review, leading tendreadnoughtsthat paraded pastSecretary of the NavyJosephus Daniels

Arizonaleft the yard on 3 April 1917,[21]and three days later, the United States declared war on Germany. Assigned to Battleship Division 8 operating out of theYork River,[21][22]Arizonawas employed only as a gunnery training ship for the crewmen on armed merchant vessels crossing the Atlantic inconvoys.Shortly after the war began, eight of her 5-inch guns (the four guns farthest forward and the sternmost four guns) were removed to equip merchant ships. When the ship sailed near the wreck of the oldSan Marcos(ex-Texas), the wreck was sometimes used as a target for the 14-inch guns.Arizonararely ventured into the ocean for fear ofU-boats,and when she did, it was only in the company of other battleships and escort ships. Four coal-fired American dreadnoughts (it was easier to obtain coal than oil in the United Kingdom) were eventually sent across the Atlantic in December 1917 asBattleship Division Nine,butArizonawas not among them. Life forArizona's crew was not all training, as therace-boatteam fromArizonawas able to win theBattenberg Cupin July 1918 by beating the team fromNevadaby three lengths over the three-mile course.[23]

The fighting ended on 11 November 1918 withan armistice.A week later, the ship left the United States for the United Kingdom, arriving on 30 November 1918.[21]After two weeks berthed atPortland HarborinDorset,Arizonasailed for France.[24]On 13 December 1918,Arizonajoined nine battleships and twenty-eight destroyers escorting PresidentWoodrow Wilsonon the ocean linerGeorge WashingtonintoBrestfor one day on Wilson's journey to theParis Peace Conference.[25]The ten battleships departed France the next day,[26]taking less than two weeks to cross the Atlantic, and arrived in New York on 26 December to parades, celebrations, and a fullnaval reviewby Secretary Daniels.Arizonawas the first in line and rendered a nineteen-gun salute to Daniels. Along with many of the other members of the recently returned fleet, she was anchored off New York City for the next several weeks and open to the public.[27]

Post-war and the 1920s

[edit]
Arizona transits the Panama Canal in 1921
Arizonatransits the Panama Canal in 1921

Arizonasailed from New York for Hampton Roads on 22 January 1919; she continued south to Guantanamo Bay on 4 February and arrived on four days later.[21]The time in Caribbean waters was mostly used in training for battles and fleet maneuvering, although it included a liberty visit toPort of Spain.In April,Arizona's crew won the Battenberg Cup rowing competition for the second straight year before the ship was deployed to France once again to escort President Wilson back to the United States. While the ship was awaiting Wilson's departure, she was redeployed to Smyrna (nowİzmir) in Turkey in response to tensions between Greece and Italy over the awarding of Smyrna to Greece in theParis Peace Treaty.[28]The Greek and Italian governments had each deployed a major warship to the area (Georgios AverofandDuilio,respectively) to enforce their interests. Shortly afterArizonaarrived, Greek ground forces arrived in transports andwere off-loadedin the port. The resultant chaos in the city caused many American citizens in the area to seek shelter on boardArizona.[29]

When the crisis abated,Arizonawas ordered to Constantinople (nowIstanbul) before she sailed for home on 15 June. She put into the New York Navy Yard on 30 June for an overhaul, where six 5-inch guns were removed and the fire control system was modernized. Work was completed in January 1920 and the battleship sailed south to Guantanamo Bay for crew training. During this time,Arizonawas fitted with aflying-off platformsimilar to the one given toTexasin March 1919. In April,Arizonalost the Battenberg Cup toNevada,and in June she was present for theNaval Academy's graduation ceremonies. In August she became the flagship ofBattleship Division Seven,although it was only later in 1920 that the battleship was refitted to be an admiral's flagship.[30]

Arizonawith ship's complement (1924)

In company with six battleships and eighteen destroyers,Arizonawas sent south again to transit thePanama Canalin January 1921. After meeting up with the Pacific Fleet,Arizonacontinued on to Peru for a week before the two fleets combined to practice battle maneuvers. After a short return to the Atlantic, which included an overhaul in New York,Arizona,under the command ofJehu V. Chase,returned to Peru in the summer before she began operating from her new home port ofSan Pedro, California,part of Los Angeles, where she was based until 1940.[21][31]

For the rest of the 1920s,Arizona's service consisted of routine training exercises. Naval historian Paul Stillwell remarked that "the Pacific years included a great deal of sameness and repetition", and his chronology of the ship's movements is filled with phrases like "torpedo-defense practice", "battle-practice rehearsal", "gunnery practice", "en route to…", and "anchored at…".[32]A recurring theme in these years were the annual Fleet Problems, which began in 1923 and simulated large fleet actions by having most of the active fleet face off against each other. The first two simulated an attack on the Panama Canal from the west, while in 1925 they attempted to defend the Hawaiian Islands. Other 1920s Fleet Problems included the Caribbean, near Central America, theWest Indies,and Hawaii. On 27 July 1923 the ship, under command ofJohn Y.R. Blakely,joined PresidentWarren G. Harding's naval review in Seattle. Harding died just one week later, andArizonajoined the Pacific Fleet to fire a salute in his honor on 3 August.[21]

Sometime in early March 1924 a prostitute namedMadeline Blairstowed away aboardArizona,trading sex for a free voyage to San Pedro until she was discovered on 12 April while the ship was anchored inBalboa, Panama.She was sent back to New York City and Captain Percy Olmstead later convenedcourts-martialfor 23 sailors once the ship began her refit in theBremerton Navy Yard,which imposed sentences of up to 10 years imprisonment. AdmiralHenry A. Wiley,commander of theBattle Fleet,issued aletter of reprimandto all officers of the ship, including future Admiral andChief of Naval OperationsArleigh Burke,then anensign.AdmiralWilliam V. Pratt,then in command of thedivisionto whichArizonawas assigned, thought the penalties excessive, and he ordered the reprimands stricken from the officer's records when he became Chief of Naval Operations in 1930.[33]

Modernization

[edit]
Arizonabeing modernized in Norfolk, June 1930

Four months afterFleet Problem IXin January 1929,Arizonawas modernized at theNorfolk Navy Yard.[21]New tripod masts, surmounted by three-tieredfire-control directorsfor the main and secondary armament, replaced the oldhyperboloidcage masts;the number of five-inch guns was reduced to 12 and the guns re-positioned one deck higher, and eight 25-caliberfive-inchanti-aircraft gunsreplaced the three-inch guns with which she had been originally equipped. These changes increased her crew to 92 officers and 1,639 enlisted men.[4]The ship's main gun turrets were modified to increase the maximum elevation of their guns to 30°.[34]The compressed-air catapult on the quarterdeck was replaced by one that usedblack powder.[35]Her deck armor was increased by the addition of a 1.75-inch (44 mm) thickness ofSpecial Treatment Steel,and the ship wasbulgedto protect her from torpedoes. An additional bulkhead was added to the sides of the boiler rooms for the same purpose. At the same stroke, her own outfit of two submerged torpedo tubes was removed during this refit in light of a new appreciation that anticipated battleship engagement ranges made their future use improbable. This alteration also permitted the large transverse flat in which the tubes had been situated to be subdivided to reduce risks of flooding in action.[36]Arizona's machinery was almost entirely replaced; her high-pressure turbines were replaced by more powerful geared turbines from the canceled battleshipWashington,and six new boilers replaced her originals. Their additional power offset the ship's increased displacement as demonstrated during her sea trials;Arizonamade 20.7 knots (38.3 km/h; 23.8 mph) with 35,081 shp (26,160 kW) at a displacement of 37,654 long tons (38,258 t).[34]

1930s

[edit]
Arizonaafter her modernization during the 1930s
Arizonain 1931 after her modernization

On 19 March 1931, even beforeArizonawas put through post-modernization sea trials, she hosted PresidentHerbert Hooverfor a brief vacation in the Caribbean. The President visitedPuerto Ricoand theVirgin Islands.Returning on 29 March,Arizonaconducted her sea trials atRockland, Maine,and had another catapult fitted on the top of Turret III, before she was transferred to theWest Coastin August with her sisterPennsylvania.In February 1932, the ship participated in Grand Joint Exercise No. 4 in which carrier aircraft successfully attackedPearl Harboron Sunday morning, 7 February. After returning to the West Coast from Fleet Problem XIV in 1933, the ship was anchored in San Pedro when an earthquake struck nearbyLong Beach, California,on 10 March. Sailors from the ship joined the relief efforts, providing food, treating the injured, and providing security from looters.[37]

In early 1934, the ship and her crew were filmed for theJames Cagney/Warner Brothers filmHere Comes the Navy,which made extensive use of exterior footage as well as on-board location shots. In the early morning of 26 July,Arizonacollided with afishing trawler,Umatilla,that was under tow by another trawler offCape Flattery.Two men aboardUmatillawere killed in the collision and the Navy convened aCourt of Inquiryto investigate the incident. The court recommended that the ship's captain, CaptainMacGillivray Milne,be court-martialed. This took place at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base,Cuba,while the ship was participating in that year's Fleet Problem off theEast Coast.Milne was judged guilty and replaced several months later by Captain George Baum after the ship returned to the West Coast. In the meantime,Rear AdmiralSamuel W. Bryantassumed command of Battleship Division Two on 4 September, withArizonaas his flagship.[38]

Rear AdmiralGeorge T. Pettengillrelieved Bryant on 4 March 1935 and the ship participated in Fleet Problem XVI two months later.Arizonamade a port visit to Balboa in May 1936 during Fleet Problem XVII. On 8 June, CaptainGeorge A. Alexanderrelieved Baum as captain, and, 15 days later, Rear AdmiralClaude C. Blochrelieved Pettengill. During gunnery practice on 24 July, the combustion gases from one gun of Turret II entered the gun turret, burning one crewman. The turret's sprinkling system was turned on to prevent any powder explosion, but the released water leaked into the turret's electrical switchboard and started a small fire that was easily put out. Due to the navy's limited budget, the ship spent most of this period in port as a fuel-saving measure. InFiscal Year1936–37, the ship was anchored for 267 days; the following year it was in port for 255 days. The ship spent the rest of her career based on the West Coast or in Hawaii.[39]

CaptainIsaac C. Kiddon the deck ofArizona,circa 1939

On 2 January 1937, Rear AdmiralJohn Greensladeassumed command of Battleship Division Two from Bloch and transferred his flag to the battleshipMarylandon 13 April. Rear AdmiralManley H. Simons,commander of Battleship Division One, transferred his flag toArizonaon 7 August. He was relieved by Rear AdmiralAdolphus E. Watsonon 8 November. CaptainAlfred Winsor Brownrelieved Baum on 11 December. The ship participated in Fleet Problem XIX off Hawaii in April–May 1938. Captain Brown died in his sleep on 7 September and CaptainIsaac C. Kiddassumed command of the ship on 17 September 1938. That same day, Rear AdmiralChester Nimitzassumed command of Battleship Division One. Nimitz was relieved on 27 May 1939 by Rear AdmiralRussell Willson.CaptainHarold C. Trainassumed command of the ship on 5 February 1940.[40]

Arizona's last fleet problem was off Hawaii in April–May 1940. At its conclusion, theUnited States Pacific Fleetwas retained in Hawaiian waters, based at Pearl Harbor, to deter the Japanese.[41]She was overhauled at thePuget Sound Navy Yard,Bremerton, Washington,from October 1940 to January 1941. During this refit, the foundation for asearch radarwas added atop her foremast, her anti-aircraft directors were upgraded and a platform for four water-cooled.50-inch (12.7 mm) caliberM2 Browningmachine guns was installed at the very top of the mainmast. Her last flag change-of-command occurred on 23 January 1941, when Willson was relieved by Isaac Kidd, by that time a rear admiral.[42]

CaptainFranklin Van Valkenburghrelieved Train on 5 February 1941.[43]On 22 October 1941, during an exercise taking place in heavy fog, the ship was hit in the bow by theOklahoma.Arizonahad been scheduled to depart forBremerton Navy Yardin November to undergo an overhaul. The accident instead required her to be dry-docked at Pearl Harbour for repairs to the collision damage. As a result, she remained in Hawaii.[44]The ship's lastsortiewas a night-firing exercise on the night of 4 December as part of Battleship Division One, alongsideNevadaandOklahoma.All three ships moored atquaysalongFord Islandon the following day.[21]On 6 December, therepair shipVestalcame alongside to assist the ship's crew with minor repairs.[45]

Attack on Pearl Harbor

[edit]
Arizona's forward magazines explode in a still from a film made during the Japanese attack
Main article:Attack on Pearl Harbor

Shortly before 08:00 local time on 7 December 1941, Japanese aircraft from sixaircraft carriersstruck the Pacific Fleet as it lay in port at Pearl Harbor, and wreaked devastation on the warships and installations defending Hawaii. On boardArizona,the ship's air raid alarm went off at about 07:55, and the ship went togeneral quarterssoon after. Shortly after 08:00, tenNakajima B5N2"Kate" torpedo bombers,[46]five each from the carriersKagaandHiryū,attackedArizona.All of the aircraft were carrying 41-centimeter (16.1 in)armor-piercingshells modified into 797-kilogram (1,757 lb) bombs. Flying at an estimated altitude of 3,000 meters (9,800 ft),Kaga's aircraft bombedArizonafrom amidships to stern. Soon after,Hiryū's bombers hit the bow area.[47]

The aircraft scored four hits and three near misses on and aroundArizona.The near miss off the port bow is thought to have caused observers to believe that the ship had been torpedoed, although no torpedo damage has been found. The sternmost bomb ricocheted off the face of Turret IV and penetrated the deck to detonate in the captain's pantry, causing a small fire. The next forward most hit was near the port edge of the ship, abreast the mainmast, probably detonating in the area of the anti-torpedo bulkhead. The next bomb struck near the port rear 5-inch AA gun.[48][Note 1]

Magazine explosion

[edit]
A basic representation of how the front magazine explosion sankArizona

The last bomb hit at 08:06 in the vicinity of Turret II, likely penetrating the armored deck near the magazines located in the forward section of the ship. While not enough of the ship is intact to judge the exact location, its effects are indisputable: about seven seconds after the hit, the forward magazines detonated in a cataclysmic explosion, mostly venting through the sides of the ship and destroying much of the interior structure of the forward part of the ship. This caused the forward turrets and conning tower to collapse downward some 25–30 feet (7.6–9.1 m) and the foremast and funnel to collapse forward, effectively tearing the ship in two.[50]The explosion touched off fierce fires that burned for two days; debris showered down on Ford Island in the vicinity. The blast from this explosion also put out fires on the repair shipVestal,which was moored alongside.[51]The bombs and subsequent explosion killed 1,177 of the 1,512 crewmen on board at the time, approximately half of the lives lost during the attack.[21]

Two competing hypotheses have arisen about the cause of the explosion. The first is that the bomb detonated in or near the black-powder magazine used for the ship's saluting guns and catapult charges. This would have detonated first and then ignited thesmokeless powdermagazines which were used for the ship's main armament. A 1944 NavyBureau of Shipsreport suggests that a hatch leading to the black powder magazine was left open, possibly with flammable materials stocked nearby. TheNaval History and Heritage Commandexplained that black powder might have been stockpiled outside the armored magazine.[52]The alternative explanation is that the bomb penetrated the armored decks and detonated directly inside one of the starboard magazines for the main armament, but smokeless powder is relatively difficult to detonate. Thus the 14-inch powder bags required a black powder pad to quickly ignite the powder. The time elapsed from the bomb hit to the magazine explosion was shorter than experience suggested burning smokeless powder required to explode.[53]It seems unlikely that a definitive answer to this question will ever be found, as the surviving physical evidence is insufficient to determine the cause of the magazine explosion.[50][54]

Awards and recognition

[edit]

After the attack, several sailors received medals for their conduct and actions under fire.Lieutenant CommanderSamuel G. Fuqua,the ship's damage control officer, earned theMedal of Honorfor his cool-headedness while quelling fires and getting survivors off the wrecked battleship. Posthumous awards of the Medal of Honor also went to two high-ranking officers who were on board the battleship when it was destroyed: Rear Admiral Kidd, the first flag officer killed in the Pacific war, and Captain Van Valkenburgh, who reached the bridge and was attempting to defend his ship when the bomb that hit the onboard ammunition magazines destroyed it.[55]Arizonawas awarded onebattle starfor her service inWorld War II.[21]

Salvage and memorial

[edit]
The visible superstructure ofArizonaafter her sinking

Arizonawas placed "in ordinary" (declared to be temporarily out of service) at Pearl Harbor on 29 December, and was stricken from theNaval Vessel Registeron 1 December 1942.[1]She was so badly damaged by the magazine explosion that she was not thought fit for service even if she could besalvaged,unlike many of the other sunken ships nearby.[56]Her surviving superstructure wasscrappedin 1942, and her main armament was salvaged over the next year and a half.[57]The aft main gun turrets were removed and reinstalled asUnited States ArmyCoast Artillery CorpsBattery Arizona at Kahe Point on the west coast ofOahuand Battery Pennsylvania on theMokapu Peninsula,coveringKaneohe Bayat what is now Marine Corps Base Hawaii. Battery Pennsylvania fired its guns for the first and last time on V-J Day in August 1945 while training, while the nearby Battery Arizona was never completed.[58]Both forward turrets were left in place, although the guns from Turret II were salvaged and later installed onNevadain the fall of 1944 after having been straightened and relined.[59]Nevadalater fired these same guns against the Japanese islands ofOkinawaandIwo Jima.[60]

Arizonamemorials

[edit]
Main article:USS Arizona Memorial

It is commonly—but incorrectly—believed thatArizonaremains perpetually in commission, like theUSSConstitution.[61]Arizonais under the control of theNational Park Service,but the US Navy still retains the title.[1]Arizonaretains the right, in perpetuity, to fly theUnited States flagas if she were an active, commissioned naval vessel.[61]

Aerial view of the USSArizonaMemorial, showing the wreck and oil seepage from the ship's bunkers

The wreck ofArizonaremains at Pearl Harbor to commemorate the men of her crew lost that December morning in 1941. On 7 March 1950,AdmiralArthur W. Radford,commander in chief of the Pacific Fleet at that time, instituted the raising of colors over her remains.[62]Legislation during the administrations of presidentsDwight D. EisenhowerandJohn F. Kennedyresulted in the designation of the wreck as a national shrine in 1962. A memorial was built across the ship's sunken remains, including a shrine room listing the names of the lost crew members on a marble wall. Thenational memorialwas administratively listed on theNational Register of Historic Placeson 15 October 1966. The ship herself was designated aNational Historic Landmarkon 5 May 1989.[63]Upon their death, survivors of the attack may have their ashes placed within the ship, among their fallen comrades. Veterans who served aboard the ship at other times may have their ashes scattered in the water above the ship.[64]

While the superstructure and two of the four main gun turrets were removed, the barbette of one of the turrets remains visible above the water.[61]Since her sinking, oil still leaks from the hull, with more than 2.3 quarts (2.18 L) escaping into the harbor per day.[65]In 2004, the US Navy and the National Park Service oversaw a comprehensive computerized mapping of the hull, being careful to honor its role as awar grave.[66]The navy considered non-intrusive means of abating the continued leakage of oil to avoid the further environmental degradation of the harbor.[67]

One of the originalArizonabells now hangs in theUniversity of ArizonaStudent Union Memorial Center bell tower. The bell is rung after every homefootballvictory, over any team except other Arizona schools.[68]A gun, mast, and anchor fromArizonaare inWesley Bolin Memorial Plazajust east of theArizona State Capitolcomplex in downtownPhoenix, Arizona.The gun's plaque states that it was not on the ship during the Pearl Harbor attack, but was being relined for mounting on the battleshipNevada.It is paired with a gun from the battleshipMissourito represent the start and end of the Pacific War for the United States.[69]Other artifacts from the ship, such as items from the ship'ssilver service,are on permanent exhibit in the Arizona State Capitol Museum.[70]

Every two years the Navy awards "The USSArizonaMemorial Trophy "to a ship that has achieved the highest combat readiness in Strike warfare, Surface Fire Support and Anti-Surface warfare, as determined by the Chief of Naval Operations. The 3-foot-tall (0.91 m) bronze trophy on a black marble base was provided to the Navy by the citizens of the state of Arizona on 7 December 1987.[71]

Last survivor

[edit]

The last survivor ofArizona,Lou Conter,died in April 2024 at the age of 102.[72]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]

Footnotes

[edit]
  1. ^The preliminary damage report, filed on 28 January 1942, listed seven bomb hits as well as onetorpedohit on the port bow forward. This last hit was based on a report from the captain of the repair shipVestalmoored alongside and could not be verified at the time. One bomb was thought to have gone down the stack, but this was contradicted when the ship's superstructure was salvaged in 1942 and thefunnel capwas found to be intact.[49]

Citations

[edit]
  1. ^abcd"Arizona (BB 39)".Naval Vessel Registry. 30 August 2001.Retrieved16 November2011.
  2. ^abcdefFriedman, p. 440.
  3. ^abcStillwell, p. 359.
  4. ^abStillwell, p. 360.
  5. ^Breyer, p. 214.
  6. ^Stillwell, p. 305.
  7. ^Wright, pp. 66, 123, 285.
  8. ^Friedman, pp. 116, 440.
  9. ^Stillwell, p. 19.
  10. ^abFriedman, pp. 115, 118, 440.
  11. ^"Lay Keel of Navy's New Dreadnought,"The New York Times,17 March 1914.
  12. ^Stillwell, pp. 3–5.
  13. ^"Two Best Warships to be Built for US,"The New York Times,13 July 1913.
  14. ^"Arizona Launching Here in Early June,"The New York Times,21 March 1915.
  15. ^"50,000 to witness Arizona launching,"The New York Times,13 June 1915.
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  19. ^Stillwell, pp. 14–15.
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  21. ^abcdefghijNH&HC, "Arizona"
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References

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Further reading

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  • Borneman, Walter R (2019).Brothers Down: Pearl Harbor and the Fate of the Many Brothers Aboard the USSArizona.New York City: Little, Brown and Co.ISBN978-0-316-43888-9.
  • Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal (1985).Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921.London: Conway Maritime Press.ISBN0-87021-907-3.
  • Hone, Thomas C;Hone, Trent(2006).Battle Line: The United States Navy 1919–1939.Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.ISBN1-59114-378-0.OCLC62324475.
  • Jones, Jerry W (1998).U.S. Battleship Operations in World War I.Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.ISBN1-55750-411-3.OCLC37935228.
  • Madsen, Daniel (2003).Resurrection: Salvaging the Battle Fleet at Pearl Harbor.Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.ISBN1-55750-488-1.
  • Raymer, Edward C. (1996).Descent into Darkness: Pearl Harbor, 1941: A Navy Diver's Memoir.Novato, California: Presidio Press.ISBN0-89141-589-0.
  • Wallin, Homer N.(1968).Pearl Harbor: Why, How, Fleet Salvage and Final Appraisal.Washington, DC: Department of the Navy.ISBN0-89875-565-4.OCLC51673398.
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