What happened to the USS Arizona the day of the attack?

During the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Dec. 7, 1941, a bomb detonated a powder magazine in the Arizona and the battleship exploded violently and sank, with the loss of 1,177 officers and crewmen.

Did they get the bodies out of the USS Arizona?

After the attack, the ship was left resting on the bottom with the deck just awash. In the days and weeks following, efforts were made to recover the bodies of the crew and the ship’s records. Eventually, further recovery of bodies became fruitless and the bodies of at least 900 crewmen remained in the ship.

What happened to USS Arizona superstructure?

After Arizona sank, its superstructure and main armament were salvaged and reused to support the war effort, leaving its hull, two gun turrets and the remains of more than 1,000 crewmen submerged in less than 40 feet of water.

Why did the US Navy not salvage the USS Arizona?

The USS Arizona is the resting place to hundreds of sailors. The Navy decided to leave them and the ship there after an inspection a few months after the attack. It was determined that there was so much damage taht the ship was a total loss and could not be salvaged.

How fast did the Arizona sink?

Fourteen minutes after the first gunner plane interrupted the morning colors, the Arizona began to sink into Pearl Harbor. In those 14 minutes, a lifetime was at stake. Much of the country’s Pacific battleship fleet was in flames. The Arizona’s oil tanks, refilled the day before, would burn for three more days.

Why was the USS Arizona never raised?

In the essence, the true reason that the USS Arizona was never raised from its shallow grave is that of a crack in the hull. The crack is roughly the size of a human fist but it compromises the structural integrity of the frame and would rip the ship apart it if were raised. Because of this, the USS Arizona has been declared a memorial to the roughly 1,000 sailors who died onboard.

Who are the survivors of the USS Arizona?

John Anderson, the oldest remaining survivor of the USS Arizona, which sank when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, died Saturday in Roswell, New Mexico. Anderson’s death leaves just seven known surviving Arizona crewmen — all of whom are in their 90s.

What did the USS Arizona do during World War 1?

Arizona spent World War I patrolling the waters of the Northeast as part of Battleship Division 8 out of Norfolk, Virginia, where her fuel oil requirements would not tax the short supply in Britain. On 18 November 1918 Arizona made her first trip across the Atlantic Ocean from Hampton Roads, Virginia, to England.

What happened to the USS Arizona after Pearl Harbor?

The Battleship USS Arizona was bombed on December 7, 1941, about 15 minutes into the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor , killing 1,177 sailors and Marines. Over 900 could not be recovered from the ship and remain onboard.