Id always known that USS Arizona had been decommissioned shortly after the attack. Though id been told that the guns remained in her #1 turret, as not to leave her defenseless. Ive always found it very fitting that her guns were eventually turned on her attacker in anger, and were able to take the fight back to Japan. I wish those #3 and #4 guns had similarly been mounted on another ship instead of becoming shore batteries though. Also find it very fitting that USS Missouri, where the war ended is there to stand guard over USS Arizona and her crew still serving aboard her.
If they can’t have two ships with the same name in commission, I guess the USS Constitution will be tge only one of the Original Six not to see one of the FFGXs named after it, although so far only Constellation, Congress, and Chesapeake have been used, President and United States still haven’t been assigned either.
@@anthonybanchero3072 President probably would not anyway. It had a longer career as HMS President than she ever did as USS President (the British built an exact copy of her to taunt the US).
@@msromike123 The tour lasts approximately 30 minutes. A National Park Service member is giving tourists the story of the Pearl Harbor attack and history of the Memorial construction and current status of the Arizona itself. It never got boring. Thoughts of those who gave their lives and those who have passed on whose ashes are interred inside for eternity
@@RetiredSailor60 Thanks for that. We went on it and really enjoyed it. Guess I wasn't too clear. I meant how long is an enlisted sailor assigned to the USS Arizona Memorial as a normal tour assignment?
Love this article Ryan. When Arizona's forward powder magazine exploded it destroyed the barbet under "A" Turret, what today would be called "Turret #1" and damaged the barbet under Turret #2 or "B" Turret. The roofless gunhouse of "B" Turret is still there, the upper edges of the side armor are still visible above the water. The "A" Turret gunhouse with its three 14" rifles is still there, resting more or less on what is left of the keel and barbet. The top of "X" Turret's barbet (#3 Turret) is also just above the surface of the water, the gunhouse was removed and later mounted in a fortification on Oahu as was the gunhouse from "Y" (#3) Turret. Those fortifications were finished just in time for the end of the war and the guns of one were fired shortly after the war ended. Those mounts were codenamed "Arizona" and "Pennsylvania." They were disarmed shortly afterward. For quite a while it wasn't common knowledge that the rifles were still there or the gunhouse had survived in a recognizable condition until the Park Service and Navy did a detailed survey to chart the condition of the wreck in either the late 1980s or 1990s. It amazed a lot of people including me that the old girl still had some of her guns. Wife and I visited the USS Arizona Memorial several times while we were both served four years on Oahu in the late 1970s. I actually worked on Pearl Harbor for my first 18 months on island, my wife was stationed on Ford Island for her last six months prior to her discharge.
I had the honor of visiting the Arizona 20 years ago. It was a very humbling experience. My father was a Navy Seabee and my uncle was a navy signalman, both in the Pacific theater in WWII.
It took many years for the 2 batteries to be built from the Arizona's guns. One was placed over by Diamond Head and the other over at Ewa. One was never finished and the other at Ewa only did test firing because as the US got closer to Japan, they slowed down the work. I think Diamond Head was 90% complete when the contract was cancelled in 1945 and never fired a shot. Getting those guns reactivated was not trivial. Salt water damage was extensive and all of the electronics and motors had to be rebuilt. Anyone wanting to read what happened to those guns, there is a book on the history of US coastal artillery going back to the Revolution. I think the spotters vault and a filled in turntable is still at Diamond Head. The battery at Ewa was pointed out to me during a tour, but I was not able to go see it up close. I don't know where the spotter vault was at Ewa. I am sure someone out there has way more detail on them than I do.
I'll admit this is the first I've heard about Arizona "being still in commission". I always thought it was decommissioned and stricken at some point but never knew when. Though it's easy to see how the idea came about, plus it being sunk there was no pomp and circumstance about the decommission and removal from the register.
The barrels/guns of turret #1 are still in place. Some of the superstructure, that was cut away, was dumped on Waipio Peninsula, and, I believe, is still there. As of Feb 2020, only 2 survivors were still alive, Lou Conter, and Ken Potts.
hard to remove them as they’re at a steep angle bent downward and weren’t needed that badly as the other two turrets and the smaller guns were sufficient enough... the other two turrets were removed and put to use, three of their guns even got relined and put to use by the USS Nevada so they got revenge
Depending on how ambitious you want to get with your etymology, "battleship" once meant "line-of-battle ship", which HMS Victory was. Since Victory is still in commission(and technically the British flagship!), she could be argued as the last battleship, in some very non-standard sense of the term. But Constitution was a frigate, not a battleship, so she wouldn't count.
I've been aboard that "First rate ship of the line". That's what the navel guide told us she was. So, I guess she's not a battleship after all. Nice try. And the US Navy NEVER claimed the USS Constitution to be a battleship. Don t know where y'all got that idea.
@Tin Man Nope, she now has twin MK 8 Block 2 50 GW reactors and her cannons have been retrofitted with rail guns firing saboted HE and AP shells left over from WW2 for both an explosive and kinetic kills. She’s already stealthy but a new layer of the same aneotic coating used in the Virginia class subs has been added and a magneto hydrodynamic drive fitted. She can make 6 knots under sail and 38 with the magneto hydrodynamic drive and extendable carbon fiber hydrofoils. There’s only one issue related to crewing the ship to be solved before sea trials.
She sits in my town Boston. As kids growing up in the 60s we would go down to her dock. The sailors would let us on board and would take us around. We got to see much more than what they show the tours. Beautiful lady. I had the chance to sail on her when she sailed from Boston to Marblehead harbor for an over night. Best day ever.
If I get to visit America I would love to visit Hawaii and pay my respects at the Arizona memorial I may not be American but a sailor is a sailor regardless of where their from and these men deserve to have their memories honored and respected probably might even lay a poppy wreath if that's allowed. Lest we forget ~
It's Hawaii. So long as the wreath is organic, and not plastic, you are welcome to lay it or throw it to honor the Arizona and her crew. And know when you do, I've tagged a prayer on to the wreath.
@@proudamerican183 Unfortunately I'm just a civvie but I did serve 4 years in my countries air force branch of our cadet service. Due to my time in the cadets I understand and respect the importance of remembering our lost servicemen & servicewomen.
This is the first I’m hearing of this rumor. When I graduated from college I minored in history and as a part of my minor core study I had to write a senior thesis. My thesis was on how aircraft carriers would supersede battleships as the new capital ship and modern naval warfare. In my research I covered many classes of battleships and their capabilities starting from the dreadnought to the standard type battleship which Arizona was a member of all the way up to the penultimate Iowa class and the never lay down Montana class. I was well aware that the Arizona was struck from the neighbor registry which you point out that date in this video. The new Virginia class attack subs are being slapped with state names the reason for this is unknown to me at this time however the lead ship of this class is Virginia the most recent as Arizona and there were several others I think the coolest thing the Navy has ever done is have the USS Missouri positioned with her guns pointing at the Arizona so that she can forever stand a silent protective visual over her fallen sister. Now people, before you try to get at me I did not say sister ship I said sister there are only four I will class battleships New Jersey is one of them Wisconsin and Missouri.
My parents were married on December 7, 1940. Dad was in the Army, but had leave on their first anniversary. They were interrupted at breakfast with the news on the radio that all military leaves were cancelled and they were to return to their post. While I was terrible with dates that I was expected to memorize in school - Pearl Harbor was never one I could forget. And I pray for all those that died that day, and all those that died later because of that day on every December 7th. May they all Rest in Peace Eternal.
The Arizona Will never be scrapped. It is a Hallowed Grave Yard containing the Remains of Many Sailors that Died from the Attack! All NAVY Ships Passing it MUST RENDER HONORS!!
Well, up to a few minutes ago when I heard you answer the question I thought it was still in commission. I’m 53 and don’t remember when I heard that it’s still a commissioned ship. Thanks for the video and the info!
USS ARIZONA IS MANNED ALTHOUGH THE SAILORS INSIDE THE SHIP ARE DEAD. ADMIRAL SAMUEL ELLIOT MORRISON WROTE A BOOK CALLED THE TWO OCEAN WAR. THE BOOK STATES THAT SHE WAS NOT DECOMMISSIONED BECAUSE SHE WAS MANNED.
I have so many memories of the Arizona, having been stationed in Pearl for the majority of time between 1979 - 1999. Standing quarterdeck watch on the ship, especially if we were moored down to Bravo 23, or 22, she was always in sight. If I wasn't on a sea duty tour, I was doing a shore or neutral tour over at a training command on Ford Island, and have to take either the small boat, or the ferry, and eventually right before I retired, the causeway over there, so I would always see her then too. Have been on her a couple of times as a visitor, and was hoping to visit her recently as my wife and I vacationed on Oahu earlier this month, but the ramp is having problems again so they are not taking any visitors out by boat right now. Hope they get it fixed soon. Anyways, those are my memories of the Arizona. Enjoyed the video as always Ryan, working my way through them. Great job.
Did you get to see BB-63 coming into Pearl before you retired? I've always found it rather tasteful the way she is docked, almost as if standing guard over USS Arizona and her crew. Haven't had the chance to visit the memorial yet, but its high on my list of places to visit for sure.
I once watched a mini documentary on the Arizona. I think it was in the 80's and the narrator said, "The Navy considers the Arizona - sentimentally - in commission"
While in the Navy in San Diego in 1971 I was stationed at the Naval Amphibious Base, Coronado. The base library obtained the newly published PEARL HARBOR: Why, How, Fleet Salvage, and final Appraisal which told the story of salvage and final dispositions of ships. Being the middle of a war the crews of all lost capital ships, particularly the carriers, would have wanted them to remain in commission- why just the Arizona? would have been the sentiment.
Just so ya know. These videos can never be to long. Personally I can never get enough history of this ship. You could point the camera at the floor for an hour and I would probably watch it. Thanks.
HMS Victory is the oldest commissioned warship still in service with 242 years as of 2020. She suffered many years of neglect and orders for her to be broken up were given a couple of times, but public outcry stopped that (possibly Admiral Hardy's wife) she's now a museum ship, but still has an Admiral's flag on her.
HMS Victory is not sea worthy and sits in drydock in Portsmouth, England. USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) is still floating. She is turned at her berthing space each year. The US Navy maintains a old growth parcel of land with White Oak trees in order to cut replacement timbers for USS Constitution.
I heard about it from my uncle, who used to captain for the tug and towing company that takes USS Constitution out and about for her brief "turnaround cruise" of Boston harbor, where they swing her 180 degrees and re-moor back at the dock. He told me that both ships are in active commission, though it appears that only USS Constitution is, of the two.
You're right there can only be one ship of the type with the same name on active or inactive commission at a time. The Arizona isn't commissioned as an active or reserve vessel, it was decommissioned but is maintained on registry as a museum ship to retain salvor's rights. and title. back in the day they had companies vying for salvage rights and they had a problem with rec. divers stealing artifacts from the wreck. it's not active, and it's not reserve but it's a titled, flagged ship. and it's treated like an active ship, which means putting on a wet suit and boarding the wreck can get you in serious trouble, it's like boarding an active ship. it is the long answer here. decommissioned but the Navy still owns it and they still give it a hull number, it is flagged and protected. and the navy is sole salvor in possession. basically the Arizona is no longer on commission but it's still owned by the navy. The debris field is also owned by the navy. anything taken from the debris field has to be turned over to the navy for replacement or placement in the memorial
Every war ship that sinks is still owned by the country it served. Prince of Wales and Repulse are British war ships and are being illegally scavenged by certain people. No one can claim salvors rights like an abandoned merchant ship. Military vessels are forever owned by their country of service.
I still remember the day I had the privilege to go on the USS Arizona memorial when I was in my teens I started to tear up it was the best day of my life RIP to all the sailors still in the ship and to all the families who lost their loved ones during war and the ones killed in action proud son of a father who served in the army during the Vietnam war and a great grandson whose great grandfather served in the United States Marine Corps during WW2 as a Navajo code talker
I saw the Arizona as a kid in 1962. The flag I was presented at my retirement from the Navy after 27 years active duty was flown on the Arizona on my birthday 26 October 1992. It has a place of honor on our dining room wall.
If I recall correctly the Arizona and the Oklahoma were stricken from the Roll's when they were determined to be unsalvageable somewhere around '42-'43. Remember during the War nobody was thinking of these as "War Memorials" or "Monuments". When a ship was sunk it was stricken from the lists, and the name often re-issued within a matter of weeks. (See, Yorktown, Lexington, Hornet, etc.) The Arizona is still Military/Navy Property, and is considered a Memorial or Burial Site. Much the Same as Arlington National Cemetery. With personnel assigned to it.
Hey Ryan, I think the Park Service actually found the Arizona’s forward-most turret and 14” guns are still in place (even Wikipedia seems to think so, though I don’t trust it too much since my nephew “improved” an article on Catherine the Great’s sex life). Rare to catch you in a mistake, Dude, assuming I have! I’ve been enjoying the videos, thanks for making them.
Arizona is a national tomb that is why she still has the colors raised and lowered over her. Turret 1 with the 3 14 inch guns are still in place on the Arizona because it was thought it was destroyed when her powder magazine went off.
Dude, Sometimes it’s the little things. Thanks! When did I know that the Arizona was still commissioned? Not the correct question. The right question? When did I not know? Never. I really think I was born with it imprinted on my spirit.
The memorial visits are strictly monitored by the U.S. Navy. A uniformed sailor eyeballs everyone on the visitor transport boat before it sets off. There is a multi-language audio delivery before and after.
The memorial belongs to the National Park Service, not the US Navy. Yes, the US Navy provides the launches and they are crewed by active duty Sailors, but that's all they do.
In 1980, the visitor’s center was constructed, and the Navy turned the memorial over to the National Park Service (NPS) for daily operations. Although the NPS manages Arizona, the Navy and NHHC have been intimately involved from the start and continue to collaborate on a number of research and public education opportunities.
I have been to the Arizona and that ship is very holy ground. Oil still seeps one drip at a time from the oil bunkers. This young man does a great presentation and I really love the old battleships. The U.S. Constitution is the oldest and still in service with the naval academy. Our wonderful and great history.
I have what appears to be a reprint of a drawing, I assume for some kind of Publicity for Fleet Problem XIX, it says it was drawn from the quarterdeck of Arizona. What do you think would be the best way to find information on it, or the author?
The USS Arizona was not supposed to be at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. She was scheduled to be in Bremerton, WA. for a refit. However, due to a collision with the USS Oklahoma during night maneuvers, steel plate was being welded over Arizona’s damaged hull on December 7...I thought I had bad luck....
I guess it's one of those popular myths that have perpetuated and is quite a endearing notion; that she outlasted not only the Japanese (And every other battleship) despite her tragic circumstances. Perhaps you could answer a question related to this; on the Naval Register Website, it says that the US Navy retains Battleship Arizona's title (Even though she has been officially struck) and this is what permits her to fly the US flag. What does 'Retains the title' actual mean and is it different from other museum/memorial ships? The same isn't mentioned for USS Texas for example. Is this where the myth comes from perhaps? Technically, there is one "Battleship" (ie Ship of the line of battle) and that's HMS Victory...
It's sad that just across Ford island from the USS Arizona is the war grave of the USS Utah, sunk at the same time but doesn't get much if any recognition. Drachinifel just completed a detailed three-part RUclips series on the salvage effort following the Dec. 7th attack and each ships story there in.
Yeah, without a CAC (or a friend with one) its a nogo. But if you make it, you'll have the place to yourself, which is also a different experience from Arizona, which is equal parts war grave and tourist attraction. Part of the price for making it a National Park I guess, but some people just don't know how to behave properly!
I often hear nobody will look for Oklahoma because what sank was just her hulk on the way to the scrapyard, yet she was scheduled to arrive on Memorial Day and be met by hundreds of people, 500 from Oklahoma alone, to pay last respects to what they clearly still considered to be the ship. Curious what you think, as somebody who crawls through cableways, do you consider the hulk to be the ship, is it worth finding?
Lots of media, even today have unsubstantiated errors, some are intentional, some are not. Saw a book that told a story based on a newspaper interview. The interview information was first hand and correct, the reporter changed it slightly because it fit her story better, the book repeated the error based on the newspaper interview and now I guess it becomes fact. The author of the book didn't back track to contact the original source, which was me, and verify the facts. Read another book on another subject and the alleged facts read like a fantasy.
What is everyone's take on the notion that the oil that is leaking from her will end once the last of the survivors dies? Also if there are any active or retired service members here, thank you. I have a family member currently serving based out of California.
They have been talking about pumping out the remaining oil in the Arizonsa for literally decades but there are too problems -- 1) you have to keep the wreck stabilized and that means whatever gets pumped out, must be replenished with something else OR you let the surrounding seawater in which will corrode the wreck further. The Arizona WILL eventually collapse in on itself. That's a given; it's going to happen regardless of what gets done. You may accelerate the deterioration by doing work on the wreck without considering all the consequences of that work! 2) they have very limited money. And unless a site makes money, they're not gonna spend that money on a ship that is for all intents and purposes decommissioned and rests where it does because it's inconvenient to salvage it. Also, superstition or not, nobody in their right mind with an ounce of decency wants to touch a death ship... The money they spend at Pearl Harbor is on the dock area, lagoon, and the Memorial structures not the wrecks of the dead in the water. Those they try not to touch as much as they can. Yeah, the people inside are gone, the bodies are long disintegrated but that's not the point.
Although it would have become a hazard as time went on I always thought it would have had a greater impact on visitors if they had left the ship intact.
U.S. Navy still retains the title.[2] Arizona retains the right, in perpetuity, to fly the United States flag as if she were an active, commissioned naval vessel.[61] from Wiki
Honestly, I personally feel that the name, "USS Arizona" has such historical significance, due to the battleship and the Attack on Pearl Harbor, that it should be used for a Ford-class CVN instead of a submarine.
@@WALTERBROADDUS Depending on how long we continue to build the Ford-class CVNs, assuming we build enough for a 1-for-1 replacement of the current Nimitz-class, that's 11 Fords, total, and we only have 4 or 5 ordered and named. There's plenty of remaining ships to be able to have been named a new USS Arizona, ignoring the new Virginia-class Sub, at least.
The Navy would never break from their naming conventions. Subs are now the recipients of state names. If there were any ship in current use that might seem appropriate for the name it would be the Zumwalt class destroyers given their modernized resemblance to the basic shape of the Arizona, but once again there is an administrative reason for the nomenclature.
8:10 on the morning of August 6th 1945 in the city of Hiroshima the air raid observer reports three B 29's in view. The reply was it was only three planes, nothing to worry about as one B 29 had passed over the city about one hour earlier. Now Japan you know what is meant by "Remember Pearl Harbor".
68 Civilians died at Pearl Harbor. The results in Japan were vastly different. While it was certainly important that the Allies win the war on both fronts I believe some reflection is in order to the people who died, on all sides.
@@BrianHoff04 How many civilians were murdered by the Japanese in China, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, and many other countries? 5 million? 10 million? 20? No one will ever know for sure.
@@brucetucker4847 I don't disagree with your numbers. All civilian deaths in a war should be considered respectfully. However, you are the first person I've heard who used that as a reason for our decision. Revenge is a poor reason to justify something. Appropriate response is a better reason.
@@brucetucker4847 That's none of our concern. Also it wasn't japanese civilians killing those people. Some people are just psychos. Good thing a lot of you guys aren't long for this world, well maybe lol
When I was a kid, I was told that the Arizona was still in commission because her crew was still aboard. I believed it, but never really though about it. When I started watching this video I realized that a lot of sunken ships still had crew aboard, so what I was told didn't make sense. I never heard the story that she was still in commission because there were still sailors assigned to her to raise and lower the flag. Thanks for the history lesson.
The decision to grant namesakes for future ships is the call of naval command. They NEVER named another ship "Arizona" out of respect for what happened on December 7, 1941 and the fact they couldn't recommission this battleship. That said, there were plenty of ships sunk during World War II that DID in fact get namesakes! Three of the four surviving museum ships that are Essex-class aircraft carriers were named after ships sunk in combat. They are USS Lexington (CV-16), USS Yorktown (CV-10), and USS Hornet (CV-12). CV-16's predecessor was the second US aircraft carrier (Lexington, CV-2) built and a test ship of sorts for close to 2 decades. Its sister ship, USS Saratoga (CV-3), survived the war, was expended during one of the Bikini Atoll A-bomb tests, and had a successor in the second carrier of the Forrestal class, USS Saratoga (CV-60). Ironically, the wreck of CV-3 at Bikini Atoll outlasted its sucessor which was scrapped not that long ago. CV-16 itself was the main training carrier of the US Navy for close to 3 decades and decommissioned in 1991. CV-10 was named after the leadship of the Yorktown class of aircraft carriers, Yorktown (CV-5). The Yorktown class was only THE SECOND purpose-built class of aircraft carrier in the US fleet. CV-5 was sunk during the Battle of Midway but its sister ship, USS Enterprise (CV-6), survived the war and became the most decorated aircraft carrier is US Navy history. The Yorktown class itself was the basis for the design of the Essex-class carriers which were arguably the backbone of the US Navy's surface fleet for 3 decades. CV-12 was named after Hornet (CV-8), the third and last ship of the Yorktown Class. CV-8 was the carrier that launched the bombers that took part in the Doolittle raid that shocked the Japanese feeling of invincibility and raised American morale in early 1942. BTW, the wrecks of CV-5, CV-8, and CV-2 have been located in the last 3 decades. I think only the first US aircraft carrier's wreck, the USS Langley (CV-1), hasn't been located yet. That's the last major American carrier wreck from World War yet to be rediscovered. There may be other small carrier wrecks of light and escort carrier classes from the US Navy to be found but the Langley is the last significant name ship to be found.
The quick namesakes during WW2 were also to phycologically hammer the IJN that U.S. ship losses were easily made up while Japan struggled to reform air crews (which surprisingly they couldn’t) and build replacements for losses much less expand their fleet. The Doolittle raid forced the IJN to speed up and show its hand on building the outer defense ring that lead to Coral Sea (stopping the advance) and Midway (destroying their main carrier strike group and veteran aircrews) while several of newer carriers were being repaired from Coral Sea or working up for service.
How far underwater were the ships that were raised? And what was the process of doing so? Sounds really interesting to have a flooded battleship raised out of the water! Great video
Not very far at all. If you consider the photo of _Arizona_ at 5:58, that's about how deep any of them were. She's resting on the bottom there. Pearl is a shallow harbor at the best of times, and where the battleships were moored was barely deep enough for them to float, so when they sank, they settled to the bottom with substantial parts still above water (their superstructures if they were lucky, their bottoms if they capsized as _Oklahoma_ and _Utah_ did). Refloating those that sank upright involved patching holes and pumping out water, which, since they weren't completely submerged, was a fairly straightforward, if laborious, process. _Oklahoma_ was harder, since she had to be parbuckled (rolled over by traction on lines affixed from the side) first. They also tried parbuckling _Utah,_ but she dragged rather than rolling, and since she was obsolete and had little to no military value in wartime, the Navy deemed her not worth further effort to salvage.
Wow! I knew that they raised some ships and they got their revenge firing on the Japanese. But I didnt know the Arizona's gun got that chance too! Thank you!
There is no Rattlesnake Jack. If she was in commission she would be the oldest US Navy ship in commission and she would fly the Rattlesnake Jack. However, she doesn't even fly the Union Jack. I don't think it's in commission. Also, I believe the sailors involved in the Arizona Memorial are stationed aboard the memorial itself and not the ship itself.
I had never heard that urban rumor before, but it doesn't surprise me one bit. I worked for the park service on Alcatraz for two years, and heard SO many urban legends... What I'm curious about is why the navy didn't try to get rid of the ships after the war ended. I know what some of the ships weren't "that" badly damaged, and that, combined with the fact that they needed a lot of ships RIGHT NOW THIS SECOND because we're at war, it makes sense to try to re-float and repair what they can. Plus, the amount of time it takes to build new ships. It probably would've been quite difficult during such a major war to spend the time, money, and resources to re-float a ship you know is beyond repair. But after the war was over? Why not? That's what I don't understand.
I first saw Arizona still be in commission on the internet and seen it in various RUclips videos. Seen similar referring to other ships and submarines that have been lost with their crews referred to still being on "eternal patrol". Every Navy with any history is a lot more practical, the ship as mentioned is declared lost and stricken from the navy list. I did think that with the particularly heavy loss of life the name "Arizona" would never be used again. There never will be another "HMS Hood" although "HMS Prince of Wales" lives again.
@@marklivingstone3710 The Royal Navy website disagrees with you. Victory's name is reserved because it's still in use. Victory remains in commission. Fabulous ship to visit.
Unlike USS Constitution, Arizona is not perpetually in commission.[61] Arizona is under the control of the National Park Service, but the US Navy still retains the title.[1] Arizona retains the right, in perpetuity, to fly the United States flag as if she were an active, commissioned naval vessel
I had the honor of visiting Arizona in 2010, oddly accompanied by a Japanese co-worker friend. I mentioned that Arizona represented where the war started and Missouri represented where it ended. I see them as symbolic in that regard.
Its a naval vessel in a active base so navy does the ship side and the park is land side they also have the uss utah nearby almost in its original sunk position.
The concrete foundations are still there, though on land claimed by the military. (I think Battery Pennsylvania is inside the Marine base at Kaneohe but could be wrong) The original 8" turrets from Lexington and Saratoga were also repurposed on Oahu in a similar way. The barbettes and magazines can still be explored but are not maintained.
Ships like the New Jersey, the Missouri, the Iowa etc are a different situation, they were sold to private trusts and deregistered. but in the case of the arizona, it's a wartime grave, and companies have vied for salvor's rights to carve it up and sell off the metal. so the navy retained ownership to retain salvor's rights. and prevent a wartime grave from being carved up and sold off. one company even wanted to scrap the arizona and sell off commemorative gift box things that include metal from the ship. the navy kept her registered to deny everyone salvor's rights.
I thought there are no salvor's rights to a warship unless the navy involved allowed the action to occur (or couldn't stop it as in the case of the wrecks of the Battles of Java Sea). Something about the vessel being like a nation's embassy or consulate - it's the originators 'land' inside someone else's territory
My understanding is that a USN commissioned warship has to have a full-time crew AND make one official voyage per year. Accordingly, the USS CONSTITUTION each July 4 is towed out into Boston harbor with much ceremony, turned around and brought back to her berth, where she is docked with her other end facing the harbor so that she doesn't have one side constantly exposed to the sun. I believe the USS CONSTITUTION is the oldest commissioned warship in the world. (I understand the Royal Navy treats, or used to treat, on-land naval facilities as commissioned warships, so this voyage requirement can't apply to the RN. I don't know what the status of HMS VICTORY is. If she is considered "commissioned", then she, as a First Rate Ship of the Line, should rank as the oldest commissioned battleship in the world. (Drachinifel could probably swiftly tell me I am full of %(*^.)
The USS Constitution is described as the world's oldest commissioned warship that is "still afloat". The HMS Victory is also still commissioned and it is older than Constitution however it is in permanent dry dock and not afloat. The issue of floating versus not floating is the primary distinction between the two ships when discussing their commissioning status.
The idea of Arizona still on the rolls has been in my mind for over sixty years. I can't say how or when it was planted there but it made sense somehow because of the memorial and the notion of it being a tribute to the sacrifice of the lost Arizona sailors. It comes as a surprise that this is not the case.
Dude the haircut looks good you're sitting down so I can't tell if you got that weird cod peice still going. I'm loving your videos Man you're doing a great job on that ship you let us see areas that no one will ever see I'm sure. Again you're doing a great job man 👍⚒️
She’s not a battleship, but yes she is. USS Constitution is still commissioned, I believe she carries the the epithet of oldest commissioned warship still afloat
The "Pearl Harbor Story", a guide book to the Pearl Harbor attack by Captain W T Rice, USNR (Ret) published in 1965 and 1970 states on page 35 "The Navy considers the ARIZONA sentimentally in commission."
My wife's grandfather was a corpsman from the Ariszona he was on shore at church that day, it was one of seven ship's he served on during WW2 all were hit by the Japaneses the last was the USS Comfort. During the Korean War he was ordered back to sea duty at which time he killed himself because he couldn't take seeing any more of his shipmates killed like happened to every ship he served on during WW2.
I’m glad you are speaking of this I swear when I was a kid I heard it either on tv or read it in a book. But I was a kid believing this to be true. I am 59 years old and just now getting the truth thank you 😊
The many times when sailing into Pearl Harbour, the ship was brought to attention and USS Arizona, piped the same as passing a commissioned ship of a foreign ship. Now if the pipe was for her being a war grave I do not know. I Served 34 Years Full time Service in the Royal Australian Navy, 4 years reserve service. Visited Pearl Harbour twice for Rimpac
It’s a video game but Medal of Honor from like 2003-007 not for sure on the the game, but every time I play that game. I get the feeling of helplessness. Like no other video game scenario has done that to me. And it’s because of how they handled the attack on Pearl harbor. Probably not the most accurate recreation’s but it’s definitely kept Pearl Harbor on my mind.
There is a horrifying series - Mark Felton or Drachinifel - that documents the Navy's addressing the sunken ships from the Pearl attack. It;s fascinating and sickening. Can you imagine being the diver assigned to bring up bodies?
Understood; but - knowing how "tasking and assinmenment" work; who/what unit are the sailors assigned to raining and lowering the flag and sailing the launches to the wreck assinged to?
The USS Arizona is STILL ON THE US NAVY REGISTRY as a MUSEUM SHIP. her designation is BB39. in the 1950s it was decided to keep her on the registry as a museum ship so she could remain titled property which makes her not a deralyct which prevents companies from coming in and claiming salvor's rights. that also keeps the US Navy as custodian and sole salvor. further it was kept as a titled, US flagged vessel which makes boarding the wreck without commander permission an unlawful breech of federal property. It was over a court case in which a private company tried to obtain salvor's rights to the wreck. you're right, it's not registered as an active or inactive ship, It's registered as a museum ship. but yeah the navy still owns it, and the navy is sole salvor in possession. the only part of the ship that was sold for scrap was the superstructure and conning tower which was sold to the state of Arizona and is housed in a museum. and you can't have 2 ACTIVE ships with the same name BUT you can have an active and a museum ship with the same name.
I so wish I were rich. Looking at today’s tech billionaires who often have 30-100 billion dollars. I’d set up a national trust fund for select retired ships of exceptional historical significance with the goal that only income earned be used for maintaining the ships. In 50 years, such an endowment would designed to grow to meet or exceed inflation. I hate to say this, but I probably only maintain 2 of the 4 Missouri class ships. I definitely would support the Texas and other single ship preservation.
I am a 24 year veteran of the US Navy. I have not only visited the USS Arizona Memorial many times but I have known individuals assigned to the memorial. I did not find out, until about a year ago, that the battleship Arizona was not in commission and had not been for a long time. If it had not been for the announcement late last year of the Virginia Class submarine being named Arizona, I would have not found out until this video. I think the misconception by not only me but many of my shipmates, was not only the flag but rendering honors when we passed her.
![Kodak Black - Catch Fire [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/A4ch-olIuZo/mqdefault.jpg)
Dude, I would really love to see a co-podcast with you and Drachinifel. That would be super informative and entertaining.
We were supposed to do this in 2020 but ya know. So hopefully next year!
@@BattleshipNewJersey oh wow, I'm just happy to know you're on each other's radars. I very much look forward to that :)
@@BattleshipNewJersey !!!hype!!!
I was bout to say that
@@therocinante3443 I found this channel through Drach ;-).
Id always known that USS Arizona had been decommissioned shortly after the attack. Though id been told that the guns remained in her #1 turret, as not to leave her defenseless.
Ive always found it very fitting that her guns were eventually turned on her attacker in anger, and were able to take the fight back to Japan. I wish those #3 and #4 guns had similarly been mounted on another ship instead of becoming shore batteries though. Also find it very fitting that USS Missouri, where the war ended is there to stand guard over USS Arizona and her crew still serving aboard her.
If they can’t have two ships with the same name in commission, I guess the USS Constitution will be tge only one of the Original Six not to see one of the FFGXs named after it, although so far only Constellation, Congress, and Chesapeake have been used, President and United States still haven’t been assigned either.
The Missouri being placed like that brings tears to my eyes, and Im no military man in any way.
@@anthonybanchero3072 President probably would not anyway. It had a longer career as HMS President than she ever did as USS President (the British built an exact copy of her to taunt the US).
My great uncle is still sleeping on the Arizona. RIP
S*A*L*U*T*E and respect to your Uncle's service and sacrifice.
I held my first re-enlistment on USS Arizona Memorial September 1986.
@ScottNJ Thank you for your service as well.
Awesome, but didn't it get boring? How long is a tour on USS Arizona Memorial?
@@msromike123 The tour lasts approximately 30 minutes. A National Park Service member is giving tourists the story of the Pearl Harbor attack and history of the Memorial construction and current status of the Arizona itself. It never got boring. Thoughts of those who gave their lives and those who have passed on whose ashes are interred inside for eternity
@@RetiredSailor60 Thanks for that. We went on it and really enjoyed it. Guess I wasn't too clear. I meant how long is an enlisted sailor assigned to the USS Arizona Memorial as a normal tour assignment?
@@msromike123 I guess the normal tour of duty is 2 to 3 years as a member of the boat crew who ferry tourists to and from the Memorial...
Love this article Ryan. When Arizona's forward powder magazine exploded it destroyed the barbet under "A" Turret, what today would be called "Turret #1" and damaged the barbet under Turret #2 or "B" Turret. The roofless gunhouse of "B" Turret is still there, the upper edges of the side armor are still visible above the water. The "A" Turret gunhouse with its three 14" rifles is still there, resting more or less on what is left of the keel and barbet. The top of "X" Turret's barbet (#3 Turret) is also just above the surface of the water, the gunhouse was removed and later mounted in a fortification on Oahu as was the gunhouse from "Y" (#3) Turret. Those fortifications were finished just in time for the end of the war and the guns of one were fired shortly after the war ended. Those mounts were codenamed "Arizona" and "Pennsylvania." They were disarmed shortly afterward.
For quite a while it wasn't common knowledge that the rifles were still there or the gunhouse had survived in a recognizable condition until the Park Service and Navy did a detailed survey to chart the condition of the wreck in either the late 1980s or 1990s. It amazed a lot of people including me that the old girl still had some of her guns.
Wife and I visited the USS Arizona Memorial several times while we were both served four years on Oahu in the late 1970s. I actually worked on Pearl Harbor for my first 18 months on island, my wife was stationed on Ford Island for her last six months prior to her discharge.
I had the honor of visiting the Arizona 20 years ago. It was a very humbling experience. My father was a Navy Seabee and my uncle was a navy signalman, both in the Pacific theater in WWII.
It took many years for the 2 batteries to be built from the Arizona's guns. One was placed over by Diamond Head and the other over at Ewa. One was never finished and the other at Ewa only did test firing because as the US got closer to Japan, they slowed down the work. I think Diamond Head was 90% complete when the contract was cancelled in 1945 and never fired a shot. Getting those guns reactivated was not trivial. Salt water damage was extensive and all of the electronics and motors had to be rebuilt. Anyone wanting to read what happened to those guns, there is a book on the history of US coastal artillery going back to the Revolution. I think the spotters vault and a filled in turntable is still at Diamond Head. The battery at Ewa was pointed out to me during a tour, but I was not able to go see it up close. I don't know where the spotter vault was at Ewa. I am sure someone out there has way more detail on them than I do.
I'll admit this is the first I've heard about Arizona "being still in commission". I always thought it was decommissioned and stricken at some point but never knew when. Though it's easy to see how the idea came about, plus it being sunk there was no pomp and circumstance about the decommission and removal from the register.
The barrels/guns of turret #1 are still in place. Some of the superstructure, that was cut away, was dumped on Waipio Peninsula, and, I believe, is still there. As of Feb 2020, only 2 survivors were still alive, Lou Conter, and Ken Potts.
Theres a video on the remains from what was cut off and sitting on land.
hard to remove them as they’re at a steep angle bent downward and weren’t needed that badly as the other two turrets and the smaller guns were sufficient enough...
the other two turrets were removed and put to use, three of their guns even got relined and put to use by the USS Nevada so they got revenge
@@doomaster4 link?
Depending on how ambitious you want to get with your etymology, "battleship" once meant "line-of-battle ship", which HMS Victory was. Since Victory is still in commission(and technically the British flagship!), she could be argued as the last battleship, in some very non-standard sense of the term.
But Constitution was a frigate, not a battleship, so she wouldn't count.
I was thinking the same thing
Victory is is "first rate" ship of the line in 18th century naval terminology.
I've been aboard that "First rate ship of the line". That's what the navel guide told us she was.
So, I guess she's not a battleship after all. Nice try.
And the US Navy NEVER claimed the USS Constitution to be a battleship. Don t know where y'all got that idea.
@@whiterabbit-wo7hw Nobody said the USS Constitution was a battleship kiddo. You should read comments before you respond.
Thanks.
The Navy does still have an older commissioned warship - the USS Constitution.
And she is beautiful....
What about the Constellation?
@@Whitpusmc No. Only the Constitution and Pueblo
@Tin Man Nope, she now has twin MK 8 Block 2 50 GW reactors and her cannons have been retrofitted with rail guns firing saboted HE and AP shells left over from WW2 for both an explosive and kinetic kills.
She’s already stealthy but a new layer of the same aneotic coating used in the Virginia class subs has been added and a magneto hydrodynamic drive fitted. She can make 6 knots under sail and 38 with the magneto hydrodynamic drive and extendable carbon fiber hydrofoils. There’s only one issue related to crewing the ship to be solved before sea trials.
She sits in my town Boston. As kids growing up in the 60s we would go down to her dock. The sailors would let us on board and would take us around. We got to see much more than what they show the tours. Beautiful lady. I had the chance to sail on her when she sailed from Boston to Marblehead harbor for an over night. Best day ever.
If I get to visit America I would love to visit Hawaii and pay my respects at the Arizona memorial I may not be American but a sailor is a sailor regardless of where their from and these men deserve to have their memories honored and respected probably might even lay a poppy wreath if that's allowed. Lest we forget ~
It's Hawaii. So long as the wreath is organic, and not plastic, you are welcome to lay it or throw it to honor the Arizona and her crew. And know when you do, I've tagged a prayer on to the wreath.
Which nation do you sail for sailor?
@@proudamerican183 Unfortunately I'm just a civvie but I did serve 4 years in my countries air force branch of our cadet service. Due to my time in the cadets I understand and respect the importance of remembering our lost servicemen & servicewomen.
@@ogscarl3t375 Again, which nation?
@@proudamerican183 Aussie
This is the first I’m hearing of this rumor. When I graduated from college I minored in history and as a part of my minor core study I had to write a senior thesis. My thesis was on how aircraft carriers would supersede battleships as the new capital ship and modern naval warfare. In my research I covered many classes of battleships and their capabilities starting from the dreadnought to the standard type battleship which Arizona was a member of all the way up to the penultimate Iowa class and the never lay down Montana class. I was well aware that the Arizona was struck from the neighbor registry which you point out that date in this video. The new Virginia class attack subs are being slapped with state names the reason for this is unknown to me at this time however the lead ship of this class is Virginia the most recent as Arizona and there were several others I think the coolest thing the Navy has ever done is have the USS Missouri positioned with her guns pointing at the Arizona so that she can forever stand a silent protective visual over her fallen sister. Now people, before you try to get at me I did not say sister ship I said sister there are only four I will class battleships New Jersey is one of them Wisconsin and Missouri.
My parents were married on December 7, 1940. Dad was in the Army, but had leave on their first anniversary. They were interrupted at breakfast with the news on the radio that all military leaves were cancelled and they were to return to their post. While I was terrible with dates that I was expected to memorize in school - Pearl Harbor was never one I could forget. And I pray for all those that died that day, and all those that died later because of that day on every December 7th. May they all Rest in Peace Eternal.
The Arizona Will never be scrapped. It is a Hallowed Grave Yard containing the Remains of Many Sailors that Died from the Attack!
All NAVY Ships Passing it MUST RENDER HONORS!!
It's on the bucket list to visit Hawaii and the Arizona memorial.
@@TheBrakpan it is a very sobering experience. It is a military cemetary and full honors and respect at all times.
Have they figured out how to preserve it or is it still collasping?
Well, up to a few minutes ago when I heard you answer the question I thought it was still in commission.
I’m 53 and don’t remember when I heard that it’s still a commissioned ship.
Thanks for the video and the info!
Thank you. Nicely explained, as usual. RIP those poor souls.
USS ARIZONA IS MANNED ALTHOUGH THE SAILORS INSIDE THE SHIP ARE DEAD. ADMIRAL SAMUEL ELLIOT MORRISON WROTE A BOOK CALLED THE TWO OCEAN WAR. THE BOOK STATES THAT SHE WAS NOT DECOMMISSIONED BECAUSE SHE WAS MANNED.
I have so many memories of the Arizona, having been stationed in Pearl for the majority of time between 1979 - 1999. Standing quarterdeck watch on the ship, especially if we were moored down to Bravo 23, or 22, she was always in sight. If I wasn't on a sea duty tour, I was doing a shore or neutral tour over at a training command on Ford Island, and have to take either the small boat, or the ferry, and eventually right before I retired, the causeway over there, so I would always see her then too. Have been on her a couple of times as a visitor, and was hoping to visit her recently as my wife and I vacationed on Oahu earlier this month, but the ramp is having problems again so they are not taking any visitors out by boat right now. Hope they get it fixed soon. Anyways, those are my memories of the Arizona. Enjoyed the video as always Ryan, working my way through them. Great job.
Did you get to see BB-63 coming into Pearl before you retired? I've always found it rather tasteful the way she is docked, almost as if standing guard over USS Arizona and her crew.
Haven't had the chance to visit the memorial yet, but its high on my list of places to visit for sure.
Love your videos and the knowledge you share! When I am back out in the Northeast one of these days I'm going to make sure I stop by. Thank you
I once watched a mini documentary on the Arizona. I think it was in the 80's and the narrator said, "The Navy considers the Arizona - sentimentally - in commission"
While in the Navy in San Diego in 1971 I was stationed at the Naval Amphibious Base, Coronado. The base library obtained the newly published PEARL HARBOR: Why, How, Fleet Salvage, and final Appraisal which told the story of salvage and final dispositions of ships. Being the middle of a war the crews of all lost capital ships, particularly the carriers, would have wanted them to remain in commission- why just the Arizona? would have been the sentiment.
Just so ya know. These videos can never be to long. Personally I can never get enough history of this ship. You could point the camera at the floor for an hour and I would probably watch it. Thanks.
HMS Victory is the oldest commissioned warship still in service with 242 years as of 2020. She suffered many years of neglect and orders for her to be broken up were given a couple of times, but public outcry stopped that (possibly Admiral Hardy's wife) she's now a museum ship, but still has an Admiral's flag on her.
HMS Victory is not sea worthy and sits in drydock in Portsmouth, England. USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) is still floating. She is turned at her berthing space each year. The US Navy maintains a old growth parcel of land with White Oak trees in order to cut replacement timbers for USS Constitution.
They sell the flags they fly over the Arizona. We bought one when we lived on Oahu in the 90s. Great video
I visited Arizona about 7 years ago from Australia. A very sad and moving memorial I was tearing up for all those young sailors entombed within her.
I heard about it from my uncle, who used to captain for the tug and towing company that takes USS Constitution out and about for her brief "turnaround cruise" of Boston harbor, where they swing her 180 degrees and re-moor back at the dock. He told me that both ships are in active commission, though it appears that only USS Constitution is, of the two.
You're right there can only be one ship of the type with the same name on active or inactive commission at a time. The Arizona isn't commissioned as an active or reserve vessel, it was decommissioned but is maintained on registry as a museum ship to retain salvor's rights. and title. back in the day they had companies vying for salvage rights and they had a problem with rec. divers stealing artifacts from the wreck. it's not active, and it's not reserve but it's a titled, flagged ship. and it's treated like an active ship, which means putting on a wet suit and boarding the wreck can get you in serious trouble, it's like boarding an active ship. it is the long answer here. decommissioned but the Navy still owns it and they still give it a hull number, it is flagged and protected. and the navy is sole salvor in possession. basically the Arizona is no longer on commission but it's still owned by the navy. The debris field is also owned by the navy. anything taken from the debris field has to be turned over to the navy for replacement or placement in the memorial
Every war ship that sinks is still owned by the country it served. Prince of Wales and Repulse are British war ships and are being illegally scavenged by certain people. No one can claim salvors rights like an abandoned merchant ship. Military vessels are forever owned by their country of service.
Arizona is a war grave, which might have some bearing on the answer. Lest we forget.
Ryan, a brilliant presentation. Sincerely, thank you very much.
I still remember the day I had the privilege to go on the USS Arizona memorial when I was in my teens I started to tear up it was the best day of my life RIP to all the sailors still in the ship and to all the families who lost their loved ones during war and the ones killed in action proud son of a father who served in the army during the Vietnam war and a great grandson whose great grandfather served in the United States Marine Corps during WW2 as a Navajo code talker
I saw the Arizona as a kid in 1962. The flag I was presented at my retirement from the Navy after 27 years active duty was flown on the Arizona on my birthday 26 October 1992. It has a place of honor on our dining room wall.
If I recall correctly the Arizona and the Oklahoma were stricken from the Roll's when they were determined to be unsalvageable somewhere around '42-'43. Remember during the War nobody was thinking of these as "War Memorials" or "Monuments". When a ship was sunk it was stricken from the lists, and the name often re-issued within a matter of weeks. (See, Yorktown, Lexington, Hornet, etc.) The Arizona is still Military/Navy Property, and is considered a Memorial or Burial Site. Much the Same as Arlington National Cemetery. With personnel assigned to it.
Hey Ryan, I think the Park Service actually found the Arizona’s forward-most turret and 14” guns are still in place (even Wikipedia seems to think so, though I don’t trust it too much since my nephew “improved” an article on Catherine the Great’s sex life). Rare to catch you in a mistake, Dude, assuming I have! I’ve been enjoying the videos, thanks for making them.
Yes one of the forward guns is still intact
Arizona is a national tomb that is why she still has the colors raised and lowered over her. Turret 1 with the 3 14 inch guns are still in place on the Arizona because it was thought it was destroyed when her powder magazine went off.
Dude,
Sometimes it’s the little things.
Thanks!
When did I know that the Arizona was still commissioned?
Not the correct question.
The right question?
When did I not know?
Never.
I really think I was born with it imprinted on my spirit.
The memorial visits are strictly monitored by the U.S. Navy. A uniformed sailor eyeballs everyone on the visitor transport boat before it sets off. There is a multi-language audio delivery before and after.
The memorial belongs to the National Park Service, not the US Navy. Yes, the US Navy provides the launches and they are crewed by active duty Sailors, but that's all they do.
In 1980, the visitor’s center was constructed, and the Navy turned the memorial over to the National Park Service (NPS) for daily operations. Although the NPS manages Arizona, the Navy and NHHC have been intimately involved from the start and continue to collaborate on a number of research and public education opportunities.
I have been to the Arizona and that ship is very holy ground. Oil still seeps one drip at a time from the oil bunkers. This young man does a great presentation and I really love the old battleships. The U.S. Constitution is the oldest and still in service with the naval academy. Our wonderful and great history.
I have what appears to be a reprint of a drawing, I assume for some kind of Publicity for Fleet Problem XIX, it says it was drawn from the quarterdeck of Arizona. What do you think would be the best way to find information on it, or the author?
The USS Arizona was not supposed to be at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. She was scheduled to be in Bremerton, WA. for a refit. However, due to a collision with the USS Oklahoma during night maneuvers, steel plate was being welded over Arizona’s damaged hull on December 7...I thought I had bad luck....
Which explains why Vestal was alongside her.
I guess it's one of those popular myths that have perpetuated and is quite a endearing notion; that she outlasted not only the Japanese (And every other battleship) despite her tragic circumstances. Perhaps you could answer a question related to this; on the Naval Register Website, it says that the US Navy retains Battleship Arizona's title (Even though she has been officially struck) and this is what permits her to fly the US flag. What does 'Retains the title' actual mean and is it different from other museum/memorial ships? The same isn't mentioned for USS Texas for example. Is this where the myth comes from perhaps?
Technically, there is one "Battleship" (ie Ship of the line of battle) and that's HMS Victory...
It's sad that just across Ford island from the USS Arizona is the war grave of the USS Utah, sunk at the same time but doesn't get much if any recognition.
Drachinifel just completed a detailed three-part RUclips series on the salvage effort following the Dec. 7th attack and each ships story there in.
There is also a baby girl interred inside the Utah. interesting story.
The Utah isn't accessable to the public though. Only access is via the base on Ford Island, meaning you need military ID to get to it.
@@ionstorm66 good to know, thank you... ^~^
Yeah, without a CAC (or a friend with one) its a nogo. But if you make it, you'll have the place to yourself, which is also a different experience from Arizona, which is equal parts war grave and tourist attraction. Part of the price for making it a National Park I guess, but some people just don't know how to behave properly!
I have seen it being “in commission” mentioned in several written articles/books. Thank you for clarifying!
According to Wikipedia The Arizona was decommissioned on 29 December 1941. She is now a war grave.
As he explained, Decommissioned was not the final step as all of the damaged ships were decommissioned after the attack, and some returned to service.
I often hear nobody will look for Oklahoma because what sank was just her hulk on the way to the scrapyard, yet she was scheduled to arrive on Memorial Day and be met by hundreds of people, 500 from Oklahoma alone, to pay last respects to what they clearly still considered to be the ship. Curious what you think, as somebody who crawls through cableways, do you consider the hulk to be the ship, is it worth finding?
Finding? Let's try finding MH-370 first.
I think you enter a Ship of Theseus type thing here, what technically makes a hull a ship
@@WALTERBROADDUS
Walt, you probably think there's survivors! And who gives a rat's ass anyway? It wasn't an American fight
@@johneasler9967 Your humanity is just overwhelming...😏
An old children's book said that the ship was still commissioned.
Lots of media, even today have unsubstantiated errors, some are intentional, some are not. Saw a book that told a story based on a newspaper interview. The interview information was first hand and correct, the reporter changed it slightly because it fit her story better, the book repeated the error based on the newspaper interview and now I guess it becomes fact. The author of the book didn't back track to contact the original source, which was me, and verify the facts. Read another book on another subject and the alleged facts read like a fantasy.
Really? They probably confuse it with Constitution.
@@BigLisaFan
nothing msm says is believable. They lie to us all of the time
What is everyone's take on the notion that the oil that is leaking from her will end once the last of the survivors dies? Also if there are any active or retired service members here, thank you. I have a family member currently serving based out of California.
Sorry, still a lot of oil in the tanks still.
I realize this fact. But it has been a "thing" if that is the right term to use, for as long as I can remember.
They have been talking about pumping out the remaining oil in the Arizonsa for literally decades but there are too problems --
1) you have to keep the wreck stabilized and that means whatever gets pumped out, must be replenished with something else OR you let the surrounding seawater in which will corrode the wreck further.
The Arizona WILL eventually collapse in on itself. That's a given; it's going to happen regardless of what gets done. You may accelerate the deterioration by doing work on the wreck without considering all the consequences of that work!
2) they have very limited money. And unless a site makes money, they're not gonna spend that money on a ship that is for all intents and purposes decommissioned and rests where it does because it's inconvenient to salvage it. Also, superstition or not, nobody in their right mind with an ounce of decency wants to touch a death ship... The money they spend at Pearl Harbor is on the dock area, lagoon, and the Memorial structures not the wrecks of the dead in the water. Those they try not to touch as much as they can. Yeah, the people inside are gone, the bodies are long disintegrated but that's not the point.
Only 2 surviving crew members from the arizona left...imagine the storys they could tell....
@@AvengerII hate to say it but they need to think of the surrounding environment. It's an ecological disaster waiting to happen.
Although it would have become a hazard as time went on I always thought it would have had a greater impact on visitors if they had left the ship intact.
U.S. Navy still retains the title.[2] Arizona retains the right, in perpetuity, to fly the United States flag as if she were an active, commissioned naval vessel.[61] from Wiki
Honestly, I personally feel that the name, "USS Arizona" has such historical significance, due to the battleship and the Attack on Pearl Harbor, that it should be used for a Ford-class CVN instead of a submarine.
Names for the Ford class have names already.
@@WALTERBROADDUS Depending on how long we continue to build the Ford-class CVNs, assuming we build enough for a 1-for-1 replacement of the current Nimitz-class, that's 11 Fords, total, and we only have 4 or 5 ordered and named. There's plenty of remaining ships to be able to have been named a new USS Arizona, ignoring the new Virginia-class Sub, at least.
The Navy would never break from their naming conventions. Subs are now the recipients of state names. If there were any ship in current use that might seem appropriate for the name it would be the Zumwalt class destroyers given their modernized resemblance to the basic shape of the Arizona, but once again there is an administrative reason for the nomenclature.
@@donfeeney6153 Actually they have broken the name rules many times. The New Arizona and Oklahoma will be Virginia class subs.
Because the Navy wants to recognize the significance of the Arizona by naming it after a
Thank You Ryan, as usual, very interesting. I believe it was just an old wives tale that the Arizona was still in commission.
8:10 on the morning of August 6th 1945 in the city of Hiroshima the air raid observer reports three B 29's in view. The reply was it was only three planes, nothing to worry about as one B 29 had passed over the city about one hour earlier. Now Japan you know what is meant by "Remember Pearl Harbor".
They started it, we finished it and obummer apologized about it
68 Civilians died at Pearl Harbor. The results in Japan were vastly different. While it was certainly important that the Allies win the war on both fronts I believe some reflection is in order to the people who died, on all sides.
@@BrianHoff04 How many civilians were murdered by the Japanese in China, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, and many other countries? 5 million? 10 million? 20? No one will ever know for sure.
@@brucetucker4847 I don't disagree with your numbers. All civilian deaths in a war should be considered respectfully. However, you are the first person I've heard who used that as a reason for our decision. Revenge is a poor reason to justify something. Appropriate response is a better reason.
@@brucetucker4847 That's none of our concern. Also it wasn't japanese civilians killing those people. Some people are just psychos. Good thing a lot of you guys aren't long for this world, well maybe lol
The phrase you were looking for is "scuttle butt"....
Calling it now: the video will be 2 seconds long and feature a single syllable.
We're also going to get into where the myth came from!
I hadn't heard or considered this possibility 'til you raised it, but I knew the answer would be interesting.
It all came down to Salvor's rights and the Navy didn't want anyone claiming it a derelict and obtaining a salvage title.
Urban myth, is the term your looking for.
or urban legend is sometimes used
Scuttlebutt, Sea Story are the words you’re looking for.
Simply myth is fine. Nothing really urban about it/
When I was a kid, I was told that the Arizona was still in commission because her crew was still aboard. I believed it, but never really though about it.
When I started watching this video I realized that a lot of sunken ships still had crew aboard, so what I was told didn't make sense.
I never heard the story that she was still in commission because there were still sailors assigned to her to raise and lower the flag.
Thanks for the history lesson.
The decision to grant namesakes for future ships is the call of naval command.
They NEVER named another ship "Arizona" out of respect for what happened on December 7, 1941 and the fact they couldn't recommission this battleship.
That said, there were plenty of ships sunk during World War II that DID in fact get namesakes!
Three of the four surviving museum ships that are Essex-class aircraft carriers were named after ships sunk in combat. They are USS Lexington (CV-16), USS Yorktown (CV-10), and USS Hornet (CV-12).
CV-16's predecessor was the second US aircraft carrier (Lexington, CV-2) built and a test ship of sorts for close to 2 decades. Its sister ship, USS Saratoga (CV-3), survived the war, was expended during one of the Bikini Atoll A-bomb tests, and had a successor in the second carrier of the Forrestal class, USS Saratoga (CV-60). Ironically, the wreck of CV-3 at Bikini Atoll outlasted its sucessor which was scrapped not that long ago. CV-16 itself was the main training carrier of the US Navy for close to 3 decades and decommissioned in 1991.
CV-10 was named after the leadship of the Yorktown class of aircraft carriers, Yorktown (CV-5). The Yorktown class was only THE SECOND purpose-built class of aircraft carrier in the US fleet. CV-5 was sunk during the Battle of Midway but its sister ship, USS Enterprise (CV-6), survived the war and became the most decorated aircraft carrier is US Navy history. The Yorktown class itself was the basis for the design of the Essex-class carriers which were arguably the backbone of the US Navy's surface fleet for 3 decades.
CV-12 was named after Hornet (CV-8), the third and last ship of the Yorktown Class. CV-8 was the carrier that launched the bombers that took part in the Doolittle raid that shocked the Japanese feeling of invincibility and raised American morale in early 1942.
BTW, the wrecks of CV-5, CV-8, and CV-2 have been located in the last 3 decades. I think only the first US aircraft carrier's wreck, the USS Langley (CV-1), hasn't been located yet. That's the last major American carrier wreck from World War yet to be rediscovered. There may be other small carrier wrecks of light and escort carrier classes from the US Navy to be found but the Langley is the last significant name ship to be found.
The quick namesakes during WW2 were also to phycologically hammer the IJN that U.S. ship losses were easily made up while Japan struggled to reform air crews (which surprisingly they couldn’t) and build replacements for losses much less expand their fleet.
The Doolittle raid forced the IJN to speed up and show its hand on building the outer defense ring that lead to Coral Sea (stopping the advance) and Midway (destroying their main carrier strike group and veteran aircrews) while several of newer carriers were being repaired from Coral Sea or working up for service.
How far underwater were the ships that were raised? And what was the process of doing so? Sounds really interesting to have a flooded battleship raised out of the water! Great video
See the Drachinifel channel. He just put up a 3 part video on the salvage operations post attack.
Pearl Harbor is relatively "shallow" body of water. Not more than 200ft or so
Not very far at all. If you consider the photo of _Arizona_ at 5:58, that's about how deep any of them were. She's resting on the bottom there. Pearl is a shallow harbor at the best of times, and where the battleships were moored was barely deep enough for them to float, so when they sank, they settled to the bottom with substantial parts still above water (their superstructures if they were lucky, their bottoms if they capsized as _Oklahoma_ and _Utah_ did).
Refloating those that sank upright involved patching holes and pumping out water, which, since they weren't completely submerged, was a fairly straightforward, if laborious, process. _Oklahoma_ was harder, since she had to be parbuckled (rolled over by traction on lines affixed from the side) first. They also tried parbuckling _Utah,_ but she dragged rather than rolling, and since she was obsolete and had little to no military value in wartime, the Navy deemed her not worth further effort to salvage.
Wow! I knew that they raised some ships and they got their revenge firing on the Japanese. But I didnt know the Arizona's gun got that chance too! Thank you!
Does the Arizona have cathodic protection to preserve the wreck?
Love your models.
There is no Rattlesnake Jack. If she was in commission she would be the oldest US Navy ship in commission and she would fly the Rattlesnake Jack.
However, she doesn't even fly the Union Jack. I don't think it's in commission.
Also, I believe the sailors involved in the Arizona Memorial are stationed aboard the memorial itself and not the ship itself.
I had never heard that urban rumor before, but it doesn't surprise me one bit. I worked for the park service on Alcatraz for two years, and heard SO many urban legends...
What I'm curious about is why the navy didn't try to get rid of the ships after the war ended. I know what some of the ships weren't "that" badly damaged, and that, combined with the fact that they needed a lot of ships RIGHT NOW THIS SECOND because we're at war, it makes sense to try to re-float and repair what they can. Plus, the amount of time it takes to build new ships. It probably would've been quite difficult during such a major war to spend the time, money, and resources to re-float a ship you know is beyond repair. But after the war was over? Why not? That's what I don't understand.
So the sailors assigned to it, do they get anything that signifies they were assured to the USS Arizona?
I first saw Arizona still be in commission on the internet and seen it in various RUclips videos. Seen similar referring to other ships and submarines that have been lost with their crews referred to still being on "eternal patrol". Every Navy with any history is a lot more practical, the ship as mentioned is declared lost and stricken from the navy list. I did think that with the particularly heavy loss of life the name "Arizona" would never be used again. There never will be another "HMS Hood" although "HMS Prince of Wales" lives again.
Sorry David, incorrect, there is an HMS Hood currently in the Royal Navy. The only ‘reserved’ ship name in the RN is HMS Victory.
@@marklivingstone3710 The Royal Navy website disagrees with you. Victory's name is reserved because it's still in use. Victory remains in commission. Fabulous ship to visit.
“has happened in the past when older ships were renamed”
USS Constitution dodged a bullet, it almost lost its name to a battlecruiser
Unlike USS Constitution, Arizona is not perpetually in commission.[61] Arizona is under the control of the National Park Service, but the US Navy still retains the title.[1] Arizona retains the right, in perpetuity, to fly the United States flag as if she were an active, commissioned naval vessel
I had the honor of visiting Arizona in 2010, oddly accompanied by a Japanese co-worker friend. I mentioned that Arizona represented where the war started and Missouri represented where it ended. I see them as symbolic in that regard.
No, USS Arizona is stricken from the record as a Commissioned BB.
Decommissioned December 29, 1941.
@@richardlahan7068 Richard. Appreciate you reply! Thank you for providing the date she was decommissioned.
What make is the model of HMS Dreadnaught on the shelf behind you?
It has been stricken so it obviously can't still be in commission. What is done is out of respect for what happened, not for still being in service.
Question...I don't know if you've covered it previously, but does a local ham radio club operate a station aboard New Jersey?
We do have our own radio club, here is their website on how to tune in: www.nj2bb.org/
I thought the US Park Service did the tours , and ceremonies on the USS Arizona.
Its a naval vessel in a active base so navy does the ship side and the park is land side they also have the uss utah nearby almost in its original sunk position.
Awesome video again. Do you know what happened to batteries Pennsylvania and Arizona? I’ve never seen a picture of them before, so thank you for that!
I head that one of the main batteries from Arizona was incorporated into a shore based battery on Hawaii. No idea what happened to it after the war.
The concrete foundations are still there, though on land claimed by the military. (I think Battery Pennsylvania is inside the Marine base at Kaneohe but could be wrong)
The original 8" turrets from Lexington and Saratoga were also repurposed on Oahu in a similar way. The barbettes and magazines can still be explored but are not maintained.
Curious about the USS Arizona . Mary Babiec Pawtucket , Rhode Island
How did I hear about it? Well just now, from this channel at the start of this video.
Ships like the New Jersey, the Missouri, the Iowa etc are a different situation, they were sold to private trusts and deregistered. but in the case of the arizona, it's a wartime grave, and companies have vied for salvor's rights to carve it up and sell off the metal. so the navy retained ownership to retain salvor's rights. and prevent a wartime grave from being carved up and sold off. one company even wanted to scrap the arizona and sell off commemorative gift box things that include metal from the ship. the navy kept her registered to deny everyone salvor's rights.
I thought there are no salvor's rights to a warship unless the navy involved allowed the action to occur (or couldn't stop it as in the case of the wrecks of the Battles of Java Sea). Something about the vessel being like a nation's embassy or consulate - it's the originators 'land' inside someone else's territory
My understanding is that a USN commissioned warship has to have a full-time crew AND make one official voyage per year. Accordingly, the USS CONSTITUTION each July 4 is towed out into Boston harbor with much ceremony, turned around and brought back to her berth, where she is docked with her other end facing the harbor so that she doesn't have one side constantly exposed to the sun. I believe the USS CONSTITUTION is the oldest commissioned warship in the world. (I understand the Royal Navy treats, or used to treat, on-land naval facilities as commissioned warships, so this voyage requirement can't apply to the RN. I don't know what the status of HMS VICTORY is. If she is considered "commissioned", then she, as a First Rate Ship of the Line, should rank as the oldest commissioned battleship in the world. (Drachinifel could probably swiftly tell me I am full of %(*^.)
I always thought Victory was still on the books as a ship of the line👍👍👍
The USS Constitution is described as the world's oldest commissioned warship that is "still afloat". The HMS Victory is also still commissioned and it is older than Constitution however it is in permanent dry dock and not afloat. The issue of floating versus not floating is the primary distinction between the two ships when discussing their commissioning status.
@@joevignolor4u949 Thank you for clarifying the HMS VICTORY's status.
The idea of Arizona still on the rolls has been in my mind for over sixty years. I can't say how or when it was planted there but it made sense somehow because of the memorial and the notion of it being a tribute to the sacrifice of the lost Arizona sailors. It comes as a surprise that this is not the case.
Dude the haircut looks good you're sitting down so I can't tell if you got that weird cod peice still going.
I'm loving your videos Man you're doing a great job on that ship you let us see areas that no one will ever see I'm sure.
Again you're doing a great job man 👍⚒️
I visited the Arizona Memorial back in the late ‘80’s. Oil was still bubbling up from the wreck. I wonder if that’s still the case today?
Oldest warship still in commision - HMS Victory in the UK
I do not think the victory is commissioned. Afloat maybe?, in active service, I believe not. But I could be mistaken.
@@andrewcox4386 If I remember correctly, HMS Royal Oak is still commissioned, thus making her the longest serving Dreadnought.
@@fouloleron2002 I don't think she is still in commission, she is a war grave which is something different
I think that HMS Victory is still commissioned in the Royal Navy and she is over 200 years old (although she'll never sail again).
She’s not a battleship, but yes she is. USS Constitution is still commissioned, I believe she carries the the epithet of oldest commissioned warship still afloat
The "Pearl Harbor Story", a guide book to the Pearl Harbor attack by Captain W T Rice, USNR (Ret) published in 1965 and 1970 states on page 35 "The Navy considers the ARIZONA sentimentally in commission."
My wife's grandfather was a corpsman from the Ariszona he was on shore at church that day, it was one of seven ship's he served on during WW2 all were hit by the Japaneses the last was the USS Comfort. During the Korean War he was ordered back to sea duty at which time he killed himself because he couldn't take seeing any more of his shipmates killed like happened to every ship he served on during WW2.
I’m glad you are speaking of this I swear when I was a kid I heard it either on tv or read it in a book. But I was a kid believing this to be true. I am 59 years old and just now getting the truth thank you 😊
The many times when sailing into Pearl Harbour, the ship was brought to attention and USS Arizona, piped the same as passing a commissioned ship of a foreign ship.
Now if the pipe was for her being a war grave I do not know.
I Served 34 Years Full time Service in the Royal Australian Navy, 4 years reserve service.
Visited Pearl Harbour twice for Rimpac
Those are some really cool models you have. Where did you get them?
Thank you for the video. This made me think of the USS Pueblo (AGER-2) still commissioned?
It’s a video game but Medal of Honor from like 2003-007 not for sure on the the game, but every time I play that game. I get the feeling of helplessness. Like no other video game scenario has done that to me. And it’s because of how they handled the attack on Pearl harbor.
Probably not the most accurate recreation’s but it’s definitely kept Pearl Harbor on my mind.
There is a horrifying series - Mark Felton or Drachinifel - that documents the Navy's addressing the sunken ships from the Pearl attack. It;s fascinating and sickening. Can you imagine being the diver assigned to bring up bodies?
I don't think I ever heard anything about it until today.
I had heard and believed the myth too, thanks for setting us all straight.
Scuttlebutt, Ryan. The word you were looking for is scuttlebutt.
What scale are those models and are they kits or scratch built? They look to be on different scales one of them looks to be HMS dreadnought
'Raising Arizona' was one of Nicholas Cage's greatest movies.
Good job, _Oklahoma._ Sinking while being towed to the breakers is the second-best exit for a warship after being sunk in action.
Understood; but - knowing how "tasking and assinmenment" work; who/what unit are the sailors assigned to raining and lowering the flag and sailing the launches to the wreck assinged to?
The USS Arizona is STILL ON THE US NAVY REGISTRY as a MUSEUM SHIP. her designation is BB39. in the 1950s it was decided to keep her on the registry as a museum ship so she could remain titled property which makes her not a deralyct which prevents companies from coming in and claiming salvor's rights. that also keeps the US Navy as custodian and sole salvor. further it was kept as a titled, US flagged vessel which makes boarding the wreck without commander permission an unlawful breech of federal property. It was over a court case in which a private company tried to obtain salvor's rights to the wreck. you're right, it's not registered as an active or inactive ship, It's registered as a museum ship. but yeah the navy still owns it, and the navy is sole salvor in possession. the only part of the ship that was sold for scrap was the superstructure and conning tower which was sold to the state of Arizona and is housed in a museum. and you can't have 2 ACTIVE ships with the same name BUT you can have an active and a museum ship with the same name.
I so wish I were rich. Looking at today’s tech billionaires who often have 30-100 billion dollars. I’d set up a national trust fund for select retired ships of exceptional historical significance with the goal that only income earned be used for maintaining the ships. In 50 years, such an endowment would designed to grow to meet or exceed inflation.
I hate to say this, but I probably only maintain 2 of the 4 Missouri class ships. I definitely would support the Texas and other single ship preservation.
I am a 24 year veteran of the US Navy. I have not only visited the USS Arizona Memorial many times but I have known individuals assigned to the memorial. I did not find out, until about a year ago, that the battleship Arizona was not in commission and had not been for a long time. If it had not been for the announcement late last year of the Virginia Class submarine being named Arizona, I would have not found out until this video. I think the misconception by not only me but many of my shipmates, was not only the flag but rendering honors when we passed her.
she was decommissioned in December 1941