Pearl Harbor capital ship casualties

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Karl Heidenreich
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Pearl Harbor capital ship casualties

Post by Karl Heidenreich »

As far as I know the only two fatal and lethal casualties from Yamamoto´s attack to Pearl Harbor were: Arizona and Oklahoma. The rest of ships were refloated. Is this correct?

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Post by Bgile »

Oklahoma was refloated, but wasn't considered worth repairing and was scrapped. Utah, an old battleship serving as a gunnery target ship, was also a total loss and like Arizona is sitting on the bottom of Pearl Harbor today.

But you are essentially correct.
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Re: Pearl Harbor capital ship casualties

Post by Tiornu »

You could add Cassin and especially Downes to the list. Administratively they were not lost, but in the real world, there was little left. I do think their machinery survived, and that was significant.
Most of Shaw survived. There are some great pix at the NHC showing her temporary repairs. Here:
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-u ... d373-m.htm
Pretty freaky, eh?
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_Derfflinger_
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Post by _Derfflinger_ »

Bgile wrote:Oklahoma was refloated, but wasn't considered worth repairing and was scrapped. Utah, an old battleship serving as a gunnery target ship, was also a total loss and like Arizona is sitting on the bottom of Pearl Harbor today.
USS Oklahoma, BB-37, was stripped down to her hull at Pearl in 1943, from where the hulk sat out the rest of war. In 1946 she was sold for salvage, and was towed back to the mainland in May, 1947. On the way back to San Francisco, she foundered and sank while under tow, 5/17/47.

Derf
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Post by Bgile »

_Derfflinger_ wrote:
Bgile wrote:Oklahoma was refloated, but wasn't considered worth repairing and was scrapped. Utah, an old battleship serving as a gunnery target ship, was also a total loss and like Arizona is sitting on the bottom of Pearl Harbor today.
USS Oklahoma, BB-37, was stripped down to her hull at Pearl in 1943, from where the hulk sat out the rest of war. In 1946 she was sold for salvage, and was towed back to the mainland in May, 1947. On the way back to San Francisco, she foundered and sank while under tow, 5/17/47.

Derf
I stand corrected. :)
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_Derfflinger_
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Post by _Derfflinger_ »

Bgile - No correction needed. I just wanted to fill in the details.

Derf
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Gary
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Post by Gary »

I assume most of you guys will have seen this photo but for those that havent......

The hulk of the Oklahoma next to Wisconsin
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Post by _Derfflinger_ »

Gary wrote:I assume most of you guys will have seen this photo but for those that havent......

The hulk of the Oklahoma next to Wisconsin
Gary - Quite a difference!

And, of course, the location where USS Missouri is berthed at Pearl today is just where USS Oklahoma, outboard, and USS Maryland, inboard, were berthed on December 7, 1941. The Mighty Mo's hull is right over the spot where Oklahoma capsized.

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Gary
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Post by Gary »

Hi Derfflinger.

Yes it never ceases to amaze me how the Americans re-floated the "old" battleships after Pearl Harbour.

1st class engineering :clap:
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Post by ostriker »

Gary wrote:Hi Derfflinger.

Yes it never ceases to amaze me how the Americans re-floated the "old" battleships after Pearl Harbour.

1st class engineering :clap:
Yes !!! :clap: :clap:

Another interesting one is the Italian BB Leonardo Da Vinci...
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Post by Tiornu »

For anyone overflowing with zeal for this topic, the SNAME Transactions Vol 52 (1944) has a 70-page analysis of the Oklahoma salvage loaded with pictures.
The same volume has an article on the Iowa launching. Something old, something new.
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Post by _Derfflinger_ »

And, there is a decent book on the topic:

Resurrection, Salvaging the Battle Fleet at Pearl Harbor

by Daniel Madsen, USNI Press, 2003

Derf
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Post by Tiornu »

You can also look for Pearl Harbor: Why, How, Fleet Salvage and Final Appraisal by Homer Wallin, who was in charge of much of the salvage work.
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Post by MJQ »

_Derfflinger_ wrote:And, of course, the location where USS Missouri is berthed at Pearl today is just where USS Oklahoma, outboard, and USS Maryland, inboard, were berthed on December 7, 1941. The Mighty Mo's hull is right over the spot where Oklahoma capsized.
When you stand on the Missouri's deck, looking out over the harbor toward the Navy Yard, you can see why Oklahoma was savaged by torpedoes. She was moored in the "sweet spot" for the Kates who swooped in over the Navy Yard to release their fish.
Martin
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Post by _Derfflinger_ »

Tiornu wrote:You can also look for Pearl Harbor: Why, How, Fleet Salvage and Final Appraisal by Homer Wallin, who was in charge of much of the salvage work.
Tiornu -

Thanks! I ordered a copy of this book via Amazon.com today.

Derf
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