The third bomb struck the bridge. Fire broke out, attributed to a rupture in the fuel tanks.
The Shaw might have come under attack in the second wave because of the proximity of the battleship USS Nevada, which had gotten underway and ran aground nearby.
The flames were out of control and abandon ship was ordered. Water was not available to fight the fires.When the fire hit the forward magazine, there was a huge explosion (the one often shown in battle photos) It severed the bow off and sank the drydock.
The fire was made even hotter from the fuel oil and the wooden blocking under the ship in the drydock.
Twenty-four lost their lives.
temporary repairs were made in Pearl Harbor after the attack and the Shaw made its way to San Francisco where the bow was replaced and repairs made in June 1943, and the destroyer returned to service at New Guinea and the Philippines.
The YDF-2 was raised and restored to use, rejoining the fleet in May 1942.
The Story of a Dock and a Destroyer. --GreGen
The USS North Carolina (BB-55) My all-time favorite warship. As an elementary school student in North Carolina, I donated nickels and dimes to save this ship back in the early sixties.
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