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.

Saturday, April 8, 2023

Why Did They Leave the USS Arizona Underwater-- Part 2:

The USS Arizona was a Pennsylvania-class battleship commissioned by the U.S. Navy in 1916.  At the time, it was one of the most powerful warships in the world.  It had twelve 14-inch guns (three each in four turrets).

It saw action in World War I and in the years following the war served as a training ship and was modernized on several occasions  to keep pace with new develoments in naval architecture.

Sadly, its most  significant moment in history came at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, when it was struck by several bombs, one of which exploded in a forward magazine causing a huge explosion.

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THE BOMB

The Japanese had turned an obsolete  16 inch shell from a Nagato-class battleship into a special bomb.  They also had  modified obsolete  Type 88 shells in 1939-1940 to create the Type 99 Number 80 Mk 5 armor piercing bomb.

You really need to look at this articles for pictures and other information.

--GreGen


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