Why Was the USS Utah Never Raised-- Part 3: Expense and Obsolete

After the attack, efforts were made to salvage the USS Utah and return it to service.  However, it was quickly determined that the damage to the ship was too extensive and that raising it would be  difficult and expensive.

The Utah was an older battleship, having been commissioned in 1911, and its design and construction made it less suitable for  salvage than some of the newer battleships that had been sunk.  The ship's position on the bottom of the harbor also made it difficult to access and  work on.

In addition to the practical difficulties of salvaging the Utah, there were strategic considerations thast weighed against the effort.  In the early years of the war, the U.S. Navy was still building up its naval forces and was focused on  more pressing  priorities, such as building new ships and training new sailors.

The ship was already old and obsolete.  After all, it was a target ship by then.

--GreGen