Why Was the USS Arizona Never Raised?
On December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor, on the island of Oahu, was the site of a surprise attack that resulted in the loss of more than 2,400 lives. The primary targets of the Imperial Japanese Navy were the battleships moored along Battleship Row. Among them was USS Arizona (BB-39). The mighty warship suffered severe damage that resulted in her sinking to the bottom of Pearl Harbor, becoming a watery grave with hundreds of men trapped within. Today, the wreckage of USS Arizona still sits at the bottom of the harbor.
The USS Arizona Memorial highlights the importance of remembering the mighty warships of the Pacific, the events of December 7, 1941, and the men who gave their lives that day. Due to the extensive damage caused by the attack, raising the USS Arizona and repairing her for service wasn’t a viable option so she was left where she sank.
What Was the USS Arizona?
The USS Arizona (BB-39) was a 31,400 ton Pennsylvania-class battleship of the United States Navy, commissioned in 1916. This was one of the most heavily-armed ships found in the Navy at the time with 12 45-caliber 14-inch guns in triple gun turrets. She stayed within the confines of United States territory throughout WWI, but escorted President Woodrow Wilson to the Paris Peace Conference in 1918.
From 1929-1931 the USS Arizona received major upgrades to her armament and appearance before taking President Herbert Hoover to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands for a working vacation. After testing these modernizations she continued on to the Pacific to work with the Battle Fleet. Starting in 1940, she was stationed at Pearl Harbor’s “Battleship Row.” This is where the ship resided on the morning of December 7, 1941 when the base was attacked. She tragically sank with around 1100 of her faithful crew members and still sits covered in about 40 feet of water.
How Did the USS Arizona Sink?
The USS Arizona was hit with multiple bombs during the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941. One of these bombs landed near her armored deck which stored and protected the ship’s magazines. Though the bomb didn’t actually enter the magazine, it resulted in a colossal explosion which irreparably damaged the ship, causing her to sink to the bottom of the ocean and burn for over 2 days.
Some experts believe this explosion was due to gunpowder that may have been stored outside the armor room. We’ll never know the exact reason for the size of the blast and all witnesses were devastatingly submerged with her.
Why the USS Arizona Was Never Raised
As you stand aboard the USS Arizona Memorial, built directly over the sunken battleship, and gaze down at the rusting hulk, you may wonder if she will ever be raised from her resting place on the seafloor . Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the short answer is no; raising the USS Arizona is not currently being considered and she’ll likely remain submerged in the harbor until she completely erodes down to nothing.
Though the continuous oil leak—droplets known as the "Black Tears of the Arizona"— from the vessel raised environmental concerns, the decision was made to let her remain at the bottom of the harbor. Considering the hundreds of men who were trapped aboard the ship when she sank, it was deemed more respectful to leave them entombed in the submerged vessel.
Black Tears of the Arizona
The wreckage of USS Arizona is structurally much weaker than it was when the ship initially sank, meaning even attempting to pull her from the water would cause significant damage. She would simply fall to pieces. With every year she remains in the water, Arizona becomes more and more compromised as rust eats away at her metal components. She will eventually erode to a degree where she’s largely unrecognizable, but with the current rate of corrosion, that will be quite some time.
Is the USS Arizona Still Leaking Oil?
The USS Arizona oil leak is still occuring over 70 years after the attack and will likely continue for around 500 years. Though it’s difficult to measure, experts believe around 14,000-64,000 gallons of oil have leaked from the ship since it sank at a rate of around 2-9 quarts per day. The ship still holds a significant amount of oil as it was refilled the day before the attack.
USS Arizona Today
Today and for the foreseeable future, the remains of USS Arizona will stay on the floor of Pearl Harbor, exactly where the mighty battleship sank, taking 1,177 of her men with her. In the years since, even more of her crewmen have chosen to have their remains interred within the wreckage, rejoining their long-lost shipmates. Travelers come from all over the world to see the sunken battleship and the beautiful memorial above. Book a tour to learn more about the history and significance of the USS Arizona and visit her final resting place.
