Pearl Harbor Ships
Learn about the history of the Pearl Harbor ships stationed in Oahu during the Japanese attack:
Built for and by the United States Navy, the USS Arizona Battleship (BB-39) was built in the mid-1910s. During the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941, the USS Arizona Battleship was bombed.
The USS Arizona Battleship exploded and sank, killing 1,177 officers and crewmen. Many of the other ships involved in the Pearl Harbor attack were able to be salvaged, but not the USS Arizona. While the Navy did remove parts of the ship for reuse, the wreck of the USS Arizona Battleship still lies at the bottom of Pearl Harbor.
The USS Arizona Memorial, dedicated on May 30th, 1962 to all those who died during the attack, straddles the ship’s hull.
Learn about the Pearl Harbor history with these photos of the USS Arizona Battleship.
USS California Battleship (BB-44) was the fifth ship of the United States Navy named in honor of California.
The USS California Battleship was sunk in the attack on Pearl Harbor, but managed to be salvaged and reconstructed like many other ships on Battleship Row.
The USS California served again for the remainder of World War II before being decommissioned in 1947.
Learn about the Pearl Harbor history with these photos of the USS California Battleship.
The USS Cassin Destroyer (DD-372) was decommissioned and destroyed in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
Named after Stephen Cassin, a United States naval officer, the USS Cassin Destroyer was in drydock during the attack. An incendiary bomb exploded a nearby ship’s fuel tanks, which caused an uncontrollable fire to take place on the USS Cassin and damaged the ship’s hulls beyond repair.
There is a happy ending to the story of the USS Cassin. Her machinery and equipment were salvaged and sent to the Mare Island Navy Yard after the attack and an entirely new ship was built around the salvaged material and given the wrecked ship’s names and hull numbers. The USS Cassin reported back to Pearl Harbor on April 22, 1944 after being recommissioned February 5, 1944 – less than three years after the Pearl Harbor attack.
Learn about the Pearl Harbor history with these photos of the USS Cassin destroyer.
The USS Downes Destroyer (DD-375) was destroyed in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 and later decommissioned on June 20, 1942.
Named after John Downes, a United States naval officer, the USS Downes Destroyer was in drydock during the attack. An incendiary bomb exploded between a nearby ship’s fuel tanks, which caused a raging fire to take place on the USS Downes and damaged the ship’s hulls beyond repair.
There is a happy ending to the story of the USS Downes. Her machinery and equipment were salvaged and sent to the Mare Island Navy Yard after the attack and an entirely new ship was built around the salvaged material and given the wrecked ship’s names and hull numbers. The USS Downes was recommissioned on November 15, 1943 and reported back to Pearl Harbor for duty.
Learn about the Pearl Harbor history with these photos of the USS Downes destroyer.
The USS Nevada Battleship (BB-36) was “the only bright spot in an otherwise dismal and depressing morning” for the United States during the Pearl Harbor attack.
After being trapped during the attack, the USS Nevada was the only ship to get underway during the attack. Despite being able to get underway, the USS Nevada was still hit by one torpedo and at least six bombs while steaming away from Battleship Row. She was forced to be beached, and was subsequently salvaged.
Learn about the Pearl Harbor history with these photos of the USS Nevada Battleship.
The USS Oklahoma (BB-37) was among the largest causalities of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
On December 7th, 1941, a total of 429 crew died when the USS Oklahoma (BB-37) capsized and sunk on Battleship Row after being struck by several bombs and torpedoes during the Japanese attack. Most of the battleships that were recovered after Pearl Harbor were able to be salvaged and return to duty. But, not the USS Oklahoma. She was too damaged and was eventually stripped of her remaining armaments and superstructure before being sold for scrap in 1946.
Learn about the Pearl Harbor history with these photos of the USS Oklahoma Battleship.
The USS Shaw destroyer (DD-373) was commissioned in 1936, but was plagued by construction deficiencies and was not fully operational until 1938. After training in the Atlantic, the USS Shaw was transferred to the Pacific and was in dry dock in Pearl Harbor on the day of the attack, December 7th, 1941.
Japanese forces gave the USS Shaw major damage from multiple bomb hits during the Attack on Pearl Harbor. The spectacular explosion of her forward magazine provided one of the most iconic photographs of the attack. She was repaired within a few months of the attack, and served in the Pacific through the rest of World War II, earning eleven battle stars.
The USS Shaw was decommissioned in October 1945 and sold for scrap in July 1946.
Learn about the Pearl Harbor history with these photos of the USS Shaw Destroyer.
The USS Utah was in port on the morning of December 7th, and in the first minutes of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, was hit by two torpedoes, which caused serious flooding. Utah quickly rolled over and sank; the vast majority of her crew were able to escape, but 64 men were killed in the attack. The wreck remains in the harbor, and in 1972, a memorial was erected near the ship.
Learn about the Pearl Harbor history with these photos of the USS Utah Battleship.