The USS Arizona was a Pennsylvania-class super-dreadnought battleship of the United States Navy. Here are key details about the ship:
- Construction: Laid down in 1913 at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, launched in 1915, and commissioned in 1916.
- Design:
- Displacement: Approximately 31,400 tons.
- Length: 608 feet (185 meters).
- Beam: 97 feet (30 meters).
- Speed: Designed speed of 21 knots (24 mph; 39 km/h).
- Armament:
- Twelve 14-inch (356 mm)/45 caliber guns.
- Twenty-two 5-inch (127 mm)/51 caliber guns.
- Four 3-inch (76 mm) anti-aircraft guns.
- Service History:
- World War I: Due to the United States' neutrality, the USS Arizona did not see combat in World War I but was involved in training exercises.
- Post-War: She was modernized in the 1920s and early 1930s, including the installation of anti-aircraft guns and improvements to her fire control systems.
- World War II:
- On December 7, 1941, during the Attack on Pearl Harbor, the USS Arizona was hit by bombs, resulting in a devastating explosion that killed 1,177 crew members, which was nearly half of the total U.S. fatalities from the attack.
- The ship sank where she was moored, becoming a symbol of the losses at Pearl Harbor.
- Memorial:
- The wreck of the USS Arizona remains at the bottom of Pearl Harbor, where it serves as a war grave and is part of the USS Arizona Memorial.
- The memorial, built in 1962, spans the mid-portion of the ship and is accessible by boat.
- It honors the sailors and Marines who lost their lives, and visitors can see oil still leaking from the ship's fuel tanks, often referred to as "tears of the USS Arizona."
- Legacy: The USS Arizona remains a poignant reminder of the cost of war and the sacrifices made by those in service. It has become a site of national significance and a focal point for remembrance ceremonies, particularly on the anniversary of the attack.
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