USS Oklahoma (BB 37)

[Back To Main Page]

Moored at position F-5 in 'Battleship Row' on 7 December 1941, Oklahoma was one of the battleships caught in the suprise attack at Pearl Harbor. The first wave of attacking Japanese Kate torpedo planes appeared around 0800 and within minutes three torpedoes hit her hull since she was moored outboard of Maryland. She immediately began heavy flooding and began to capsize when an additional pair of torpedoes hit. Within 20 minutes of the commencement of the attack, with her starboard hull totally clear of the water she was capsized as much as she possible could since her masts were touching the harbor bottom. During the attack about 415 men were killed on Oklahoma with more men trapped in the capsized hull.

In March 1943, salvage operations began and she entered drydock on 28 December at Pearl Harbor. Deemed too damaged and not worth salvaging she was stripped of her guns and most of her superstructure and was decommissioned on 1 September 1944.

Oklahoma was sold for scrap to Moore Drydock Company of Oakland, California, on 5 Decmber 1946. While being towed to San Francisco, about 540 miles outbound from Pearl Harbor, the tow line parted and she sank on 17 May 1947. She was awarded one battle star for her service in World War II.

Ship's Data
Where applicable, data is that of the modernized/reconstructed version and not that of the original as-built configuration.

Class:
Nickname:
Authorized:
Keel Laid:
Launched:
Commissioned:
Main Battery:
Secondary Battery:
Design Displacement:
Full Load Displacement:
Overall Length:
Waterline Length:
Draft:
Beam:
Design Speed:
Decommissioned:
WWII Battle Stars:
Final Fate:

Nevada
Okie
4 March 1911
26 October 1912
23 March 1914
2 May 1916
Ten 14in/45cal Mk.12 (3 x 2, 2 x 2)
Twenty-one 5in/51cal
27,500 tons
28,400 tons
583 ft
575 ft
28 ft - 6 in
95 ft - 3 in
21 knots
1 September 1944
One
Salvage abandoned and sold for scrap but sank while being towed (1947)

Camouflage
All the dates given may not be exact as to the month of repainting.
For more information about the different camouflage measures refer to the Camouflage page.

? - Dec 1941

Measure 1

Photos
These photos are arranged in chronological order and are believed to be all declassified official USN photos (unless otherwise noted.)
[Thumbnails are 15% of full image size.]

	Pre-war view of her last refit at Puget Sound Navy Yard.	February 1941
	A Japanese photo of Battleship Row during the initial Pearl Harbor attack. Oklahoma (moored outboard) and Maryland are the first pair of battleships on the right.	7 December 1941
	Another Japanese photo, this one showing the Ford Island area and a view of Battleship Row. A plume rises from Oklahoma as she gets hit.	7 December 1941
	Another Japanese photo of Battleship Row. Oklahoma, lower left-most battleship in this image, is beginning to capsize. Maryland is moored inboard of her, followed by Tennessee (in.) and West Virginia (out.), and Arizona (in.) with repair ship Vestal.	7 December 1941
	The capsized hull with a screw visible.	1942
	Partially stripped hull (superstructure and turrets removed) moored alongside the battleship USS Wisconsin at Pearl Harbor Navy Yard.	11 November 1944