NAME: Arizona HULL NUMBER: BB-39 BUILDER: New York Navy Yard, Brooklyn, New York KEEL LAID: March 16, 1914 LAUNCHED: June 19, 1916 COMMISSIONED: October 17, 1916 RECONSTRUCTED: Norfolk Navy Yard, July 1929 - February 1931 RECOMMISSIONED: March 1, 1931 SUNK: December 7, 1941 Stricken from Naval Register December 1, 1942 GUNS: Twelve 14" Guns, three per turret (2 fore/2aft) DECKING: Main decking made of Teak wood ANCHORS: Two 19,585 pound anchors, 1 port - 1 starboard (one is on display at the USS Arizona Memorial Visitor Center, one is in Phoenix, Arizona, at the state capitol) MAXIMUM SPEED: 21.0 knots - 1916 20.7 knots - 1941 MASTS: 1916 - 2 cage masts (Main and Fore) (After reconstruction - 2 tripod masts) PROPELLERS: Four, three bladed, 12' 7" diameter LENGTH: 608 feet BEAM: 106 feet, 2 inches MEMORIAL AUTHORIZED: May 16, 1958 MEMORIAL COMPLETED AND DEDICATED: Memorial Day, 1962 Built as part of America's pre-World War I modernization of the Navy, Arizona began her career as a gunnery training ship and cruised the coastal waters of the Atlantic Seaboard prior to the United States' entry into the war. She later served as flagship of the Atlantic Fleet and of various battleship divisions in the Pacific, including one based at Pearl Harbor. It was there on December 7, 1941, during the Japanese attack, that Arizona's magazines were pierced by a 1,760-lb bomb that shattered the battleship, instantly killing most of her crew and sinking the ship in 40 feet of water. Arizona's burning superstructure and listing masts became one of the most-reproduced scenes of the Pacific war as the nation rallied to the cry, "Remember Pearl Harbor!" One of only two ships not refloated after the attack, Arizona was left a shattered hulk on Battleship Row. In 1948, a flagstaff was attached to the stub of the ship's mainmast and once again Arizona flew the national ensign. Privately raised funds and a Congressional appropriation built the Arizona Memorial in 1962. This graceful white concrete arch spans the sunken ship and includes a shrine listing the names of Arizona's dead, assembly area, and viewing platform. In 1981, another Congressional appropriation built a modern visitor center that serves as a museum, gift shop, interpretive center, theater and assembly area for the tour boats that carry visitors to the memorial. Operated by the National Park Service, the USS Arizona Memorial serves as a reminder of the tragic events of December 7, 1941, and of the proud battleship that rests beneath the waters of Pearl Harbor. USS Arizona is a National Historic Landmark. Copyright (C) 1997, Historic Naval Ships Association. All Rights Reserved. Version 1.05, 28 Sep 1999 Used with permission Anchor's Away Remember December 7th: Pearl Harbor