History of USS Arizona in Timeline

The USS Arizona was a battleship commissioned in 1916, named after the state of Arizona. It served in WWI, escorting President Woodrow Wilson to the Paris Peace Conference, and was deployed to represent American interests during the Greco-Turkish War. In 1921, it was transferred to the Pacific Fleet, where it remained for the rest of its service.

March 1914: Keel Laid

On the morning of 16 March 1914, the keel of battleship number 39 (BB-39), USS Arizona, was laid with Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin Delano Roosevelt in attendance.

1914: Armor Testing in 1914

In mid-1914, testing revealed the USS Arizona's armor system could withstand 300 pounds of TNT.

June 1915: Launched

On 19 June 1915, the USS Arizona was launched, approximately fifteen months after keel-laying. In the meantime, the ship was named after the newest state in the union by Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels.

October 1916: Commissioned into the Navy

On 17 October 1916, the USS Arizona was commissioned into the Navy with Captain John McDonald in command.

November 1916: Departure from New York

On 10 November 1916, after cleaning and testing, the USS Arizona departed New York for her shakedown cruise.

1916: Commissioned in 1916

In 1916, USS Arizona was commissioned and remained stateside during World War I but escorted President Woodrow Wilson to the subsequent Paris Peace Conference.

April 1917: Assigned as a gunnery training ship

On 3 April 1917, the USS Arizona left the yard, and three days later, the United States declared war on Germany. Assigned to Battleship Division 8 operating out of the York River, the Arizona was employed only as a gunnery training ship for the crewmen on armed merchant vessels crossing the Atlantic in convoys.

December 1917: American dreadnoughts sent across the Atlantic

In December 1917, four coal-fired American dreadnoughts were sent across the Atlantic as Battleship Division Nine, but the USS Arizona was not among them.

July 1918: Won Battenberg Cup

In July 1918, the race-boat team from the USS Arizona won the Battenberg Cup by beating the team from the Nevada.

November 1918: End of fighting

On 11 November 1918, the fighting ended with an armistice. A week later, the ship left the United States for the United Kingdom, arriving on 30 November 1918.

December 1918: Escorted President Wilson

On 13 December 1918, USS Arizona joined nine battleships and twenty-eight destroyers escorting President Woodrow Wilson on the ocean liner George Washington into Brest for one day on Wilson's journey to the Paris Peace Conference.

January 1919: Sailed from New York

On 22 January 1919, USS Arizona sailed from New York for Hampton Roads.

March 1919: Fitted with a flying-off platform

In March 1919, the USS Arizona was fitted with a flying-off platform similar to the one given to Texas.

1919: Deployment during Greco-Turkish War

In 1919, USS Arizona was deployed abroad to represent American interests during the Greco-Turkish War.

January 1920: Sailed to Guantanamo Bay

In January 1920, the USS Arizona sailed south to Guantanamo Bay for crew training after overhaul completion.

January 1921: Transit Panama Canal

In January 1921, USS Arizona was sent south with six battleships and eighteen destroyers to transit the Panama Canal.

July 1923: Naval review

On 27 July 1923, the USS Arizona joined President Warren G. Harding's naval review in Seattle.

March 1924: Stowaway Aboard Arizona

Sometime in early March 1924, a prostitute named Madeline Blair stowed away aboard Arizona, trading sex for a free voyage to San Pedro until she was discovered on 12 April.

September 1924: Full-power trial

In September 1924, the USS Arizona reached 21.5 knots during a full-power trial.

1925: Fleet Problems

In 1925, USS Arizona participated in Fleet Problems attempting to defend the Hawaiian Islands.

January 1929: Modernization at Norfolk Navy Yard

Four months after Fleet Problem IX in January 1929, the USS Arizona was modernized at the Norfolk Navy Yard. New tripod masts and fire-control systems were installed. The number of five-inch guns was reduced to 12 and repositioned. Eight 25-caliber five-inch anti-aircraft guns replaced the three-inch guns with which she had originally been equipped. The ship's main gun turrets were modified. Her deck armor was increased, and the ship was bulged to protect her from torpedoes. Her machinery was almost entirely replaced.

1929: Modernization began in 1929

In 1929, the USS Arizona underwent a comprehensive modernization.

1930: Reprimands stricken from officer's records

In 1930, Admiral William V. Pratt ordered the reprimands stricken from the officer's records of the USS Arizona when he became Chief of Naval Operations.

March 1931: President Hoover's Vacation

In March 1931, USS Arizona hosted President Herbert Hoover for a vacation in the Caribbean, during which he visited Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

1931: Modernization completed in 1931

The modernization of the USS Arizona, which had begun in 1929, was completed in 1931.

February 1932: Participation in Grand Joint Exercise No. 4

In February 1932, USS Arizona participated in Grand Joint Exercise No. 4, during which carrier aircraft successfully attacked Pearl Harbor on Sunday morning, February 7.

1933: Supported relief efforts

In 1933, USS Arizona supported relief efforts in the wake of an earthquake near Long Beach, California.

1934: Filmed for Here Comes the Navy

In 1934, USS Arizona was filmed for a role in the James Cagney film "Here Comes the Navy".

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1934: Filming Here Comes the Navy and Collision with Umatilla

In early 1934, the ship and crew of the USS Arizona were filmed for the James Cagney/Warner Brothers film "Here Comes the Navy". Later, on July 26, 1934, Arizona collided with the fishing trawler Umatilla off Cape Flattery, resulting in two deaths and a subsequent Court of Inquiry.

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March 1935: Rear Admiral Pettengill Relieves Bryant

On March 4, 1935, Rear Admiral George T. Pettengill relieved Bryant as commander, and the USS Arizona participated in Fleet Problem XVI two months later.

May 1936: Port Visit to Balboa and Change of Command

In May 1936, the USS Arizona made a port visit to Balboa during Fleet Problem XVII. On June 8, 1936, Captain George A. Alexander relieved Baum as captain, and 15 days later, Rear Admiral Claude C. Bloch relieved Pettengill.

1936: Periods in port from 1936

Due to budget cuts, the USS Arizona spent significant periods in port from 1936 to 1938.

January 1937: Change of Command

On January 2, 1937, Rear Admiral John Greenslade assumed command of Battleship Division Two from Bloch.

May 1938: Participation in Fleet Problem XIX

In April-May 1938, the USS Arizona participated in Fleet Problem XIX off Hawaii.

September 1938: Death of Captain Brown and New Commanders

On September 7, 1938, Captain Brown died in his sleep and on September 17, 1938, Captain Isaac C. Kidd assumed command of the USS Arizona. That same day, Rear Admiral Chester Nimitz assumed command of Battleship Division One.

1938: Periods in port until 1938

Due to budget cuts, the USS Arizona spent significant periods in port from 1936 to 1938.

May 1939: Rear Admiral Russell Willson Assumes Command

On May 27, 1939, Rear Admiral Russell Willson relieved Nimitz as commander.

February 1940: Captain Harold C. Train Assumes Command

On February 5, 1940, Captain Harold C. Train assumed command of the USS Arizona.

April 1940: Pacific Fleet moved to Pearl Harbor

In April 1940, the Pacific Fleet, including the USS Arizona, moved its home port from California to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, as a deterrent to Japanese imperialism.

May 1940: Last Fleet Problem and Retention in Hawaii

In April-May 1940, the USS Arizona's last fleet problem took place off Hawaii. At its conclusion, the United States Pacific Fleet was retained in Hawaiian waters, based at Pearl Harbor.

October 1940: Overhaul at Puget Sound Navy Yard

From October 1940 to January 1941, the USS Arizona was overhauled at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington.

1940: Home port in San Pedro until 1940

The USS Arizona operated from her home port of San Pedro, Los Angeles until 1940.

January 1941: Flag Change of Command

On January 23, 1941, Willson was relieved by Isaac Kidd during the USS Arizona's last flag change-of-command.

February 1941: Captain Franklin Van Valkenburgh Relieves Train

On February 5, 1941, Captain Franklin Van Valkenburgh relieved Train as captain of the USS Arizona.

October 1941: Collision with Oklahoma

On October 22, 1941, the USS Arizona was hit in the bow by the Oklahoma during an exercise in heavy fog, requiring dry-docking at Pearl Harbor for repairs.

December 1941: Attack on Pearl Harbor

On 7 December 1941, during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the USS Arizona was struck by several armor-piercing bombs, one of which detonated an explosive-filled magazine, sinking the battleship and resulting in the death of 1,177 officers and crewmen. The ship was irreparably damaged.

December 1942: Stricken from Naval Vessel Register

On December 1, 1942, the USS Arizona was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register due to extensive damage from the magazine explosion.

1944: Navy Bureau of Ships Report on Explosion

A 1944 Navy Bureau of Ships report suggests that a hatch leading to the black powder magazine was left open, possibly with flammable materials stocked nearby, which contributed to the explosion on USS Arizona.

1944: Guns from Turret II installed on Nevada

In the fall of 1944, the guns from Turret II were salvaged from the USS Arizona and later installed on the USS Nevada after being straightened and relined.

August 1945: Battery Pennsylvania Fired Guns on V-J Day

Battery Pennsylvania fired its guns for the first and last time on V-J Day in August 1945 during training.

March 1950: Raising of Colors Instituted

On March 7, 1950, Admiral Arthur W. Radford instituted the raising of colors over the remains of the USS Arizona.

1962: Wreck Designated as National Shrine

In 1962, legislation during the administrations of presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy resulted in the designation of the USS Arizona's wreck as a national shrine.

October 1966: National Register of Historic Places Listing

On October 15, 1966, the national memorial for USS Arizona was administratively listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

December 1987: Establishment of "The USS Arizona Memorial Trophy"

On December 7, 1987, the citizens of the state of Arizona provided the Navy with "The USS Arizona Memorial Trophy", which is awarded every two years to a ship that has achieved the highest combat readiness.

May 1989: Designated a National Historic Landmark

On May 5, 1989, the USS Arizona was designated a National Historic Landmark.

2004: Computerized Mapping of Hull

In 2004, the US Navy and the National Park Service oversaw a comprehensive computerized mapping of the hull of USS Arizona, while being careful to honor its role as a war grave.