The U.S.S. Arizona (BB-39), commissioned in 1916, carried twelve 14-inch guns in four turrets. Here she is steaming at the head of a battle line with Nevada, Tennessee, New Mexico, Mississippi, and Idaho in the 1930s. Arizona moored at Quay F-7 beside Ford Island on December 5th, 1941. Two days later the era of the great battlewagons came to a close. Photo credit Arizona Memorial. JT
Two days later the era of the great battlewagons came to a close. Well, you could say it was the beginning of the end, but Battleships were slugging it out almost to the end of the war. There were more BBvsBB actions in WW2 than WW1 (in WW1 most of the actions other than Jutland involved Battlecruisers not BBs). Several BBs sunk at Pearl Harbour were raised and fought again - Mississippi and Tenessee sank the IJN Battleship Yamashiro for instance. But no-one can deny that the aircraft carrier and submarine were the future. Still, an awesome sight. In pictures like these, I find it is the beam of these vessels that gives away their size - not so obvious from a side view.
I'm so out of touch that I originally thought that the film"Raising Arizona" would be about salvage operations.
Despite the age, an impressive ship with nice lines. When Boris and Donald conclude a new trade deal, Owen and the other, old country folks will be able to view those photos.
Is 'cracking' the correct usage of the British word to describe those comments? Adam will be drinking early today
Arizona heading for sea trials. Tall building is the Singer building, tallest in the world when built in 1908.