![]() The winches sought to pull the ship upright. Of the muddy bottom of Pearl Harbor, the USS Utah sank further into the harbor floor as However, the righting of the USS Utah was not as successful. Year later, salvage efforts returned to the USS Utah, with hopes to use techniquesĮmployed in righting the capsized USS Oklahoma. Safety of personnel working within the ship, further salvage of ordnance was halted. The end of February 1942, due to increasingly difficult conditions and concern for the Had to be worn by all, even in compartments that had been pumped free of water.ĭuring this work, no trace of the 54 men still lost from the USS Utah were found. ![]() With hydrogen sulfide having been detected within parts of the ship, respirator masks Make their way into the ship, recovering a significant portion of the ship’s ordnance. Slowly, cutting into the ship’s exposed hull, divers began to In early 1942, an initial assessment of the USS Utah was made, with the ship found to beįirmly resting on the sea floor and determined to be stable enough to conduct some Several divers were killed in these efforts, including one diving on the USS Trapped gases, such as hydrogen sulfide, that might ignite by the flame of underwater Remaining aware for jagged edges and sharp pieces of wreckage that could threaten theĪir hoses that enabled the divers to breathe. In the dark, attempting to memorize the blueprints of ships while simultaneously Divers had to attempt to navigate the wreckage Much of Pearl Harbor was still saturated in oil and debris, making lightsĮssentially useless in the murky water. Image of the capsized USS Utah, as seen on 12 December 1941.ĭamage of various ships, hundreds of dives were conducted in incredibly difficultĬonditions. Part of Pearl Harbor, the salvage of the USS Utah was heavily debated. In the 1930s, the USS Utah had beenĬonverted into a radio-controlled target ship and anti-aircraft gunnery training ship, herĭecks covered with heavy wooden timbers to offer protection during target training.īecause of her status, the extent of damage suffered, and her position in a less critical Returned to operational capacity most quickly. Ships that had received the least damage and could, therefore, be salvaged and In the aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbor, salvage operations began with those Were presumed to have drowned inside the ship. Passed, the remaining 54 casualties of the USS Utah, initially reported Missing In Action, Jackson were recovered several weeks after the attack and buried at Halawa. Primary burials sites for Pearl Harbor casualties. That, after a few days of burials, all interment operations shifted to Halawa NavalĬemetery (Halawa) in Honolulu, Hawaii, which would eventually become one of the 2 Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the cemetery wasĮnlarged to try to accommodate additional burials. Navy had maintained a separate plot within OriginallyĮstablished as a civilian cemetery, the U.S. ![]() Smith were recovered in the days immediately following the attack andīuried in the Nuuanu Naval Cemetery (Nuuanu) in Honolulu, Hawaii. The remains of Seaman 2d Class (S2c) Pallas F.įranklin, Signalman 1st Class (SM1c) Douglas R. Only 4 of these 58 casualties were recovered in the On 7 December 1941, 58 of the USS Utah’s crew, members of the U.S. ![]() Photograph of the USS Utah capsizing off of Ford Island on 7 December 1941. Vaessen, who reported he had been the last man in thatįigure 1. ![]() Neighboring USS Raleigh were able to obtain a cutting torch and equipment to rescueįireman 2d Class (F2c) John B. With the Japanese aircraft still strafing the harborĪnd dropping bombs, Machinist S.A. Survivor still trapped inside the ship was freed when some of those who had escaped By 0812 hours, the USS Utah had completelyĬapsized as evacuated personnel made their way to Ford Island. Personnel who had made it to the upper decks began to abandon ship under ongoingĪerial bombardment from aircraft. Ordered to the starboard side, anticipating imminent capsize. Same vicinity as the first, exacerbating the USS Utah’s tilt (Figure 1). As the ship began to list to port, a second underwater hit was felt, in the 1 Just prior to this hit, enemy aircraft had been sighted byĬrew on board the USS Utah and orders given for all personnel to move to “bombing Utah, a former battleship converted to a target ship moored at Berth FOX-11 in Pearl Shortly after 0800 hours on 7 December 1941, a torpedo hit the port side of the USS ![]()
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