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Photo # 80-G-K-13513:  USS Arizona's forward magazines explode after she was hit by a Japanese bomb, 7 December 1941.

Online Library of Selected Images:
-- EVENTS -- World War II in the Pacific --

Pearl Harbor Raid, 7 December 1941 --
USS Arizona during the Pearl Harbor Attack

USS Arizona (BB-39) was moored inboard of the repair ship Vestal (AR-4) when the Japanese struck Pearl Harbor. Early reports claimed that she had been hit by one torpedo in the first part of the action. However, this appears not to have been the case, and the destruction of the ship was entirely the work of Japanese horizontal bombers, which struck her with several bombs. Some of these caused damage to her after and midships areas, but their effects were minor compared with what resulted from one that penetrated beside her forward turrets.

The massive explosion that followed has never been fully explained, since the bomb apparently did not pierce Arizona's armored deck, which protected her magazines. Many qualified authorities have blamed powder storage outside of the magazines as the cause, but this is conjectural and probably will always remain so. In any case, the battleship was utterly devastated from in front of her first turret back into her machinery spaces. Her sides were blown out and the turrets, conning tower, and much of the superstructure dropped several feet into her wrecked hull. This tipped her foremast forward, giving the wreck its distinctive appearance.

Blazing furiously, Arizona quickly settled to the bottom of Pearl Harbor, a total loss. She burned for more than two days and was subsequently the subject of only partial salvage. Over 1100 of her crew were killed, including Rear Admiral Isaac C. Kidd, Commander Battleship Division One, and the ship's Commanding Officer, Captain Franklin Van Valkenburgh. Their sacrifice, and that of the other men lost at Pearl Harbor, is now permanently memorialized by the USS Arizona Memorial, erected over her sunken hull in the berth it has occupied since shortly after 8 AM on 7 December 1941.

This page features views of the explosion of USS Arizona on 7 December 1941 and provides links to images of the ship soon after her loss.

For other views of USS Arizona soon after her explosion, and during the days following the Pearl Harbor Attack, see:

  • USS Arizona burning on 7 December 1941; and
  • Wreck of USS Arizona, after 7 December 1941.

    For pictures and information on USS Arizona officers who were cited for heroism during the Pearl Harbor attack, or who were honored posthumously by having a ship named for them, see:

  • Rear Admiral Isaac C. Kidd, USN, Commander Battleship Division One;
  • Captain Franklin Van Valkenburgh, USN, Commanding Officer, USS Arizona;
  • Lieutenant Commander Samuel G. Fuqua, USN;
  • Ensign Walter S. Savage, Jr., USNR; and
  • Electrician Arthur C. Manlove, USN.

    For further images of the "Battleship Row" area during and shortly after the Japanese raid, see:

  • "Battleship Row" during the Pearl Harbor Attack.


    If you want higher resolution reproductions than the Online Library's digital images, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."

    Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.

    Photo #: 80-G-K-13513 (Color)

    Pearl Harbor Attack, 7 December 1941

    The forward magazines of USS Arizona (BB-39) explode after she was hit by a Japanese bomb, 7 December 1941.
    Frame clipped from a color motion picture taken from on board USS Solace (AH-5).

    Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

    Online Image: 55KB; 740 x 610 pixels

    Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

    Note:
    The motion picture from which this image is taken has been, and continues to be, shown backwards, with the fireball oriented to the left. The image is correctly oriented as shown here.

     
    Photo #: 80-G-6683

    Pearl Harbor Attack, 7 December 1941


    Forward magazines explode on USS Arizona (BB-39), after she was struck by a Japanese armor-piercing bomb.
    At far right is the mainmast of USS Oklahoma, heeled over sharply to port as she capsized. Slightly to the left of Oklahoma are the forward turrets of USS Tennessee (BB-43), with the rest of that ship covered by the blast from Arizona's explosion.
    At far left is the bow of USS Vestal (AR-4), moored outboard of Arizona.

    Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

    Online Image: 71KB; 740 x 610 pixels

    Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

     
    Photo #: 80-G-K-13512 (Color)

    Pearl Harbor Attack, 7 December 1941

    USS Arizona (BB-39) ablaze, immediately following the explosion of her forward magazines, 7 December 1941.
    Frame clipped from a color motion picture taken from on board USS Solace (AH-5).

    Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

    Online Image: 62KB; 740 x 605 pixels

    Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

     
    Photo #: 80-G-32920

    Pearl Harbor Attack, 7 December 1941


    USS Arizona (BB-39) ablaze, just after her forward magazines exploded.
    At right, shrouded in smoke from the fire, are the main and foremasts of USS West Virginia, which is listing sharply to port after she was torpedoed. Upright mast further to the right is the mainmast of USS Tennessee (BB-43), moored inboard of West Virginia.
    The bow and foremast of USS Vestal (AR-4), moored outboard of Arizona, are visible at the left.

    Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

    Online Image: 79KB; 740 x 610 pixels

    Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

     


    For other views of USS Arizona soon after her explosion, and during the days following the Pearl Harbor Attack, see:

  • USS Arizona burning on 7 December 1941; and
  • Wreck of USS Arizona, after 7 December 1941.

    For pictures and information on USS Arizona officers who were cited for heroism during the Pearl Harbor attack, or who were honored posthumously by having a ship named for them, see:

  • Rear Admiral Isaac C. Kidd, USN, Commander Battleship Division One;
  • Captain Franklin Van Valkenburgh, USN, Commanding Officer, USS Arizona;
  • Lieutenant Commander Samuel G. Fuqua, USN;
  • Ensign Walter S. Savage, Jr., USNR; and
  • Electrician Arthur C. Manlove, USN.

    For further images of the "Battleship Row" area during and shortly after the Japanese raid, see:

  • "Battleship Row" during the Pearl Harbor Attack.


    NOTES:

  • To the best of our knowledge, the pictures referenced here are all in the Public Domain, and can therefore be freely downloaded and used for any purpose.

  • Some images linked from this page may bear obsolete credit lines citing the organization name: "Naval Historical Center". Effective 1 December 2008 the name should be cited as: "Naval History and Heritage Command".


    If you want higher resolution reproductions than the Online Library's digital images, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."


    Return to Naval History and Heritage Command home page.

    Page made 21 October 2000
    Coding updated 20 April 2009