USS Arizona - Superstructure, Oahu, Hawaii
QUESTMASTERS WWII ARCHEOLOGY WORK:
Between 1993 and 1996, QuestMasters Museum conducted WWII archaeological work on the island of Oahu,
Hawaii. In Pearl Harbor, the remains of the USS Arizona rests with the loss of 1,177 of her crew, many of
whom are still entombed below her decks, after her sinking during the Japanese attack, December 7th 1941.
When the USS Arizona Memorial was created, the remaining superstructure that protruded above water, was
removed and deposited on the Waipio Peninsula, under control of the U.S. Navy.
In 1994 and 1995, QuestMasters Museum was allowed to inspect and photograph the remains of the USS
Arizona superstructure on the Waipio Peninsula.
The History of the USS Arizona:
The USS Arizona (BB-39) was the second and last of the Pennsylvania class of "super-dreadnought" battleships built for the
United States Navy in the mid-1910's. Named in honor of the 48th state's recent admission into the union and commissioned in
1916, the ship remained stateside during World War I. Shortly after the end of the WWI, the USS Arizona was one of a number
of American ships that briefly escorted President Woodrow Wilson to the Paris Peace Conference. The ship was sent to
Turkey in 1919 at the beginning of the Greco-Turkish War to represent American interests for several months. Several years
later, she was transferred to the Pacific Fleet and remained there for the rest of her career.

Aside from a comprehensive modernization in 1929–1931, Arizona was regularly used for training exercises between the wars,
including the annual Pacific Fleet training exercises. When an earthquake struck Long Beach, California, on March 10th 1933,
Arizona's crew provided aid to the survivors. In July 1934, the ship was featured in a James Cagney film "Here Comes the
Navy", about the romantic troubles of a Sailor. In April 1940, she and the rest of the Pacific Fleet were transferred from
California to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, as a deterrent to Japanese imperialism.

On December 7th 1941, the USS Arizona was hit by Japanese torpedo bombers that dropped armor-piercing bombs during the
attack on Pearl Harbor. After one of the Japanese bombs detonated inside the forward turret magazine, she exploded violently
and sank, with the loss of 1,177 officers and crewmen. Arizona was irreparably damaged by the force of the magazine
explosion, though the Navy removed parts of the ship for reuse. The wreck of the USS Arizona remains at the bottom of Pearl
Harbor, beneath the USS Arizona Memorial. During the construction of the memorial, the remaining superstructure that
protruded above water was removed and deposited on the Waipio Peninsula, under control of the U.S. Navy.
The memorial was dedicated on 30 May 1962.
The following photos were taken by QuestMasters Museum between 1994 and 1995. These photos are the remains of the
superstructure from the USS Arizona, which was removed from the ship during the construction of the USS Arizona Memorial.
These remains are stored on the Waipio Peninsula, under control of the U.S. Navy.