USS Oklahoma
Battleship · United States · Lost 1941 · The Hawaiian Islands
A battleship that capsized within minutes of Japanese torpedo hits at Pearl Harbor, later righted in a historic salvage effort before being lost again under tow years later.
The Vessel and Her Loss
USS Oklahoma was struck by multiple torpedoes on Battleship Row during the attack on Pearl Harbor and quickly capsized, trapping many of her crew. She was righted in a painstaking 1942-1943 salvage operation and refloated, but was never returned to service. Sold for scrap, her hulk sank in a Pacific storm while under tow to the mainland in 1947.
Vessel
- 1916
- BB-37
- New York Shipbuilding Corporation
- Camden, New Jersey
- Steel
- 583 ft
- 95 ft
- Not established
- Steam turbine, four screws
- United States Navy
Loss
- December 7, 1941
- Enemy action
- Battleship Row, Pearl Harbor
- Pearl Harbor
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- 429
- Not established
The Wreck Today
- Not established
- Righted and refloated in 1943-1944, then stripped and sold for scrap; sank under tow to the mainland in 1947.
- Not established
- Not established
- Commemorated by the USS Oklahoma Memorial, Pearl Harbor National Memorial
Position
- 21.36° N 157.95° W
- Approximate position
- Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, Oahu
Original sinking berth at Ford Island; the hull itself was later lost at sea under tow in 1947.
Evidence
Overall confidence: Well documented (92/100)
Naval History and Heritage Command
Salvage narrative, casualty figures.
