Ron Bleac Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 This is a fantastic video taken inside the USS Arizona with the help of a remote controlled miniature submarine while the wreck was going under analysis in preparation for preservation and fuel oil extraction. Most of us here are, no doubt, familiar with what happened to the Arizona while she laid in port at Pearl Harbor. Those of you who don't: She was hit by a high altitude, high velocity Japanese bomb that penetrated several decks and landed in the forward ammunition magazine. On detonation, the ships magazines exploded and effectively broke her spine, causing her to sink. As the ship sank, American sailors inside and outside of the stricken ship continued resistance with whatever arms available, a futile but extremely courageous effort against faster flying Japanese planes.1,177 US sailors died at their posts and the ship is a designated war tomb and diving the area is against the law unless one is granted special and rare permission by local administration.In early 2003, talks about preservation efforts began. Even though it's a war tomb, the ship holds several thousand units of live ammunition for a variety of calibers and huge amounts of fuel oil. As is the nature with all things in water, the hull of the ship has begun degrading at such a rate that it may spill that fuel oil any time. Small amounts of it are already leaking daily and it is a danger not only to the wildlife in the area, but the local population, the port and the Navy. The rear magazine is also still at capacity and while it is unlikely that it'll explode because it's under water, having dozens 14 inch shells underneath a memorial where thousands of people go to is considered a health and safety risk.In this video, a ROV is lowered from the memorial above the Arizona to the stricken ship below. It navigates through the corridors and rooms of the ship with the help of an operator, giving us an insight into what daily life on the Arizona was like, what condition the ship was in on that day of infamy and what condition she is in now./>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0TpsfxGDdo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ruin Nefarious Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 Interesting fact: my cousin re-enlisted in the US Navy standing on the bow of the USS Arizona, under water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Reisman Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 How? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Bleac Posted April 30, 2012 Author Share Posted April 30, 2012 Scuba, probably. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ruin Nefarious Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 He's a Navy diver, yup! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackSergal Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 Very nice and lil moving Ron. Also, heres that book I was telling you about: http://www.amazon.com/Descent-Darkness-Pearl-Harbor-Story/dp/0891417451 Soild read, highly suggested for anyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Bleac Posted April 30, 2012 Author Share Posted April 30, 2012 Wow, holy shit. Nerves of steel to go down into a ship in nothing but a copper diving helmet, a rubber suit and a thick, vulnerable air hose. I think it's nothing short of extreme that so many days after the sinking divers were still going in to disable unexploded Japanese munitions.Edit:Reading some of the excerpts on Amazon. Insane and disgusting stuff, especially the part where he gets caught up on a work station inside the ship and the suction he creates pulls all of the floating bodies onto him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackSergal Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 Yea... That's a powerful scene.. *Warning this book is worse nightmare fuel than any Lovecraftian novel* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krow Ames Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 Had a great uncle on the Missouri. Bad ass ship. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phares Sarjeant Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 (edited) Very interesting.It seems like a no-brainer to harvest the oil..Pearl Harbor was a very well planned and executed assault on the US navy. It certainly provided president Roosevelt with the reason he needed to declare war and enter the fray on the side of the allies. At the time, the Japanese navy was probably the most well developed naval power at the time. The Germans had U-boats, but didn't need a lot of naval force as most of their battle could be reached via land travel. The British had a large fleet, although extended across their massive empire. The Japanese had the largest concentration of power in the Pacific. They built the largest battleship ever; the Yamato, as well as 2 impressive air craft carriers. Japanese manufacturing simply couldn't keep up with American production though - starting about 2:1(US:Japan) in tonnage production and by the end of the war was at a 6:1 disadvantage. Edited May 4, 2012 by Phares Sarjeant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
