USS Oklahoma (BB-37)

History of USS Oklahoma (BB-37)

The two-man New York-class battleships built in 1911 were the successors to the two-man Nevada-class, consisting of Nevada (BB-36) and Oklahoma (BB-37). Newer classes feature triple turrets and improved armor (so less protected area) under the more critical components of the ship. A new all-fuel engine design was also introduced to the line. The battleship Oklahoma, ordered on March 4, 1911, was classified as a "Super Dreadnought" battleship and was the first (along with Nevada) of its kind to enter service with the United States Navy (USN).

Her construction was carried out by the New York Shipbuilding Company, and her keel was laid on October 26, 1912. She was launched on March 23, 1914, and officially commissioned on May 2, 1916.

Oklahoma joined the U.S. Naval Registry in time for World War I (1914-1918), when the U.S. was directly involved in 1917. She served as escort in the Battleship Division No. 6 during dangerous Atlantic crossings to and from Europe.

Except for some drills, that's how much they get involved in the big fight.

In the early days between the two world wars (marking a pause between the two world wars), the Oklahoma, along with other U.S. Navy warships, escorted U.S. President Woodrow Wilson to Europe. She served in the Atlantic Fleet for a while before seeing an overhaul claiming part of her secondary battery (20 5" guns reduced to 12).

From there, she joined the Pacific Fleet and went on various trips, training and exercises. In late 1927, she was modernized on the east coast of the United States, adding eight 5-inch guns and installing seaplane catapults. The attack height (and thus the range) of her main guns has been increased, and additional armor issues have been addressed.

Anti-torpedo bulges were added to the hull as a measure of survivability. With these changes, the ship's straight-line speed was reduced to just under 20 knots (from the original design's 20.5 knots).

In late 1937, Oklahoma joined her U.S. Navy cousins ??at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. She carried out various usual patrol activities and participated in drills on time.

On the morning of December 7, 1941, she was lying with the others in a "platoon of battleships," caught in the crosshairs of the Japanese fleet. In the opening salvo, Oklahoma received three enemy torpedoes by her side. Two more torpedoes hit the target as she picked up the water and began to sink. To make matters worse, their survivors were attacked by enemy planes, searching for all possible targets.

By this time, Oklahoma had turned around and trapped many survivors. After the attack subsided, nearly 430 employees were listed as KIA or MIA. About 32 people were rescued by welding crews.

The photo of Oklahoma sitting while smoking became one of the most famous images of the Pearl Harbor attack. Her hull was erected and dry docked between 1942 and 1943 in hopes of saving the battleship for the coming war.

However, she was decommissioned on September 1, 1944 as newer and better ships came online. Her hull was stripped of wartime utility, and her hull was sold for scrap. During her towing operation, a storm loosened her ropes from her tugboat, and the mighty battleship sank deep below her.

In December 2007, a memorial was erected to the missing crew of the Oklahoma on Ford Island in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. USS Missouri (BB-63) currently stands at her former berth to honor the fallen and as a floating museum ship.

The USS Oklahoma has a displacement of 27,500 long tons, a length of 583 feet, a beam of 95.5 feet (108 feet after modernization in 1927), and a draft of 28.5 feet. Propulsion came from 12 oil-fired Babcock and Wilcox boilers (6 x post-1927 Bureau Express oil-fired boilers) powering 24,800 hp triple-expansion vertically reciprocating steam engines on 2 x axles.

It has a top speed of 20.5 knots and a range of up to 5,120 nautical miles. Her initial crew number was 864, which was increased to 1,398 in 1929.

Her original armament consisted of 10 x 14"/45 caliber main guns housed in two triple gun turrets and two twin gun turrets. She carried a 21 x 5 inch/51 Dual Purpose (DP) gun as a battery backup until 1918 when it became 12 of these guns.

The Air Defense Unit (AA) consisted of 2 x 3" (76 mm)/50 caliber guns, which were increased to 8 in 1925. She also carried at least 2 x 21" (533 mm) torpedo tubes, which had been Cut out during the 1927-1929 overhaul.

By World War II, she also acquired an 8 x 1.1 in (28 mm) anti-aircraft gun to improve her self-defense against air strikes.

Her profile is the two main towers in front of the bridge superstructure. There are two main masts, one at the stern of the bridge and the other along the stern superstructure. The rear holds the remaining set of main turrets. Her bow was well aligned and relatively unobstructed, and her two forward turrets forced her bridge layout closer to the midship near the funnel.

Armor protection ranges from 340 mm for the conveyor belt and 330 mm for the bulkhead to 460 mm for the main turret and 406 mm for the conning tower. She could service up to three seaplanes with two onboard catapults and a recovery crane, although by World War II this had been reduced to two seaplanes and a catapult.

The aircraft carrier USS Oklahoma was awarded a Battle Star for her service in World War II.

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