How one Japanese bomb turned the USS Arizona into Pearl Harbor’s deadliest floating tomb in 1941

USS Arizona’s Seven Minutes of Total Destruction

The USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor stands above one of America’s most tragic naval disasters.

Visitors can see the Shrine Room with its marble wall bearing the names of all 1,177 sailors and Marines who died, and witness the “black tears” – oil still leaking from the sunken battleship’s fuel tanks at 2-9 quarts daily.

The Arizona was never raised after that fateful December morning, making it an eternal tomb for over 900 sailors who remain entombed within her hull.

What happened in those seven catastrophic minutes changed the course of World War II and created the Pacific War’s deadliest ship explosion.

Here’s the story of how a single bomb turned the USS Arizona into Pearl Harbor’s greatest tragedy.

Sailors enjoyed a quiet breakfast as war approached

The morning of December 7, 1941 started like any normal Sunday on the USS Arizona. Most of the 1,512 crew members still slept in their bunks or ate breakfast in the mess hall.

Some sailors got ready for the 8:00 AM flag ceremony while others helped the USS Vestal with small repairs.

Admiral Isaac Kidd and Captain Franklin Van Valkenburgh already worked at their posts, leading Battleship Division One.

The crew followed their regular routines, not knowing Japanese aircraft carriers sat 230 miles north of Oahu.

Japanese planes showed up with no warning over Pearl Harbor

At 7:55 AM, the peaceful morning broke when the Arizona’s air raid alarm blasted through the ship. Sailors looked up to see Japanese planes filling the sky, with bright red “meatball” markings clearly visible.

The attack group included 353 aircraft from six Japanese carriers, all timed for complete surprise. Men who moments before relaxed now ran to battle stations, grabbing helmets and life vests.

The color detail watched as ten “Kate” bombers from the carriers Kaga and Hiryū lined up to attack the Arizona.

Early hits caused only small damage to the big battleship

Between 8:00 and 8:05 AM, the first bombs hit the Arizona as Japanese pilots dropped their 1,760-pound shells from 10,000 feet.

The first bomb struck near the back, bouncing off Turret IV before crashing through the captain’s pantry. A second bomb blasted through the port side, making a hole in the anti-torpedo wall.

The third hit near a port 5-inch gun spot. Sailors fought small fires while damage control teams rushed to help.

The Arizona still could fight with working main guns and undamaged engines.

One bomb found the worst spot on the ship

At 8:06 AM, the fourth bomb sealed Arizona’s fate.

This 1,760-pound armor-piercing bomb hit near Turret II on the right side, cutting through the armored deck built to stop enemy shells.

The bomb tore through five decks in less than a second, landing in the front ammunition storage area. For seven seconds, the bomb sat among tons of black powder and ammo.

Sailors who saw the hit likely thought they lucked out since nothing blew up right away. The ship’s clock stopped at 8:06.

The explosion lifted 33,000 tons of battleship out of the water

At 8:06:07 AM, the front ammo storage areas blew up with huge force. The blast lifted the massive battleship partly out of the water before it crashed back down.

Heat reached 8,000°F as the explosion burst through the ship’s sides, making a fireball seen across the harbor. The front gun turrets and control tower fell 25-30 feet as the ship’s frame gave way.

The front mast and upper parts crashed forward into the empty space the explosion made. The blast split the Arizona in two, breaking her backbone and tearing open her hull.

Death came quickly to most of the crew

Between 8:06 and 8:10 AM, the Arizona changed from battleship to grave.

Pieces from the explosion rained on Ford Island and nearby ships, with metal chunks and body parts landing hundreds of yards away.

The USS Vestal tied up next to Arizona had its own fires briefly put out by the blast wave.

Of the 1,512 men aboard, 1,177 died within minutes, many blown apart instantly or trapped as the ship quickly sank to the harbor bottom in just 40 feet of water.

Flames turned the harbor water into a deadly fire pit

From 8:10 AM through the evening, the Arizona burned so hot that the flames made shadows even in daylight. Fuel oil from broken tanks spread across the water, creating a floating fire that blocked rescue boats.

Thick black smoke rose hundreds of feet into the air, seen for miles around.

Rescue teams faced tough challenges as Japanese planes kept attacking and extreme heat kept boats away.

The burning Arizona became the main image of Pearl Harbor’s destruction, caught in countless photos during the attack.

Survivors risked their lives to save shipmates

Throughout December 7 and into December 8, survivors showed amazing bravery amid the horror. Men jumped into burning water to pull hurt shipmates to safety.

Small boats with volunteer crews pushed through floating oil fires to save survivors hanging onto wreckage. Against terrible odds, 335 crew members lived through the sinking.

No one ever found the bodies of Admiral Kidd and Captain Van Valkenburgh, both likely killed right away near their battle stations on the bridge. The Navy quickly declared Arizona a total loss.

The ship burned for over two days after the attack

The Arizona kept burning from December 7 through December 9, with flames visible at night from across the harbor.

Navy fire boats sprayed water on the wreck, mainly trying to stop the fire from spreading to other ships rather than saving the Arizona itself.

The intense heat made any salvage work impossible during this time. The ship became a permanent grave for over 900 sailors who could not be removed from the wreckage.

Navy officials quickly decided they could not refloat the vessel.

Guns from the sunken ship fought on in the war

During 1942 and 1943, salvage teams worked to recover useful materials from the Arizona. Workers cut away the surviving upper parts for scrap metal needed for the war.

The main guns became a priority, with salvage crews recovering them over 18 months. The Navy took the rear gun turrets and set them up as Army coastal defense guns protecting Hawaii from possible attack.

The 14-inch guns from forward Turret II found new use aboard the USS Nevada after repairs, letting the Arizona’s weapons continue fighting Japan.

Oil still leaks from the Arizona’s tanks today

In 1950, Admiral Arthur Radford started regular flag ceremonies over the Arizona’s wreck, beginning the site’s change into a memorial.

Workers finished the white memorial building spanning the sunken hull in 1962, with yearly visits now topping 1. 8 million people.

The Navy named the ship a National Historic Landmark in 1989, forever protecting it.

Over 900 crew members remain buried within the hull, their final resting place marked by a marble wall with their names. The ship still releases small amounts of oil from her fuel tanks.

Visiting The USS Arizona Memorial

The USS Arizona Memorial honors the 1,177 sailors killed when a single bomb struck the battleship during Pearl Harbor. Visit the free Pearl Harbor Visitor Center daily from 7 AM to 5 PM.

The memorial program takes 75 minutes with a documentary film and Navy boat ride to the actual memorial. Tickets are free but need a $1 reservation through recreation.gov. Parking costs $7 daily.

Leave all bags behind as they aren’t allowed, though storage is available at the entrance.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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