On 7 December 1941, USS Maryland (BB-46) was moored, at F-5, inboard of USS Oklahoma (BB-37), and was thus protected by her when Japanese torpedo planes struck. The unfortunate Oklahoma, an older ship with much less adequate protection against underwater damage, was hit by up to nine torpedoes. Her hull's port side was opened almost completely from below the forward gun turret back to the third turret, a distance of over 250 feet. She listed quickly, her port bilge struck the harbor bottom, and she then rolled almost completely over. Oklahoma came to rest less than twenty minutes after she was first hit. Some of her starboard underwater hull and the starboard propeller were now all that showed above the surface of Pearl Harbor.
Some of Oklahoma's men were still alive inside her upturned hull, and their rescue became the focus of an intense effort over the next two days. Thirty-two Sailors were recovered alive, but over four-hundred were killed. In 1943, the capsized ship was rolled upright and raised in one of the salvage profession's greatest undertakings, but she was not further repaired.
Maryland was hit by two bombs, which caused relatively light damage and some flooding forward. Four of her men lost their lives. The battleship was able to steam to the west coast for final repairs later in December and was fully returned to service in February 1942.
Photographs of USS Oklahoma and USS Maryland during and after the attack 07 December 1941
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View of "Battleship Row" from the head of 1010 dock, during or immediately after the Japanese raid. USS Arizona (BB-39) is sunk and burning at right. USS West Virginia (BB-48) is in the right center, sunk alongside USS Tennessee (BB-43), with oil fires shrouding them both. The capsized USS Oklahoma (BB-37) is in the left center, alongside USS Maryland (BB-46). NARA #80-G-32691
View of "Battleship Row" during or immediately after the Japanese raid. USS West Virginia (BB-48) is at the right sunk alongside USS Tennessee (BB-43), with oil fires shrouding them both. The capsized USS Oklahoma (BB-37) is at the left, alongside USS Maryland (BB-46). Crewmen on the latter's stern are using firehoses to try to push burning oil away from their ship. NARA #80-G-33035
USS Maryland (BB-46) alongside the capsized USS Oklahoma (BB-37). USS West Virginia (BB-48) is burning in the background. NARA #80-G-19949
USS Maryland at berth F-5, with men working on the capsized hull of USS Oklahoma alongside, during or immediately after the Japanese attack. USS Tennessee (BB-43) is visible in the left background. NH 83065
View of "Battleship Row", probably taken on 8 December, the day after the Japanese raid, with USS Arizona (BB-39) still burning at right. In the center is USS West Virginia (BB-48) sunk alongside USS Tennessee (BB-43). The capsized USS Oklahoma (BB-37) is at left, alongside USS Maryland (BB-46). A barge is outboard of Oklahoma, supporting efforts to cut free crewmen still trapped inside the battleship's hull. In the far right distance is the hulk of the old minelayer Baltimore. NARA #80-G-32596
The overturned Oklahoma (center) and Maryland (left) White smoke rises from West Virginia as her fires are brought under control Arizona burns fiercely in the background
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Last Updated 24 March 2001
rise out of the ashes like the Phoenix
