Pearl Harbor: Arizona vs New Jersey 

My Grandfather is still aboard the Arizona. McClellan Taylor Roberts CPHM (Chief Pharmacist Mate). I believe he was the senior enlisted shellback on board because he signed as Davy Jones for their last crossing the line ceremony.

You can see Ryan getting emotional and voice cracking as he was talking about the Arizona's bomb hit, I felt it through the screen.

There is that wonderful picture of a Iowa class battleship tied up alongside USS Oklahoma near the end of WW2. Really shows what happened to battleship hulls between the 2 classes.

The Iowa class had a Armor scheme very similar to the South Dakota class. The South Dakota took a lot of shell hits during the second battle of savo island above the water line ranging from 14 inch to five inch and despite extensive superstructure damage she held up well. The Indiana was rammed on her starboard quarter by the uss Washington aft of the number 3 16 inch gun mount and nearly sank. The only thing that saved her was her aft armored bulkhead was not damaged and maintained water tight integrity.

We went to Oahu in 2014 and visited Pearl Harbor and the Arizona. For me, as a history buff, I found that the Arizona Memorial was one of the most moving experiences that I’ve ever had. Standing in front of the wall of names brings everything into perspective.

Hey Ryan , your videos and channel is much better than other naval history videos . You're not trying to be funny or sarcastic, you are easy to understand, and the information you provide is obviously your intimate knowledge ...not read straight out of someone's else book. Keep up the great content!!

I definitely would love to see the last of the standard Battleships versus the New Jersey, including the heavy refit done to West Virginia.

I was in Camden a few months ago and wanted to visit the ship. Such a beautiful outline.

@Battleship New Jersey: I would love to see a video on all the different paint schemes the USS New Jersey and her other three Iowa-class sisters wore during World War 2. Might be an interesting topic that is not covered much on RU-vid.

What a great description of the evolution of our Battleships. Your video contains a wealth of information I was not aware of. Thank you.

A video that you guys could do is talk about how the Battle of Jutland influenced battleship design

A ship? HMS Hood. Fast, very good looking, huge. And sunk with one lucky shot. She was badly in need of a refit as at least one had been deferred. A good look at the the battlecrusier/fast battleship Hood . Thank you for presenting this ship in this way. I have been interested in these ships since I was a little kid. Especially Admiral Halsey's flagship, New Jersey.

That’s the first time I’ve heard a rational explanation for the cage masts. Thanks!

I'm putting this question here just because this is the video I'm watching. Looking back on the pre-Dreadnaughts, some had turrets offset to one side on a sponson - like the Battleship Maine. Given the belowdeck component of the turrets, how did those work? It seems they couldn't be armored very well, either.

I would love a video on how the Iowas fit into 1980s blue water tactics. Was it just another harpoon launcher? Or, were there scenarios where the main guns could come into play. Can you imagine a 16" shell ripping through a Kirov or a Sverdlov?

Despite some laughably bad acting, Tora Tora Tora will always be the definitive movie about the attack. Pearl Harbor got bogged down in that whole love triangle.

These talks are extremely informative. Many thanks.

I recently discovered this channel and I love it!! I've been watching as many videos as I can..love it

Keep up the good work with the videos! I can tell you’re getting more comfortable with presenting on each one. BTW, do you follow Dracinifel’s naval history? When he finally makes it over to the US for his ship tour you guys should do a collaboration.

Ship comparison: Connecticut vs NJ One of the last pre-dreadnoughts vs one of the last battleships Not like anyone could give a combat victory to Connecticut (much to my chagrin as a resident of Connecticut), but the differences in design philosophy reflected in how both ships were built and how they operated would be a nice little bit of insight into how America's changing take on international relations. Connecticut representing the time America first really started to stand up in the international scene, New Jersey representing the time when hegemony transitioned from the UK to the US. Two very different eras there.

4:06 - Fuso and Yamashiro were both blown apart at the Battle of Suriago Strait in 1944 when Oldendorf's fleet of standard battleships, some equipped with radar, crossed the Japanese "T." The last battleship vs. battleship duel in history.

Between the age difference and Arizona's lack of modern fire control any of the Iowas would have owned any of the Standards. Though to be fair, a 16" standard that actually got a lock on an Iowa would have torn it up pretty bad and pretty quick.

There should be a mention of the fact that the fatal explosion lifted the entire superstructure 30 feet and then the mast, superstructure and decks collapsed in on themselves. The pressures experienced by the crew, the decks and bullkheads in that area were unimaginable. The explosion also blew the hull walls outward with such force that a large wave hit shore hundreds of feet away. Perhaps a clarification of triple gun turret as on the Arizona vs.three gun turret as on the New Jersey.

I would like to see a more technical discussion of the relationship between waterline hull length, horsepower requirements, and ship speed, related to wave celerity.

Great comments on Dec. 7, '41. Very educational and entertaining. Thanks.

If you haven’t already done one; I would like to see a comparison between the Iowa’s, namely New Jersey, and the South Dakota’s, namely Alabama. I am very familiar with the later; having first been on her when she’s was still new to her home in Mobile.

Thanks to you and the wonderful Battleship Team for another great video. Love from Trailer Park USA

I thought for sure that I was subscribed; but either I was not, or sneaky RU-vid unsubbed me. I choose to believe the latter, rather than blame my own incompetence lol. I love this type of content. The ship vs ship discussions are enlightening, and I love the tours through the interior spaces of these old warships.

As always, very interesting and informative.

Enjoyed this history lesson very much.

Awesome video. You are a great narrator.

As a kid my old man neighbor Lenny Walsh from Cazenovia WIS told me story's of his time on "BATTLESHIP" NJ. loved them. Always BATTLESHIP

Great video! Thanks!

VERY WELL DONE...THX

I really really love this Channel!!!

once again Awesome video awesome content

Really enjoy your videos they are very informative, keep up the good work! Any chance of doing one these, comparing New Jersey to the Tennessee class, especially with their heavy modernisation after pearl harbour.

How about a detailed comparison of the New Jersey with the proposed Montana class battleships. Being from New Hampshire I have tried researching my states ship but haven't found very much info other than their development was cancelled in favor of carrier production.

12.30 am here in Belfast ... tonight's bedtime story

The deck penetration of armour piercing bombs depends mostly on from witch height its been dropped (it need enough speed, to get enough kinetic energy), and less on its caliber or weight. An AP bomb made from a 15", 14" or 12" shell would penetrate the deck of Iowa, or any BB if coming with enough speed. Depending on where it hits, it might, or might not, destroy the ship in question !?

As always , Thank You

Great videos, Ryan. I have a request regarding a topic you mentioned in this video. I have spent years trying to find pictures of the inside layout and operations of the fire control towers and the gunnery procedures for the main and secondary battery directors on the Arkansas, New York, and Pennsylvania class Battleships. I have been to the Battleship Texas many times and have marveled at the main fire control tower and the short tower amidships from afar. Unfortunately, both of those locations were not open to tours. It would be interesting to contrast the fire control procedures and capabilities between the beginning of WWII with the earlier battleships and the Iowas' capabilities later in the war.

i really enjoy hearing experts talk what they know.

I like the history you give on US battleships. I'm from Missouri and I am very partial to that ship. However with what's going on in the world right now I think newly designed and built battleships need to be made with long and short range missiles, updated big guns that uses smokeless powder, or the new hypersonic gun.. The US Navy needs to look into this.

So is the ship trying to tell us something with all the banging / popping / creaking at the end of the video? Such as at 31:40

I wouldn't mind seeing a comparison of the Colorado class vs. the Iowas. Also would be interesting to hear Ryan's thoughts on how US WW1 battleships would have fared had they been at Jutland.

Outstanding video

good video , great info

Fabulous as ever.

Arizona was laid down in 1914 vs 1942 for New Jersey, compare a 1914 Ford vs a 1942 Ford. A ship of 1914 was probably riveted and according to the USS Texas site an equivalent welded hull weighs roughly 30% as much with more strength.

I was in the US Navy in the early to mid-80s with President Reagan rock all for battleships back into service one of my buddies that went to Boot Camp was station all the New Jersey and when it came to Pearl Harbor that’s why I was stationed on the USS Davison one of its guns weighed more than my whole ship weighed I think that’s interesting

You can get a good idea of how good her armor was, just look at the Pennsylvania's last days when she was torpedoed she almost went down,but this sealed her fate as a target ship.later tow out an sunk.

Very informative video. I am very interested in warships from world war 1 and 2. Thanks for sharing your videos. You just Earned Another sub. Looking forward for the next video.

How did the post-Pearl Harbor rebuild of the Standard battleships USS Tennessee (BB-43), USS California (BB-44), and USS West Virginia (BB-48) compare to the USS New Jersey, and other modern battleships? Were they fully modernized by 1944 comparable in firepower, fire control, and armor to KGVs, Bismarks, and South Dakotas -- and just inferior in speed compare? -- Thanks Benjamin Turon 🙂

Great video, thanks. I look forward to visiting when the current unpleasantness is ameliorated. The US contribution to the Grand Fleet became its Sixth Battle Squadron. You misspoke and said Fifth in the video. The Fifth Battle Squadron were the Queen Elizabeths that ran amok at Jutland.

Amazing that Arizona really only spent one day in battle in her career and it didn't go very well. The Arizona was kept along the US coast during WW I because it was oil driven and they couldn't resupply it very well yet.

Thanks for the informative videos. I'd like to see one done on UNREP.

Don’t think that the Arizona was a small ship. I was on the memorial and the side remains of B turret were visible a long way away and the memorial vessel was placed at about 2/3 of the way down the sunken hull. Think of the ship’s beam, it takes time to walk 100 feet.

Keep up the good work

C&R had a dozen designs that were rejected do to armor venerable designs and the poor metal quality was a major issue for both the Pennsylvania and Arizona.

Please review the Colorado class 16” standard battleships. I would especially like to hear more about West Virginia post refitting. It would be very interesting to hear a comparison of WeeVee to Maryland and Colorado, compared to North Carolinas, South Dakotas, and Iowas. Third, how the technical advantages of WeeVee made her effective in Surigao Strait vs Maryland and others.

Arizona's fire control was nothing to sneeze at. She received several commendations in the interwar period during naval wargames exercises for her precision (Texas was also a highly accurate firing ship with honors.) Also... It's still a 14 inch gun. They're not pea shooters. Keep that in mind. I'm not saying Arizona would fare that well against an Iowa class in strictly a gun duel... But she'd definitely put up one hell of a fight.

Couldn't finish typing my comparison suggestion before the Live Chat ended. LOL Britain's Nelson Class compared to the Iowa Class. I expect the tactics for engagement would be different due to how the Nelson's main armament is arranged.

I don't know that his comparison of a bomb converted from a 16" shell and a 16” shell fired from a gun made much sense. At all. I should think that the fired round would be traveling many times the speed of the dropped one. Also, a shell arcing in and hitting the deck is contacting it at quite an angle, making less armor acceptably resilient as opposed to belt or turret armor which needs to be much thicker as it will be hit more squarely. A dropped bomb however will hit the deck more squarely than what at that time ships were designed for as what naval air combat would become was not yet envisioned. Just my two cents, good video overall though.

I was wondering if it’s correct / traditional to refer to the Arizona in past tense even tho she still exists? I was a bit confused at first wondering if the past tense meant that armour had been changed between now and then. Love the videos :)

Amazing Channel !! I ikeeee muchhhhh

Fun Fact is the Arizona's 14 inch gun is stored aboard the USS Mizzurah to remember the beginning and the end of WWII for the US

Love to see a video on how the Iowa class 16" guns were unloaded...

Awesome

I would like you to do is show on the uscis Colorado BB45 because my dad served On it for 3 years stream World War II

Excellent Content. I do have a question about the Standard Type battleships 'no longer being front-line units' and 'relegated to shore bombardment.' Pennsylvania, West Virginia and others of the standard type held the line at Surigao Strait. My impression was that Kinkaid was on the front-line, as he used his battleships to defeat the southern force. Is that incorrect? I know Kinkaid's primary task was shore bombardment for the invasion. Were they not expecting the Southern Force under Shima? And, if so did that make Surigao Strait something of a surprise engagement for the USN?

Ryan, Why are older war ships covered with port holes? Are port holes big compromises in the armor?

30 years between hulls is a lifetime in Battleship development time lines. They should be very different

good video

I would have to recommend you guys do a video comparison of the New Jersey vs Texas

I have read many stories about the difference between Dreadnoughts and Battleships. Please give me your interpretation between the two. Thanks.

The Iowa's was belt was inclined inwards Giving it a practical thickness of 18 in

Which was the best of the standard battleships?

You mentioned the Arizona had saluting guns, I saw that the Taney also has them. My question is did they have a purpose other than ceremonial use? Is there an equivalent still used today?

Just seen the divers going down. Not a job I'd want seeing fellow sailers in there. Plenty of Jim Beam for that job. Ryan I can tell you feel the pain. You are a decent guy.

At 1:29 what are the structures at the top of each mast? They look like lookout decks or something. Also what is at the halfway mark on the mast? It almost looks like a bridge or something.

Staccato presentation, smooth it out for better reception. Good info though! (ex USN instructor) "30 knots no smoke, 31 knots no fantail" - anecdotal saying from an ex USS Bainbridge sailor I worked with. :D And while I am critical on style, accolades for putting this presentation together! {I was never a "curriculum standards" guy} ... though I did have my run-ins with CSCO.

Back in 1975 my buddy and I drove up to Brookings OR, from where we lived in the Arcata/Mckinleyville, CA area. He was thinking of moving his family there, so we took a drive up there to check out housing. On the way to Brookings, we stopped and picked up a hitch hiker, a man whom I would guess to be in his late 40s or 50ish. While chatting with him we happened to share our faith in Jesus Christ. This man said he didn't believe there was a God. He teared up and said if there was a God, He wouldn't have allowed all of his buddies get killed. Turns out he was aboard Arizona, and had left the ship just before the attack. He was a troubled man, and bitter about what had happened to his buddies.

I realise this video is 2 years old now. But as an English person could I ask a question. Are there any parts of Arizona on display anywhere as a remembrance item? Like some of the guns, a mast or anything? Obviously you have the memorial over the grave (it's not a wreck it's a grave for many brave men) but does for instance, Arizona itself have a memorial for her? I hope this gets picked up and answered. Thank you for your work and commitment. Rip those brave men and women who lost their lives on Dec 7th.

Please do a special on each of the Iowa's especially the Whiskey. If I join patreon does that get it done?

How about the Colorado's and the Nelson's? Two treaty era battleships.

Have you ever done a comparison of the New Jersey to the HMS Hood?

16:00 - on the note of British Coal - “Admiralty Coal” was and is absolutely about the most energy dense there is - hard, heavy, and dark black. Just the thing for a coal burning battle wagon.

I’d love to hear of DE-415, Sammy B

Suggestions The six Tillman maximum battleship designs You could do it as one video or several The Tillman IV-2 comparison video is the one I would most want to see but all six would be interesting

Texas is in critical need of repair. Have you been keeping up on the progress of preparing her to be moved to dry dock for the necessary repairs?

How did they keep ammo supplied to the upper AA? I’ve seen some of the placements on the Texas, and it looks like someone did a lot of climbing.

So we see in the Nevada class both twin and triple gun turrets. Why didn't they just simply go all triple? We did they go back to twin turrets in the Colorado Class when introduced the 16 inch guns?

In the Royal Navy Grand Fleet the US Battleships were Battle Squadron 6 not 5 Battle Squadron 5 were the Queen Elizabeth Class

Tour walkthrough please

This guy is just too cool...

I believe the USA Forces were referred to as the 6th Battle Squadron.

Had the warnings been taken seriously, and a timely emergency sortie order issued, could any of the ships have left Pearl Harbor?

Shows you why carriers did not have deck armor, if 3 or 4 inches of armor isn't good enough. A 1-inch steel 4 by 4 foot plate is very heavy and you need to cover most of a carrier deck with a lot more than an inch. It's probably better to armor a lower area in the ship protecting the magazine and aircraft fuel, it also would lower the CG. I also see all the portals in the side which has to reduce armor for direct hits on portals, I suspect electrification and light bulbs were comparatively primitive around the turn of the century.

i have been trying for a long time to find out what happened to uss arizona bb39's forward tripod mast after it was removed during salvage ops after the dec 7th 41 attack does it still exist perhaps lying somewhere overgrown by foliage or some other fate noone has ever been able to answer this satisfactory with definite proof the last footage i have seen of it was on a barge heading somewhere where was this barge heading to this tripod mast blackened and leaning foreward is perhaps the most reckognizable object of the second world war if it still exist it needs to be located and preserved it would be a most sacred piece of us navy history so im asking battleship new jersey to help me find the answer definitively the disposition of uss arizona's forward and after tripod masts thank you