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Arizona at sea in 1920. Her forward and aft 5" guns had been removed and mounted on merchant ships during World War One to give them some
protection from German U-boats. While she had been commishioned in time for World War One, she did not participate as her oil-fired boilers would have created
supply chain problems while operating with a coal fueled Royal Fleet. |
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Modernization: Arizona entered the Norfolk Navy Yard in mid-1929 for much-needed upgrading. A totally new superstructure was built; She lost her cage masts in
trade for the stronger tripod masts she would carry the rest of her service and a new a new superstructure built around the forward mast. The older cage masts had
the unnerving habit of swaying during firing of the main guns and one had failed and fell to the deck on USS Michigan during a storm. Torpedo blisters were also
added to increase protection against submarines and aerial torpedos. In addition, Arizona got new engines and new guns, allowing her to fire further and steam as
fast as before, despite the increased displacement of the ship. |
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Arizona at Sea , September 19th 1935. |
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Arizona out to Sea in late 1933 or early 1934. |
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The Mighty Arizona Heads out to Sea in 1935. |
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Arizona at Anchor in 1935 time frame |
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Arizona at the Puget Sound Naval Station during her 1937 refit. |
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Overhaul in Bremerton; Arizona at the Puget Sound Naval Station August 2nd, 1937. |
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First in a series of photos taken May 23, 1938 at the Puget Sound Naval Yard, detailing the removal of Turret #4 for overhaul. In this view the turret is beginning to clear the barbette. |
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The slow process of swinging tons of armored steel out from the ship has begun. |
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Turret #4 being lowered into a temporary foundation for transport. |
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Recovering OS2U Kingfisher seaplanes in late 1941. War is on the horizon; Arizona has been repainted in a Measure 1 paint scheme to better hide the Arizona in the deep blues of the Pacific and her planes were camoflaged as well in September of 1941. Before that the Kingfishers had been aluminum with a bright red tail and engine cowling and bright yellow on the wing tops. |
-Click Here for the next gallery -- December 7th Pt I - Battleship Row.- |
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