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NavSource Online: Battleship Photo Archive

BB-33 USS ARKANSAS
1910 - 1926

Radio Call Sign: November - Alpha - Charlie - Tango
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1927 - 1940
1941 - 1943
1944 - 1945
Post War - Sinking

Wyoming Class Battleship: Displacement 26,000 Tons, Dimensions, 562' (oa) x 93' 3" x 29' 7" (Max). Armament 12 x 12"/50, 21 x 5"/51, 2 x 21" tt. Armor, 11" Belt, 12" Turrets, 3" Decks, 11 1/2" Conning Tower. Machinery, 28,000 SHP; Direct Drive Turbines, 4 screws. Speed, 20.5 Knots, Crew 1063.

Operational and Building Data: Laid down by New York, Shipbuilding, Camden, NJ., January 25, 1910. Launched January 14, 1911. Commissioned September 17, 1912. Decommissioned July 29, 1946. Stricken August 15, 1946.
Fate: Sunk July 25, 1946, During Atomic Bomb Test "Baker" at Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands.
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BB-33 Arkansas 154k Port side underway, 15 October 1912. National Archives photo # 19-N-13581.
BB-32 Wyoming110kUnknown battleship photo quite likely taken during trials or shakedown period due to the text written "Making twenty knots" possibly circa 1912-13.
Short Answer: This is either the Wyoming (BB-32) or Arkansas (BB-33).
Key Clues: Conning Tower in front of Signal Bridge Deck, which angles back from the tower, wet 5"/51 guns below this deck, saluting battery above, command bridge on mast above, and arrangement of search lights.
Long Answer: The date of the photo is definitely prior to America's entry into WW I. The British insisted that an enclosed pilot houses was a necessity when operating in the North Atlantic and North Sea and the USN added them to all battleships sent to England. The only weather protection this ship has is awnings and the canvas wind/spray breaks tied to the deck stanchions. The other clue is the search lights on top of the boat cranes rather than a 3" AA gun; another addition before going "Over There".
This is definitely a 12" gunned dreadnaught but not one of the South Carolina's (BB-26/27). They have a prominent plated supports at the outer edge of the signal bridge which would be visible where the 5"/51 is peeking out above the awning. Also note the saluting guns on the deck above.
The Delaware class' (BB-28/29) originally had the forward most 5"/51 guns in casemates on the second deck foreword of the No. 1 barbette. This proved to be too wet and the casemates were removed and plated over and the guns were move to a "wet" mount on the 02 Deck beside the foremast and under the signal bridge deck (03 deck). The 03 deck also completely surrounds the conning tower allowing a walkway in front of the conning tower. The ship in the photo lacks this walkway. Also I have not seen any photos of either Delaware (BB-28) or North Dakota (BB-29) with only 2 searchlights mounted on the foremast in an over/under arrangement. So I do not think this either of the Delaware's.
The Florida's (BB-30/31) can be eliminated as all of this class' secondary battery were mounted in casemates in the forecastle or on the Second Deck amidships and aft. They have no "wet" mount 5"/51's though the saluting battery was located in this position. Also their signal bridge deck extends straight back from the conning tower to the bridge wings, which extends outboard perpendicularly.
The USNHC page for the "Arkansas" has a photo album from a European cruise taken in the fall of 1913, just a year after commissioning. The first photo is an over-all picture of the Arkansas in which she is carrying the same search light arrangement as in this photo. Assuming that the cover photo from the album was taken at the same time as the other photos, its reasonable to assume that it represents the Arkansas at or near the time of commissioning. Photos of the Wyoming attributed to her trials show her sporting 6 search lights mounted on the fore mast. All of this suggest that the photo is probably the Arkansas in 1912 or 1913. 		USN photo courtesy of Jerry Crow. Photo I.d. & text courtesy of Chris Hoehn. Photo added 03/12/08.
BB-33 Arkansas 42k Arkansas (BB-33) underway, shortly after commissioning. Courtesy of John D. Fielden, MM2, USN (ssb) Northridge, CA.
BB-32 Wyoming88k Battleships of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet steaming in column formation, circa 1914. The leading ship is either Wyoming (BB-32) or Arkansas (BB-33). Note the dense smoke produced by these coal-burning ships. USNHC # NH 105079 Photographed by Enrique Muller, New York.
U.S. Atlantic Fleet battleships71k U.S. Atlantic Fleet battleships steaming toward Mexican waters in 1914. Photograph copyrighted in 1914 by E. Muller, Jr., and Pach.
The following battleships that were dispatched to Mexican waters included the:
Ohio (BB-12), Virginia (BB-13), Nebraska (BB-14), Georgia (BB-15), New Jersey (BB-16), Rhode Island (BB-17), Connecticut (BB-18), Louisiana (BB-19), Vermont (BB-20), Kansas (BB-21), Minnesota (BB-22), Mississippi (BB-23), Idaho (BB-24), New Hampshire (BB-25), South Carolina (BB-26), Michigan (BB-27), Delaware (BB-28), North Dakota (BB-29), Florida (BB-30), Utah (BB-31), Wyoming (BB-32), Arkansas (BB-33), New York (BB-34) & Texas (BB-35) .
In insets are (left to right):
Rear Admiral Henry T. Mayo,
Rear Admiral Frank F. Fletcher,
Rear Admiral Charles J. Badger. 		USNHC # NH 60322.
BB-33 Arkansas 71k Firing the 12"/50 guns of Turret # 4, prior to World War I. Note rangefinder in use atop Turret # 5 and large number of sailors on deck observing the shoot. National Archives photo # 19-N-63636.
BB-19, 32 & 33 65k U.S. Atlantic Fleet at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, circa 1916-1917 Third section from left (of six) of a panoramic photograph taken from the Naval Station radio tower. Among the ships present are: a battleship that is either Wyoming (BB-32)or Arkansas (BB-33) (left foreground), minelayers Baltimore (CM-1) and San Francisco (CM-2) (toward the left, far distance), destroyers Nicholson (DD-52) (left center, middle distance) and Cushing (DD-55) (right center, middle distance), and battleship Louisiana (BB-19) (right center, far distance, with "La." written above it). USNHC photo # NH 76419, courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation, Washington, D.C. Donation of MMC Jesse Forton, USN (Retired), 1972.
Burnell Poole199k This rare oil painting by American artist Burnell Poole, "The 6th Battle Squadron of the Grand Fleet Leaving the Firth of Forth", is one of less than two dozen paintings owned by the Navy that depicts U.S. naval operations in World War One (WWI). After years of being considered a total loss by Navy Art Gallery curators it has been restored to near perfect condition. The entire process took several months, but the result is the total recovery of a painting that is sure to establish Burnell Poole's name among the best marine painters of the early 20th century.
The composition of the ships of the 6th Battle Squadron during their operational history, appearing in the painting in no particular order were: Delaware (BB-28), Florida (BB-30),Wyoming (BB-32), Arkansas (BB-33), New York (BB-34), Texas (BB-35), & Arizona (BB-39).		 Photo and partial text courtesy of Naval Historical Center, Washington, D.C., File photo # N-0000X-001.
BB-32/33163kA British, German & Ameican battleship, the Wyoming (BB-32) or Arkansas (BB-33), as seen from the Florida (BB-30) the day the German High Seas Fleet in the Firth of Forth, 21 November 1918.Courtesy of Larry Yungk.
BB-33 Arkansas200k Arkansas (BB-33), standing by with the rest of the U.S. Navy's Battleship Division Nine & as seen from the rear deck of the Florida (BB-30) at the Firth of Forth, Scotland, 1917-19. Note the blimps flying overhead.Courtesy of Larry Yungk.
BB-33 Arkansas 59k Arkansas (BB-33) underway with other battleships of the Atlantic fleet, circa 1917-20. From the collection of Gerald M. Charpentier of New Orleans and L.A. Donated by his niece, Elaine C. Witty. Courtesy of Lawrence Bohn.
BB-33 Arkansas 59k Arkansas (BB-33) circa 1917-20. USNI photo.
Sixth Battle Squadron72 Battleships of the Sixth Battle Squadron (anchored in column in the left half of the photograph): included the
Florida (BB-30)
Utah (BB-31)
Wyoming (BB-32)
Arkansas (BB-33)
New York (BB-34)
Texas (BB-35)
Nevada (BB-36)
Oklahoma (BB-37)
Pennsylvania (BB-38)
& Arizona (BB-39) at one time or another.
There are only three of the battleships present in this photo at Brest, France, on 13 December 1918. George Washington (ID-3018), which had just carried President Woodrow Wilson from the United States to France, is in the right background. Photographed by Zimmer		USNHC # NH 63454.
BB-33 Arkansas 121k Crewmen examining the silver service presented to the battleship by the State of Arkansas. Miss Daisy Dalony made the presentation on behalf of Arkansas Governor Brough, 23 April 1919. USNHC photo # NH 57686.
New York Harbor46k"American dreadnoughts & superdreadnoughts steaming into New York harbor 14 April 1919."
The Texas (BB-35) leads the procession with a airplane on her turret catapult. Note the escorting biplane.		Photo by Paul Thompson, courtesy of memory.loc.gov. Text courtesy of N.Y. Times, 31 December 1919.
BB-33 Arkansas 87k A young woman visitor sighting one of the Arkansas's (BB-33) 5"/51 guns, in New York Harbor, 23 April 1919. Note the small sub-caliber spotting rifle atop the gun barrel; splinter matresses hung over the gun; and door with porthole in the lower right. In the background are Jouett (DD-41), at left, and Meredith (DD-165). USNHC photo # NH 46317.
BB-33 Arkansas 74k In the middle chambers of the Gatun Locks, Panama Canal, on 25 July 1919 while en route to the Pacific. Texas (BB-35) is at right. USNHC photo # 19-NH 57682.
BB-33 Arkansas 382k A Enrique Muller photo circa late teens showing among other things; sailors on the stern aboard one of the small boats the Arkansas (BB-33), possibly readying it in preperation for a trip ashore once the ship anchors. NARA FILE #: 165-WW-334A-7. Photo # HD-SN-99-02138 courtesy of dodmedia.osd.mil, Defense Visual Information Center.
BB-33 Arkansas 70k Arkansas (BB-33) underway sometime in 1919. USN photo courtesy of Larry Bonn.
BB-32/33106k Henderson (AP-1) Photographed from an aircraft while flying the flag of Secretary of the Navy Edwin Denby and returning a gun salute in the early 1920s. Wyoming (BB-32) or Arkansas (BB-33) is in the background, with crew manning the rails. USNHC photo # NH 53241.
BB-33 Arkansas 73k Arkansas (BB-33) underway, port side view. Before modernization. USNHC photo # NH 61320.
BB-33 Arkansas 97k Arkansas (BB-33) after WWI modifications, early 1920's. Forward casemates are plated over and mast tops were modified to the standard octagonal form. They controlled the searchlights and were for torpedo defense (spotting). The main mast top is a bit lower than the foremast to help keep it out of funnel smoke at battle speeds. USNHC photo # NH 64508.
BB-33 Arkansas 140k Stern view taken at the same time as #6 photo. Shows plated over 5" gun position at the sterns end. Turrets #3 and #5 have a pair of 3" A.A. guns mounted on their tops as well as range finders, giving a cluttered appearance. Two more pairs of 3"ers are mounted on her crane derrick tops and a fourth (not easily seen here) is located abreast #5 turret barbette. USN photo.
Arkansas class70k Sharkey (DD-281) in harbor, during the 1920s. Note the recessed anchor housing fitted to her bow and signal flags flying from her formast. Wyoming (BB-32) or Arkansas (BB-33) is in the background.USNHC # 67903. Photo i.d. courtesy of Phil Lucy.
BB-33 Arkansas 91k It is obvious from the amount of smoke that she's a coal burner. Early 1920's photo of the Arkansas (BB-33) conducting torpedo practice. The wake can be seen leading to the port side as aircraft flies overhead. The aircraft appearing above the Arkansas might be a PN-9 Air operated catapult can be seen on the fantail. USNI / USN photo.
BB-33 Arkansas 125k Early 1920's photo of the Arkansas (BB-33) conducting torpedo practice. Inscription on back of photo, "A hit by Lieut. Gray, first torpedo dropped in attack." It is possible that the aircraft is a Douglas DT bomber. USNI / USN photo.
BB-33 Arkansas86k Arkansas (BB-33) circa 1920s.Photo USNHC # NH 69504, now in the collections of the National Archives, courtesy of J.L. Aguillard.
BB-33 Arkansas 88k Arkansas (BB-33) entered the Philadelphia Navy Yard for modernization. Her coal-burning boilers were replaced with oil-fired ones. Additional deck armor was installed, a single stack was substituted for the original pair, and the after cage mast was replaced by a low tripod. USN photo, text courtesy of DANFS.
BB-33 Arkansas 110k Upon completion of the 1925 midshipman cruise, Arkansas (BB-33) entered the Philadelphia Navy Yard for modernization. She is shown here with all her guns trained to port, taken in February 1926, before any modification had taken place. USN photo, text courtesy of DANFS.
BB-33 Arkansas 102k The Arkansas (BB-33) in the Philadelphia Navy Yard for modernization, still largely unaltered except for the after mast, in dry dock in October 1926. USN photo courtesy of Robert Hurst.
BB-33 Arkansas 82k Arkansas (BB-33) passing under the Benjamin Franklin Bridge in Philadelphia, Pa. Arkansas left the Philadelphia Navy Yard in November 1926 and, after a shake-down cruise along the eastern seaboard and to Cuban waters, returned to Philadelphia to run acceptance trials. USNI / USN photo. Photo i.d. courtesy of Charlie Gonce. Partial text courtesy of DANFS.
Additional Arkansas Images
1 General View Of Arkansas From The Library Of Congress Server.
USS ARKANSAS BB-33 History
View This Vessels DANFS History Entry
(Located On The Hazegray & Underway Web Site, This Is The Main Archive For The DANFS Online Project.)
Crew Contact And Reunion Information
Contact Name: Mr. John R Meyer
Address: None Listed
Phone: 630-968-4991
E-mail: None

Note About Contacts.

The contact listed, Was the contact at the time for this ship when located. If another person now is the contact, E-mail me and I will update this entry. These contacts are compiled from various sources over a long period of time and may or may not be correct. Every effort has been made to list the newest contact if more than one contact was found.
Additional Resources
Hazegray & Underway Battleship Pages By Andrew Toppan.
U.S.S. ARKANSAS-Bikini Able and Baker Test Underwater Images.
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