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NavSource Online: Battleship Photo Archive

BB-37 USS OKLAHOMA
1912 - 1919

Radio Call Sign: November - Alpha - Delta - November
To Additional Pages

1920 - 1929
1930 - Dec 6, 1941
Dec 7, 1941 - October 1943
Nov 1943 - May 1947
Post War

Nevada Class Battleship: Displacement 27,500 Tons, Dimensions, 583' (oa) x 95' 3" x 29' 7" (Max) Armament 10 x 14"/45 21 x 5"/51, 2 x 21" tt. Armor, 13 1/2" Belt, 18" Triple Turrets, 16" Dual turrets, 3" Second (armor) Deck, 2 1/2" Third (splinter) Deck 16" Conning Tower. Machinery, 24,800 IHP; 2 vertical, Triple expansion engines, 2 screws. Speed, 20.5 Knots, Crew 864.

Operational and Building Data: Laid down by New York, Shipbuilding, Canden, NJ., October 26, 1912. Launched March 23, 1914. Commissioned May 2, 1916. Decommissioned (War Loss). Stricken September 1, 1944.
Fate: Sunk by Japanese aircraft during attack on Pearl Harbor Hawaii, December 7, 1941. Her hulk was raised in 1943, Sold for scrap December 5 1946. Hulk sank while under tow to breakers, 540 miles NE, Pearl Harbor, May 17, 1947. 20 Officers and 395 Men were lost with the ship and remain on duty.

In Memorium:

In the Second Book of Shmuel (Samuel), 22nd chapter, 5th through the 19th verses, translated from the original in Hebrew and published by the Koren Publishers of Jerusalem, Israel, can perhaps aptly describe the fate of the crew and all other U.S.sailors who died defending their county:

"When the waves of death compassed me / the floods of ungodly men made me afraid; / the bonds of She'ol encircled me; / the snares of death took me by surprise; / in my distress I called upon the Lord, / and cried to my G-D: / and he heard my voice out of his temple, / and my cry entered into his ears. / Then the earth shook and trembled; /the foundations of heaven moved / and shook because of his anger /...the heavy mass of waters, and thick clouds of the skies /... And the channels of the sea appeared, / the foundations of the world were laid bare, / at the rebuking of the Lord, at the blast at the breath of his nostrils. / He sent from above, he took me; / he drew me out of many waters; / he delivered me from my strong enemy, and from those who hated me; for they were too strong for me. / They surprised me in the day of my calamity: / but the Lord was my stay..."
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For Full Size Image		 Size Image Description Contributed
By And/Or Copyright
Proposed B.S. #36269k"Proposed B.S. #36".
Preliminary design plan prepared for the General Board during consideration of designs for Battleship # 36, which became the Nevada (BB-36 / 37) class. This plan, dated 4 March 1911, provides eight 14-inch guns, twin-screw reciprocating machinery and a speed of 21 knots in a ship 605 feet long on the load water line (L.W.L.), 95 feet in beam, with a normal displacement of 27,000 tons. The original plan is in the 1911-1925 "Spring Styles Book". 		U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph # S-584-001.
BB-37 Oklahoma 175k Starboard Bow underway, 15 January 1916. National Archives # 19-N-5-28-18.
BB-37 Oklahoma 108k "U.S. superdeadnought Oklahoma (BB-37), latest and largest ship of the American Navy, shouldering along at more than twenty knots an hour on her first trial trip off the Maine coast a week ago." Photo by International News Service, text courtesy of N.Y. Times, 23 January 1916, Page 7, courtesy of memory.loc.gov.
BB-37 Oklahoma 104k Crewmen cleaning the center 14"/45 gun of the battleship's after turret, circa 1916. USNHC # NH 44422.
BB-37 Oklahoma 63k Photographed circa 1917, while painted in an experimental camouflage pattern. USNHC # NH 44401.
BB-37 Oklahoma 48k Starboard view, circa 1917. Philip H. Robare RMCS, USN - RET.
Atlantic Fleet58k"Armor piercing shells weighing half a ton or more apeice being loaded on an American Dreadnought that is preparing to sail for European waters."Photo by Central News Photo Service, text courtesy of N.Y. Times, Page 363 from The War of the Nations (New York), 31 December 1919, courtesy of memory.loc.gov.
BB-37 Oklahoma 177k Oklahoma (BB-37) anchored in the waterways of New York City during the late teens.USN photo courtesy of Robert M. Cieri.
BB-37 Oklahoma 72k Oklahoma (BB-37) underway off Brest, France, on 13 December 1918, while escorting President Woodrow Wilson's transport, George Washington (ID-3018) into port. A Brest pilot boat is under sail in the foreground. USNHC # NH 57233.
Sixth Battle Squadron72k 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-37 Oklahoma 94kOklahoma (BB-37) anchored in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, 1 April 1919. Panoramic photograph by L.C. Grant with Falk Photo Company, Boston, Massachusetts. Note the steam launch in the center foreground, and the wavy nature of the image, the result of the rocking of the photographer's boat as the panoramic camera scanned along Oklahoma's length. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph # NH 105064.
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.
The "escorting" aircraft is either a Curtiss HS-1 or HS-2 (note the single engine) can't tell which from the photo. The aircraft on a fly-off platform atop the No. 2 turret of the Texas is 1 of 6 Sopwith Camels purchased from Britain at the end of the war.
The platforms were a British concept designed to provide the fleet with an aircraft capable of reaching the high flying Zeppelins which the German Navy occasionally used as scouts. The Texas was the only US Battleship to be fitted with turret fly-off platforms while in Europe and was the test bed for this program in the US Navy. Not visible in this view is a stripped down (No fabric and no wings) Sopwith 1-1/2 Strutter lashed atop the No. 3 Turret. The platforms were eventually mounted on all 14" gun BB's through the New Mexico class (with mixed reviews from their commanders) and carried either a Hanriot HD-1 or a Neiuport 28. Though equipped inflatable floats for water landings, this tended to do a lot of damage not the least of which was dowsing a hot engine in cold salt water. By 1920 a successful compressed air catapult was developed and were being mounted on the aft deck of all 4 turreted battleships and fly-off platforms were removed. The Texas and New York (BB-34), because of their 5 Turrets, lacked the deck space for the catapult and had to make do with a float plane (Vought VE-7) sitting on the aft deck which would be launched by lowering it over the side for a surface take-off.
If you look carefully at the 15th photo from the bottom on the New York 1916 - 1926 page, you see the VE-7 on the deck and the A-frame hoist used for handling it.		Photo by Paul Thompson, text courtesy of N.Y. Times, 31 December 1919, courtesy of memory.loc.gov. Text i.d. courtesy of Chris Hoehn added 02/18/09.
BB-37 Oklahoma 46k "The towering hull of the Oklahoma (BB-37) has a keel that is very heavily weighted to offset the ponderous armament above." Photo by International News Agency,text courtesy from "The War of the Nations" (New York), N.Y. Times, 31 December 1919, Page 376, courtesy of memory.loc.gov.
BB-37 Oklahoma 71k "Part of the main battery of five fourteen inch guns on one of the latest and most formidable of United States deadnoughts." Photo by Central News, text courtesy from "The War of the Nations" (New York), N.Y. Times, 31 December 1919, Page 376, courtesy of memory.loc.gov.
BB-37 Oklahoma 93k "Torpedo of the 21 inch type being gotten ready to be lowered into the hold of the Oklahoma (BB-37). Expelled from the tube by compressed air, is self propelling, explodes on contact and has charge of 200 pounds of gun powder." Photo by Central News, Partial text from "The War of the Nations" (New York), 31 December 1919, courtesy of memory.loc.gov.
BB-37 Oklahoma 71k Halftone reproduction of a photograph taken on the ship's main deck, looking aft along the starboard side, circa 1918-1919. This view was published circa 1919 as one of ten images in a "Souvenir Folder" concerning Oklahoma (BB-37). USNHC # NH 105735. Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2009.
BB-37 Oklahoma 67kHalftone reproduction of a photograph taken in the ship's officers' ward room, circa 1918-1919. This view was published circa 1919 as one of ten images in a "Souvenir Folder" concerning Oklahoma (BB-37). USNHC # NH 105734. Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2009.
BB-37 Oklahoma 69kHalftone reproduction of a photograph looking forward from near the ship's stern, showinhg her after 14"/45 guns, circa 1918-1919. Note the destroyers tied up alongside. This view was published circa 1919 as one of ten images in a "Souvenir Folder" concerning Oklahoma (BB-37). USNHC # NH 105736. Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2009.
BB-37 Oklahoma 73k Halftone reproduction of a photograph taken in the crew's galley, circa 1918-1919. This view was published circa 1919 as one of ten images in a "Souvenir Folder" concerning Oklahoma (BB-37). USNHC # NH 105737. Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2009.
BB-37 Oklahoma 73kHalftone reproduction of a photograph taken in a crew's compartment, circa 1918-1919. Note the 5"/51 gun at far right and hammock hooks mounted on the beams overhead. This view was published circa 1919 as one of ten images in a "Souvenir Folder" concerning Oklahoma (BB-37). USNHC # NH 105738. Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2009.
BB-37 Oklahoma 71k Halftone reproduction of a photograph taken in the ship's surgical operating room, circa 1918-1919. This view was published circa 1919 as one of ten images in a "Souvenir Folder" concerning Oklahoma (BB-37). USNHC # NH 105739. Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2009.
BB-37 Oklahoma 74kHalftone reproduction of a photograph taken in the ship's sick bay, circa 1918-1919 This view was published circa 1919 as one of ten images in a "Souvenir Folder" concerning Oklahoma (BB-37). USNHC # NH 105740. Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2009.
BB-37 Oklahoma 71kHalftone reproduction of a photograph taken on the ship's forecastle, looking aft toward her forward 14"/45 guns and bridge, circa 1918-1919. Note the anchor handling facilities in the foreground. This view was published circa 1919 as one of ten images in a "Souvenir Folder" concerning Oklahoma (BB-37). USNHC # NH 105741. Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2009.
BB-37 Oklahoma 77k Halftone reproduction of a photograph looking toward the bow from the ship's bridge, with her forward 14"/45 gun turrets in the foreground, circa 1918-1919. Note what appears to be a gun-leveling device placed across the two guns of Turret # 2. This view was published circa 1919 as one of ten images in a "Souvenir Folder" concerning Oklahoma (BB-37). USNHC # NH 105742. Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2009.
BB-37 Oklahoma 76k Underway, 1919. Larry Bonn / USN photo.
USS OKLAHOMA BB-37 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. PAUL GOODYEAR
Address:1138 AVE OF COTTON CASA GRANDE AZ 85222
Phone: 520 421 0055
E-mail: PAUL GOODYEAR


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.
ussoklahoma.com
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