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NavSource Online: Battleship Photo Archive

BB-43 USS TENNESSEE
Pearl Harbor Attack

Radio Call Sign: November - India - Delta - November

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1917 - 1929
1930 - 1941
Puget Sound Rebuild / 1942 - May 1943
June 1943 - 1945
1946 - 1959


Tennessee Class Battleship: Displacement 32,300 Tons, Dimensions, 624' (oa) x 97' 4" x 31' (Max). Armament 12 x 14"/50 14 x 5"/51, 4 x 3"/50AA 2 x 21" tt. Armor, 13 1/2" Belt, 18" Turrets, 3 1/2" +1 1/2" Decks, 16" Conning Tower. Machinery, 26,800 SHP; Turbines with electric drive, 4 screws. Speed, 21 Knots, Crew 1083.

Operational and Building Data: Laid down by New York Naval Ship Yard, May 14, 1917. Launched April 30, 1919. Commissioned June 3, 1920. Decommissioned February 14, 1947. Stricken March 1, 1959.
Fate: Sold July 16, 1959 and broken up for scrap.
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BB-48 West Virginia120kSailors in a motor launch rescue a survivor from the water alongside the sunken West Virginia (BB-48) during or shortly after the Japanese air raid on Pearl Harbor. Tennessee (BB-43) is inboard of the sunken battleship. Note extensive distortion of West Virginia's lower midships superstructure, caused by torpedoes that exploded below that location. Also note 5"/25 gun, still partially covered with canvas, boat crane swung outboard and empty boat cradles near the smokestacks, and base of radar antenna atop West Virginia's foremast. Official U.S. Navy Photograph,USNHC # C-5904, now in the collections of the National Archives.
BB-48 West Virginia109kAttack on Pearl Harbor, 7 Dec. 1941: West Virginia (BB-48) sunk at anchor after her fires were put out. Her OS2U plane upside down on her deck with another plane burned out on the catapult. Tennessee (BB-43) is inboard. Note radar on West Virginia's foremast. National Archives photo # 80-G-19945.
BB-37 Oklahoma 86k Oil on canvas painting by the artist Tom Freeman entitled "Last Torpedo". The Oklahoma (BB-37) starts to capsize. The ship had no watertight integrity, as all portholes and watertight doors were open for Captain's inspection when the Japanese attacked. Maryland (BB-46) is at left, and Tennessee (BB-43) is behind and to the left of the Oklahoma, and West Virginia (BB-48) is directly behind her and sinking. Photo and partial text courtesy of oldgloryprints.com
The Raid on Pearl Harbor63kOil on canvas painting by the artist Ivan Berryman entitled "The Raid on Pearl Harbor, 7th December 1941 ", depicting the view across 'Battleship Row', viewed from above Ford Island as the Nevada (BB-36) gallantly makes her break for the open sea, coming under heavy attack from Japanese A6M2s from the carrier Hiryu. The Nevada was eventually too badly damaged to continue and was beached to avoid blocking the harbour entrance. In the immediate foreground, the lightly damaged Tennessee (BB-43) is trapped inboard of West Virginia (BB-48) which has sunk at her moorings, leaking burning oil and hampering the daring operations to pluck trapped crew members from her decks, while just visible to the right is the stern of the Maryland (BB-46) and the capsized Oklahoma (BB-37). Photo and partial text courtesy of military-art.com.
BB-48 West Virginia92kWith help from the crew of the Tern (AM-31), the fires aboard the sunken West Virginia (BB-48) are slowly being extinguished. Note radar antenna, paravanes and 16"/45 twin gun turrets on the battleship.National Archives photo # NH 64477.
BB-48 West Virginia85kSmall craft standing by West Virginia (BB-48) as burning oil drifts past the sunken battleship, shortly after the end of the Japanese air raid. Tennessee (BB-43) is moored on West Virginia's starboard side. Both ships are shrouded in smoke from the burning Arizona (BB-39), out of view to the right.National Archives # NH 94379.
BB-48 West Virginia102kThis photo shows the fires being fought on the sunken battleship West Virginia (BB-48), 7 December 1941. The garbage lighter YG-17 is at right, with her crewmen playing two fire hoses at the flames. Assisting or standing by are a motor launch and an officer's motorboat. Tennessee (BB-43) is inboard of West Virginia .Official U.S. Navy Photograph, # 80-G-19947, now in the collections of the National Archives.
BB-48 West Virginia84kThe sunken battleship West Virginia (BB-48) after her fires were out, possibly taken on 8 December 1941. Tennessee (BB-43) is inboard. An OS2U floatplane (marked "4-O-3") is upside down on West Virginia's main deck. A second OS2U is partially burned out atop the Turret # 3 catapult. Note radar antenna atop West Virginia's foremast.Official U.S. Navy Photograph, USNHC # 80-G-19945, now in the collections of the National Archives.
BB-43 Tennessee 99k Tennessee (BB-43), at left, alongside the sunken West Virginia (BB-48), photographed from the capsized hull of Oklahoma (BB-37) on 10 December 1941, three days after the Japanese raid. The mainmast of Arizona (BB-39) is visible in the right distance. USNHC # NH 50770, now in the collections of the National Archives.
BB-48 West Virginia50kThe West Virginia (BB-48) on the bottom, with the Tennessee (BB-43) inboard. Photograph taken 10 December 1941. USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels. Photo added 03/20/08.
BB-48 West Virginia25kThe West Virginia (BB-48) showing collapsed gun deck, with the Tennessee (BB-43) inboard. Photograph taken 10 December 1941. USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels. Photo added 03/20/08.
BB-48 West Virginia86kThe West Virginia (BB-48) on the left, 3/4 rear view showing general damage, with the Tennessee (BB-43) on the right. Photograph taken 10 December 1941. USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels. Photo added 03/20/08.
BB-43 Tennessee24k Cover of the Bomb Damage - Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941 Report of the Tennessee (BB-43).Photo from WII War Damage Reports, courtesy of NavSea / dcfp.navy.mil, link submitted by Mike Green.
BB-43 Tennessee118k Map I showing the location of the of the Tennessee (BB-43) and bomb impact damage during the attack on Pearl Harbor.Photo from WII War Damage Reports, courtesy of NavSea / dcfp.navy.mil, link submitted by Mike Green.
BB-43 Tennessee363k Map II showing the location of the of the Tennessee (BB-43) and bomb impact damage during the attack on Pearl Harbor.Photo from WII War Damage Reports, courtesy of NavSea / dcfp.navy.mil, link submitted by Mike Green.
Tennessee & Arizona84k Tennessee (BB-43) & Arizona (BB-39) with fires still burning. Note the fire hoses playing over the stern of Tennessee to wash burning oil away. Photo from WII War Damage Reports, courtesy of NavSea / dcfp.navy.mil, link submitted by Mike Green.
BB-43 Tennessee107k Top of turret III looking down through the hole in the catapult at the opening through which the bomb penetrated. Photo from WII War Damage Reports, courtesy of NavSea / dcfp.navy.mil, link submitted by Mike Green.
BB-43 Tennessee122k Top of turret III showing the point of impact on plate "A".Photo from WII War Damage Reports, courtesy of NavSea / dcfp.navy.mil, link submitted by Mike Green.
BB-43 Tennessee113k Inside turret III showing the hole in the catapult, the tear in plate "A" and the severed rangefinder tube.Photo from WII War Damage Reports, courtesy of NavSea / dcfp.navy.mil, link submitted by Mike Green.
BB-43 Tennessee144k Inside turret III under the point of impact looking forward th the front of the turret, and showing the tear in plate "A" and the broken transverse girder under plate "B".Photo from WII War Damage Reports, courtesy of NavSea / dcfp.navy.mil, link submitted by Mike Green.
BB-43 Tennessee91k Center gun of Turret II showing the hole gouged out by the bomb and the crack in "C" hoop.Photo from WII War Damage Reports, courtesy of NavSea / dcfp.navy.mil, link submitted by Mike Green.
BB-43 Tennessee110k Right and center gun of Turret II. Note the coaming around the right gun port partly blown off by the explosion.Photo from WII War Damage Reports, courtesy of NavSea / dcfp.navy.mil, link submitted by Mike Green.

USS TENNESSEE BB-43 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: Bud Galow
Address: 521 Inman Terrace, Willow Grove, PA 19090-3613
Phone: (215) 784-9885
E-mail:budgalow@comcast.net
Mail to USS Tennessee Reunion Association can be sent to: P.O. Box 1174, Willow Grove, PA 19090-0704

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.

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