U.S. Navy Marks a Milestone for the Preservation of USS Arizona
The U.S Navy has removed over 100 tonnes of weight from the wreck on famed World War II warship USS Arizona, safeguarding the integrity of the ship and ensuring it remains a revered memorial in Pearl Harbor for decades to come.
The Navy is announcing the successful removal of significant portions of two aging mooring platforms, which were welded onto the wreck of the ship to aid in the salvage of guns and munitions after the deadly December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.
While the two platforms were estimated to have a combined weight of more than 150 tonnes, salvors managed to remove over 100 tonnes, a task that effectively reduces the weight bearing on the wreck’s deck. The removal of the massive weight means that the remaining minimal portions cannot disturb or damage the structure of the ship, including features of the ship that are believed to be embedded in the concrete.
It took salvors about a month to remove the platforms that have been part of Arizona for 80 years. They had become a threat to the preservation of the sunken warship because of years of deterioration and the collapse of one of the platforms in 2023. With the aid of a crane barge and a diamond wire saw, the team managed to safely remove the concrete portions by methodically making cuts in the concrete and using the crane to lift the concrete segments from Pearl Harbor onto the barge.
“Our No. 1 priority was to protect the USS Arizona for the future,” said Navy Cmdr. Matthew Englehart, U.S. Pacific Fleet diving and salvage officer. “As the ship's historic structure continues to age, the sheer weight of these concrete platforms posed a significant threat of collapsing through the decks,” He added the successfully removal of over 100 tonnes of that burden was critical in order to relieve the stress on the memorial and preserve its integrity while honoring the sanctity of the war grave site.
Arizona, which sank on December 7, 1941, following an intense bombardment of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese army, remains as a symbol of the sacrifices that American servicemembers made during WWII. Today the USS Arizona Memorial honors 1,177 crewmen who died in the attack, among them more than 900 sailors and marines. The memorial, built in 1962, is accessible only by boat and rests above the sunken remains of the battleship.
The Navy Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 1 undertook the task of removing the platforms, with assistance from contractors. The salvage operations came after two years of thorough planning, analysis and preparation to ensure compliance with relevant laws, regulations and policies.
“I'm very proud of the combined team,” said Navy Capt. Lee Shannon, commander of Task Force Arizona. “A great deal of effort from dozens of subject matter experts, both on and off the water, resulted in a successful salvage operation, which included crews working 12 to 14 hours every day to complete the mission.”