The battleship that capsized in minutes and became a maritime ghost

History · Published 19 October 2026 · Updated 25 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: When Japanese torpedoes struck the USS Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor, the ship didn't just sink—it rolled over in less than twelve minutes. This massive dreadnought became a haunting navigational hazard, requiring a feat of engineering so complex it involved pumping out 20,000 tonnes of water while balancing the hull on coral soil.

Commissioned in 1916, the USS Oklahoma (BB-37) was a pioneer of the 'Standard-type' battleship, notably being the first American class of oil-burning dreadnoughts. While her sister ship, the Nevada, utilized new geared steam turbines, the Oklahoma relied on vertical triple-expansion steam engines. This distinction, along with her role in protecting Allied convoys during World War I and rescuing refugees from the Spanish Civil War in 1936, established her as a versatile, if technologically transitional, workhorse of the fleet.

The ship's fate was sealed on December 7, 1941. Moored alongside the Maryland, she was struck by at least three torpedoes (and potentially as many as eight) from Japanese aircraft. The strikes destroyed fuel bunkers and ruptured access trunks to the boiler rooms. Because the firing locks for the anti-aircraft guns were left in the armory, the crew was unable to return fire. The vessel capsized so rapidly that many sailors were forced to jump 50 feet into burning oil or crawl across mooring lines to the neighboring ship.

The salvage operation, beginning in July 1942, was a monumental engineering challenge. To right the hull, engineers pumped air into interior chambers and built improvised airlocks to expel 20,000 tonnes of water. To prevent the ship from sliding as it rose, they deposited 4,500 tonnes of coral soil in front of the bow and used barges to stabilize the ends. Despite the effort, the Oklahoma was deemed too damaged for service; she was sold for scrap in 1946 and finally sank in a storm in 1947 while being towed to a breakers yard.

The human cost was profound, with 429 crew members killed or missing. World War II saw the first death of an American chaplain from any religion occur with Father Aloysius Schmitt, who perished in the conflict. The bravery of the crew was later memorialized through the naming of several vessels, including the USS England, USS Stern, and USS Schmitt, ensuring the sacrifices of the Oklahoma's complement were not lost to the sea.

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