How They Salvaged Pearl Harbor: The 'Zombie Battleship' (2/4)



Part 2 of the limited series. December 7, 1941; Japanese aircraft roar in low over Pearl Harbor naval base, Oahu Hawaii. Within hours over 2,000 Americans will be killed and country will be thrust into the bloodiest conflict in human history. But how did the Navy deal with the massive cleanup left behind? Before they could get to work, hundreds of men needed rescuing – the wounded and, more worryingly, the trapped. Aboard the mighty battleships USS West Virginia, USS Oklahoma and USS Utah men were stuck deep within the confines of their battered and capsized ships’ hulls. In this documentary series we’ll take a closer look at the Pearl Harbor attack, examine the damage wrought and see how the US navy pulled off an incredible feat of engineering and salvage to put the majority of their Pacific fleet back in action. This is the true story of the salvage of Pearl Harbor!

PART 1:
https://youtu.be/jGhcZk88ZSg

Sources for this video are:
Naval History and Heritage Command: https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/wars-and-events/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor-raid/post-attack-ship-salvage.html
‘Pearl Harbor: Why, How, Fleet Salvage and Final Appraisal by Vice Admiral Homer N. Wallin USN (Retired)’
Warfare History Network
Washington Post

Footage is from:
Naval History and Heritage Command
US National Archives

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#war #ww2 #seconworldwar #history #disaster #pearlharbor #documentary #information #story #ships #warships #battleships #sinking

0:00 Introduction
2:10 The Attack Begins
5:39 Analysis of the North Side
7:13 Analysis of Battleship Row
13:02 Analysis of the Naval Yards
15:07 Men Trapped Inside
21:23 Salvage Plan Begins

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33 thoughts on “How They Salvaged Pearl Harbor: The 'Zombie Battleship' (2/4)”

  1. While hydrogen sulphide is indeed toxic, it is in no way odorless! It stinks to high heaven.

    However, so strong is the stench that it can overload a person's olfactory sense, to the point where one ceases to be able to smell it; and this may be what happened to the young lieutenant in the steering compartment of Nevada.

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  2. My 3 uncles were in the Pacific theater, and spoke of the work that was done in Pearl Harbor. I was on the USS Albany CG 10 stationed in Gaeta Italy 77-80. She was commissioned in 1953, I was a Boiler Tech and she also was the Flag of the 6 th Fleet. Very interesting I will be watching. Thanks

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  3. The failure of the Japanese Navy to destroy the salvage yards and fuel depots was without question the greatest blunder in military history. The destruction of the savage and fuel resources would have resulted in the US having to ship resources from the West Coast which would have taken weeks to mount.

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  4. Absolutely great video, you did a great job in telling this extremely interesting story, that is so often completely forgotten. Normally documentaries will only tell us the fighting stories. This was a fight on a different level, but worthy to be told. Looking forward to the next episodes. 👍

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  5. I grew up under that 48 star American flag. the sight of that flag fluttering brought mist to my eyes, i immediately saw my elementary school standing tall at the flag raising the first day of school. I did not know just that image was so strong

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  6. I can imagine the Japanese from Emperor down to the lowest paid member of the Japanese military looked on in fear at the ships that refused to remain politely dead, and fired at them guided inspirit by the sprit of the lost men who never got to see the defeat they were and involuntary part of. One of my aunts, who had enlisted, was caught being to young to legally join. I can imagine she cried bitter tears when the radio announced her bae that she was so looking for ward to was damaged. She was a flight line worker and would have been in a hangar when they started falling around her.

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  7. Nevada didn't have reciprocating engines but steam turbines that turned her screws by a reduction gear. Her sister was the capsized Oklahoma which did have the old-fashioned reciprocating engines.
    Many of the later standards used turbo electric drive. In this system steam turbines turned generators which powered electric Motors that turned the ships propellers

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  8. The war would have been very different if the Japanese had added 100,000 men for an invasion as well. No major defending artillery, no aircraft and no ships to fight with, the island was pretty well defenceless. Once they took Ford Island and the surrounding area, US actions in the Pacific would be greatly curtailed. And with the defences rebuilt for war and 100,000 man garrison, it would be very hard to take back.

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  9. Although this was a very well-done video, it's not a documentary on the attack at Pearl Harbor. Having said that, it's worth mentioning something that few recognize: had the Japanese concentrated their attack on the fuel tanks (ship & plane) the US Navy would have really been up shit's creek.

    Had the submarines and a carrier or two been at Pearl Harbor, America would have been up shit's creek without a paddle!

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  10. "In part III of this video series we'll look at how the sunken USS California was raised from the bottom".

    Will we ever see the State of California raised from the dead? Maybe, if they can have their own MCGA revolution…

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  11. That was an amazing account of what took place. The sheer amount of work and the level of skill these men had was outstanding. And out of all the diving, there were no injuries or deaths. They are a credit to their country. I should think it also helped that they were VERY motivated to get even.

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  12. Proud of my fellow Americans and what they accomplished in Pearl Habor. It was a vicious and underhanded attack thatteankfully did not go unanswered. My 3rd Cousin was in the military then and became the Supreme Allied Commander, Dwight Isenhower. I remember many stories coming from my grandfather about him and how he was such a different person when he was home, much more carefree and easy going,

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