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USS Oklahoma (BB-37)

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USS Oklahoma (BB-37) was a Nevada-class battleship built by the New York Navy Yard and commissioned on May 2, 1916, under the command of Captain Roger Welles, with Rear Admiral William S. Sims and Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt in attendance. The ship was named after the Oklahoma Territory, which had become the 46th state of the United States in 1907, following the Enabling Act of 1906 and the Oklahoma Enabling Act. The USS Oklahoma (BB-37) played a significant role in the United States Navy during World War I and World War II, serving alongside other notable ships like the USS Arizona (BB-39), USS Pennsylvania (BB-38), and USS California (BB-44). The ship's construction was overseen by the United States Congress, with funding allocated through the Naval Appropriations Act of 1914, signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson.

● Design and Construction

The USS Oklahoma (BB-37) was designed by the Bureau of Construction and Repair, with a length of 583 feet and a beam of 95 feet, and was equipped with 12-inch guns and 5-inch guns, similar to those used on the USS Nevada (BB-36). The ship's construction began on October 26, 1912, and was launched on March 23, 1914, with First Lady Margaret Wilson serving as the ship's sponsor, and Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels and Chief of Naval Operations Admiral George Dewey in attendance. The ship was built using a combination of riveted steel and welded steel, with a triple-expansion steam engine and coal-fired boilers, similar to those used on the USS Utah (BB-31). The ship's design was influenced by the Dreadnought-style battleships, such as the HMS Dreadnought and the SMS Nassau, and was intended to serve as a capital ship in the United States Pacific Fleet, alongside other ships like the USS Texas (BB-35) and the USS New York (BB-34).

● Service History

The USS Oklahoma (BB-37) served in the Atlantic Fleet during World War I, participating in the Battle of the Atlantic (1914-1918) and the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War, alongside ships like the USS Florida (BB-30), USS Delaware (BB-28), and HMS Royal Oak (08). After the war, the ship underwent a major modernization at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, which included the installation of 8-inch guns and anti-aircraft guns, similar to those used on the USS Tennessee (BB-43) and the USS Maryland (BB-46). The ship then served in the Pacific Fleet, participating in the Fleet Problem exercises and visiting ports in the Pacific Ocean, including Honolulu, Pearl Harbor, and San Francisco, alongside ships like the USS Lexington (CV-2), USS Saratoga (CV-3), and USS Enterprise (CV-6).

● Attack on Pearl Harbor

On December 7, 1941, the USS Oklahoma (BB-37) was moored in Battleship Row at Pearl Harbor, alongside other ships like the USS Arizona (BB-39), USS California (BB-44), and USS West Virginia (BB-48), when the Imperial Japanese Navy launched a surprise attack on the United States Pacific Fleet. The ship was hit by multiple torpedoes and bombs, causing significant damage and flooding, and eventually capsized, resulting in the loss of 415 lives, including Captain Franklin Van Valkenburgh and Rear Admiral Isaac C. Kidd. The attack on Pearl Harbor led to the United States declaring war on Japan, Germany, and Italy, and entering World War II, alongside other Allied Powers like the United Kingdom, Soviet Union, and China.

● Salvage and Fate

The salvage of the USS Oklahoma (BB-37) began in 1943, with the ship being righted and patched, and then towed to the Mare Island Naval Shipyard for repairs, alongside other damaged ships like the USS California (BB-44) and the USS West Virginia (BB-48). However, due to the extensive damage and the need for more modern ships, the decision was made to scrap the ship, and it was sold to the Moore Dry Dock Company in 1946, and eventually broken up in 1947, with some of its parts being used to build new ships, such as the USS Missouri (BB-63) and the USS Iowa (BB-61). The ship's legacy lives on, with its battle standard being preserved at the United States Naval Academy, and its ship's bell being displayed at the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City, alongside other notable ships like the USS Constitution and the USS Midway (CV-41).

● Legacy

The USS Oklahoma (BB-37) played a significant role in the history of the United States Navy, serving in two world wars and earning several battle stars and awards, including the World War I Victory Medal and the American Defense Service Medal. The ship's sacrifice at Pearl Harbor will always be remembered, and its legacy continues to inspire new generations of sailors and officers, including those who serve on modern ships like the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) and the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78). The ship's story has been told in several books and films, including "At Dawn We Slept" by Gordon W. Prange and "Pearl Harbor (film)", and continues to be studied by historians and naval enthusiasts around the world, alongside other notable ships like the USS Enterprise (CV-6) and the USS Missouri (BB-63). Category:United States Navy

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