Search results
Mar 4, 2024 · USS Utah (BB-31) was the sixth dreadnought battleship commissioned by the U.S. Navy. Like the preceding Delaware -class, Utah and her sister Florida carried ten 12” gun in five twin,...
On 7 December 1941, a massive strike of 183 aircraft roared off six Japanese carriers to strike Pearl Harbor. Sixteen torpedo bombers were to attack U.S. aircraft carriers moored on the northwest side of Ford Island.
USS Utah (BB-31/AG-16) was a U.S. Navy ship attacked and sunk during the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941.
Pearl Sandick is a Professor of Physics and Astronomy and Associate Dean for Faculty and Research in the College of Science at the University of Utah. She earned a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 2008 and was a postdoctoral fellow in the Theory Group at the University of Texas at Austin before moving to Utah in 2011.
- The USS Utah‘S First Conflicts: The Mexican Revolution and The First World War
- Preparing to Fight A Modern War: The Utah as A Training Ship
- Sinking The USS Utah
- Trapped Below Deck
- “Get Out now. Leave Immediately!”
- Finding A Home For Tomich’S Medal of Honor
- An Extra Set of Remains
- A Forgotten Grave Site
- The Symbolism of The USS Arizona vs The Heritage of The Utah
- Ending The Paradox of Pearl Harbor
The Utah, one of the two-ship Florida-class, was laid down on March 9, 1909, at the New York Shipbuilding Yard in Camden, New Jersey. It was an imposing design for its time, with a length of 521.5 feet, a beam of 88.2 feet, a displacement of 21,825 tons, and a speed of 20.75 knots. It was comparable to any battleship in the world and could operate ...
The USS Utah continued in the Atlantic Fleet until 1931, taking part in a number of important diplomatic missions to Europe and South America by carrying top government officials. Her days as a battleship ended on July 1, 1931, when, under the terms of the 1930 London Naval Treaty, she was designated to be converted to a noncombatant ship. Her 12-i...
Utah was still berthed at F-11 on the morning of Sunday, December 7, her crew anticipating a leisurely day. She had company along the west side of Ford Island, including the seaplane tender Tangier immediately astern and cruisers Raleigh and Detroit directly ahead. Like most men of the Pacific Fleet, few of Utah’s crew thought that war would come t...
Below deck, Electrician’s Mate 3rd Class Dave Smith, one of the ship’s crane operators, heard the roar of aircraft engines and glanced out of a porthole in time to see the red circles on the aircraft that had just dropped torpedoes at Utah. “I suddenly realized that we were being attacked by Japanese planes,” he explained. “When the torpedoes hit a...
Not every crewman caught below deck when the torpedoes struck chose to seek safety topside. Chief Water Tender Peter Tomich recognized that if cold water reached the hot boilers, they would explode, endangering everyone still aboard the ship. Someone had to stay behind to secure the boilers. As the Utahbegan to roll over, Tomich knew what he had to...
For his actions in knowingly sacrificing his life to save others, in 1942 Tomich was awarded a posthumous Medal of Honor. A letter sent to his cousin, John Tonic, announcing the award was returned stamped “address unknown.” Tonic had returned to Europe 20 years earlier. For the next 64 years, Tomich’s medal was displayed in a number of locations, i...
Although 54 Utah crewmen are still interred in the hull, in 2000 the amazing discovery was made that there are actually 55 sets of remains on the ship. Mary Wagner Kreigh, daughter of former crewman Albert Wagner, revealed an incredible story she had kept hidden for almost 60 years. She told the world that the ashes of her twin sister, Nancy Lynne ...
Efforts to salvage the sunken ships began within days of the attack. Most of the effort centered on the east side of Ford Island where four battleships and several other ships had sunk. Little was done on the Utah until 1943 because of the low potential for returning the ship to useful service. The Oklahomawas righted that same year, floated, and m...
In spite of these similarities, comparisons between the two ships are usually one sided. Utah was not sunk by a spectacular explosion as was Arizona; it capsized over a period of 11 minutes. While Arizona was a principal target of the attack, Utah was attacked by mistake. Arizona lost 1,177 men, about 85 percent of the crew on board during the atta...
It is not envy that prompts Utah survivors to seek increased public awareness of their ship’s existence. They fully understand the relationship between the two ships and are supportive of the attention given to the Arizona. They are, however, interested in seeking changes to current operations within the harbor to permit visitors to at least view U...
Pearl Sandick is a Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and Associate Dean for Faculty and Research in the College of Science at the University of Utah.
Feb 28, 2018 · During the attack on Pearl Harbor, Utah was fatally struck by Japanese torpedoes. In order to solidify its superiority in the Pacific, Japan needed to dismantle the American warships, but its attackers wasted vital resources on sinking a demilitarized target ship.
