At 'Em Arizona Fans!

[ESzczesniak]

Ok, I have a relatively specific question this time. What color are the bells on the Arizona? I was getting ready to pain them up parade style in brass/gold. However, realizing the emphasis that has been placed on covering up all reflective services in the earlier camoflage measures, this doesn't seem so logical. It looks to me that that they are the same color as the surrounding paint (which varies depending on measure), but I don't know how comfortable I am saying that from black adn white photos.

[Tracy White]

I don't know. Post-attack photos show some mottling of the bell on the main mast (below), but it does appear lighter. The order was to paint over all brightwork, but I don't know if it was always 100% complied with. Since the mainmast has some burnt and blistered paint in that area, it's probable that the bell had some smoke and heat applied....

1941 December 12th Arizona Bell.jpg (8.7 KiB) Viewed 1924 times

[ESzczesniak]

I don't know. Post-attack photos show some mottling of the bell on the main mast (below), but it does appear lighter. The order was to paint over all brightwork, but I don't know if it was always 100% complied with. Since the mainmast has some burnt and blistered paint in that area, it's probable that the bell had some smoke and heat applied....

1941 December 12th Arizona Bell.jpg

Thing is, they certainly don't look like bare or polished metal either. Another one of the dilemnas while building the ship I guess.

[BFR4570]

Considering how close it was to the end of the catapult (25 - 30 feet?), and we know the catapult was hot enough to be deformed, I think we can be safe in saying the bell got pretty toasty. Especially brass, which is a much better conductor of heat than steel. I'm actually surprised it wasn't melted, considering the condition of the catapult! Brass and bronze have a lower melting point than steel.

[ESzczesniak]

I may be demonstrating my ingorance of ships here. What the h*** are these things:



Trying to attach all the photoetch is proving to be extraordinarily annoying and I figured I should know what is being such a pain in the rear. I finally got the rest of the fins attached, but am not sure I even want to know what it all will look like when it's primed. I anticipated lots of revision.

[Tracy White]

Paravanes - essentially mine sweeping gear. Hooked to a chain, they would "fly" away from the hull, pulling the chain taught. Any mines that were anchored in place with chain themselves would be cut free and float to the surface, where they could be detonated by Sharp shooters.

[richtea]

They are paravanes, usually towed in areas that may be mined.
The paravanes act like underwater kites and the cable that they are towed by cuts the tethers that hold the mines so that the mines float to the surface and can be destroyed away from the ship.
Regards
Richard

[ESzczesniak]

Thanks guys. It's hard to look things up and learn about them when you don't even know what they are. Time for me to do some learning.

[Robin]

One of the bells is at the University of Arizona. The other is on the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

http://www.union.arizona.edu/traditions ... 7-2002.php

[Cliffy B]

Here's a shot of her bell at Pearl I took in April of 2011. I was under an bricked in gazebo kind of structure that I jumped in to get out of the sun while waiting for the boat. Happened to look up and there it was, in this basically nondescript location sans any sort of info plaque or any of that

In retrospect I should have used the flash, sorry. I can tell you thought that it certainly was NOT polished brass, but more of a heavily tarnished brass color closer to bronze in color. It was certainly uniform though in its texture and color and not all blotchy and pitted. I don't know which bell it was because as I said, there was no documentation of it anywhere that I could see anyway.

[dsk]

Considering how close it was to the end of the catapult (25 - 30 feet?), and we know the catapult was hot enough to be deformed, I think we can be safe in saying the bell got pretty toasty. Especially brass, which is a much better conductor of heat than steel. I'm actually surprised it wasn't melted, considering the condition of the catapult! Brass and bronze have a lower melting point than steel.

Considering that one of the bells was attached to the foremast, and knowing just how badly the foremast and bridge area suffered from the explosion and resulting fireball, it's amazing how it survived at all, especially when you look at pictures of both bells and realize that they're both still in remarkable condition.

[BFR4570]

Considering how close it was to the end of the catapult (25 - 30 feet?), and we know the catapult was hot enough to be deformed, I think we can be safe in saying the bell got pretty toasty. Especially brass, which is a much better conductor of heat than steel. I'm actually surprised it wasn't melted, considering the condition of the catapult! Brass and bronze have a lower melting point than steel.

Considering that one of the bells was attached to the foremast, and knowing just how badly the foremast and bridge area suffered from the explosion and resulting fireball, it's amazing how it survived at all, especially when you look at pictures of both bells and realize that they're both still in remarkable condition.

How very true! The only explanation I can think of is that they were mounted high enough to avoid the critical areas of heat below them. The wind may have helped some also. But we will never know for sure. I am glad they survived though. The bell at the University of Arizona is actually still used. It used to be used every Sunday, and following victories by the Football team, and possibly other sports. I believe it is now used only on Dec. 7, and for very special occasions, such as a new University President. There was an article about this bell in the local paper (Arizona Daily Star - azstarnet.com) a few months ago. I think it was in the Sports section just prior to the start of the football season. The article gives its entire history since its removal from the Arizona, if anyone is interested. There is a museum for the USS Arizona at the University, also. There is a link to it on the Navsource Uss Arizona website. Information about this bell may be on this website also.

[dsk]

It's also possible that the inferno didn't quite burn hot enough or long enough to melt bronze or steel. Notice that most of the railings were intact that weren't otherwise bent in the twisted wreckage. Also note that the triangular yardarms weren't noticeably warped and that the cables hanging down from everything hadn't been melted off. The fire was obviously hot enough to incinerate flesh and bone and melt low-temp metals like Rear Admiral Kidd's Navy Academy ring, and of course it burned off most of that 5D or 5S paint we've all been wanting to see. But a lot of potential artifacts survived the fire, and like many others I really wish the Navy had saved more of the ship for use in memorials rather than cart it all away as nothing but scrap metal. Even the pieces they cut away long after the war to make room for the memorial was unceremoniously dumped at Hunter's Point and left to rust away to nothing.

[Tracy White]

unceremoniously dumped at Hunter's Point and left to rust away to nothing.

Waipio penninsula, not Hunter's Point, and they have been parting out some of the wreckage.

[dsk]

D'oh! that's what I get for going straight off the top of my head and not checking references first.

In any event, I'm gratified to learn that at least some of the pieces have been donated to museums. Now if only they can do something about the rest before it all rusts away.....

[BFR4570]

unceremoniously dumped at Hunter's Point and left to rust away to nothing.

Waipio penninsula, not Hunter's Point, and they have been parting out some of the wreckage.

That is so awesome that they have started allowing pieces from Waipio to be given to museums for display. There are so many people who will never make it to the Arizona Memorial to experience the feeling that being their invokes in one. This will give many people a chance to at least experience a little of that feeling. Nice touch by the Texas Museum to show on a model exactly where that hatch had been.

[dsk]

Some of the articles I've dug up on the Internet erroneously indicated that the superstructure that was cut away during the war was dumped there. Unless I'm mistaken virtually all of the wreckage on Waipio are portions of the ship cut away during the late 50's to make room for the memorial (aft boat deck, vegetable locker, etc.). The entire bridge, foremast, mainmast, cranes, and casemates all went to the smelter during the war. If I'm wrong somebody please correct me.

[Tracy White]

Nope, that's pretty much it. There were a couple of photos the Navy posted of Ranger Martinez and others inspecting it and part of the vegetable locker was pretty clearly in view.

[Joe Meredith]

Hi Folks,
Just a quick question regarding the Dragon DN7127 Arizona - does this particular one feature the PE parts?
Thanks
Joe

[Timmy C]

Yes it does.