The sunken battleship Arizona. New footage shows that the interior is in very good condition.
On the 27th (28th Japan time), Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited a World War II memorial site on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, together with President Obama of the United States. The two countries, which have changed their relationship from hostility to forgiveness over the decades after the war, have taken another step forward.
At the same time, the battleship Arizona, which sleeps on the bottom of the sea at a depth of over 12 meters, is also revealing secrets it has kept for 75 years.
Archaeologist Matt Hanks dives beneath the Arizona Memorial. He operates a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) called "Eleventh Hour" to capture scientific data and record the interior of sunken battleships. (PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID DOUBILET, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC) [Click image to enlarge]On December 7, 1941 (8th Japan time), Arizona was sunk by a surprise attack by Japanese fighter planes. This brought the United States into World War II and changed the course of history. At 185 meters long, the battleship is one of the most studied sunken ships in the world. The first status maps were made in the 1980s, and the ship's condition and life were analyzed in the early 2000s. But internal investigations have long been severely restricted. Many are for technical reasons. (Reference article: "The story of the battleship Arizona, 75 years after the attack on Pearl Harbor")
But that is also a story of the past. Last week, a team of divers and photographers completed a 10-day expedition in Pearl Harbor's murky waters. The research team, which includes archaeologists from the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) and photographers from National Geographic, used a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) called '11th Hour' to capture a partial view of Arizona. recorded for the first time.
A huge turret that reaches nearly 18 meters. It was rediscovered in 1983 by US National Park Service divers. Until then, it was thought that the battleship Arizona's gun turrets had been landed and used to fortify the coast of Oahu, Hawaii. (PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID DOUBILET, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC) [Click image to enlarge]The ROV custom-made by Marine Imaging Technologies, a company that specializes in underwater photography, and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, In addition to taking pictures, we measured dissolved oxygen, salinity, and pH, and collected fuel oil, soil, and microorganisms. All of these have been sent to a Harvard lab to be analyzed over the next few months.
Mr. Brett Seymour, deputy director of the National Park Service's Underwater Resources Center and photographer, said that the extremely low amount of dissolved oxygen in the sea and the fact that it is covered with marine life contributes to the preservation of the ship's hull and internal residues. say that it helps (Reference article: "70 years since the US warship that carried the atomic bomb was sunk")
"Pearl Harbor's waters, for the most part, are so high in dissolved oxygen that they quickly corrode ships," Seymour said. "But as we dived deeper into Arizona, the dissolved oxygen level dropped steadily. By the time we reached the cabins on deck 3, it was only 4%. We had assumed it before. But now we have data that proves why Arizona is so well preserved."
National Park Service diver Brett Seymour holding the bottom of a shoe or boot. It was discovered recently when the sediment in the bay was stirred up by ship navigation. “Seeing these artifacts evokes a human feeling for Arizona,” says Seymour. (PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID DOUBILET) [Click image to enlarge]Mr. Seymour recalls that the investigation while piloting the ROV was a spectacular process of discovery.
"The underwater world is completely dark. You can only see a few centimeters to 30 centimeters in front of you, and only in front of you. Then suddenly, a tangible object appears on the screen. What is it? Everyone was squinting, wondering if there was a desk buried in the sand, or some other man-made object. I have no choice but to shut up for now."
Looking inside through the porthole on the 2nd deck. A diver found a washbasin and writing desk in the officer's cabin. (PHOTOGRAPH BY BRETT SEYMOUR, NPS SUBMERGED RESOURCES CENTER) [Click image to enlarge]Mr. Seymour said that one of the most impressive discoveries was the jacket that hung in the officer's private room. "It wasn't covered in dirt, it didn't fall down, it just stood there proudly. On the hanger."
The next step in the investigation will be to enter below the 3rd deck. No matter when, "the question remains: how can we leave this place intact for future generations, how can we preserve, protect and explain Arizona," says Seymour. (Reference article: "Twelve 20th Century War Propaganda Maps")
Because Mr. Seymour continued. "Because the emotions this ship evokes are so strong. You can't look at Arizona simply as steel and wood and iron without understanding the toll that has taken place here in the loss of human life."
A coin found in an Arizona galley. It was thrown by visitors to the memorial site directly above the wreck, but the National Park Service bans the practice. (PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID DOUBILET, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC) [Click image to enlarge]"This ship has a soul. After more than 20 years and 400 dives, a sunken ship that leaves a personal emotional connection." There's no other way, because while you're doing research, you come across jackets hanging in lockers, or shoe soles, or shaving supplies."
"It's not just a sunken ship. It's the battleship Arizona."
Next page: See more photos from inside Arizona