Talk:USS Utah (BB-31)

Images

Can anyone add images for the ship just prior to Pearl and of the 'rusting hulk' as it is today? the_ed17 00:15, 1 September 2008 (UTC)

Explanation of the sinking

The Utah served several functions as AG-16. It was a target for dummy bombs from aircraft. Its large guns had been removed but was armed with 5" guns used for training sailors. It was also operated for up to four hours at a time by radio control and was an early naval version of a Predator drone. This happened in 1940 and q94q. Perhaps before then but that is what I have from former sailors. Technology was advancing rapidly then. The Navy saw potential benefits in having robot-ships and the idea still has merit.

Many of the gunners who later served on other ships trained aboard USS Utah. That was a worthy purpose. Another final purpose came on December 7, 1941. The Utah was moored in a position Japanese Intelligence considered a mooring area for aircraft carriers. The loss of the Utah and many of its men perhaps saved a carrier from a similar fate.

Identifying a ship from the air is difficult visually. The Japanese airmen saw an odd-looking ship moored where a carrier was supposed to be. They did an effective job in sinking the Utah but it was not the target for which they had hoped and planned. The Utah suffered attacks from pilots who were mistaken.

This mistake sank the Utah but perhaps saved other ships. By the way, the rusting hulk of the Utah, complete with sailors interred inside it is still visible at Pearl Harbor. Though its losses don't compare with those of the Arizona and some other ships present at the time. Any review of the details will indicate that the Utah died. The Navy lost one of its research ships and the loss set back naval technology for the US Navy to a degree.

It continues to surprise me that a third wave of Japanese attacks was not ordered. The dry docks and oil storage facilities there by themselves would have made a great change in the US response to the attacks would have been slowed far more. That was the greatest foul-up the Japanese forces made in WWII. US naval bases would have had to be returned to San Diego. Petitjean1 (talk) 19:43, 16 April 2009 (UTC) petitjean1.

Official state ship

This line "She is the official state ship of the State of Utah" was removed from the article as unsourced. Unable to locate anything on the http://www.utah.gov/about/symbols.html wesbite. — MrDolomite • Talk 11:14, 16 July 2012 (UTC)

GA Review

This review is transcluded from Talk:USS Utah (BB-31)/GA1. The edit link for this section can be used to add comments to the review.

Reviewer: Tomobe03 (talk · contribs) 21:40, 11 May 2013 (UTC)

Rate	Attribute	Review Comment
1. Well-written:
	1a. the prose is clear, concise, and understandable to an appropriately broad audience; spelling and grammar are correct.	All clear
	1b. it complies with the Manual of Style guidelines for lead sections, layout, words to watch, fiction, and list incorporation.	Criterion met
2. Verifiable with no original research:
	2a. it contains a list of all references (sources of information), presented in accordance with the layout style guideline.	Criterion met
	2b. reliable sources are cited inline. All content that could reasonably be challenged, except for plot summaries and that which summarizes cited content elsewhere in the article, must be cited no later than the end of the paragraph (or line if the content is not in prose).	Criterion met
	2c. it contains no original research.	Criterion met
3. Broad in its coverage:
	3a. it addresses the main aspects of the topic.	Criterion met
	3b. it stays focused on the topic without going into unnecessary detail (see summary style).	Criterion met
	4. Neutral: it represents viewpoints fairly and without editorial bias, giving due weight to each.	Criterion met
	5. Stable: it does not change significantly from day to day because of an ongoing edit war or content dispute.	No edit wars
6. Illustrated, if possible, by media such as images, video, or audio:
	6a. media are tagged with their copyright statuses, and valid non-free use rationales are provided for non-free content.	Criterion met
	6b. media are relevant to the topic, and have suitable captions.	Criterion met
	7. Overall assessment.	Pass

Referencing:

• Nofi citation seems to be broken.
  • Fixed
• What is the purpose of Breyer and Lenihan refs?--Tomobe03 (talk) 12:02, 12 May 2013 (UTC)
  • Lenihan was one of the memorial cites, now renamed to be clearer. Breyer is in the further reading section now.

Prose:

• In While en route to Mexico, Utah was ordered to intercept the German-flagged steamer SS Ypiranga on 16 April, which was carrying arms to the Mexican dictator Victoriano Huerta., would it be better to start the sentence with "On 16 April, while en route to Mexico,..."?
  • How about: "While en route to Mexico on 16 April, Utah"?
    • Fine as well.
• Just to make sure, the ship in The ship's arrival in Veracruz prompted the US to occupy the city;... refers to Ypiranga, right?
  • Yes, but I see how that can be unclear. Changed to "Ypiranga's arrival"
• Would "fleet" be a more appropriate term than "warships" in ... flagship of American warships in Europe.? I have no idea if a fleet was formally organized there though.
  • DANFS doesn't state whether there was a formal organization (and that might cause some confusion between that and the Atlantic Fleet), so I'd rather not go further than the source.
    • Of course.
• What happened with bodies of the 64 killed crew?
  • Most appear to have been trapped in the ship when it sank, but I have found several contradictory figures for the number of men who were trapped inside, so I just left it at the total casualty numbers.
    • Um, I meant to ask if their bodies were retrieved and buried elsewhere or not? The article does not say.--Tomobe03 (talk) 17:07, 12 May 2013 (UTC)
      • Oh, no, much like Arizona, the ship is considered a war grave. This should now be clear in the article. Parsecboy (talk) 17:38, 12 May 2013 (UTC)

Great article. There's really little to do to clear this review.--Tomobe03 (talk) 14:18, 12 May 2013 (UTC)

pocket size "New Testament" found with a Radio opperator's name in it dated 1919.

Can anyone help me find out who's name it is, and to the wareabouts of this person is or his family.

Please respond thru email......brookensbob@gmail.com