| Navy | The US Navy |
| Type | Battleship |
| Class | Wyoming |
| Pennant | BB 33 |
| Built by | New York Shipbuilding Corp. (Camden, New Jersey, U.S.A.) |
| Ordered | |
| Laid down | 25 Jan 1910 |
| Launched | 14 Jan 1911 |
| Commissioned | 17 Sep 1912 |
| End service | 29 Jul 1946 |
| History | On 25 July 1946, the venerable battleship was sunk in Test "Baker" at Bikini. Decommissioned on 29 July 1946, Arkansas was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 15 August 1946. |
Commands listed for USS Arkansas (BB 33)
Please note that we're still working on this section
and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.
| Commander | From | To | ||
| 1 | Capt. William Hubbel Pashley, USN | 1938 | 1940 | |
| 2 | John Leslie Hall, Jr., USN | 3 Jun 1940 | 1941 | |
| 3 | Capt. Carleton Fanton Bryant, USN | 1941 | 5 May 1943 | |
| 4 | Capt. Frederick Gore Richards, USN | 5 May 1943 | Sep 1944 | |
| 5 | T/Capt. George McFadden O'Rear, USN | Sep 1944 | 17 Aug 1945 | |
| 6 | T/Capt. Wade de Weese, USN | 17 Aug 1945 | ||
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Notable events involving Arkansas include:
24 May 1944
USS Texas (Capt. C.A. Baker, USN, flying the flag of T/R.Adm. C.F. Bryant, USN), USS Arkansas (Capt. F.G. Richards, USN), HMS Glasgow (Capt. C.P. Clarke, DSO, RN) and Georges Leygues (Capt. J.E.A. Laurin) conducted exercises in the Dundrum Bay area.
(1)
25 May 1944
During 25/26 May 1944, USS Texas (Capt. C.A. Baker, USN, flying the flag of T/R.Adm. C.F. Bryant, USN), USS Arkansas (Capt. F.G. Richards, USN), HMS Glasgow (Capt. C.P. Clarke, DSO, RN), Georges Leygues (Capt. J.E.A. Laurin) and Montcalm (Capt. L.M.J.A. Deprez) conducted exercises in the Dundrum Bay area. (1)
3 Jun 1944
Passage of the bulk of ' Bombardment Group O ' from Belfast to the operations area.
Shortly after 0200B/3, the battleships USS Texas (Capt. C.A. Baker, USN, flying the flag of T/R.Adm. C.F. Bryant, USN), USS Arkansas (Capt. F.G. Richards, USN), USS Nevada (Capt. P.M. Rhea, USN), light cruisers Georges Leygues (Capt. J.E.A. Laurin), Montcalm (Capt. L.M.J.A. Deprez). These ships were, with the exception off USS Nevada, part of ' Bombardment Group O ' (Task Group 124.8).
They were escorted by the destroyers USS Jeffers (T/Cdr. H.Q. Murray, USN with COMDESRON 17, T/Capt. A.C. Murdaugh, USN on board), Murphy (T/Cdr. R.A. Wolverton, USN), USS Plunkett (T/Cdr. W. Outerson, USN), USS Gherardi (T/Cdr. N.R. Curtin, USN) and Murphy (T/Cdr. R.A. Wolverton, USN) and the escort destroyers Amesbury (Lt.Cdr. A.B. Wilbor, USNR) and Blessman (Lt.Cdr. J.A. Gillis, USNR). The escort vessels were not part of the actual bombardment group but of an escort group (Task Group 124.7).
Around 0730B/4, when near Plymouth, the force turned around after a signal was received that the invastion was postponed for 24 hours. Course was set to return to the northwards along the same track.
Around 2200B/4, course was reversed again to return to the southwards.
Around 0730B/5, USS Nevada was detached to join ' Bombardment Group U '. Around the same time the light cruiser HMS Glasgow (Capt. C.P. Clarke, DSO, RN) joined the group.
Around 1215B/5, the escort destroyers HMS Tanatside (Cdr. B.J. de St. Croix, RN), HMS Talybont (Lt.Cdr. E.F. Baines, DSO, RN) and HMS Melbreak (Lt. G.J. Kirkby, DSC and Bar, RN) joined.
Around 0300B/6, the group began to arrive in the operations area.
Sources
- ADM 53/119491
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.