World War II Database

1.  David Stubblebine says:
6 Aug 2020 04:33:11 PM

There is a lot going on in this photograph. First, the Navy’s official caption for this image says the date was 31 Oct 1943 but it could only have been taken 30 Oct 1943, at about 0900 local time judging by the shadows. Secondly, Pensacola (center) is painted in the subdued Dazzle scheme Measure 33, Design 10D that she wore very briefly before being painted in a high-contrast scheme and a much different pattern. Then, note the welded bow of New Orleans at right as opposed to the riveted bow she was launched with; this was the result of having 150-feet of her bow blown off in the Battle of Tassafaronga in Dec 1942 and then replaced. Next, note the torpedo nets outboard of Salt Lake City at left and an LCVP and LCM underway in the harbor beyond the nets. Then, just beyond the more distant LCM is the recently righted battleship USS Oklahoma that had capsized at her moorings during the Pearl Harbor Attack almost two years earlier. As this photo was taken, preparations were underway to refloat Oklahoma and she was floated into drydock about two months later.