Three of the Most DISASTROUS Battleship Losses of WW2

The battleships of the Second World War are often remembered for their power, prestige, and the crucial roles they played in convoy escort, shore bombardment, and fleet actions. Yet, as mighty as these ships were, some met their end not in grand battleship duels, but in sudden, catastrophic explosions. In today’s video, we’re looking at three of the most infamous cases: HMS Barham, USS Arizona, and IJN Mutsu. HMS Barham – On November 25, 1941, while operating with the British Mediterranean Fleet, Barham was struck by three torpedoes from German submarine U-331. Within minutes, the battleship rolled over and exploded in a massive fireball, captured on film in one of the most shocking wartime naval tragedies ever recorded. Over 800 of her crew were killed. USS Arizona – Perhaps the most famous of all, Arizona was anchored at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, when she was struck by a Japanese bomb that ignited her forward magazines. The resulting detonation tore the ship apart, sinking her in minutes and killing 1,177 of her crew. The loss of Arizona accounted for nearly half of all American deaths in the attack and remains a symbol of the Pearl Harbor tragedy. IJN Mutsu – Less known outside Japan but no less tragic, Mutsu was moored in Hashirajima Bay on June 8, 1943, when an internal explosion in her No. 3 turret magazine ripped the ship in two. Over 1,100 sailors and visiting cadets perished. While initial blame was placed on unstable anti-aircraft shells, the cause has never been definitively proven, and the disaster was kept secret in wartime Japan for fear of damaging morale. Each of these losses highlights different vulnerabilities of battleships — from submarine attacks to aerial bombardment to mysterious internal explosions. What unites them is the speed and devastation with which these great warships were destroyed, taking with them hundreds or thousands of lives. Intro 0:00 Barham 0:33 Mutsu 9:02 Arizona 11:54 Conclusion 16:45 Sources/Other Reading: https://www.amazon.com/British-Battle... https://www.amazon.com/British-Battle... https://www.amazon.com/War-Mediterran... https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Seas-Batt... https://www.amazon.com/Naval-War-Medi... https://www.amazon.com/s?k=british+ba... https://www.amazon.com/U-S-Battleship... https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-b... https://www.amazon.com/Imperial-Japan... Video Information: Copyright fair use notice. All media used in this video is used for the purpose of education under the terms of fair use. All footage and images used belong to their copyright holders, when applicable.