Battleship Arizona’s Bell

One of the artifacts salvaged from the battleship USS Arizona is the ship’s bell. The battleship USS Arizona’s bell is on display that the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center. A ship’s bell has been a feature on ships for hundreds of years. Usually cast in brass or bronze, these bells are unique to each ship. The bells usually bear the name of the ship, the year of launching, and sometimes the name of the shipyard that built the ship. Sometimes the only way to identify a shipwreck is by finding the ship’s bell. The bells have many uses. Their primary use was to keep time and notify of watch changes aboard ship. The bells were also used in heavy fog or other conditions of poor visibility to warn other ships. They are also used to announce the arrival or departure of officers or dignitaries. Most times when a ship is decommissioned and scrapped the only remaining part of the ship is the ship’s bell. The Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum has a collection of bells from submarines. Some of these bells belong to submarines that were lost during the war. Submarines had bells but they were not taken to sea as they were deemed unnecessary and a potential hazard for a ship whose primary strength is stealth. The bells from the other ships of battleship row are on display in the States that they were named after.