Did Japanese midget submarines sink the Arizona?

[Jimbuna]

She was hit by several bombs, one of which penetrated her forecastle and detonated her forward ammunition magazines.

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/s...nsh-a/bb39.htm

The Arizona came under attack almost immediately, and at about 8:10 received a hit by a 800-kilogram bomb just forward of turret two on the starboard side. Within a few seconds the forward powder magazines exploded, gutting the forward part of the ship. The foremast and forward superstructure collapsed forward into the void created by the explosion and turrets one and two, deprived of support, dropped more than 20 feet relative to their normal position.

http://www.library.arizona.edu/exhib...y/history.html

[Aktungbby]

Exactly: The Arizona which had been placed "in ordinary" at her berth went to general quarters at O7:55 and was struck by a converted (wooden fin conversion) 16" shell from a level bomber, at 9800 ft., at 08:10. This penetrated the deck adjacent to main forward magazine which it might well have survived, but unfortunately hitting the small 1000 lb ceremonial BLACK POWDER magazine, which acted as the necessary detonator, penetrating the main magazine, and causing the immediate demise of 1172 crewmen-84% of the ships compliment. After Jutland in 1916, the losses of several British capital ships (5) due to careless powder handling had caused a general reformation of practices of most modern navies and powder would not have been lying about. Navy Cool powder bags just do not usually go off without a proper detonator as in the Iowa turret disaster. The small black powder magazine provided such. Ironically, Americas final shot was the bomb at Hiroshima: both halves of the uranium ball were blown together by BLACK POWDER to create the immediate critical mass to explode over the city. Nothing goes entirely out of service.

[Jimbuna]

I now realise what you meant earlier

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Aktungbby

Exactly.

Interesting amount of precise information. Did someone actually dive into the magazine area and determine this, or is it guesswork on somebody's part?

Is there a source?

Also, the propellant for the shells themselves were stored in bags, even in the Iowa class, so the powder in the main magazine was loose enough to explode on its own.

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by Aktungbby

Ironically, Americas final shot was the bomb at Hiroshima: both halves of the uranium ball were blown together by BLACK POWDER to create the immediate critical mass to explode over the city. Nothing goes entirely out of service.

For the record;
The Little Boy bomb used Cordite not Black Powder to set off the physics package.

Fat Man (the 2nd and last A-Bomb used in WWII) used Comp B and Baratol to initiate the implosion of the physics package.