Q&A · 34:15-37:19

If the pre-attack Pearl Harbor fleet reappeared today

A time-displaced Pearl Harbor fleet would create an extraordinary preservation opportunity, including an intact second USS Arizona beside the memorial wreck.

Question

What would happen if every ship present at Pearl Harbor before the attack suddenly appeared in the harbor today?

Short answer

Assuming they appeared safely, they would become an unmatched museum collection, with an intact Arizona beside the memorial, although many smaller ships might still face scrapping.

Notes

The answer first notes that materializing ships inside existing objects would be catastrophic, so the useful version of the scenario assumes that they appear safely in open berths. The most striking result would be two Arizonas: the historic wreck and an intact ship showing visitors what the battleship looked like before the attack. Preservation groups would race to document and protect the vessels, while political and financial interests would determine how many smaller ships survived. The thought experiment becomes a lesson in why large capital ships attract museum protection more readily than numerous less glamorous fleet auxiliaries and escorts.