Because until WW2 the US Navy did a really bad job at keeping records. So we lost that institutional knowledge base. Just ask what color the USS Arizona was when she was sunk. There are at least 3 good answers, and everyone thinks theirs is the right one. But, the Navy cannot tell you, there are no color pictures, and any evidence that should be able to give the correct answer was lost or destroyed.
Like most things on the internet, someone once made a statement about the Iowa being the only bathtub equipped battleship. No one refuted it. Then it becomes a "Historical Fact". And people incorporate it in their web pages and start citing it as "Fact". And added it to the Wiki page. And to the Iowa class BB web pages. But no one ever checks the accuracy of the original statement.
Lot of Iowa Class "Facts" are that way. M21 and I use to argue about them over and over.
Like most things on the internet, someone once made a statement about the Iowa being the only bathtub equipped battleship. No one refuted it. Then it becomes a "Historical Fact". And people incorporate it in their web pages and start citing it as "Fact". And added it to the Wiki page. And to the Iowa class BB web pages. But no one ever checks the accuracy of the original statement.
Lot of Iowa Class "Facts" are that way. M21 and I use to argue about them over and over.
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