‘A Higher State of Preparedness’: The U.S. Navy and the Special Attack Units
As American military forces converged on the Mariana Islands in the summer of 1944, Japanese Navy admirals understood what was at stake. Loss of the islands of Guam, Saipan, and…
One Hour and Ten Minutes at Cherbourg
It was no chance encounter. When the Confederate warship CSS Alabama glided out of the French port of Cherbourg, her Captain, Rafael Semmes, and her crew knew that the USS…
“I Think I Can Get You Through”
“You won’t get thirty miles,” said the young naval officer. “Those destroyers out there are thicker than flies. They’ve been patrolling all day and all night for weeks.” Lieutenant Commander…
“We Had Earned Our Pay”
When the Japanese Navy’s powerful aircraft carrier striking force approached Midway Atoll on the morning of June 4, 1942, three U.S. Navy carriers were already waiting. The American fleet’s presence…
No One-Night Stand: LT Clark’s Improbable Mission at Inchon
They needed a team of Navy SEALs. They got a 39-year-old lieutenant and two Korean intelligence officers. It was late August, 1950. The Korean War was two months old. Officers…
The Pilot was the Computer: Dauntless Dive Bombers at Midway
They were the Navy’s last chance. It was 10:20 am on Thursday, June 4, 1942. Forty-seven U. S. Navy dive bombers had found what they were looking for. Far below,…
“I shall crush them”
The war was going badly for the North Koreans, and it was about to get worse. It was September 14, 1950, more than 11 weeks after North Korea’s June 25…
Twenty Thousand Miles to Go: Saving the USS Marblehead
Three Japanese bombs saved the USS Marblehead from total destruction in February 1942. Nearly sunk by Japanese land-based bombers at the battle of Makassar Strait on 4 February 1942, the…
Scratch One Flattop
War is hard, especially if you have to learn on the job. But that was the task American and Japanese naval officers faced in May 1942, as they fought the…
“Don’t Give Up the Ship”
Inside Oliver Hazard Perry’s Triumph at the Battle of Lake Erie There would be no second chance, and U. S. Navy Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry knew it. As he approached…
Getting There Was Half the Fun
On March 9, 1862, the U.S. Navy ironclad gunboat USS Monitor fought a four-hour duel against the Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia. But the historic encounter – celebrated as the world’s…
What A Day I’m Having…
At 10:53 am on Wednesday, Oct 25, 1944, an Imperial Japanese Navy Mitsubishi Zero fighter, believed to have been piloted by Lt. Yukio Seki, dove through a curtain of anti-aircraft…
Remember Pearl Harbor
The submerged remains of the USS Arizona and the twisted wreckage of the USS Utah are visible to Pearl Harbor visitors today. But while it is still possible to detect evidence…
Their Finest Hour
Today is the 143rd birthday of Winston Churchill, quite possibly the most influential statesman of the twentieth century. It is no exaggeration to say that in 1940 Churchill’s determination, perseverance,…
Wooden Ships and Iron Men
A small slice of naval history to commemorate the 242nd birthday of the U.S. Navy. It’s pretty hard to find a single image that fully expresses the heritage, history, complexity,…
Fourteen Facts About Kamikazes You May Not Know
The first organized Kamikaze attacks were conducted on October 25, 1944. Before that individual pilots had sometimes crashed damaged aircraft onto American ships, but suicide attacks by specially trained and…
Failures of U.S. Intelligence During the Korean War
The Korean War is notable for two of the most significant intelligence failures in U.S. military history: the failure to anticipate the North Korean invasion of South Korea in 1950…
Planning for a Larger Navy
CNO, Commandant Call For Balance, Tight Integration As Fleet Grows To 355 Ships (https://news.usni.org/2017/02/23/cno-commandant-call-for-balance-tight-integration-as-fleet-grows-to-355-ships?utm_source=USNI+News&utm_campaign=99575eb516-USNI_NEWS_DAILY&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0dd4a1450b-99575eb516-230457009&mc_cid=99575eb516&mc_eid=efbc4f3ac7 Well, obviously the Navy needs to plan for contingencies, but since there is no actual plan…