“Information from other sources sheds rather a different light on the matter.” Underestimating any enemy can be dangerous

“Information from other sources sheds rather a different light on the matter.” Underestimating any enemy can be dangerous. Recently, I was browsing through the national archives and found some declassified documents dating back to the 1920’s about submarine development abroad. During that time frame, there was a great desire on all parts of the world […]

Rear Admiral Robert Stocker – A visionary Constructor that Changed the Course of a War He Never Saw

Retiring from any long-standing position is always a memorable event. I retired the first time when I was forty years old. It was sooner than I had planned but circumstances made it a reality and I just went with the flow. It was a nice affair and even thirty years later, I remember how honored […]

Periscopes Off Our Coasts

Seventy years ago, the Korean War was coming to a stalemate and the Cold War was heating up all around the globe. America was weary from back-to-back military conflicts and facing a new future in the shadow of the nuclear bombs that were possessed by both sides of the Iron Curtain. The ability to openly […]

Butter Versus Margarine – An Epic Struggle for Dominance at Dinner for 155 Years

Butter Versus Margarine – An Epic Struggle for Dominance at Dinner for 155 Years Growing up in a typical middle-class home in the sixties, I was used to margarine (AKA Oleo) being the main source of spread on my bread. On the rare occasions when we had pancakes, the yellowish spread was the only choice. […]

Justice for the Sinking of the SS Dorchester on February 3 1943

Many articles have been written about the loss of the SS Dorchester on February 3, 1943. Eighty years ago this week, the sinking resulted in the tragic loss of many American soldiers who had never stepped foot in a combat zone. Wolf packs consisting of multiple submarines was a powerful force of destruction on merchant […]

1924 – America is 8 Years behind in Submarine Development

1924 Navy Behind There were a number of visionary men in the US Navy that made predictions about the future of warfare. One of my favorites was Chester Nimitz wh was an early proponent of submarine warfare. Much of what he predicted as an ensign came to fruition during the Second World War when the […]

1921 – The Violation of All Humane Rules and International Laws Relating to the Conduct of Warfare

1921 – Peace was in the air. Sort of. By 1921, the last war was being dissected and reinterpreted by every one of the powers that claimed victory. Of particular interest was the effect submarines had had on the ultimate outcome. While many in the navy department in the United States were still urging a […]

1918 – Born in the shops of the devil, Designed by the brains of a fiend; Filled with acid and crude oil, And christened “A Submarine.”

The small American submarine force was being sent to Europe to aid in the fight against the German U boat menace. Before the war, submarines were still viewed as a novelty. Germany changed this perception. During the war, the U.S. Navy had 72 submarines in service. The Secretary of the Navy, Josephus Daniels granted a […]

1916 – The Unexpected Guests Come Calling

1916 – In the United States, the need for a more structured course of instruction in submarine operations was identified by the Secretary of the Navy and the Navy Department. The increase in number and complexity of submarines was the driving force behind this perceived need. An earlier submarine school for enlisted technicians was already in […]

1914 – The Suicide Club – SUBMARINE MOST PUZZLING WAR MACHINE

In August of 1914, the world exploded. The two sides had already been preparing for war by calling up all of the conscripts that would be needed for a massive land war in Europe. Before it was over, the losses on both sides would be staggering. By wars end, a combined total of twenty million […]