Every Moment Mattered – The Life and Death of Cassin Young, Captain, USN MOH Recipient – Chapter Nine: “A cowardly, underhanded weapon”

Chapter Nine: “A cowardly, underhanded weapon” As Cassin Young and his classmates were being trained in the art and science of submarine warfare in the summer of 1919, forces across the Atlantic Ocean were gaining strength to try and cut short his and many other’s careers on submarines. The British had been particularly hard hit […]

Every Moment Mattered – The Life and Death of Cassin Young, Captain, USN MOH Recipient – Chapter Eight: Peace and prosperity equal equally poor prospects for promotion

Chapter Eight (1918 – 1919): Peace and prosperity equal equally poor prospects for promotion Lieutenant Cassin Young faced a dismal future in the cold winter month of December 1918. He had been in the navy since his academy days and had spent most of his days learning the art of warfare on a navy ship. The […]

Observations on Japanese character, with special reference to Japan’s ambition and her relation in this connection with the United States. A confidential report from Admiral Greaves (1920)

I debated trying to shorten this post up a bit then decided that the story had so much significance, cutting pieces out would be difficult and would not be fair to the purpose I intended. I have been featuring some articles recently about Japan and its navy. One of the characters that came into view […]

“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 […]

Just when you Need a Helping Hand – The Incredibly Shrinking Fleet

Just when you Need a Helping Hand – The Incredibly Shrinking Fleet The last time I checked, despite some troubles with not enough water in the Panama Canal Zone, the oceans have not shrunk. Much of the world’s commerce still sails the oceans around the world carrying vital cargo and commerce of every kind from […]

1930 – the last chance to eliminate the rattlesnakes of the seas is over

The London Naval Conference of 1930 This conference was the third in a series of conferences meant to slow, limit or eliminate large combat shipbuilding efforts among a group of nations that were seen as potential adversaries. From the State Department’s Historian: “The purpose of the meetings was to promote disarmament in the wake of […]

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 […]

1922 – A Thoroughly Modern Submarine

1922 A holiday from building With the signing of the Naval Arms Limitation Treaty, the American navy had a number of logistical problems to be met with in order to meet the terms of the treaty. Not the least of those issues was what to do with the ships that were now considered excess and […]

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 […]

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 […]