The Path to War – Japan in January 1921

The Path to War Began in the Ashes of the Aftermath of the World War In 1921, the world was still reeling from the war that had consumed so much of its young men and resources. The European landscape had changed from all of the brutal fighting and the League of Nations proposed by Wilson […]

January 1921: Battleship Still the Fleet’s Backbone, In Opinion of US, Naval Experts

The New York Herald, Sunday January 30, 1921 published an article about the future of the United States Navy and the ships and submarines that would propel the country forward into the global race for supremacy at sea. From the article: “Vessels Of The North Carolina Class When Completed Will Put United States In Advance […]

The Battleship Ferryboats – Taking the Doughboys for a Ride

Taking care of the Army… Again Dedicated to my Army friend Phil When World War 1 ended, the United States had many soldiers that were stationed in France and Belgium. They had been sent there to help “Defeat the Hun” and now they were ready to come home. My Great Uncle Alex was an Army […]

The submarines now in operation are sea-worthy and the living quarters are commodious – April 1920

One hundred years ago, most discussions around submarines focused on two things. First, for most of the world. The all too recent painful memory of the death and destruction caused by the German U-boats. The strangling effect on the English economy was still being felt long after the last ship was sunk. Submarines were viewed […]

The Terror of the Sea

The Terror of the Sea – Submarine Warfare October 1914 Up until the moment that German submarine U-9 approached the cruisers she would sink on September 22, 1914, all submarine attacks were either academic of limited in damage. That does not mean that the many brave deeds that came before were not noteworthy, but in […]

Killing the Sea Monsters

Killing the Sea Monsters Two views on submarine versus submarine warfare were recorded after the end of the war where this type of combat was first initiated. Prior to this time, no submarines had been engaged in direct combat with each other. The challenges of the technology, the nature of the sea and the […]

Dueling Denizens and the Daring Escape

The most fearsome weapon at sea during the First World War was the submarine. Even when the danger came from another submarine. By May of 1918, the German submarines were beginning to be neutralized by the varying forms of technology employed by the Allies. Wireless radio detection, sound listening devices, primitive us of airplanes and […]

Pirates of the Seven Seas – Those Dastardly Submariners

1920 The new decade had begun. The echoes of the war were still reverberating in society with the recent return of so many of the men from overseas that had seen the ravages of that horrific conflict. The emergence of the submarine as a frightful weapon spawned many stories in the press. People across the […]

Denizens of the Deep – The idea that spawned the American Fast Attack Fleet

Denizens of the deep – Pursuing the ultimate underwater weapon: the original birth of the Fast Attack Mankind has always had a fascination with being able to move freely under the water for long periods of time. Because of our nature, man has also sought to take advantage of the darkness and anomalies of the […]

After the parades are over…

The Day After Veteran’s Day Proud… standing straight and erect with shoulders held back and eyes focused forward with a steel and resiliency that is unquestionable. Months of practice have made sure that even a sudden noise won’t change that. Crisp uniforms, flawless creases, perfect lines and hands glued in place at their sides. Chiseled […]