We must lead, not follow, in naval development – Even after 100 years, it is still true

Looking around the world today, I am concerned about my country’s ability to defend itself. Government influence and some in the navy’s leadership have made many decisions over the past forty years that are put us at risk. The greatest example is the phenomenal failure of the littoral combat ship project. I had at one […]

1927 – The Submarine Myth and the Ace of the Pacific

1927 The back-and-forth argument about the significance of submarines continued in a variety of ways in 1927. The British continued their aggressive campaign of influence to demonstrate the need to abolish the boats while the original defenders in American and elsewhere continued to predict that they would become even more important in the future conflicts. […]

In Plain Sight…

Eighty years ago, the United States was still at relative peace. In Europe, Britain was hanging on for life while France and most of the other occupied nations were adjusting to life under the heel of the Nazi warlords. In the Far East, Japan was beginning to feel the pressure of the sanctions imposed by […]

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 Tanaka Memorial – Real or Imagined? Part 2

Part Two: Admiral Taussig. Yes, Senator. Shall I proceed with my statement? The Chairman. Proceed. Admiral Taussig. In spite of our desires to remain aloof from international problems, we cannot do so. The world has shrunk too much. Can we look on a development in the Far East such as out lined above with detached interest, as a matter of no immediate concern to us as […]

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 BACKBONE OF THE FLEET – The United States Navy in 1940

THE BACKBONE OF THE FLEET – The United States Navy in 1940 Navy Day is a holiday that is no longer really celebrated in the United States. While President Truman surely helped to bring about its demise, the American public was probably ready for a break from too much emphasis on the military by the […]

Attack at Pearl Harbor by Japanese Planes on December 7, 1941 – Battleships, Battle Force After Action Report

A16-3/(0923) UNITED STATES PACIFIC FLEET BATTLESHIPS, BATTLE FORCE U.S.S. MARYLAND, Flagship December 19, 1941 From: Commander Battleships, Battle Force. To: Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet. Subject: Attack at pearl Harbor by Japanese Planes on December 7, 1941. Reference: (a) CO West Virginia ltr BB48/A16-3 of Dec. 11, 1941., with Combat ships lst end A16-3,(0974) of […]

The Official Navy Department Statement regarding the Pearl Harbor Attack published One year after (1942)

Seventy Five Years ago (1942) The Navy Department released a statement on the events that had transpired nearly one year before on December 7, 1941. The world was vastly different in those days when it came to the press and communications. The magnitude of the damage in Pearl was probably not understood fully by the […]

All or Nothing

Radical and Revolutionary Those were words used to describe one of the greatest Battleships ever to sail the seas in defense of freedom. The USS Nevada (BB-36) was the second IS Navy ship to be named after the 36th state and was the lead ship of the two Nevada-class battleships. Her sister ship was the […]