USS Bowfin – The Pearl Harbor Avenger and Patrol Number Five

USS Bowfin – The Pearl Harbor Avenger and Patrol Number Five When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, the great surface fleet that was the mainstay of America’s naval arm was badly battered. Laying in the mud and waters of Pearl Harbor, these great ships were suddenly ejected from the immediate battle plan and a new […]

Two Cultures Collide and Heroes Emerge from the Sea

The United States in 1941 was tense and filled with anticipation about the war in Europe. But nothing could prepare the nation for the events that were about to transpire. The nation and the Japanese had long been on a collision course because of the nature of their two cultures. But the population at large had […]

By God’s Help and Teamwork – The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal November 1942

Thanksgiving Weekend 1942 – Washington DC The headlines on the front page of the Washington Evening Star on November 28th, 1942 were focused on the recent events in the Battle of Tunis in Northern Africa. Thanksgiving was just completed and the Navy football Team was lauded for a surprise win over Army in the annual […]

Blockades and Submarines – An Opinion From a Master Submariner in 1939

Simon Lake was by any measure a Master Submariner. A prolific inventor, he held over two hundred patents at the time of his death in June of 1945 (just a few months short of the end of the war that was largely shaped by submarine warfare). Lake was a dreamer and had many ideas about […]

Happy Birthday 1947 – Predicting the Future of Naval Warfare

The official Navy Birthday is now celebrated on October 13 every year thanks to Admiral Zumwalt declaring that day as the one to remember. But it has not always been celebrated on that day or with the same focus. In 1947, the aftermath of the Second World War was being felt all around the world. […]

Submarines: “from a boy to a giant”

One of my favorite pastimes is discovering unique stories about the United States Submarine force and the development through the ages. There is no better witness to the phenomenal growth than that of one of the most profound influences on submarine operation and development: Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz. The most fascinating thing about this man […]

The Patten Family and the USS Nevada (1941)

As it so often happens, I was looking through the archives and discovered an article that jumped off the pages at me. This article was found in a collection of Navy Department News Releases and was released seventy seven years ago today (September 7, 2018) NAVY DEPARTMENT HOLD FOR RELEASE SUNDAY PAPERS, SEPTEMBER 7, 1941 […]

Pittsburgh Pennsylvania – Serving the Navy in World War 2 (and Beyond)

Sometimes people forget the strong bond the Navy has always had with the City of Pittsburgh On this Labor Day, I thought it would be appropriate to highlight the men and women who contributed to the victory in World War 2. Many never carried a gun, but their efforts were instrumental in delivering not only […]

The Fleet Today: 1942 Chapter XV THE “PIG BOATS”: THE SUBMARINES

While much of my work is original, there are some times when I find things that are too amazing to disturb. The year was 1942 and the book “The Fleet Today” by Kendall Banning had just been released (again). My assumption was that the book was already in publication before December 7th 1941 and was […]

A Prophesy From Nearly a Hundred Years Ago is Just as True Today

Everywhere you look these days, people are reacting to the senseless deaths of innocent people and wondering how we can stop the killing. I think its a fair question. But I think we are not examining the root causes of what seems to be an increase in evil actions. Society has become very sophisticated since […]