On Our Scope

By Richard G. Latture, Editor-in-Chief

October 2006

This issue of Naval History features our second historical travel package. As its title implies, Tom Huntington's article, "Birthplace of the Civil War," is about the important role Charleston, South ...

Birthplace of the Civil War

By Tom Huntington

October 2006

With attractions that range from the iconic-Fort Sumter-to the innovative-the submarine H. L. Hunley-Charleston, South Carolina, is an ideal location to explore the War Between the States' naval history.

The Sea Battle that Shook an Empire

By Wade G. Dudley

October 2006

Although it lasted less than three hours and a third of the opposing fleets hardly fired a shot, the 5 September 1781 Battle of the Chesapeake Capes nevertheless had momentous ...

The Essential Naval History Film Library

By Eric Mills

October 2006

Want to know which version of Das Boot to buy or what extras come with the digital video disc release of Mister Roberts? The answers are included in our ...

Triumph at U.S. Navy Night Fighting

By Trent Hone

October 2006

Until the October 1944 Battle of Surigao Strait the Japanese Navy seemingly owned the night. The United States’ lopsided victory in the surface action was a tribute to prewar planning ...

Return to Tarawa

By David McCormack

October 2006

Tarawa Atoll’s Betio Island still clings to its history as the site of one of the bloodiest U.S. Marine battles of World War II.

A Short and Savage Ambush

By Ivan Travnick

October 2006

In the dim light of dawn on 24 May 1967, a two-boat Navy patrol was silently drifting down a South Vietnamese river when Vietcong machine-gun fire erupted. Within minutes, the ...

Admiral de Grasse’s Decision for the Chesapeake

By David Curtis Skaggs

October 2006

During the Revolutionary War, Spanish and French operations against Britain in the West Indies often had little to do with helping the Americans gain independence. In the summer of 1781 ...

The Summer of ’66

By Paul Stillwell

October 2006

The years sped by so swiftly. First 1966 was only a year in the past, then 10, then 25, now 40. A college degree brought with it an ensign’s commission ...

In Contact

October 2006

“Diving at the Crossroads” (See J. P. Delgado, pp. 20-21, August 2006 Naval History) Chief Quartermaster (Submarine) William R. Kee, U.S. Navy (Retired) Dr. Delgado states that the USS Pilotfish ...

Naval History News

October 2006

Film Inspiration Dies Master Chief Carl M. Brashear died 25 July at the age of 75. The story of his courage and perseverance became known to millions of filmgoers in ...

Historic Fleets

By A.D. Baker III

October 2006

The Battle of Lissa in July 1866 was effectively won when the Austrian flagship Erzherzog Ferdinand Max rammed and sank the Italian Re d’ltalia. Admiral Wilhelm Freiherr von Tegetthoff’s feat ...

A World War I Legend

By Norman Polmar Author, The Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet

October 2006

The DH-4 “Liberty plane” was the only American-built land plane to see combat in Europe in World War I. Copied from an effective British bomber-reconnaissance aircraft, the DH-4 was flown ...

Book Reviews

Reviewed by Trent Hone, Samuel Loring Morison, Norman Polmar & Robert S. Bolia

October 2006

The Battle for Leyte, 1944: Allied and Japanese Plans, Preparations, and Execution Milan Vego. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 2006. 479 pp. Maps. Appen. $55. Reviewed by Trent Hone So ...

A Plethora of Vessels and Aircraft

By Tom Huntington

October 2006

The first thing that greets visitors to Patriots Point Naval &. Maritime Museum in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, is a submarine that appears to be cruising through a beautifully landscaped ...