To kick off our tenth volume, we determined to make a splash. And what better way to do so than with vividly detailed naval images of the Civil War composed by highly acclaimed naval and maritime artist Tom Freeman? The last time Tom graced our cover, exactly two years ago, his “Ashes to Iron” won Naval History an Award of Excellence from a panel of national magazine art directors—the Visual Club. We hope “Congress Burning,” the scene on this cover, will do as well. The Naval Institute plans to offer a select series of Freeman’s Civil War art prints for sale later this year.
Also in this issue, a former U.S. naval attaché to Moscow sleuths a 40-year-old mystery—who sank the battleship Novorossiysk, how did they do it, and why?
On the naval aviation front, we pay tribute to both a ship and an aircraft, with accounts of the last days of the carrier Hornet and current efforts to keep her afloat, and the history of the fabled Douglas Skyraider.
Chief of Naval Operations Admiral J. M. Boorda, rounds out this issue with honors to war hero and former CNO, Admiral Arleigh Burke.