Naval History

Highlights from Naval History

Two American Navies - The Civil War at Sea and on Inland Waters – Part II

By Lieutenant Commander Thomas J. Cutler, U.S. Navy (Retired)

February 2025

From the inland rivers to Mobile Bay to Fort Fisher, the naval element was key to the outcome of the conflict that determined the fate of the United States.

Two American Navies - The Civil War at Sea and on Inland Waters – Part I

By Lieutenant Commander Thomas J. Cutler, U.S. Navy (Retired)

February 2025

Two of the three strategic elements that would ultimately decide the Civil War depended heavily upon naval forces.

On Our Scope

February 2025

In the titanic and protracted fight for Iwo Jima that unfolded 80 years ago, both doggedly determined adversaries knew how high the stakes were.

The Battle of Angamos during the War of the Pacific.

From Angamos to Tsushima to Jutland

By Lieutenant Commander Christopher Booth, U.S. Coast Guard

February 2025

The 19th-century War of the Pacific, the Russo-Japanese War, and World War I offer resonant sea power lessons for today’s challenges.

The globe-trotting Alexander Macomb Mason, seen here during his Egyptian service, circa 1875–80.

Forgotten American Innovator

By Andrew Rhodes

February 2025

From the Confederate coast to South America to Egypt, the adventurous Alexander Macomb Mason carried his mine-warfare expertise far and wide during the 1800s.

Nearly a year after its famed rescue of Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, The Bug was still in service despite its “arduous two-year war career.” Although it qualified for the fictitious “Plane Hall of Fame,” the aircraft was not fortunate enough to be preserved.

Lucky Bug

By J. M. Caiella

February 2025

The Chance Vought OS2U Kingfisher was designed as a scouting aircraft.

The schooner Experiment under attack by 11 armed pirate boats in the Caribbean on New Year’s Day 1800, in the Bight of Léogâne off modern-day Haiti.

The Most Successful Ship You Probably Haven’t Heard Of

By Captain B. J. Armstrong, U.S. Navy

February 2025

Benjamin Stoddert was desperate for ships. To solve the problem, he began a pattern that would stretch across the 19th century.

The British flagship HMS Victory rakes the stern of the Salvador del Mundo with a withering broadside during the 1797 Battle of Cape St. Vincent.

The Great Valentine’s Day Victory

By Eric Mills

February 2025

The discovery of the wreck of the USS Stewart brings a long-sought denouement to a destroyer’s story unique in the annals of the Pacific war.

Antiaircraft guns firing on board the USS Wasp (CV-18) in December 1944. The USS Yorktown (CV-10) is in the background. Note the Mk 14 gyroscopic reflector sights visible on top of the guns.

Inside the Mk 14 Gyroscopic Gunsight

February 2025

In the first decades of the 20th century, the emerging technology of naval aviation was seen as a revolution in naval warfare.

The Intrepid Museum opened in 1982 after a successful campaign to save the ship from being scrapped. She was signed over to a private business, and now her storied history lives on at Manhattan’s Pier 86.

‘A Walk into the Past’: The Intrepid Museum

By Sam Caggiula

February 2025

One of the top museums of the Big Apple, more steel than marble and glass, is a true piece of living history.

A German depiction of the U-boat attack on the merchant ship Linda Blanche during World War I. The Linda Blanche was sunk on 30 January 1915 by U-21, under the command of Lieutenant Otto Hersing.

Sabbatical: William Sowden Sims

By Lieutenant Commander Thomas J. Cutler, U.S. Navy (Retired)

February 2025

Sims was sent to England to work with the British should the United States choose to enter the war on the side of the Allies.

Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro speaks to audience members during a ceremony for the new National Museum of the United States Navy in Washington, D.C.

Site for National Navy Museum Formally Announced

February 2025

Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro formally announced the site for the new National Museum of the United States Navy during an October ceremony at the location.

View Current Issue

The Carter-Rickover Relationship

A Victory of Cooperation

‘A Deadly Proving Ground’

‘The Ghost Ship of the Pacific’

Two American Navies - The Civil War at Sea and on Inland Waters – Part II

Two American Navies - The Civil War at Sea and on Inland Waters – Part I

On Our Scope

From Angamos to Tsushima to Jutland

Forgotten American Innovator

Lucky Bug

The Most Successful Ship You Probably Haven’t Heard Of

The Great Valentine’s Day Victory

Inside the Mk 14 Gyroscopic Gunsight

‘A Walk into the Past’: The Intrepid Museum

Sabbatical: William Sowden Sims

Site for National Navy Museum Formally Announced

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