NAVAL HISTORY
These two quotes tell you the reasons why you
should know what happened in the past. By studying
history, you can avoid the mistakes made in the past. By
studying both the failures and successes of the past, you
can plan for future success.
There is another reason to study history—history is an
adventure story. History is full of daring deeds, good luck
and bad, heroes, cowards, and spies. The history of a
country or an organization is like the biography of a
person. A biography is the story of a person’s life. Naval
history is the story of the life of the Navy. Since this
chapter is the biography of the life of the United States
Navy, the logical place to start is with the birth of the Navy.
THE BIRTHDAY OF THE UNITED
STATES NAVY
Learning Objectives: When you finish this chapter,
you will be able to—
• Identify the important events of naval history.
• Recognize the importance of naval actions and
traditions
In school, you learned about the birthday of the
United States. You were told about the events that
happened on July 4, 1776. The United States Navy had
its birth on October 13, 1775. How could this be? How
could the Navy be older than the United States?
Just as there wasn’t a United States of America on
July 4, 1776, there wasn’t a United States Navy on
October 13, 1775. But, what led to the formation of the
United States Navy happened on October 13, 1775.
Remember when the Second Continental Congress
met on May 10, 1775, the colonists were already
fighting the British. Before long, it was clear that if the
Colonies were to survive, a Navy was necessary.
Therefore, on October 13, 1775, the SecondContinental
Congress authorized the purchase of two vessels; the
United States Navy was born.
THE CONTINENTAL NAVY
Learning Objective: When you finish this chapter, you
will be able to—
• Identify the ships of the Continental Navy to
include the importance of their actions.
Navies are created from the spirit of independence
and under the threat of war. They become mature by
defending their country. This is the way it was with the
first American Navy.
The American Colonies depended on the sea for
their livelihood. All along the coast, harbors and
shipbuilding docks offered work to many and provided
income to thousands more. When the conflict between
the Americans and theBritish began, these were the first
ports the British attacked. These were also the ports
from which the Continental Congress and the States
sought to send out ships of a tiny and hastily organized
naval force to harass the mightiest sea power in the
world and its merchant fleet. This tiny naval force
sought to capture enemy supply andmunitions vessels.
What was life like in that first Navy? Where did its
ships and men come from? How wasit organized? And,
importantly, what role did it play in building the proud
tradition of the United States Navy today?
Like its beginnings, the Navy of the American
Revolution was fragmented into many parts, each acting
independently of the others. For instance, several naval
engagements between the Americans and the British
actually occurred before the Continental Congress
authorized a Navy. Though the American Navy officially
began in October 1775, some time passed before the new
Navy had any effect on the mighty British Navy.
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Why should I bother to learn or read history? Isn’t it dead and gone? Read on….The quotes from
George Santayana and Alfred Thayer Mahan tell the story!
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
—George Santayana, American Philosopher, 1863 - 1952
The study of history lies at the foundation of all sound military conclusions and practice.
— Alfred Thayer Mahan, Philosopher of Naval Strategy, 1840-1914
SHIPS OF THE CONTINENTAL NAVY
What constituted a warship in the late 1700s?
During the revolutionary war and into the 19th century,
naval vessels were grouped into three major classes—
1. Ships-of-the-line. These were the battleships of
the sailing days. These ships were the largest of
all sailing warships and carried 64 to over 100
guns of various sizes. However, our Navy’s
ships-of-the-line didn’t come into existence
until years later, long after the Revolutionary
War was over.
2. Frigates. These were the cruisers of the 18th
century. These cruisers were next in size, usually
smaller and faster than average ship-of-the-line.
They generally carried 28 to 44 guns.
3. Sloops-of-war. These were the small sailing
warships. They carried 10 to 20 guns.
Another group of naval vessels were the privateers.
Privateers were commissioned by the Continental
Congress and by individual states to capture enemy
merchant ships as prizes of war.
Typical of the independent “fleet” of privateers was
the schooner. The schooner was a small, fast, flexible,
flush-deck ship that carried smooth-bore cannon. With
small ships like these schooners, the colonists broke the
British stranglehold on main New England harbors by
slipping past the Royal Navy’s men-of-war and hiding in
inlets. Unable to meet the British head-on, the American
ships outmaneuvered them and jabbed here and there
instead of standing full force and slugging it out.
Navy ships in the Continental Navy included the
Providence, a 12-gun sloop; the Lexington, a 16-gun
brig (converted from a merchantman); and the
Bonhomme Richard, a loan from the French, an old East
Indiaman. Later in this chapter, you will find out how
otherships bearing some ofthese names made history in
their own right.
THE FIRST UNITED STATES SUBMARINE
A young American experimented with a subsurface
craft he hoped would help drive the British out of New
York harbor and away from American shores for good.
David Bushnell wasaYale medical student who had
been working on a small submarine for some 4 years
and finally completed it in 1775.
This first warfare submarine, named the Turtle, was
described by Bushnell as having “some resemblance to
two upper tortoise shells of equal size, joined
together…” It was 7.5 feet deep, and under ideal
conditions had a maximum speed of 3 knots. A single
operator could stay down for 30 minutes.
The Turtle was armed with an oak casing filled with
150 pounds of explosives. This charge could be attached to
the bottom of an enemy ship where it was intended to
remain until detonated by a simple clockwork mechanism.
After completing the submarine, Bushnell took it
for several dives to prove its seaworthiness. Finally, in
September 1776, he was ready to try it against the
British in New York harbor. Sergeant Ezra Lee, a
volunteer from the Connecticut militia, maneuvered the
Turtle through the use of hand-driven screw propellers.
His mission was to attach a time-fuse charge of
gunpowder to the hull of HMS Eagle. However, the
mission was aborted when the auger failed to penetrate
the copper sheathing of the Eagle.
Bushnellmade a fewmore attemptsto use the Turtle
against the British in the Delaware River. He attached
mines to the Turtle and floated the mines against ships.
These attempts failed. The submarine was finally sunk
by the British in New York harbor—the first recorded
instance of an antisubmarine attack.
CONTINENTAL NAVY ACTIONS
The new Navy ordered to be established by the
Continental Congress came into being in the last months
of 1775. To build a fleet, Congress authorized the
construction of 13 new frigates (ranging from 24 to 32
guns) and the conversion of 6 merchant ships (ranging
from 10 to 24 guns). These merchant ships included the
USS Hornet and the USS Alfred. The USS Alfred had the
distinction of being the U.S. Navy’s first flagship and is
said to be the first U.S. naval vessel on which the “Flag of
Freedom” was hoisted (by John Paul Jones). All were
solidly constructed ships with a number of guns. Even so,
they were at a serious disadvantage because they were
pitted against the established and superior British
force—then the finest Navy in the world.
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Student Notes:
NOTE
As you read along, check the maps at the back
of the chapter.
The first commander in chief, Esek Hopkins, put
the first squadron of the Continental Navy to sea in
February 1776. Under the guns of the USS Providence
and the USS Wasp and with the squadron headed by the
USS Alfred, over 200 Sailors and Marines landed on
New Providence Island in theBahamas.John PaulJones
served as first lieutenant aboard the USS Alfred.
Hopkins’ raid on New Providence Island was the
first amphibious operation carried out by the American
Navy and Marines. The squadron captured a number of
cannons and supplies from the fort.
Because the British blockaded the American coast,
it was difficult for the newly outfitted ships to reach the
sea. The USS Montgomery and the USSCongress,ships
of 28 and 24 guns, were built at Poughkeepsie, NY on
the HudsonRiver. When theBritish occupied the port of
New York, these ships were bottled up. To prevent their
capture by the enemy, the U.S. government had to
destroy them. Two more ships built in Philadelphia
suffered a similar fate. Some of the others were also
blockaded in their home ports, and one ship, the USS
Trumbull, was bottled up for 3 years because it couldn’t
clear the sandbar in the Connecticut River.
The new frigates of the Continental Navy had their
moments. The USS Hancock and the USS Boston, both
built in Massachusetts, set out together in mid-1777.
They captured two British brigs and were then involved
in separate actions with the British warships Somerset
and Fox. After escaping from the Somerset on May 30,
1777, they met the Fox a week later and successfully
captured it. Later, the two Continental ships were
pursued by the powerful HMS Rainbow. Following a
39-hour pursuit, the Rainbow bore down on the USS
Hancock and captured it. The USS Boston escaped and
continued to serve in various actions over a period of
some 3 years. Its last action was in the defense of the
Charleston, South Carolina, harbor where it was
captured by the British in May 1780.
After its capture by the British, the Hancock went on
to serve in the Revolution, but on the enemy’s side. By a
twist of fate, it was the Hancock (renamed the Iris) that
captured a sister frigate, the USS Trumbull, one of the
original 13 frigates built for the Continental Navy. (The
British crew was said to have called the American built
ship one of the finest frigates in which it had sailed.)
Among the names associated with this new
made-in-America fleet of frigates are John Barry, who
courageously commanded many ships; John Manley,
who captured the Nancy while in Washington’s Navy;
and Abraham Whipple.
The skipper of the USS Providence, Whipple, was a
member of a three-ship force that found itself on the edge
of a huge, heavily guarded, enemy convoy off
Newfoundland during a fog. Sending armed boarding
parties to the merchant ships, the Americans managed to
take 11 ships as prizes without being detected by the ships
protecting the convoy. Cargoes and captured ships worth a
million dollars were dispatched back to the States.
John Paul Jones
Among the most daring commanders bringing the
war to British waters was John Paul Jones (fig. 5-1). As
skipper of the USS Ranger, he left France on April 10,
1778, for raids against the British. After capturing a
number of ships, he actually landed on British soil,
raiding Whitehaven, England.
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Student Notes:
Figure 5-1.—John Paul Jones, father of our highest naval
traditions, represents the seaman, leader, officer, and
gentleman at their best.
The tiny new Navy played a significant role in the
first official recognition by a foreign nation of the
American “Stars and Stripes” flag. On February 14,
1778,John PaulJonessailed into QuiberonBay, France,
in the USS Ranger and saluted the French fleet
anchored there. A nine-gun salute was given in return. A
gun salute given to a revolutionary government was a
signal of that country’srecognition. France became one
of the first foreign powers to recognize the struggling
government of the American Colonies. (In 1776, the
Dutch had given recognition to an American flag [not
the Stars and Stripes] at St. Eustatius, an island in the
West Indies belonging to Holland.)
In 1779, John Paul Jones took command of an old,
decaying French merchant ship that he renamed the
USS Bonhomme Richard, honoring Benjamin
Franklin. It carried 42 relatively light guns (some in
doubtful condition). Jones headed for the coast of
Ireland, capturing some ships and destroying others.
On September 23, 1779, Jones met the British warship
Serapis (with 50 guns), and a furious battle ensued
near the headland of Flamborough Head. As Jones
wrote later:
Every method was practiced on both sides
to gain an advantage, and rake each other; and
I must confess that the enemy’s ship, being
more manageable than the Bonhomme
Richard, gained thereby several times an
advantageous situation, in spite of my best
endeavors to prevent it.
The two ships, lashed together with grappling
hooks so neither could escape, pounded away at one
another. The USS Bonhomme Richard began taking
the worst of the beating. The ship began to fill with
water and fire broke out in several places. According to
one story, a gunner in a state of panic was about to
strike the colors when Jones hurled his pistol at him,
striking him down. The battle continued and the
fighting was furious. The outcome was uncertain until
the end. The highlight of the battle came when, after
being asked if he had struck colors, Jones replied,
Struck, sir? I have not yet begun to fight! These words
inspire Sailors to this day.
What turned the tide of victory for Jones? It was
his forces aloft. Armed with muskets and climbing
along the interlaced rigging of the two ships, Jones’s
men kept the deck of the Serapis clear by shooting and
dropping chains and other material down on the
enemy. A member of Jones’ crew climbed to the
Serapis‘ maintop and managed to drop a hand
grenade on to the gundeck, which ignited the
gunpowder and scattered cartridges. In that
man-to-man sea battle, the British were finally forced
to surrender. The battle of the USS Bonhomme
Richard versus the Serapis went down as one of the
great naval battles in history.
By the time the war was over, the official
Continental Navy operated some 56 vessels at one time
or another. However, it only managed to reach a peak
of 27 ships, averaging 20 guns, that operated at the
same time. This tiny Continental Navy, hurriedly
assembled when the Colonies declared their
independence, served not only to inflict damage on the
proud ships of the Royal Navy but also to lift American
morale with each of its victories. John Paul Jones,
Gustavus Conyngham, and Lambert Wickes were
among those who brought the battle to the British on
their own waters. The news of daring raids and
victorious battles at sea was acclaimed in the
13 youthful Colonies of the United States.
Privateers
American privateers harassed British shipping over
lengthy sea-lanes. At first, ships of all types were
converted for harassment purposes. Later, ships were
specially built to do this job. These ships were fast and
reasonably well armed. Men from all walks of life
signed up to serve on these ships. Private financing to
arm and fit the vessels was needed, but that was rarely a
problem because a share in a privateer could mean a
fortune almost overnight.
The British Navy began a system of convoys to
protect its merchant shipping, but it was far from
foolproof. The moment a merchantman dropped
behind, it was in immediate danger becauseawarship
couldn’t leave the convoy to protect just one ship. Then,
too, convoys could protect only so many ships.
It’s estimated that Congressissued more than 1,600
commissions for privateers during the Revolutionary
War. The privateers operated not only along the
American coastlines, but also far out into the Atlantic
and even into the English Channel and the Irish Sea.
According to one reasonable estimate, the British
were said to have lost some 2,000 merchant ships,
manned by crews totaling 16,000, to the American
privateers. The merchant ships captured as prizes were
manned by prize crewsfrom the privateers and sailed to
a friendly port where the ships and cargo were sold.
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REVIEW 1 QUESTIONS
Q1. What was the reason for the formation of the
United States Navy?
Q2. During the late 18th century, battleships were
classified as—
Q3. During 1775, a craft was completed to fight the
British Navy. What type of craft was this, what
was it named, and who was its inventor?
Q4. What is the significance of the 1776 raid on the
island of New Providence in the Bahamas?
Q5. The first official recognition of the American
Stars and Stripes flag by a foreign nation was
given by (a) what nation in (b) what location?
a.
b.
THE U.S. NAVY FROM 1783 TO THE
CIVIL WAR
Learning Objectives: When you finish this chapter,
you will be able to—
• Recognize the roles and responsibilities of the
Navy from 1783 to the Civil War to include the
War of 1812.
At the end of the Revolutionary War, a new federal
government was established. In 1783, the Navy was
down to five ships. The Navy was disbanded, and the
last frigate, the USS Alliance, was sold in 1785.
Soon, Congresssaw the need for a Navy. America’s
small merchant fleet was being molested on the high
seas. In 1794, a Navy-conscious Congress authorized
the construction ofsix frigates. They were to be of a new
design—long and strong. These ships had a
combination of firepower and class. One of these was
the USSConstitution (fig. 5-2), which was completed in
1798. Thisship was equipped with 44 guns, could sail at
13 1/2 knots, was 175 feet long (at its gundeck), and had
a tonnage rating of 1,576 tons. Its mainmast towered
105 1/2 feet above its decks.
NOTE
The USS Constitution is still in commission
and can be seen at the Boston Navy Yard.
The USS Constitution fulfilled the thoughts and
dreams of President John Adams, who did so much to
form the U.S. Navy. John Adams established the Navy
Department in 1798.
THE EARLY YEARS
Between America’s first two wars with Great
Britain (the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812),
the early U.S. Navy was involved in two other
conflicts—the Quasi War and the Barbary States War.
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Student Notes:
Figure 5-2.—The new and radical USS Constitution, built for
speed and firepower, helped to rid the Mediterranean of
the Barbary pirates.
Quasi War
The “Quasi War” with France, 1798 - 1801, was
entirely a naval war. It followed worsening diplomatic
relations with France, including a refusal by the French
Secretary of Foreign Affairs to receive U.S.
representatives unless a bribe was paid and a loan
granted. The famous expression “Millions for defense,
but not one cent for tribute” originated at this time. The
Quasi War was the baptism of fire for the United States
Navy under the new Constitution.
Barbary States War
The U.S. Navy was sent to the Mediterranean to
deal with the Barbary States, who were forcing other
nations to pay ransom for safe passage through the
Mediterranean Sea. During the campaign, Lieutenant
Stephen Decatur and 84 seamen slipped into the harbor
at Tripoli on February 16, 1804, and burned the captured
frigate USS Philadelphia (fig. 5-3). Not a single
American Sailor was lost. Britain’s Admiral Lord
Nelson described the raid as “one of the most bold and
daring acts of the age.”
THE WAR OF 1812
The War of 1812 was brought on, in part, because
theBritish were impressing (forcing Americansto serve
in the British Navy) American seamen. England
impressed American seamen to make its presence felt
and demonstrate its power on the American continent.
On August 19, 1812, Captain Isaac Hull aboard the
USS Constitution defeated the British frigate Guerriere
(fig. 5-4), and the USSConstitution earned its nickname
“Old Ironsides.” The victory convinced Congress and
President Madison that a stronger Navy was needed to
win the war and protect the country.
Almost a year after Hull’s important victory,
another famous event in our naval history occurred. On
September 10, 1813, Captain Oliver Hazard Perry
defeated a British squadron on Lake Erie and wrote his
dispatch, “We have met the enemy and they are ours.”
Perry’s win cut British supply lines on the Great Lakes,
gained control of Lake Erie, and strengthened the
American claim to the Northwest Territory.
The Barbary States War and the War of 1812 saw
biggerships coming into the Navy. Typical was our first
ship-of-the-line, the USS Independence, followed by
the 74-gun USS North Carolina.
THE YEARS FROM 1813 TO 1815
Following the War of 1812, our Navy underwent
technological changes. Before the Civil War, new
scientific advances foreshadowed the incredible
technological revolution that continues into today’s world.
One change wasthe use ofsteam. The Navy entered
a new era, an era of the “steam-driven warship.”
Harnessing the power of steam was the most important
development in the surface Navy during the first half of
the 19th century. Steam began to replace wind as a
means of propulsion. It promised to eliminate some of
the hazards and delays caused by ships being blown off
course or left dead in the water.
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Student Notes:
Figure 5-3.—Lieutenant Stephen Decatur and 84 seamen
slipped into Tripoli harbor and burned the captured
American frigate USS Philadelphia.
Figure 5-4.—During the War of 1812, Captain Isaac Hull,
aboard the USS Constitution, defeated the British
frigate Guerriere.
The principles of steam power were known for
centuries. But, it was Robert Fulton who successfully used
steam to power a commercial steamboat. After making a
number of important modifications to James Watt’s basic
steam engine, Fulton sailed his riverboat Clermont up the
Hudson River in 1807. Fulton helped build USS
Demologos, the Navy’s first warship to use steam. It was
originally intended to defend the port of New York during
the War of 1812. The USS Demologos was rechristened
the USS Fulton in Robert Fulton’s honor.
1815 TO THE CIVIL WAR
From 1815 to 1840, the Navy continued to expand its
sailing fleet. In fact, more than 74 ships-of-the-line were
built. In 1837 the Navy launched the 3,104-ton USS
Pennsylvania, the largest of America’s ships-of-the-line.
In 1841, the Navy launched the USS Missouri and
the USS Mississippi. These were our first ocean-going,
steam-driven capital ships. At the same time the US
Navy was building bigger ships, it was developing
steam powered ships and iron clad ships.
At the same time it was harnessing steam power for
ship propulsion, the Navy was making advances in ship
construction. The Navy began making its ships with iron
instead of wooden hulls. In 1843, the Navy launched its
first iron-hulled warship—the paddle sloop USS
Michigan. This side-wheeler was 163 feet long and
displaced 685 tons. It was powered by a 170-horsepower,
two-cylinder, steam engine. Without using its sails, the
USS Michigan was capable of making 8 knots.
Through the efforts of farseeing men like
Commander Matthew Calbraith Perry, USN, the Navy
was becoming more steam conscious. Perry is referred
to as the “Father of the Steam Navy.” He was
enthusiastic about the possibilities of steam, and was in
charge of construction and in command of the Navy’s
second steam frigate the USS Fulton. The harnessing of
steam power was considered the most important naval
development since the cannon.
The newly built steamships posed problems if
engaged in battle. Their paddle wheels and steam
engines could be easily damaged by enemy fire. This
problem was fixed by changing the design of the ships
so that the paddle-wheel housing was enclosed behind
5-foot-thick walls and set in an inboard channelway.
Steamship development overcame problems one by
one. For example—
• Stronger engines were developed;
• Screw propellersreplaced the paddle wheel; and
• Coal as a fuel was recognized as more efficient
than wood.
These changes didn’t happen overnight; they
required long periods oftrial and error.But in the 1840s,
new ideas were being explored by their proponents. On
September 5, 1843, the Navy’s first successful
steamship, the USS Princeton, was launched. Its new
type of propeller eliminated the vulnerable paddle
wheels and permitted the ship’s engines to be placed
below decks in protected spaces.
Other actions between 1815 and the Civil War
included the following:
• The Navy took the first steps in Antarctic
exploration. Notably, LieutenantCharles Wilkes visited
the subpolar region in January 1840 and proved
conclusively that the icy land was, in fact, a continent.
• Following Texas’ admission to the U.S. as the
28th state, Mexican troops crossed the Rio Grande. War
broke out. The Mexican-American War was primarily a
land war. However, the Navy did get involved. It
blockaded port cities in the Gulf and provided
protective action by the “Mosquito Fleet" during the
first large-scale amphibious operation in U.S. military
history—the landing ofsome 10,000 U.S. troops at Vera
Cruz. (The Navy itself was not equipped to carry out
such an operation at that time.) Marines were also
involved in this war—they marched with Scott to
Mexico City, coining the phrase “…from the halls of
Montezuma…” in the famed Marines’song.
• The Navy was involved in diplomatic relations.
Commodore Matthew C. Perry signed a treaty with Japan
on March 31, 1854. This was the treaty that opened
Japan’s ports to American trade and provisioning of
ships. England and Russia soon followed with their own
treaties, all modeled after Perry’s.
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Student Notes:
REVIEW 2 QUESTIONS
Q1. After the Revolutionary War, what was the next
significant role of the U.S. Navy?
Q2. List the two conflicts that the American Navy
was involved in between the Revolutionary War
and the War of 1812.
a.
b.
Q3. Describe the event during theBarbary States War
that Lord Nelson thought of as one of the most
bold and daring acts of the age.
Q4. List two events that the U.S. Navy was involved
in during the War of 1812
a.
b.
Q5. The Mexican-American War was primarily a
land war. However, the Navy provided what
service during this war?
THE U.S. NAVY FROM THE CIVIL WAR
TO THE 20TH CENTURY
Learning Objective: When you finish this chapter, you
will be able to—
• Recognize the roles and responsibilities of the
Navy from the Civil War to the 20th century to
include the Civil War and the Spanish-American
War.
The last half of the 19th century was a time of
change for the United States. Marked by two wars and
the first assassination of a United States President, it
was a time ofrapid change forthe country and its Navy.
THE CIVIL WAR
This bloody struggle between the States was the
stage for many eventsin U.S. naval history. Both Union
and Confederate navies engaged in shipbuilding
programs. These programs brought the ironclad era into
being. Launched by the Union in 1862, USS New
Ironsides, a powerful ironclad, had the armor that
allowed it to survive 50 hits in one battle.
Ironclads
The Civil War saw the development of two famed
ironclads—the USS Merrimack (renamed the
CSS Virginia by the Confederacy) and the Union’s
USS Monitor(which sported a turret). The USSMonitor
was ungainly, called a cheese box onaraft; however, it
and its Confederate counterpart began the ironclad era.
The battle of the ships was indecisive; both sides
claimed victory.
Also appearing on the scene were riverboats, rams,
and gunboats. Probably more changes and advances
were made in ship designs during the 4 years oftheCivil
War (1861 - 1865) than during any period since our
Navy had its start in 1775.
Submarines
The Confederate Navy took the next steps forward
in the development of the submarine. The USS Hunley
was built with funds provided by Captain H. L. Hunley,
a man blessed with imagination but lacking in
practicality. The ends of this 25-foot craft were loaded
with ballast tanksthat could be filled for descent but had
to be hand pumped for ascent. Power was supplied by a
propeller fitted to a camshaft that ran the length of the
ship and was turned by as many as eight men.
The CSS Hunley was a jinx to the Confederate
Navy. On its first voyage, it nosed into the mud and
refused to surface, killing its seven crew members. It
was hauled up and moored at James Island, where a
passing steamer swamped it and six more crewmen
were lost. It was hauled up once more and manned with
another crew, but was swept over by another steamer
and another three men were killed.
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Student Notes:
A young Confederate lieutenant, George Dixon,
was convinced that the boat could be useful to the South.
The CSS Hunley was moored off Charleston’s Sullivan
Island, just a few hundred yards from the USS
Housatonic. In the first true submarine attack in naval
history, Dixon cast off toward the large warship. The
CSS Hunely attacked the USS Housatonic in calm
waters in the dark of night. The submarine was sighted
by lookouts on the USS Housatonic; however, it didn’t
have the time orthe opportunity to strike back orsetsail.
The CSS Hunley hit the USS Housatonic driving
its shaft deep into the ship’s hull. The heavy charge of
gunpowder the submergible was carrying went off
prematurely, and the CSS Hunley never had a chance to
escape. It and all of its crew went down. The USS
Housatonic had the same fate. It was hit on the
starboard side and went down in just 4 minutes.
Another northern vessel moved to its rescue, and only a
few of its seamen were lost. Even though he lost his
life, Lieutenant Dixon had demonstrated that
submarines could be useful weapons of war.
Other Innovations
Some people associated with the Navy during the
19th century were interested in the air above the ocean.
The USS George Washington Parke Custis of the Civil
War days might be labeled as the Navy’s first “aircraft
carrier.” Actually, it was a balloon boat used to launch
observation balloons over enemy installations. It was
122 feet long, and its total cost was $150.
Other Civil War Actions
Capture of Vicksburg. On the Mississippi River,
the capture of Vicksburg, Mississippi, by the combined
naval forces of Rear Admiral David G. Farragut, Acting
Rear Admiral David D. Porter, and the commander of the
Army in the West, General Ulysses S. Grant gave the
North control of the entire river. The capture of Vicksburg
cut off important Confederate supplies of food and
clothing coming from Louisiana, Texas, and Arkansas.
Battle of Mobile Bay. On August 5, 1864, David
Farragut, the Navy’s first admiral, gave his famous
order “Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!”
(Torpedo was the name used at the time for mines.)
Farragut’s order won theBattle of MobileBay (fig. 5-5).
This victory closed the South’s most important port
(since New Orleans had already fallen) and tightened
the Union blockade.
The Civil War produced many men whose names
are still famous in the Navy:
• Andrew Foote, whose gunboats helped General
Grant capture the Mississippi River fortresses
• John Dahlgren, the father of modern naval
ordnance (fig. 5-6)
5-9
Student Notes:
Figure 5-5.—Farragut (in rigging) at Mobile Bay.
Figure 5-6.—Rear Admiral Dahlgren, standing next to one of
the guns he designed, was a leading pioneer in modern naval
ordnance and gunnery.
• David D. Porter (son of the captain of the Essex),
who commanded the mortar flotilla in the
capture of New Orleans
POST CIVIL WAR NAVY
Alfred T. Mahan (fig. 5-7) was one of the first
instructors at the Naval War College, and he influenced
naval strategy. In 1890, the first of his many books and
articles on sea power was published. One of his books
(The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1660 - 1783)
stressed that without control of the seas, a nation at war
could not expect victory. He defined sea power; showed
the importance of understanding naval needs; and
advocated a large, powerful Navy capable of assembling
an overwhelming force to defeat the enemy’s Navy. His
books on sea power became the “bible” of many navies,
and for many years, they influenced the thinking of naval
strategists. Part of our Navy’s readiness for the war with
Spain was a result of the influence of his works.
Surface Ships
Steam power was the major development in ship
propulsion during the first half of the 19th century. Iron
construction of ships was the outstanding development
of the second half. The two developments went hand in
hand—all the navies of the world recognized the
advantages of steam power, and iron warships needed
large steam enginesto powerthem. The engines, in turn,
called for bigger ships to accommodate them.
Shipbuilders used iron first asframing and then as a
material for the entire ship. Iron was first used as
framing to reinforce ships so that they could be used to
ram their opponents as well as fire on them. It was
several years before an economical way to process iron
strong enough for the entire construction could be
found. (Wooden ships had the advantage of being
cheaper to build than iron ships.)
After the Civil War, the Navy began a drawdown
period. A year and a half after the war, the total number
of Navy ships was 236, with only 56 in active service.
World conditions made our Country aware that the
Navy wassmall. Therefore, in 1882 and 1883,Congress
authorized the construction of the “protected cruisers”
USS Atlanta, USS Boston, and USS Chicago and the
dispatch boat USS Dolphin, which had both masts for
sails and stacks for smoke. They were steel hulled and
signaled the end of the ironclads introduced only
40 years earlier. These new cruisers were in the 13- to
14-knot class. They sported new guns, new types of
turrets, and armor.
Once more, the Navy began to rebuild its strength.
Continued changes were made as the new steel Navy
took on new shapes. Still clinging to the past, the USS
Newark, a 4,098-ton protected cruiser, was the last of the
Navy’s warships to be fitted with sails. It was launched in
1890 and commissioned the following year. Because of
its many improvements, the USS Newark has been
labeled as the first modern cruiser in the U.S. Fleet.
With the development ofthe self-propelled torpedo,
long-range torpedo boats made their debut.In 1890, one
of the first torpedo boatsjoined the fleet—the 22.5-knot
USS Cushing. The Navy acquired 16 fast torpedo boats
and three 185-ton boats capable of speeds of 27 knots.
The development of torpedo boats caused the shape
of ships to change. An example was the USS Truxtun,
which led to the design of our present-day destroyers.
These ships were designed to combat torpedo boats.
Later improvements resulted in destroyers themselves
carrying torpedoes.
Subsurface Ships
Since surface ships were driven by steam, why not
submarines? Steam requires air, fire, and heat, and those
were in limited supply aboard a submarine. During the
19th century, the internal combustion engine was
developed. Use of this engine on ships had drawbacks.
5-10
Student Notes:
Figure 5-7.—A philosopher of naval strategy, Mahan
researched military history and proved that the nation
controlling the oceans is the nation that maintains its
supremacy in war or peace.
However, many of its problems were overcome by two
inventors—John Holland and Simon Lake. Holland and
Lake had opposite theories about the submarine.
• Holland thought submersion should be made by
power-diving, using the force of the propeller
and the angle of the bow planes.
• Lake said boats should descend on an even keel
with slight negative buoyancy.
Lake was more interested in underwater
exploration than naval warfare. He thought a submarine
could be equipped with wheels and driven along the
ocean’s floor, although he did not pursue that idea.
Holland was more practical; his design included a
workable torpedo tube, which Lake’s did not.
Holland received a $150,000 contract from the
Navy for a subsurface vessel. His first attempt failed, but
the Navy was impressed enough to award him another
contract. By 1898, he had built USS Holland, a
cigar-shaped craft, 52 feet long and 10 feet in diameter.
The USS Holland was equipped withagasoline engine
for surface power and generators that charged batteries
for underwater power. It was armed with a torpedo tube
that fired an 18-inch torpedo and a bow gun recessed
into the hull. A New York newspaper commented that
“…the offensive powers ofthe Holland are, considering
the size and method of attack, far greater than any other
engine of war.”
The submarine’s problem of running blind when
submerged was corrected after Simon Lake
experimented with a set of prisms and lenses. Before that,
the USS Holland had to surface to permit the crew to look
out the conning tower; causing it to lose its greatest
advantage—surprise. Lake and a professor from Johns
Hopkins University worked out a design for the
periscope. The periscope, with various improvements,
remained the submarine’s basic visual aid until 1958.
THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR
At the end of the 19th century, the United States and
Spain became involved in diplomatic disputes about
Cuban independence, trade, and U.S. citizens living
there. On the evening of February 15, 1898, a terrific
explosion suddenly tore through the battleship USS
Maine at anchor in Cuba’s Havana harbor. The explosion
killed 250 American Sailors. The explosion was a major
reason for the start of the Spanish-American
War…Remember the Maine became our battle cry.
One eventstood out in thisshort war—Commodore
George Dewey’s seizure of Manila Bay in the
Philippines. On May 1, 1898, he steamed into Manila
Bay and ordered, “You may fire when you are ready,
Gridley.” Dewey’s resounding victory destroyed
Spain’s naval power in the East and was instrumental in
quickly ending the war.
Shortly after the Battle of Manila Bay (fig. 5-8),
U.S. naval forces at Cuba cornered the Spanish Atlantic
Squadron at Santiago Bay. On the morning of July 3,
1898, the Spanish squadron tried to break out of the bay
and was completely destroyed. Cuba and Puerto Rico
fell shortly afterwards, effectively ending the war.
5-11
Student Notes:
Figure 5-8.—Battle of Manila Bay.
REVIEW 3 QUESTIONS
Q1. List the naval developments during the last part
of the 19th century.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
Q2. After the development of the ironclad, what was
the Confederate Navy’s next achievement?
Q3. During the Civil War, the U.S. Navy’s first
admiral gave the famous order, “Damn the
torpedoes! Full speed ahead.” List the admiral’s
name and battle where he gave the order.
Q4. Describe how Alfred T. Mahan influenced naval
strategy.
Q5. What was the major cause of the
Spanish-American War?
Q6. Who was instrumental in quickly ending the
Spanish-American War?
THE NAVY FROM 1900 THROUGH
WORLD WAR I
Learning Objective: When you finish this chapter, you
will be able to—
• Recognize the roles and responsibilities of the
Navy during World War I.
The 20th century began withaworld at uneasy
peace. Between the end of the 19th century and WWI,
the U.S. Navy developed some new weapons. For
example, in April 1900 the Navy accepted its first
operational submarine, USS Holland.
SUBMARINES
The Navy continued to experiment with the
development ofsubmarinesthroughout the next decade.
One of the main problems continued to be the gasoline
engine—it heated up and gave off fumes that overcame
many of the crew.
The gasoline engine was replaced by the diesel
engine. The first diesel engines were installed in the
USS Skipjack (SS 24) and the USS Sturgeon (SS 25).
These new engines required no complicated ignition or
sparking systems, produced fewer fumes, and were
cheaper to operate. The diesel engine and electric
battery remained as the main propulsion systems for
submarines until nuclear power emerged in the 1950s.
DESTROYERS
Destroyers had been used primarily to deliver
torpedo attacks. With the development of the submarine,
they became submarine hunters. Construction of our first
destroyer, which displaced 420 tons, began in 1899.
Destroyers proved so successful that building these ships
began on a large scale. From 1892 to 1914, the start of
World War I, over 50 destroyers were built; and 273 were
ordered during the war.
CRUISERS AND BATTLESHIPS
The battleship resulted from the major changes in
ship design that took place during the 19th century.
Battleships carried heavy guns and corresponding
armor protection. The United States had begun building
its battlewagonsin the late 1880s; each succeeding class
had more firepower than the one before.
5-12
Student Notes:
By 1895, the heavy elements of the U.S. Fleet
consisted of 15 steel cruisers, the heavy cruiser USS New
York, and three battleships. The first two battleships were
the USS Texas, commissioned on August 15, 1895, and
the USS Maine, commissioned on September 17, 1895.
Both were listed as “second-class” battleships. The third
ship, the USS Indiana (BB 1), was commissioned in
1895. It was our first “first-class” battleship.
In 1906, the United States began a large
battleship-building program. Five battleships were of the
same class as the USS New Mexico and USS Colorado;
however, they weren’t completed until after World War I.
Based on lessons learned from wartime experiences,
many improvements were incorporated into their design.
For example, battleships of the same class as the USS
Coloradowere the first ones equipped with 16-inch guns.
NAVAL AVIATION
As the 19th century drew to a close, the Wright
brothers were working on their flying craft. The Wright
brothers’first flights at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, began
the vision of the future. Most people thought of flying as a
stunt or a sport, while others talked about crossing the
ocean by airplane. One European wrote in part,
…flights over the ocean will be made
possible by a new type of ship…[its] deck will
be clear of all obstacles, flat and wide as
possible … [itwill] have the aspect of a landing
field…its speed shall equal that of a
cruiser…housing of planes will be arranged
below deck and planes will have folding
wings…and to one side there will be the service
personnel workshop.
Others saw the potential of aircraft serving as an
extension of the might and range of a naval force at sea.
They were convinced that airplanes wouldn’t be used
just for circus sideshows and crop-dusting. They
believed aircraft would transport troops across oceans
and be equipped to strike offensively.
The Navy was again looking upward. As the Assistant
Secretary of the Navy, Theodore Roosevelt recommended
that the Secretary of the Navy appoint two officers “…of
scientific attainments and practical ability…” to examine
Professor Samuel P. Langley’s flying machine and report
on its potential for military use.
One such man was Navy Captain Washington Irving
Chambers, the U.S. Navy’s first officer in charge of
aviation. Captain Chambers’ initial involvement was to
answer letters from air-minded citizens and observe and
report on aviation developments of particular concern to
the Navy. What started as a collateral duty soon was a
full-time job, and Chambers became a strong supporter
of those who wanted to see the sea service add an air arm.
In April 1911, the Office of Aviation in Washington,
D.C., consisted of only Captain Chambers. In May, he
wrote requisitions for two machines made of wood,
canvas, bamboo, rubber, and metal—two airplanes, the
A-1 and the A-2. Earlier in the year, a civilian, Eugene
Ely, had successfully taken off from and later landed a
biplane on a platform rigged aboard USS Pennsylvania
(ACR 4), demonstrating the practical use of naval
aircraft.
Shortly thereafter, the Navy accepted delivery of its
first airplane, the A-1. The A-1 was first flown by
Lieutenant T. G. Ellyson, the Navy’s first aviator. The
A-1 was followed by the A-2; naval aviation had gotten
off the ground.
By October 1911, the Navy was ready to try
durability flights. Lieutenants Ellyson and J. H. Towers
attempted a flight from Annapolis to Fort Monroe,
Virginia. After flying 112 milesin 122 minutes, the pair
was forced down somewhat short of their goal by
mechanical problems. Althoughafailure in part, the
flight paved the way forsuccessful durability testsin the
following months.
Based on tremendous headway made in a few short
years, in 1914, Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels
prophesied “…the science of aerial navigation has
reached that point where aircraft must form a large part
of our naval force for offensive and defensive
operations.” It had become evident that the airplane was
no longer merely a plaything of the rich or eccentric—it
had become a vital part of our nation’s weaponry.
OTHER DEVELOPMENTS FROM 1900
THROUGH WWI
Meanwhile, the Navy was switching from coal to
oil as fuel for its ships. USS Nevada (BB 36) was the
first of the battleships to use oil. The day of the coal
passer was on the way out.
5-13
Student Notes:
Navy involvement in exploration continued during
the first decade of the century. On April 6, 1909,
CommanderRobert E. Peary, accompanied by Matthew
Henson, reached the North Pole.
In pre-World War I days, the Navy also carried out
its role as a diplomatic arm of the government. On
December 16, 1907, the GreatWhite Fleet left Hampton
Roads, Virginia, for a round-the-world cruise to show
the flag. The exercise demonstrated the strength of the
U.S. Navy.
Although the United States entered World War I
late, the Navy had plenty of time to make history. On
May 4, 1917, six American destroyers commanded by
Commander Joseph K. Taussig steamed into
Queenstown, Ireland. They became the first U.S. Navy
shipsto operate in European waters during World War I.
The event, billed asthe “return of the Mayflower,” was a
great morale booster and aid for the Allied forces. The
incident is probably best remembered by Commander
Taussig’s simple remark upon reporting to the British
admiral in charge: “Ishall be ready when refueled,sir.”
Destroyers became a primary symbol of
British-American cooperation during WWI. Destroyers
were the main defense against German U-boats, which
were practicing unrestricted warfare and terrorizing the
seas. U-boat attacks were one reason for our entry into
the war.
The British and Americans exchanged signals, codes,
and inventions in combining their destroyer forces to seek
out and attack the German submarines. Destroyers served
as escorts for troopships and supply convoys for the Allies,
helping to ensure their safety. On November 17, 1917, the
destroyers USSNicholson and USS Fanning were the first
U.S. ships to sink an enemy submarine.
When the United States entered World War I, naval
aviation assets were limited. The nation had only 54
aircraft, 1 air station, and 287 personnel assigned to
aviation. The nation had no armed forces or operations
abroad.
In spite of its size, the air arm proved its value as a
supporting unit to surface antisubmarine (ASW) forces.
Navy pilots served with Allied units in France and
England. The airplane created a new breed of hero, the
ace. Nineteen year-old Lieutenant David Ingalls, later
Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Air), flew a Sopwith
Camel to become the Navy’s first ace.
In World War I, the women’s role in the Navy came
into its own. In 1811, a Navy surgeon recommended
employing women in hospitals to care for the Navy’s sick
and wounded. The idea was not acted upon at that time.
NOTE
In the Civil War, women nurses, although not
part ofthe Navy,served aboard the hospitalship
USS Red Rover in the medical department. In
the war of 1898, the first trained nurses in the
Navy, though not an official unit, were
stationed at the Norfolk Naval Hospital to care
for the injured. A decade later (in 1908), the
Nurse Corps was officially born.
As the nation readied itself for World War I, it
needed Yeomen and personnel in related jobs to handle
the growing demand from headquarters and navalshore
stations.Josephus Daniels, Secretary ofthe Navy, asked
his legal advisors, “Is there any law that saysaYeoman
must be a man?” The answer was no, but until that time
only men had been enlisted. “Then enroll women in the
Naval Reserve as Yeomen,” the Secretary said. In such
jobs, he added, they would offerthe best “assistance that
the country can provide.”
Immediately after the United States entered World
War I, women were enlisted on a large scale “in order to
release enlisted men for active service at sea.” By the time
the armistice was signed, 11,275 women were enlisted in
service as Yeomen (F). They handled most of the clerical
work at the Navy Department, in addition to many highly
important special duties. Yeomen (F) were stationed in
Guam, the Panama Canal Zone, and Hawaii, in addition
to the United States and France. About 300 “Marinettes,”
as the female enlisted personnel of the Marine Corps
were designated, were on duty during the war. Most of
them were stationed at Marine Corps Headquarters at the
Navy Department, although a number were assigned
with Marine Corps recruiting units.
All Yeomen (F) were released from active duty by
July 31, 1919. Secretary Daniels sent the following
message to the Yeomen (F): “It is with deep gratitude for
the splendid service rendered by the Yeomen (F) during
our national emergency that I convey to them the sincere
appreciation of the Navy Department for their patriotic
cooperation.”
5-14
Student Notes:
REVIEW 4 QUESTIONS
All questions in this review concern WWI.
Q1. Before WW I, the Navy built surface ships and
submarines. What other development occurred
then that is still a big part of today’s naval
arsenal?
Q2. What was one reason why the U.S. Navy was
deployed?
Q3. Describe the role of Navy destroyers.
Q4. Describe the role of the air forces.
Q5. What was the role of Navy women?
THE NAVY FROM 1920 TO 1950
Learning Objective: When you finish this chapter, you
will be able to—
• Recognize the roles and responsibilities of the
Navy from 1920 through 1950 to include World
War II and the post-war years.
The world was changing rapidly from the end of
WWI to 1950. During the 1920s, the world economy
boomed, then fell. In the 1930s, there was the “Great
Depression.” In 1939, World War II began. In this
section, you will learn about some of the developments
made by the U.S. Navy.
1920 TO 1940
Between 1920 and 1940, the U.S. Navy was
developing its aviation arm to include aircraft carriers
and airships and airplanes. Also, it was building up its
destroyer strength.
Aviation
Great strides in aviation had been made during World
War I, and the end of the war did not slow the pace of
progress. On May 8, 1919, three Navy Curtiss (NC)
flying boats taxied into the bay of Far Rockaway, New
York, and took off for Europe. Plagued by mechanical
difficulties, two NCs failed to make it. The NC-4, piloted
by Lieutenant Commander Albert C. Read, became the
first airplane to fly the Atlantic. LCDR Read’s message
from Lisbon, Portugal, to the President read, “We are
safely across the pond. The job is finished.” The NC-4 is
now located at the National Museum of Naval Aviation,
Pensacola, Florida.
With transoceanic aircraft a reality, the Navy
continued to research the use of rigid airships in its air
arm. In 1923, Shenandoahwas launched. During a severe
squall in 1925, the Shenandoah broke in half and killed
14 men. At that time, some authorities questioned the
safety of the airship since it was fueled with highly
flammable hydrogen. In spite of some opposition, the
Navy continued to test rigid airships throughout the next
decade. In 1931, USS Akron was launched. The Akron
crashed in 1933 during a thunderstorm, killing the entire
crew.
In November 1929aFord trimotor aircraft, named
the Floyd Bennett, carried Commander Richard E. Byrd
and his crew on the first flight over the South Pole.
Commander Byrd thereby became the first man to fly
over both poles.
In 1933, Macon was commissioned. Two yearslater
the Macon also crashed into the sea. The Navy then
abandoned research and construction of rigid airships.
Aircraft Carriers
In 1934, the USS Ranger, the first carrier designed
from the keel up, joined the fleet. Also in the 1930s and
prewar 1940s, the large aircraft carriers USS
Enterprise, USS Wasp, USS Hornet, and USS Yorktown
were commissioned.
5-15
Student Notes:
Those carriers played an important role in the
prewar years. They were used in exercises to test the
possibility of launching air attacks from their decks.
During fleet maneuvers, naval aviators received
excellent training in mock attacks on Pearl Harbor.
Flying predawn missions from carriers, flyers
theoretically destroyed the U.S. Fleet and its aircraft
there. Fleet commanders were impressed by the
flexibility of the air arm, but no one else seemed to pay
much attention to the exercises.
Destroyers
Between the two world wars, the United States built
the Navy’s destroyer fleet to 184 ships. Destroyers also
became prime factors in America’s policy to turn over
older destroyers (fig. 5-9) to Britain after the British
entered the war against Germany. When the Japanese
attacked Pearl Harbor, a destroyer, USS Ward (DD 139),
was among the first American forces to fire against the
enemy, sinking a Japanese midget submarine.
Destroyers went on to distinguish themselves in
fighting enemy submarines both in the Atlantic and
Pacific theaters.
WORLD WAR II
On the morning of December 7, 1941, the “Rising
Sun” came out of the west when the Japanese pounced
on Pearl Harbor. On that morning, over 15 U.S. Navy
ships were sunk or damaged, including all 8 battleships
of the Pacific Fleet (fig. 5-10). Some 3,400 Navy and
Marine Corps personnel were killed or wounded. The
United States declared war on Japan the next day.
Pacific Arena
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was the first
attack in history conducted solely from aircraft carriers.
The attack proved beyond a doubt that aircraft had
become an essential part of naval armament.
Fortunately, no United States carriers were lost during
the attack on Pearl Harbor. The USS Yorktown, USS
Wasp, and USS Ranger were in the Atlantic, and the
USS Saratoga was in San Diego. The USS Lexington
was about 425 miles south of Midway, and the USS
Enterprise was 200 miles west of the Pearl Harbor.
The Japanese Imperial Navy captured island after
island in the South Pacific as it advanced toward
Australia. The U.S. Navy’s air arm finally stopped that
advance in early May 1942, which set the scene for the
turning point of the war in the Pacific.
At the Battle of Coral Sea, the two fleets neversaw
each other—the battle was fought entirely with aircraft
launched from carriers. The USS Lexington and USS
Yorktown, jointly under the command of Admiral F. J.
Fletcher, launched 93 attack planes against the Japanese
carriers Shoho, Shokaku, and Zuikaku. Within
5 minutes, the Shoho was hit with 10 heavy bombs and
15 torpedoes. The USS Lexington’s radio crackled with
the voice of Lieutenant Commander Dixon of the air
group, “Scratch one flattop. Dixon to carrier, scratch
one flattop!” The other two enemy carriers were so
badly damaged that their services to the Japanese fleet
were lost for weeks. The United States suffered the loss
of an oiler, an escort, and the USS Lexington. Even
though American losses were heavy in tonnage and
men, Australia had been saved from invasion.
5-16
Student Notes:
Figure 5-9.—Destroyer built shortly after World War I.
Figure 5-10.—The day of infamy.
The turning point of the war in the Pacific came the
next month at the Battle of Midway. The Japanese had
concentrated on the central Pacific with the intention of
occupying Midway Island. The four-carrier Japanese
task force was met by a U.S. carrier force. The U.S.
force included the carriers USS Yorktown, USS Hornet,
and USS Enterprise, plus Navy, Marine, and Army air
units from Midway.
Dive bombers proved to be the downfall of the
Japanese carrier force. When the battle ended, the
Japanese had lost four carriers, one heavy cruiser, and
258 aircraft. The United States had lost 132 aircraft, the
destroyer USS Hammann (DD 412), and the aircraft
carrier USS Yorktown (CV 5). In April 1943, another
USS Yorktown was commissioned; and it continued in
the proud tradition established by its predecessor.
In November 1942. the Navy fought the Battle of
Guadalcanal. After 3 days of bitter fighting, the
Japanese naval forces retreated, and U.S. Marines were
able to secure the island. With the fall of Guadalcanal,
the southern Solomons came under Allied control and
Australia was in less danger of attack.
On June 19, 1944, U.S. Task Force 58 (fig. 5-11)
caught the combined Japanese fleet steaming out of
Tawi in the southern Philippines. The Battle of the
Philippine Sea ended with the Japanese carrier forces
short of ships, planes, gas, and pilots. Unable to replace
these, the Imperial Navy was never able to recover from
losses, althoughmany desperate battles were to follow.
The final blow to the Japanese Navy came October
23, 1944. In a last-chance effort to salvage the
Philippines, the Japanese sent a naval force to the Leyte
Gulf to attack the U.S. Fleet. Their plan backfired and
the operation was a complete failure:It wasthe deciding
catastrophe for their Navy. The loss of the Philippines
severed their empire, and the homeland was cut offfrom
its main source ofsupply from the south. With the losses
at Okinawa and Iwo Jima, the war in the Pacific was
approaching its final days.
European Arena
On the Atlantic side of World War II, the U.S. Navy
had been fighting off U-boatsin the long-running Battle
of the Atlantic. The Navy protected convoys bound for
Europe. Small escort carriers dubbed “jeeps” were
operating with convoys; and their aircraft were
successfully attacking German submarines as they
surfaced to recharge their batteries. Limited range of
land-based airplanes was no longer a significant factor;
and distance offered no sanctuary for the U-boat.
Eventually, the German submarine menace was
contained, and England and Europe got vital supplies
and troops.
The Navy’s most notable Atlantic action may have
been its part in the June 6, 1944, invasion of
Normandy—the largest amphibious operation in
history. The greatest armada ever assembled carried out
minesweeping, shore-bombardment, amphibious
operations, and transported supplies and troops. Those
operations let the Allies complete D-Day landings
successfully and eventually push on to Germany.
Widespread fighting on the oceans brought about
the building of a fleet unlike any in history. This was a
swift striking force. It had the advantages of speed,
mobility, and surprise, yet it possessed the firepower
and protective armor to stand and slug it out with enemy
forces. Such a fleet was made up of ships with names
synonymous with heroism, such as the USS Tarawa,
USS Missouri (fig. 5-12), USS Tucson, USS Higbee,
and USS O’Bannon.
Other Events during WWII
During the 5-year period ending in late 1944, 9
million tons of vessels had been added to the U.S. Navy.
One novel development was the large assortment of
landing shipsthat began appearing in the early stages of
the war.
5-17
Student Notes:
Figure 5-11.—Part of Task Force 58 at anchor in the Marshall
Islands, April 1944.
Possibly themost versatile ofthemany new types of
ships built during World War II were the destroyer
escorts, now called frigates. Other types built during
that time included attack cargo ships, transports,
barracks ships, net tenders, repair ships, radar pickets,
minelayers, and mine sweepers. Those ships, as well as
many other types of ships too numerous to mention,
changed the shape of the U.S. Navy almost overnight.
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor,
111 American submarines were in commission, 60 in
the Atlantic Fleet and 51 in the Pacific. After the
invasion of North Africa, U.S. efforts were concentrated
in the Pacific, leaving submarine operations in the
Atlantic to U.S. Allies. The Pacific became the hunting
grounds for American submarine forces.
The number of American submarines during the
war peaked at 247. During the war, the United States
lost 52 ofthese boats along with 3,505 submariners. The
number of vessels sunk by U.S. submarines played a
major part in the American victory in World War II.
American submarines sank 1,750 Japanese merchant
ships and more than 200 combatants. Those vessels
represented 55 percent of the total Japanese tonnage
sunk in the war. For an island nation such asJapan, those
figures represented a fatal impact.
Radar and sonar came into full use during World War
II. The English used them initially to combat German
U-boats, but they were also incorporated into the
submarine as an attack aid. Sonar has become the most
important of the submarine’s senses. Hydrophones listen
for sounds from other ships and the echoes of sound
waves transmitted from the submarine itself.
Women in the Navy
Twenty-one years after the Yeomanette era,
women were needed to fill an acute shortage of
personnel caused by rapid expansion of the Navy for
World War II. On July 30, 1942, Congress authorized
establishment of the Women’s Reserve, with an
estimated goal of 10,000 enlisted women and 1,000
officers. This new organization had certain
congressional limitations. Women could not serve at
sea or outside the continental United States and could
not exercise military command over men. They could
not go beyond lieutenant commander on the promotion ladder. On August 4, 1942, Mildred Helen
McAfee was sworn in as Lieutenant Commander, U.S.
Naval Reserve, to become Commander of the
Women’s Reserve.
A boot camp for women volunteers was established
at Hunter College in New York City. It was promptly
dubbed USS Hunter. Since basic training lasted from 6
to 8 weeks, every other week some 1,680 women
seamen had to be housed, fed, and uniformed. (The
housing was provided in 17 apartment buildings near
the college taken over by the Navy.)
At about the same time, three other schools were
commissioned in the Middle West to train enlisted
women as Yeomen, Storekeepers, and Radiomen. In
July 1943, the Navy Japanese Language School in
Boulder, Colorado, opened to women.
Navy women came to work the same hours as Navy
men, standing both day and night watches. They stayed
in uniform at all times except in the barracks or when
engaged in active sports. They were called on to meet
the same standards of neatness and good behavior as
those required of men in uniform. In short, women were
fitted into the Navy as an integral part of the service.
They slipped into the same spot in the chain of
command as the men they replaced and performed the
same duties. This system gave Navy women the same
status, responsibilities, and restrictions as men.
The first Reserve classification for women officers
was W-V(S), meaning Woman-Volunteer (Specialist).
5-18
Student Notes:
Figure 5-12.—V-J Day aboard USS Missouri. Fleet Admiral
Nimitz signs the Japanese surrender document on
2 September 1945.
Professor Elizabeth Reynard (later LT Reynard) came
up with the term Women Appointed for Voluntary
Emergency Service (WAVES). That term was later
changed to Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency
Service. The initials WR and the term Women’s Reserve
were official, and some women preferred these terms to
the equally official, but less formal, term WAVES.
As the Women’s Reserve observed its second
anniversary on July 30, 1944, it could look back upon a
brief but glowing record of expansion and achievement.
During its 2 years of existence, its members had freed
enough officers and men to crew a fleet of 10 battleships,
10 aircraft carriers, 28 cruisers, and 50 destroyers.
During World War II, WAVES were directly
eligible for 34 different ratings. They performed nearly
every conceivable type of duty at 500 naval shore
establishments.
THE POSTWAR YEARS
Unlike the placid years following World War I, the
postwar period from 1945 to 1950 was a busy one. The
United States emerged from the war with an awareness
that it couldn’t afford any major cutbacks in military
strength. The United States had become a nation
committed to trading with and protecting other countries.
The only way that responsibility could be discharged was
by the maintenance of a strong and ready Navy.
Navy women. Since the WAVES had proved their
worth during the war, the Navy was reluctant to give up
its programs for women. After the war, a number of
Navy women were retained in service. However, by the
fourth anniversary of the program, only 9,800 remained
on active duty.
The Women’s Armed Services Integration Act,
Public Law 625, was passed by the Senate and the
House and signed by the President. It became law
June 12, 1948, marking another step forward. That was
perhaps the most significant milestone to date in the
history of women in the Navy. That act gave women full
partnership on the Navy team and abolished the
Women’s Reserve. For the first time, women became a
part of the Regular Navy.
At the same time the Regular Navy opened to
women, the Reserves established a program for women
volunteers. The new laws authorized the transfer of all
members to appropriate components of the permanent
Naval Reserve.
Antarctic exploration. Following World War II,
the U.S. Navy turned its attention once again to the
exploration of Antarctica. In 1946, Operation
Highjump got underway. Seaplanes flying from the
open sea and the airstrip at Little America photographed
the interior and coastline of the “white continent.”
Naval aviation. Naval researchers continued to
develop new, specialized ships and new planes capable
of providing swift aid to Allies inaworld of uneasy
peace. All naval aircraft, featuring the most advanced
radar and sonar systems, were redistributed into patrol,
attack, and fighter squadrons.
Jet aircraft were perfected during the postwar years.
In June 1948, a squadron of FH-1 Phantoms qualified for
carrier operations aboard USS Saipan (CVL-48). Carrier
flight decks were redesigned to launch and recover jets.
Submarines and nuclear power. During thistime,
the Navy was speeding development of the most
revolutionary advancement in the history of
submarines—nuclear power. Early in World War II, as
part ofthe Navy’sinitialresearch on the atom, proposals
were made to develop atomic power for use afloat.
However, most of that work was diverted to
development of the atomic bomb.
Nuclear power was the long-awaited propulsion
source for the submarine. It turned the submersible
surface ship into a true submarine, capable of almost
indefinite operation. It was no longer bound to the
earth’s atmosphere.
In September 1947, Captain H. G. Rickover
informally requested the firststudy of the application of
a high-pressure, water-cooled reactor for a submarine.
Personnel of the Daniels Pile Division at Oak Ridge,
Tennessee, undertook that study.
In January 1948, the Department of Defense
requested that the Atomic Energy Commission
undertake the design, development, and construction of
a nuclear reactor that would propel a naval submarine.
In December 1948, the Commission contracted the
Westinghouse Electric Corporation to develop design,
construct, operate, and test a prototype nuclear
propulsion plant. The outcome of those efforts was USS
Nautilus.
5-19
Student Notes:
REVIEW 5 QUESTIONS
Q1. What was the significance of the Battle of Coral
Sea?
Q2. List the other major naval battles in the Pacific
during World War II and describe their
significance.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Q3. Describe the role of the U.S. Navy in the Atlantic
Ocean during World War II.
Q4. The shape of the Navy changed during World
War II because of new ships introduced during
this period. List some of the types of ships that
were introduced during this period.
Q5. What is the significance of the date 30 Jul 43?
Q6. What is the significance of the Women’s Armed
Services Integration Act?
THE NAVY FROM 1950 TO 1990s
Learning Objective: When you finish this chapter, you
will be able to—
• Recognize the roles and responsibilities of the
Navy from 1950 to 1990 to include the Korean
Conflict, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf.
As the second half of the 20th century arrived, the
United States had been at peace for 5 years, and the
Navy was involved in many scientific pursuits.
However, scientific and exploratory pursuits were
interrupted by the outbreak of the Korean Conflict.
THE KOREAN CONFLICT
Supported by the United Nations, the United States
agreed to give the Republic of Korea air and naval
assistance. Three days after that decision, June 29,
1950, the cruiser USS Juneau and the destroyer USS
Dehaven fired the first shots of the war.
When North Korea attacked south of the 38th
parallel, the Navy was called on for close air support to
knock out bridges and block enemy supply routes. Navy
5-20
Student Notes:
jets flew from carriers for the first time in a war
situation. Unlike World War II, the enemy didn’t have
the capability to strike our carriers, so pilots launched
their Corsairs and Banshees on the first sustained
ground-support missions in history.
The helicopter also came of age during the Korean
Conflict. First studied and developed in 1942 when the
Navy received four Sikorskys, the choppers were
spotters for artillery. In Korea, they flew emergency
supply runs and took part in direct combat duties. Later,
the helicopter was used as a cargo transport between
ships during underway replenishment, search and
rescue missions, and ASW exercises. Korea was the
testing ground for the helicopter and many other
innovations our forces currently use.
On September 15, 1950, under massive shore
bombardment by U.S. Navy ships, the amphibious
landings at Inchon began. The successful operation cut
enemy communications, split enemy forces, and
dissolved enemy resistance in that area. The shelling of
supply roads far inland by the battleship USS Missouri
demonstrated a new tactical concept. That concept was
the Navy’s ability to intervene successfully in a ground
operation far ashore.
The Korean Conflict (fig. 5-13 and fig. 5-14) lasted
until July 1953. Other events were happening in the Navy
while the war was being waged. For example, a program
was established giving outstanding enlisted women the
opportunity to receive commissions in the Regular Navy.
KOREA TO VIETNAM
The 1950s was a time of change. By the end of the
decade, most operational aircraft in the attack and
fighter arsenals of the sea service were jets. More and
more angled-deck carriers were authorized, and new
deck-edge elevators allowed simultaneous takeoffs and
landings.
The USS Nautilus, the first nuclear submarine, was
first put to sea on January 17, 1955. Under Commander
Eugene P. Wilkinson, the USS Nautilus transmitted the
historic signal, “Underway on nuclear power.” On its
shakedown cruise in May 1955, the USS Nautilus
steamed submerged from New London, Connecticut, to
San Juan, Puerto Rico. It traveled over 1,300 milesin 84
hours—a distance 10 times greater than the record for
continuously submerged travel by any previous
submarine.
After more than 2 years of operation and evaluation,
the USSNautilus wasrefueled in April 1957. On its first
nuclear core, it steamed a total of 62,562 miles; it made
more than half of that cruise while totally submerged. A
conventionally powered submarine the size of the USS
Nautilus would have required over 2 million gallons of
fuel oil to duplicate that feat. A train of tank cars over a
mile and a half long would have been necessary to
transport that amount of fuel.
5-21
Student Notes:
Photograph courtesy of Mr. Francis Jeffery.
Figure 5-13.—Korean War Memorial.
Photograph courtesy of Mr. Francis Jeffery.
Figure 5-14.—Korean War Memorial—soldier.
On August 12, 1958, the USS Nautilus completed a
history-making transpolar voyage from Pearl Harbor,
Hawaii, to Portland, England. After diving under the ice
near Point Barrow, Alaska, on August 1, 1958, it
became the first submarine to reach the geographic
North Pole.
Nuclear submarines produced after the USS
Nautilus continued to pioneer new areas of submarine
operations. The USS Seawolf, the Navy’s second
nuclear-powered submarine, operated as an active unit
ofthe Atlantic Fleet. On October 6, 1958, it completed a
record-breaking 60-day run, traveling a distance of
13,761 miles submerged.
While the USS Nautilus was still undergoing
operational testing, the Navy began development of a
ballistic missile of intermediate range. Brought from
conception to initial operation in 5 years’time, the Polaris
fleet ballistic missile (FBM) weapons system was mated
with nuclear propulsion. That development produced a
virtually invulnerable missile-firing submarine. Today,
the missile-firing submarine constitutes one of the
highest priority elements of the United States’ deterrent
capability; that is, a deterrent to nuclear conflict.
Each Polaris submarine could launch 16 two-stage
ballistic missiles powered by solid-fuel rocket motors,
containing a self-contained inertial guidance system.
The Polaris provided a combined explosive power
greater than the total of all the bombs dropped by all
aircraft during World War II. Nuclear propulsion
enabled these Polarissubmarinesto remain on patrolfor
extended periods, hidden beneath the surface of the sea,
ready to launch their missiles.
On station, a Polaris submarine maintained
complete radio silence, receiving radio messages while
submerged, but not transmitting to prevent giving away
itslocation. Each ship had two complete crews, theBlue
and the Gold, of about 130 people each. The Polaris
operated on a systemthatreflected amajor change in the
Navy’s traditional ship-manning methods. The crews
alternated on approximately 3-month-long
deployments, providing maximum on-station time for
the submarine. Its endurance was limited only by the
limitations of its personnel.
Submarines were followed by the world’s first
nuclear-powered surface warships. They were the
guided-missile cruiser USS Bainbridge, launched
April 15, 1961; the guided-missile cruiser USS Long
Beach, commissioned September 9, 1961; and the
carrier USS Enterprise, commissioned November 25,
1961. On October 3, 1964, those three ships ended
Operation Sea Orbit, a 64-day long, around-the-world,
unreplenished cruise.
It was during this time that space exploration
(fig. 5-15) began.TheVanguard,a3 1/2-pound payload,
was developed by the Naval Research Laboratory. On
March 17, 1958, it was placed into orbit to test a system
designed to launch earth satellites during the
international geophysical year (IGY). Now the oldest
man-made satellite in orbit, it is expected to remain aloft
for 2,000 years.
Naval officers also participated in space exploration.
On May 5, 1961, Commander Alan B. Shepard, Jr., made
America’s first suborbital flight. The 15-minute shot in
Freedom 7 went 116.5 miles into space.
VIETNAM
Although the United States was at peace following
the Korean Conflict, events were building that would
plunge the country into another conflict. Since 1959, the
French had been involved in fighting in a country most
Americans had never heard of—Vietnam.
5-22
Student Notes:
Figure 5-15.—Seven original NASA astronauts.
Americans were introduced to Vietnam in 1965. In
that year, the United States entered the Vietnam Police
Action. This police action, which caused conflict at
home as well as on the battlefield, lasted until
January1973. Figures 5-16 through 5-19
commemorate American actions in Vietnam.
The Navy’s operations in support of South Vietnam’s
struggle against communist military aggression
consisted mainly of gunfire support and carrier aircraft
operations. These operations included coastal
interdiction patrols against North Vietnamese ships
moving troops and supplies to the south. They also
included riverine operations by a swarm of various types
of patrol craft in the maze of waterways in South
Vietnam’s delta area. (By early 1972 all boats and the
responsibility for delta operations had been turned over
to the South Vietnamese Navy.) Naval construction
battalions (Seabees) built several military bases and
constructed water and sanitary facilities for local
communities. Often, as in World War II, they engaged in
fighting as they worked. Navy medical personnel served
in the field with Marine Corps and Seabee units, as they
did in World War II and in the Korean Conflict. They
often performed their duties under fire and often
sacrificed themselves to protect their charges from
further harm. As in previous wars, U.S. Navy service and
amphibious forces transported over 90 percent of the
personnel and supplies used in support of that conflict.
5-23
Student Notes:
Photograph courtesy of Mr. Francis Jeffery.
Figure 5-17.—Vietman memorial.
Photgraph courtesy of Mr. Francis Jeffery.
Figure 5-18.—Vietnam memorial—soldier.
Photograph courtesy of Mr. F4rancis Jeffery.
Figure 5-16.—The Wall .
Photograph courtesy of Mr. Francis Jeffery.
Figure 5-19.—Women in war—memorial.
During the Vietnam era, five new attack carriers
joined the fleet, including the world’s first
nuclear-powered carrier, USS Enterprise (CVN 65).
Vietnam was a different kind of war, a war in which
the Navy’s role was ever changing. The Navy used both
new and old aircraft—OV-10 Broncos, propeller-driven
Skyraiders, attack planes like A-4 Skyhawks and A-7
Corsairs, and fighter planes like F-8 Crusaders. It used
various support aircraft for ASW, early warning, and
advance communications links.
OTHER DEVELOPMENTS
Even during the Vietnam Police Action, the Navy
was involved in exploration and development. Former
Navy pilot Neil Armstrong became the first man to set
foot on the moon on July 20, 1969. On November 14,
1969, the all-Navy Apollo 12 crew lifted off from the
Kennedy SpaceCenter on the second lunar expedition.
The crew consisted of Commanders Charles Conrad
and Richard Gordon and Lieutenant Commander Alan
Bean. Another all-Navy crew (Captain Charles Conrad,
Jr., and Commanders Joseph P. Kerwin and Paul J. Wietz)
splashed down on the first Skylab mission on June 22,
1973. The crew set numerous records and accomplished
virtually all of its objectives.
Space. The Navy stands tall in the first 10 years of
manned space exploration.Recordsshow that five ofthe
six men to walk on the surface of the moon during that
time had formerly been trained as naval aviators.
Research. In the 1960s, Navy scientific undersea
research resulted in the USS Alvin. The USS Alvin was
the Navy’s first deep diving vehicle. It was successfully
tested at 6,000-foot depths on July 20, 1965. The next
month, 10 aquanauts, including astronaut Commander
M. Scott Carpenter, entered the Sealab II capsule, 205
feet below the surface of the sea off the coast of La Jolla,
California. Carpenter remained underwater for 30 days
in a successful experiment of submerged living and
working conditions. On January 25, 1969, the first
nuclear-powered, deep-submergence research and
ocean-engineering vehicle, NR-1, was launched. That
five-man vessel can operate for weeks at a time at great
depths.
Weapons. In early 1965 came the announcement of
the proposal to develop a new missile for the fleet
ballistic missile system—the Poseidon. The growth
potential of the ballistic missile submarine launching
system has enabled the Poseidon to fit into the same
16-missile tubes that carried the Polaris. Like the
Polaris A-3, it is able to reach any spot on earth from its
nuclear-powered hiding place. Its increased accuracy,
greater payload, and improved ability to penetrate
enemy defenses make the Poseidon more effective than
the Polaris.
On July 19, 1974, construction of the new Trident
undersea nuclear weapons system commenced. The
Trident system consists of three principal elements: a
nuclear-powered fleet ballistic missile submarine
(SSBN), a strategic weapons system (the missile), and
an integrated logistics support system. The first Trident
submarine was the USS Ohio (SSBN-726), a nuclear
powered fleet ballistic missile submarine. The USS
Ohio was delivered to the Navy in 1981. Since then, the
Navy has accepted delivery of 10 more Trident
submarines.
THE PERSIAN GULF
As with other wars, conflicts, or areas of military
aggression, U.S. naval forces operate in the hostile area
of the Persian Gulf. U.S. naval forces have been present
in this vital oil-rich region for many years.
The events leading to an increased number of U.S.
naval units in the Persian Gulf (fig. 5-20) began in the
mid 1980s. Iran and Iraq were at war. Iraq had begun
attacking Iranian oil facilities and tankers; in response,
Iran began attacks againstshipsflying flags of countries
sympathetic to Iraq. U.S. Navy ships quickly began
escort and protection operations for U.S.-flagged
tankers.
5-24
Student Notes:
Figure 5-20.—Persian Gulf award.
As the war between Iran and Iraq widened, so did
the dangers to U.S. Navy ships operating in the Gulf.
Iran started laying mines in the Gulf and began using
small suicide boats to raid U.S. tankers and naval units.
Iraq also possessed weapons that could cause
tremendous damage and casualties. These weapons
proved costly to the United States. In May 1987, an
Iraqi aircraft mistakenly fired two missiles that struck
USS Stark (FFG-31), killing 37 sailors and wounding
many more. In April 1988, Iran’s use of mines caused
considerable damage to USS Samuel B. Roberts
(FFG-58). Until that time, the U.S. Navy’s presence was
largely defensive. When forced to take offensive action,
the United States acted quickly. U.S. Navy ships
bombarded an Iranian oil platform being used as a
command post and sank a mine-laying vessel carrying
out operations.
DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM
On 2 August 1990, the president of Iraq Saddam
Hussein, ordered the world’s fourth largest army from
Iraq to invade the country Kuwait. The United States
deployed a major joint force which served as the
foundation for a powerful 33-nation military coalition
to stem Iraq’s brutal aggression. Operation Desert
Shield/Desert Storm was born. The United States
Navy provided the sea control and maritime
superiority that paved the way for the introduction of
U.S. and allied air and ground forces. The United
States offered strong leadership for the multinational
naval force.
Desert Shield/Desert Storm brought together the
largest force of Navy warships assembled in a single
theater since World War II, adding a powerful punch to
Navy forces already on scene the night of Iraq’s
invasion of Kuwait. Long-established maritime
superiority facilitated the largest, fastest strategic
sealift in history, with more than 240 ships carrying
more than 18.3 billion pounds of equipment and
supplies to sustain the forces of Desert Shield/Desert
Storm.
Under the Navy’s Total Force concept more than
21,000 naval reservists were called to active duty in
support of Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Serving in
specialties from medicine to mine warfare, reservists
worked alongside their active duty counterparts in the
Persian Gulf. Others filled critical vacancies on the
home front.
Saddam Hussein’s rejection of diplomatic efforts
to solve the crisis led to the final decision to restore
Kuwait’s sovereignty by military force. The ensuing
air war and the effects of the economic embargo
decimated Iraq’s military infrastructure, severed
communication and supply lines, smashed weapons
arsenals, and destroyed morale. Some of the first shots
fired were from Navy ships in the Persian Gulf and Red
Sea, as they launched salvos of Tomahawk cruise
missiles against pre-programmed targets in Iraq.
After an impressive 38-day air campaign, the
ground offensive began with allied forces sweeping
through Iraqi defenses in blitzkrieg fashion. The allied
push into Kuwait and southern Iraq was made easier by
the amphibious forces on station in the Persian Gulf.
The threat they posed forced tens of thousands of Iraqi
troops to maintain positions along the Kuwaiti
coastline to defend against attack from the sea. The
Iraqi army was crushed after a mere 100 hours. Iraqi
troops—tired, hungry and war-weary from 6 months
of economic blockade and more than a month of
relentless allied bombing—surrendered by the
thousands. Less than 7 months after the Iraqi invasion,
Kuwait was once again free.
It is likely that Navy ships will continue to
represent and protect U.S. interests in the region for the
foreseeable future.
REVIEW 6 QUESTIONS
Q1. List some of the Navy’s roles during the Korean
Conflict.
a.
b.
c.
d.
5-25
Student Notes:
Q2. List some of the Navy’s missions during the
Vietnam Police Action.
a.
b.
c.
Q3. What are other actions the Navy was involved
with during the same timeframe as the Vietnam
Police Action?
a.
b.
Q4. What service did the Navy provide during the
Iraq – Iran War?
Q5. List the Navy’s contributions during Operation
Dessert Storm.
a.
b.
c.
SUMMARY
The United States Navy began more than 200 years
ago with two ships, but today we are the finest naval
force in history. The history of the Navy is a big story
and an exciting one. We’ve only rippled the surface
here, butmaybe we’ve stimulated your curiosity enough
that you will want to take a closer look at your Navy’s
past.Ifso, visit yourship orstation library. You will find
many fine books on naval history there.
From Flamborough Head to the Persian Gulf, the
U.S. Navy has always been “on station” in time of
trouble. The U.S. Navy’s mission of preparedness to
conduct prompt and sustained combat operations at sea
means the U.S. Navy will be present at the first sign of
conflict.
U. S. Navy ships continued to change with even
greater momentum, ushering in another new era—that
of nuclear propulsion, jet power, rockets, and guided
missiles. New types of ships have emerged—ships
such as guided-missile cruisers, tactical command
ships, and helicopter flattops. The era of the 50s, 60s,
70s, 80s, and on into the 90s has seen the emergence of
the nuclear Navy.
The heart of today’s nuclear fleet is a highly
complicated unit known as the nuclear reactor, which
offers the following advantages:
• Almost unlimited steaming endurance at high
speed. Nuclear ships have increased flexibility;
an ability to obtain ammunition, aviation fuel,
and other supplies from remote places in a
minimum amount of time; and an attack ability
in a much greater area.
• Reduced vulnerability. Nuclear ships need not
remain exposed as long as nonnuclear vessels
during replenishment. They can maneuver to
avoid attack.
• Reduced dependence on logistic support. Nuclear
ships require fewer mobile support forces.
• Greater attack effectiveness. Nuclear ships can
remain in battle areasfor a greater length of time
and have a greater ability to exploit weather
conditions to their advantage.
• Elimination of huge funnels. That provides more
room for such items as a big, powerful radar.
• Power available upon command. Nuclear
reactors eliminate the need to order “more
boilers on the line” a half hour before full power
is desired. Heat is produced in the nuclear
reactor; in turn, steam and power is produced
with little delay. Reduction from full power to
one-third or stop is equally responsive.
• Reduced maintenance. The absence of corrosive
stack gases cuts down on the wear and tear of the
ships and a lot of at-sea and in-port repairs.
The Navy has been advancing in other areas of the
surface fleet as well. An example isthe new amphibious
assault ships (LHAs). The LHAs are the largest and
fastest amphibiousshipsin the Navy inventory and offer
the greatest operational versatility in the history of
amphibious warfare.
The size of the LHAs alone is impressive. The first of
the LHAs, the USS Tarawa, is 820 feet long and 106 feet
wide. The high point of its mast is 221 feet above the keel,
and it has a full displacement of 39,300 tons. It can carry a
large landing force with all its equipment and supplies,
landing them either by helo or amphibious craft or both.
5-26
The primary advantage of these general-purpose assault
ships is tactical integrity—getting a balanced force to the
same point at the same time.
Spruance-class ships are the Navy’s prime ASW
destroyers. They are fitted with our most powerful
sonar, helicopters, our best ASW weapons, and the
Harpoon surface-to-surface missile system.
The mostrecent additionsto the surface fleet are the
Ticonderoga-class cruisers and the Arleigh Burke-class
destroyers. Both are powered by gas turbines and are
capable of high-speed transits. They are also outfitted
with the Navy’s new Aegis weapons system. That
system has the capability to track and engage multiple
targets, using a complex system of radars, missiles,
guns, torpedoes, and self-defense systems. These
capabilities make these cruisers and destroyersthe most
survivable units of today’s surface fleet.
Our ability to quickly deploy large carrier battle
groups and surface action groups quickly will assure our
allies of our ability to exercise sea control. That ability,
coupled with the U.S. submarine forces’ strategic
deterrence objective, will allow the United States and its
allies the ability to deter further hostile action worldwide.