|
29 August 2023
Welcome back to our National Maritime Historical Society members and friends who share a love for naval history!
Today marks the 107th not-so-happy anniversary of the loss of USS Memphis off Santo Domingo due to a tidal wave. The armored cruiser, which had been recently renamed to free up her previous name for a new battleship, is the focal point of Andrew Jampoler’s recently published Hard Aground: The Wreck of the USS Tennessee and the Rise of the US Navy. You can find John Grady’s review of the University of Alabama publication in our recent 25 July Tidings.
For our feature content we offer a salute to Jim D’Angelo for his efforts to make the Battle of Midway a substantive commemorative event on the Navy’s annual calendar. We also recap Escort Carrier History Symposium.
Naval History Book Reviews is taking a week off! Our stockpile of books available for review has dwindled, thanks to all of you who have asked for books and currently are turning pages. If you have recently published a naval history-related memoir or history—let us know! Current available titles to review are listed here. As always send your requests to david.winkler@usnwc.edu.
Tuesday Tidings is compiled by Dr. David F. Winkler and Jessie Henderson. As always, comments are welcome at nmhs@seahistory.org.
| ITEMS OF IMMEDIATE INTEREST | |
6–10 September 2023 – ASMA 4th National Marine Art Conference
Albany, New York
(in person)
8 September 2023 - Deserting USS Monitor
Monitor Legacy Program with John V. Quarstein
Noon-1 PM. (EDT) (In Person - Virtual)
17 September 2023 - SS John W. Brown Living History Cruise
8:00 am-4:00 PM (EDT) (in person)
18–21 September 2023 - Historic Naval Ship Association Conference USS Slater
21–22 September 2023 - McMullen Naval History Symposium, Annapolis, MD
Click here to Register>>
22 September 2023 - Naval Institute Knox Award Dinner, Annapolis, MD
| |
Battle of Midway Advocate Earns Prestigious Award! | |
Last Thursday, Naval History and Heritage Command Director Rear Adm. Sam Cox, USN (Ret.), presented Jim D’Angelo a Navy Superior Public Service Award at a ceremony at the Washington Navy Yard in recognition of the Air Force veteran’s past advocacy for greater recognition to those who fought and died at the Battle of Midway. Following a 1992 symposium held in Arlington, Virginia, that brought together veterans, historians, and authors that covered the significance of the battle, D’Angelo—a passionate student of the subject—organized the International Midway Memorial Foundation (IMMF) which eventually erected a monument at the US Naval Academy, thanks to the generosity of the Class of 1942. In 1996, the IMMF began to host Midway Night Dinners at the Navy’s flagship museum in Washington, DC, modeled on the Trafalgar Night Dinner that had become a tradition within the Royal Navy. On 4 June 1999, inspired by D’Angelo’s initiatives, then-Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jay Johnson declared Midway Night as one of only two events to be celebrated annually Navy-wide (the other is the Navy’s 13 October birth date). Presented nearly a quarter-century after Admiral Johnson’s decree, the Navy Superior Public Service Award is a well-deserved honor! | |
Travis Bickford of the Library of Congress Veterans History Program facilitates a discussion with escort carrier veterans James Tatum (left) of USS Sangamon (CVE 26) and Robert Kruger of USS Bogue (CVE 9). The roundtable session proved to be one of several highlights of the Escort Carrier History Symposium. | |
Escort Carrier History Symposium Recaps Three Decades of Service | |
THE PRESENTERS: Standing behind Escort Carrier Sailors and Airmen Assn. President Dave Ryan (Bottom right) is Cdr. Derek Powles, Royal Navy; Guy Nasuti, NHHC; Dr. Charlie Neimeyer, NWC; Cdr. Stan Fisher, USN. Seated to the left of Ryam is Dr. David Winkler, NWC; and Bradley Krueger, NHHC. | |
|
Veterans and their families gathered for the thirtieth and final reunion of the Escort Carrier Sailor and Airmen Association, held last Friday in Arlington, Virginia. Association president David Ryan, whose father served on USS Bogue, reached out to the Naval History and Heritage Command earlier in the year to seek assistance to facilitate a meaningful experience for the veterans and families who would make the trip to the nation’s capital. With additional support from the National Capital Commandery of the Naval Order of the US, an impactful two-day agenda came together, which kicked off with a full-day symposium on Friday, 25 August. Moderator Dr. David Winkler, adjunct professor with the Naval War College’s College of Distant Education, discussed carrier development during the interwar period—the topic of a forthcoming Naval Institute book. The morning program concluded with a talk by Cdr. Stan Fisher of the US Naval Academy, who drew content from his recent Naval Institute book Sustaining the Carrier War to discuss to logistical and training infrastructure put in place to support the dozens of “jeep carriers” that served during World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.
The afternoon program featured operational presentations by NHHC historian Guy Nasuti, Naval War College adjunct professor Dr. Charles Niemeyer, and Royal Navy Assistant Naval Attaché Cdr. Derek Powles. Nasuti, a veteran author of ship biographies for the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, provided case studies for escort carriers serving in the Atlantic and Pacific during World War II and later in Vietnam. Niemeyer, the former director of the Marine Corps History Division, highlighted the role Sicily (CVE 118) and Badoeng Strait (CVE 116) played to provide close air support in Korea. Commander Powles discussed Royal Navy carrier development and how they employed American-built lend-lease along with indigenous-built “Woolworth” carriers in the Battle of the Atlantic and in the Mediterranean.
The symposium concluded with Travis Bickford’s discussion of the Library of Congress Veterans History Program’s extensive holdings of escort carrier sailor oral histories, and a discussion with three veterans (two in attendance and one call-in) about their experiences on what many called “baby flattops.” Bradley Krueger of the NHHC Collection Management Division discussed underwater archaeology and showed underwater video of the wrecks of USS St. Lo (CVE 63) and USS Ommaney Bay (CVE 79).
On the following day the group bused over to the Navy Museum for additional presentations, touring, discussions on the preservation of association materials, and memorial services. That evening the organization held its final reunion banquet, with Rear Admiral Cox providing the closing keynote, recapping much of the previous discussed history with a focus on carriers lost, sacrifices made, and noting that when victory did come, it came at a price.
|
2022–2023 Naval Museum Excellence Awards Announced | |
The Naval History and Heritage Command has established an annual awards program that recognizes non-federal organizations, including museums and individuals, for incorporating the history and heritage of the United States Navy into their publications, documents, and artifacts at their facilities. Applicants are assessed on their ability to encourage and publicize scholarly materials or lectures that depict the Navy’s history and heritage, and on the organization’s ability to preserve and maintain artifacts on loan from the Navy. “The tireless efforts of these organizations in the preservation of Ships and artifacts, as well as their education of the public about the vast and storied history and heritage of the United States Navy deserve recognition,” said NHHC Director Samuel Cox. “Their dedication honors the brave men and women who have served, and is crucial to our ability to continue to educate future generations.” The announced winners are listed below.
The History and Heritage Excellence Pennant, presented to an organization for outstanding overall achievement in its operations, to include, curation/conservation, exhibitory, and Navy history education to the public:
o Stockton Maritime Museum
The Maintenance Excellence Pennant, presented to an organization that has demonstrated outstanding improvement of the condition of an artifact over the past year:
o USS Hornet Sea, Air and Space Museum
o Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum
o Independence Seaport Museum:
The Curatorial Excellence Pennant awarded to an organization that has achieved excellence in the curation of the collections in its care, including maintaining and interpreting Navy artifacts on loan from NHHC:
o USS HORNET Sea, Air and Space Museum
The 2022–2023 Museum Excellence Award recipients will be presented with a plaque and pennant commemorating their achievement, on 21 Sept. during the annual meeting of the Historic Naval Ships Association in Albany, New York, aboard the museum ship USS Slater. For additional information on the Museum Excellence Awards, visit:
https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/get-involved/nhhc-awards-program.html.
| |
NAVAL HISTORY BOOKS AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW | |
The Wreck of USS Memphis
By Lieutenant Commander Thomas Withers, Jr., US Navy
| |
The Wreck of the USS Memphis. This photograph was taken about 30 minutes after the ship first grounded. | |
|
On August 29, 1916, the USS Memphis was wrecked on the beach at Santo Domingo City, Santo Domingo, by enormous seas which were unaccompanied by any wind whatsoever. This statement is made emphatic because, both officially and unofficially, there is frequently seen the statement that the Memphis was wrecked by a hurricane.
The Memphis was the flagship of the commander of the cruiser force, Atlantic fleet, and, at the time of her loss, had been lying at anchor off Santo Domingo City most of the summer.
A great deal of boating was necessary, and it had been found advantageous to anchor as far to the eastward as practicable in order, to get what lee we could from the point on the Duarte side of the Ozama River. The ship was anchored in 8½ fathoms of water, with the lighthouse bearing about 300° true. The prevailing wind and sea were from the southeast, and the anchorage was almost always rough.
The anchorage at Santo Domingo City is very restricted, and there is no protection from east to west through south. The westerly current caused the ship to ride, heading east. The anchorage is on a narrow shelf or ledge. This ledge is so narrow that the 10-fathom curve is but a few yards inside of the 100-fathom curve.
The danger of such an anchorage had been fully realized and everything was habitually kept in readiness to get under way upon short notice. Forty-five minutes was the time within which the ship could get wider way with plenty of power available.
Read full article>>
| |
|
Captain Michael Lilly’s recent Naval History online article relates to how Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, the winner of the Pacific War during World War II, relaxed from the stresses of command. His relaxation time sometimes included streams of VIP visitors who consumed his valuable down time. Military leaders are not trained how to cope with the stresses of command, though Nimitz found ways to recuperate and recharge his batteries. In the end, he won. Lilly was fortunate to be able to draw from Nimitz’s personal correspondence with his close friends and grandparents, first published in Lilly’s book Nimitz at Ease.
See here>>
| |
NAVAL HISTORY CALLS FOR PAPERS | |
UPCOMING NAVAL & MARITIME HISTORY GATHERINGS | |
PREBLE HALL NAVAL HISTORY PODCAST | |
A naval history podcast from Preble Hall – the United States Naval Academy Museum in Annapolis, Maryland. Preble Hall will interview historians, practitioners, military personnel, and other experts on a variety of naval history topics from ancient history to more current events.
Click here for the latest episode: 193: Admiral Mike Mullen, Part 12: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff>>
Click here for all Preble Hall Podcasts >>
| NAVAL HISTORY AND HERITAGE COMMAND H-GRAMS | DRACHINIFEL YOUTUBE CHANNEL | |
Welcome to Navy History Matters, Naval History and Heritage Command’s biweekly compilation of articles, commentaries, and blogs related to history and heritage. Every other week, they gather the top-interest items from a variety of media and social media sources that link to related content at NHHC’s website, your authoritative source for Navy history.
Click here for most recent article>>
| INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NAVAL HISTORY | |
The International Journal of Naval History (IJNH) provides a preeminent forum for works of naval history, researched and written to demonstrable academic standards, with the goal of stimulating and promoting research into naval history and fostering communication among naval historians at an international level. IJNH welcomes any scholarly historical analysis, focused on any period or geographic region, that explores naval power in its national or cultural context. The journal is independent of any institution and operates under the direction of an international editorial board that represents various genres of naval history.
Click here to read the February 2023 edition and archived issues on the IJNH website >>
| SUPPORTING US NAVAL HISTORY & HERITAGE | |
With the 250th anniversary of the US Navy on the horizon, NMHS seeks your support as we plan to honor those who have provided for our maritime security.
Click here to donate today >>
| | | | |
