DOCSLIB.ORG

Mission: History Studiorum Historiam Praemium Est

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Mission: History Studiorum Historiam Praemium Est N a v a l O r d e r o f t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s – S a n F r a n c i s c o C o m m a n d e r y Mission: History Studiorum Historiam Praemium Est 5 March 2001 HHHHHH Volume 3, Number 3 U-4U7- 47 1941: U-boat War Gets Its Nam e Prim e M inister Aim ed 1819: Congress Asks At Threat to Britain’s President to Suppress Lifeline to New World Piracy in West Indies ‘The Battle of the Atlantic Following the Napoleonic Wars and the American War of 1812 with the Brit- Has Begun,’ Churchill Says ish, both ending in 1815, Spanish posses- sions in the Western Hemisphere began In March of 1941 the struggle to keep clamoring for independence. It is diffi- open Great Britain’s lifeline to the New cult to escape the conclusion, now unac- World was given a name and notable ceptable in the salons of the elite, that victories were achieved in that struggle. North America was settled by a higher The Battle of Britain had been won in class of man than other parts of the New England’s skies the previous year, but World. now the U-boat menace was a mortal In the words of Francis B. C. Bradlee danger. in his 1923 book, Piracy in the West Hitler, always bellicose, had said in a Indies and Its Suppression, speech in Berlin “In the spring, our U- “Revolutionary governments are, at best, boat war will begin at sea, and they (the generally attended by acts of violence, Günther Prien who, in 1939, took his U-47 British) will notice that we have not been but when undertaken by the ignorant and into Scapa Flow and sank the British battle- sleeping.” depraved people of the South American ship HM S Royal O ak, had accounted for 30 Early in March, exceptionally heavy colonies it not only … led to rapine and other ships by the tim e he was sunk in losses were reported to Britain’s War piracy, but adventurers and outlaws from M arch 1941. Cabinet by Admiral Sir Dudley Pound, all over the world flocked to these prov- the First Sea Lord. Meeting with Pound inces as soon as the standard of rebellion soon ignored the fine line that separates in the Prime Minister’s room at the was raised, ostensibly to serve against the privateer from the pirate. These free- House of Commons, Winston Churchill Spain, but in reality attracted by the booters based themselves on the many said to the admiral “We have got to lift prospects of plunder.” unsettled islands of the Caribbean and in this business to the highest plane, over Spain’s colonies in Central and South coves and estuaries of the mainland, in- everything else.” America, upon declaring their independ- cluding the Mississippi River delta and On 6 March 1941, Churchill issued ence and lacking navies of any sort, lent the protected bays of Florida’s Gulf the directive that gave the U-boat war its their authority to scores of privateers that Coast. name. (Continued on page 3) (Continued on page 2) Page 2 M i s s i o n : Hi s to r y 5 March 2001 Five U-Boats Sunk in Western Approaches Following PM ’s Address The place where the German U-boat 47 was sunk with all hands by the de- Submarine Commander sank the British battleship Royal Oak stroyer HMS Wolverine on 8 March. was none other than the middle of Scapa (Recently, doubt has been cast on Wol- Who Sank HMS Royal Oak Flow, Britain's greatest naval base! It verine’s claim for the kill, but there has sounds incredible. Is Himself Sent to Bottom A World War I submarine commander been no evidence suggesting a more told me tonight that the Germans tried plausible alternative.) (Continued from page 1) On 12 March 1941, a U-boat wolf- In view of various German statements, twice to get a U-boat into Scapa Flow we must assume that the Battle of the during the last war, but both attempts pack was operating southwest of Iceland. Atlantic has begun. failed and the submarines were lost. Kapitänleutnant Fritz-Julius Lemp in U- The next four months should enable Captain Prien, commander of the sub- 110 spotted convoy HX112 consisting of us to defeat the attempt to strangle our marine, came tripping into our afternoon about 50 deeply-laden merchantmen, food supplies and our connection with the press conference at the Propaganda Min- eastbound in calm but frigid weather. He United States. For this purpose – istry this afternoon, followed by his crew told the other German pigboats about We must take the offensive against the – boys of eighteen, nineteen, twenty. Prien is thirty, clean-cut, cocky, a HX112 and they spent several days plan- U-boat and the Focke-Wulf (Fw. 200 ning their attack. What they didn’t know Condor) wherever we can and whenever fanatical Nazi, and obviously capable. was the convoy was guarded by five we can. The U-boat at sea must be Introduced by Hitler's press chief, Dr. hunted, the U-boat in the building yard or Dietrich, who kept cursing the English destroyers and two corvettes. Lemp had in dock must be bombed. The Focke- and calling Churchill a liar, Prien told us reported only two escorts. Wulf and other bombers employed little of how he did it. At dusk on 15 March, Kapitänleutnant against our shipping must be attacked in He said he had no trouble getting past Joachim Schepke in U-100 approached the air and in their nests. the boom protecting the bay. I got the impression, though he said nothing to Churchill continued, specifying in justify it, that he must have followed a another 12 paragraphs how the Battle of British craft, perhaps a minesweeper, into the Atlantic was to be won and ways in the base. which existing resources could be used British negligence must have be more effectively. He had given the battle its name and, having a name, the battle acquired a focused strategy. Five U-boats were sunk in the West- ern Approaches during March, inspiring Churchill to say “though we suffered grievous losses, amounting to 243,000 tons by U-boat … the first round of the Battle of the Atlantic may be said to have ended in a draw.” Perhaps a little better than a draw, for among the U-boats sunk was U-47, com- manded by Germany’s most dangerous submariner, Korvettenkapitän Günther Prien. U-47 Prien and had sunk 31 ships for Joachim Schepke was said to be Germ any’s a total of 193,808 tons and damaged handsom est U-boat com m ander. He was eight others during 10 patrols which had also one of its m ost successful and, it fol- him at sea for 238 days during the 17 lows, m ost decorated. months of war he lived through. He had been the first U-boat commander to be HX112 on the surface, fired a spread of awarded the Knight’s Cross by Hitler. Günther Prien is decorated by his Führer on torpedoes at the overlapping ships and 18 O ctober 1939 with the Knights Cross for Prien, as a Kapitänleutnant, had fled. In action the following night, 16-17 sinking a British battleship at her m oorings March, the wolfpack accounted for five gained worldwide fame for his 14 Octo- in Scapa Flow. ber 1939 sinking of the British battleship Allied ships, but Germany lost two of its HMS Royal Oak where she lay in the something terrific. most celebrated U-boat captains. Some theoretical safety of the Home Fleet an- Prien left St. Nazaire on 20 February reports credit the five merchant ship chorage at Scapa Flow. Four days later 1941 for his 10th patrol in U-47 and re- sinkings all to Korvettenkapitän Otto he was in Berlin for a press conference. ported attacking a convoy (OB290) on Kretschmer in U-99. That may be – his American reporter William L. Shirer was 24 February. The last radio message boat had gone unnoticed while the escort there and described it in his book Berlin from U-47 was received in the morning commander dealt with Schepke. Diary. of 7 March 1941. Churchill wrote that U- Royal Navy Captain Donald Macin- (Continued on page 6) 5 March 2001 M i s s i o n : Hi s to r y Page 3 Public Outrage Forces President’s Hand, Navy Ordered Against Pirates (Continued from page 1) Between 1815 and 1822, more than 3,000 ships were attacked by these pi- rates, and this does not include hundreds of ships listed by insurers as “missing” on their voyages. Public outrage in the United States led Congress on 3 March 1819 to pass legislation authorizing the president to suppress piracy in the West Indies. President James Monroe was already negotiating the acquisition of Florida from the Spanish and didn’t want pirates in his new territory, but at the same time wanted to avoid interfering with the sovereignty of the newly inde- pendent nations. Monroe began by sending a squadron under the command of the hero of Lake Erie, Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, to Angostura, Venezuela, to protest let- ters of marque which allowed many pi- rates to fly the Venezuelan flag. He ac- complished his mission but was stricken with yellow fever and, on 23 August 1819, died on the way to Trinidad, end- ing the expedition.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Wolf Pack the Wolf Pack: a Collection of U-Boat Modelling
    The Wolf Pack The Wolf Pack: A Collection Of U-Boat Modelling Articles Page 1 The Wolf Pack Contents Introduction Articles: Kriegsmarine U-Boat Colours & Markings Type VIIC Free-Flooding Vent Patterns Type VII U-Boat Modifications The Snorting Bull Insignia U 96 & The Laughing Sawfish German U-Boat Victory Pennants U-Boat Model Kits & Accessories Super-detailing Revell’s 1/72nd Type VIIC U-Boat* Revell Type VIIC Checklist Appendices: References Photo Sources Recommended Reading Index *Super-detailing Revell’s 1/72nd Type VIIC U-Boat by Wink Grisé All other articles by Dougie Martindale All text and drawings copyright © Dougie Martindale / Wink Grisé / Accurate Model Parts, 2010 The Wolf Pack: A Collection Of U-Boat Modelling Articles Page 2 The Wolf Pack Contents Introduction ............................................................................................. 7 Induction ....................................................................................................................................................... 7 A seminal release .......................................................................................................................................... 8 The allure of the VIIC .................................................................................................................................. 9 A growing collection ..................................................................................................................................... 9 The Wolf Pack ...........................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Submarine Warfare in the North Atlantic, 1942-44 Convoy Battles During the Most Decisive Stages of Influence Game Play Have Been Indicated on the Map
    strictly a solitaire game in which a single Player [3.0] GAME EQUIPMENT controls both of the opposing forces. During the game, the Player, representing the U·boat [3.1) THE GAME MAP Command, maintains complete control over the The 22" x 34" mapsheet portrays the expanse of U·boat force while the Allied convoy and anti· the North Atlantic Ocean between the Canadian submarine forces are operated according to a coast on the western ext~mity, and the European strictly defined set of rules. These rules prescribe coastline (primarily the British Isles) near the exactly how the Allied units move and engage in eastern mapedge. Various land formations anti· submarine combat. A total of four scenarios, includlng parts of Greenland and Iceland as well I: each a separate game, allow the Player to simulate as a number of graphic distinctions which Submarine Warfare in the North Atlantic, 1942-44 convoy battles during the most decisive stages of influence game play have been indicated on the map. These will be explained in the appropriate Copyright © 1974, Simulations Publications, Inc., New York, NY the Battle of the Atlantic. Various optional rules are included by whIch the Player may examine the rules sections. A numbered hexagon grid is 1.0 INTRODUCfION 13.0 U·BOAT PACKS effects of the increasing technology implemented superimposed on the mapsheet to regularize the 2.0 GENERAL COURSE OF PLAY 13.1 How U·boat Packs are Formed and Organized or being developed by both sides during the course movement and position of the Playing pieces and 3.0 GAME EQUIPMENT 14.0 COMBAT of the war.
    [Show full text]
  • Seeschlachten Im Atlantik (Zusammenfassung)
    Seeschlachten im Atlantik (Zusammenfassung) U-Boot-Krieg (aus Wikipedia) 07_48/U 995 vom Typ VII C/41, der meistgebauten U-Boot-Klasse im Zweiten Weltkrieg Als U-Boot-Krieg (auch "Unterseebootkrieg") werden Kampfhandlungen zur See bezeichnet, bei denen U-Boote eingesetzt werden, um feindliche Kriegs- und Frachtschiffe zu versenken. Die Bezeichnung "uneingeschränkter U-Boot-Krieg" wird verwendet, wenn Schiffe ohne vorherige Warnung angegriffen werden. Der Einsatz von U-Booten wandelte sich im Laufe der Zeit vom taktischen Blockadebrecher zum strategischen Blockademittel im Rahmen eines Handelskrieges. Nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg änderte sich die grundsätzliche Einsatzdoktrin durch die Entwicklung von Raketen tragenden Atom- U-Booten, die als Träger von Kernwaffen eine permanente Bedrohung über den maritimen Bereich hinaus darstellen. Im Gegensatz zum Ersten und Zweiten Weltkrieg fand hier keine völkerrechtliche Weiterentwicklung zum Einsatz von U-Booten statt. Der Begriff wird besonders auf den Ersten und Zweiten Weltkrieg bezogen. Hierbei sind auch völkerrechtliche Rahmenbedingungen von Bedeutung. Anfänge Während des Amerikanischen Bürgerkrieges wurden 1864 mehrere handgetriebene U-Boote gebaut. Am 17. Februar 1864 versenkte die C.S.S. H. L. Hunley durch eine Sprengladung das Kriegsschiff USS Housatonic der Nordstaaten. Es gab 5 Tote auf dem versenkten Schiff. Die Hunley gilt somit als erstes U-Boot der Welt, das ein anderes Schiff zerstört hat. Das U-Boot wurde allerdings bei dem Angriff auf die Housatonic durch die Detonation schwer beschädigt und sank, wobei auch seine achtköpfige Besatzung getötet wurde. Auftrag der Hunley war die Brechung der Blockade des Südstaatenhafens Charleston durch die Nordstaaten. Erster Weltkrieg Die technische Entwicklung der U-Boote bis zum Beginn des Ersten Weltkrieges beschreibt ein Boot, das durch Dampf-, Benzin-, Diesel- oder Petroleummaschinen über Wasser und durch batteriegetriebene Elektromotoren unter Wasser angetrieben wurde.
    [Show full text]
  • The Chesapeake Affair Nick Mann
    58 Western Illinois Historical Review © 2011 Vol. III, Spring 2011 ISSN 2153-1714 Sailors Board Me Now: The Chesapeake Affair Nick Mann In exploring the origins of the War of 1812, many historians view the 1811 Battle of Tippecanoe as the final breaking point in diplomatic relations between the United States and Great Britain. While the clash at Tippecanoe was a serious blow to peace between the two nations, Anglo-American relations had already been ruptured well before the presidency of James Madison. Indian affairs certainly played a role in starting the war, but it was at sea where the core problems lay. I will argue in this essay that rather than the Battle of Tippecanoe, it was the Chesapeake-Leopard Affair of 1807 that set Great Britain and the United States on the path towards war. The affair signified two of the festering issues facing the British and Americans: impressment and neutral rights. Though President Jefferson was able to prevent war in 1807, his administration‟s inept diplomacy widened the existing gap between Britain and America. On both sides of the Atlantic, the inability of leaders such as Secretary of State Madison and the British foreign minister, George Canning to resolve the affair poisoned diplomatic relations for years afterward. To understand the origin of the War of 1812, one must consider how the Chesapeake affair deteriorated Anglo-American relations to a degree that the Battle of Tippecanoe was less important that some have imagined. The clash at Tippecanoe between Governor William Henry Harrison and the forces of the Shawnee Prophet has usually been seen as the direct catalyst for the war in much of the historiography dealing with the War of 1812.
    [Show full text]
  • Master Thesis Project Front Page for the Master's Thesis
    The Faculty of Humanities Master Thesis Project Front page for the Master’s thesis Submission June: [2019] Supervisor: Thijs J. Maarleveld Department: History Title, Danish: Tyske ubåde fra 2. Verdenskrig i danske farvande Title, English: German World War II Submarines in Danish Waters Min./Max. number of characters: 144,000 – 192,000 Number of characters in assignment1: 179.040 (60 – 80 normal pages) (1 norm page = 2400 characters incl. blanc spaces) Please notice in case your Master’s thesis project does not meet the minimum/maximum requirements stipulated in the curriculum your assignment will be dismissed and you will have used up one examination attempt. Solemn declaration I hereby declare that I have drawn up the assignment single-handed and independently. All quotes are marked as such and duly referenced. The full assignment or parts thereof have not been handed in as full or partial fulfilment of examination requirements in any other courses. Read more here: http://www.sdu.dk/en/Information_til/Studerende_ved_SDU/Eksamen.aspx Handed in by: First name: Last name: Date of birth Anders Jensen 20 /11 1975 1 Characters are counter from first character in the introduction until and including the last character in the conclusion. Footnotes are included. Charts are counted with theirs characters. The following is excluded from the total count: abstract, table of contents, bibliography, list of references, appendix. For more information, see the examination regulations of the course in the curriculum. 1 Table of Contents Acknowledgements
    [Show full text]
  • Osprey Publishing, Elms Court, Chapel Way, Botley, Oxford OX2 9LP, United Kingdom
    WOLF PACK The Story of the U-Boat in World War II The Story - oat iq-Workd War 11 First published in Great Britain in 2005 by Osprey Publishing, Elms Court, Chapel Way, Botley, Oxford OX2 9LP, United Kingdom. Email: [email protected] Previously published as New Vanguard 51: Kriegsmarine U-boats 1939-45 (1); New Vanguard 55: Kriegsmarine U-boats 1939-45 (2); and Warrior 36: Grey Wolf. © 2005 Osprey Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrical, chemical, mechanical, optical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. Enquiries should be addressed to the Publishers. CIP data for this publication is available from the British Library. ISBN 1 84176 872 3 Editors: Anita Hitchings and Ruth Sheppard Design: Ken Vail Graphic Design, Cambridge, UK Artwork by Ian Palmer and Darko Pavlovic Index by Alan Thatcher Originated by The Electronic Page Company, Cwmbran, UK Printed and bound by L-Rex Printing Company Ltd 05 06 07 08 09 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 FOR A CATALOGUE OF ALL BOOKS PUBLISHED BY OSPREY PLEASE CONTACT: NORTH AMERICA Osprey Direct, 2427 Bond Street, University Park, IL 60466, USA E-mail: [email protected] ALL OTHER REGIONS Osprey Direct UK, P.O. Box 140, Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 2FA, UK E-mail: [email protected] www.ospreypublishing.com EDITOR'S NOTE All photographs, unless indicated otherwise, are courtesy of the U-Boot Archiv.
    [Show full text]
  • Submarine Warfare, Fiction Or Reality? John Charles Cheska University of Massachusetts Amherst
    University of Massachusetts Amherst ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014 1962 Submarine warfare, fiction or reality? John Charles Cheska University of Massachusetts Amherst Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/theses Cheska, John Charles, "Submarine warfare, fiction or reality?" (1962). Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014. 1392. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.umass.edu/theses/1392 This thesis is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014 by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact [email protected]. bmbb ittmtL a zia a musv John C. Chaaka, Jr. A.B. Aaharat Collag* ThMis subnlttwi to tho Graduate Faculty in partial fulfillment of tha requlraaanta for tha degraa of Master of Arta Uoiwaity of Maaaaohuaetta Aaherat August, 1962 a 3, v TABU OF CONTENTS Hm ramp _, 4 CHAPTER I Command Structure and Policy 1 II Material III Operations 28 I? The Submarine War ae the Public Saw It V The Number of U-Boate Actually Sunk V VI Conclusion 69 APPENDXEJB APPENDIX 1 Admiralty Organisation in 1941 75 2 German 0-Boat 76 3 Effects of Strategic Bombing on Late Model 78 U-Boat Productions and Operations 4 U-Boats Sunk Off the United States Coaat 79 by United States Forces 5 U-Boats Sunk in Middle American Zone 80 inr United StatM ?bkii 6 U-Bosta Sunk Off South America 81 by United States Forces 7 U-Boats Sunk in the Atlantio in Area A 82 1 U-Boats Sunk in the Atlentio in Area B 84 9A U-Boats Sunk Off European Coast 87 by United States Forces 9B U-Bnata Sunk in Mediterranean Sea by United 87 States Forces TABLE OF CONTENTS klWDU p«g« 10 U-Boats Sunk by Strategic Bombing 38 by United States Amy Air Foreee 11 U-Boats Sunk by United States Forces in 90 Cooperation with other Nationalities 12 Bibliography 91 LIST OF MAPS AND GRAPHS MAP NO.
    [Show full text]
  • The North African Convoy Run the Daybook Volume 6 Issue 1 Fall1999 in This Issue
    I . I\ • I eDaybook , Volume 6 Issue 1 Fall 1999 • Breaching the Westwall: The North African Convoy Run The Daybook Volume 6 Issue 1 Fall1999 In This Issue ... Museum Events for the Year 2000, Page 3 HTTP://WWW.HRNM.NAVY.MIL, Page 4 Breaching the W estwall: The North Africa Convoy Run, Page 6 Features The Director's Column- L o < "l History. Wo r I J Even t s. On to the New Year .............................. 2 About The Daybook HRNM Staff The Daybook is an authorized publication ofthe Hampton Director Book Reviews .................................... 10 Roads Naval Museum (HRNM). Its contents do not Becky Poulliot necessarily reflect the official view of the U.S. Government, The USS Essex and the Birth of the the Department of Defense, the U.S. Navy or the U.S. Curator American Navy by Frances Diane Robotti Marine Corps and do not imply endorsement thereof. Book Joe Judge reviews are solely the opinion of the reviewer. Education Specialist & James Vescovi. Reviewed by Joe The HRNM is operated and funded by Commander Bob Matteson Mosier Navy Region Mid-Atlantic. The museum is dedicated to the study of 225 years of naval history in the Hampton Exhibits Specialist Roads region. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to Marta Nelson Better Than Good: A Black Sailor's War 5 p.m. Admission is free. The Dayboo/(s purpose is to Museum Tech./Librarian by Adolph W. Newton with Winston educate and inform readers on historical topics and museum Ofelia Elbo related events . It is written by the staff and volunteers of Eldridge.
    [Show full text]
  • March 2009 ICS Ad-8.5X11-Alabama 3/10/09 1:24 PM Page 1
    THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE A L A B A M A OF THE ALABAMA STATE PORT AUTHORITY SEAPORT MarCH 2009 ICS ad-8.5x11-Alabama 3/10/09 1:24 PM Page 1 Alabama Seaport PuBlishED continuOuSly since 1927 • marCh 2009 On The Cover: an aerial view of the progress of the Pinto Island Steel Terminal shot march 2. governor Bob riley and representatives from Thyssenkrupp Steel toured the facility in February. 4 8 Alabama State Port Authority P.O. Box 1588, Mobile, Alabama 36633, USA Contents P: 251.441.7200 • F: 251.441.7216 • asdd.com alabama governor Surveys Progress at new Pinto Island Terminal ........4 James K. Lyons, Director, CEO Larry R. Downs, Secretary-Treasurer/CFO Flanagan Steps up as Interim Port Police Chief .........................................7 EXECutiVE a global Investment in mobile and the Port: PErsonnEl Charles F. Sleeman, Manager P: 251.441.7209 Introducing global Stainless Steel Corporation ............................................8 FinanCial SerVICes hispanic-american association Seeks to Strengthen Community .........10 Larry Downs, Secretary/Treasurer 251.441.7050 Linda K. Paaymans, Vice President 251.441.7036 Port Calls: alabama Coastal Birding Trail ................................................. 12 COmptrOllEr Pete Dranka 251.441.7057 Information TechnOlOgy Stan Hurston, Manager 251.441.7017 at the helm: austal uSa ................................................................................16 human Resources Danny Barnett, Manager 251.441.7004 made in alabama: alabama river Pulp marks 30 years of Operation ......18 Risk
    [Show full text]
  • Few Americans in the 1790S Would Have Predicted That the Subject Of
    AMERICAN NAVAL POLICY IN AN AGE OF ATLANTIC WARFARE: A CONSENSUS BROKEN AND REFORGED, 1783-1816 Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Jeffrey J. Seiken, M.A. * * * * * The Ohio State University 2007 Dissertation Committee: Approved by Professor John Guilmartin, Jr., Advisor Professor Margaret Newell _______________________ Professor Mark Grimsley Advisor History Graduate Program ABSTRACT In the 1780s, there was broad agreement among American revolutionaries like Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton about the need for a strong national navy. This consensus, however, collapsed as a result of the partisan strife of the 1790s. The Federalist Party embraced the strategic rationale laid out by naval boosters in the previous decade, namely that only a powerful, seagoing battle fleet offered a viable means of defending the nation's vulnerable ports and harbors. Federalists also believed a navy was necessary to protect America's burgeoning trade with overseas markets. Republicans did not dispute the desirability of the Federalist goals, but they disagreed sharply with their political opponents about the wisdom of depending on a navy to achieve these ends. In place of a navy, the Republicans with Jefferson and Madison at the lead championed an altogether different prescription for national security and commercial growth: economic coercion. The Federalists won most of the legislative confrontations of the 1790s. But their very success contributed to the party's decisive defeat in the election of 1800 and the abandonment of their plans to create a strong blue water navy.
    [Show full text]
  • A Friendship Under Fire
    Volume 3, Issue 6 I A Newsletter for the Supporters of the Hampton Roads Naval Museum A Friendship Under Fire The Confrontation Between Stephen Decatur and James Barron, Part 1 by Joe Mosier n March 22, 1820, two of the Tragically, the meeting could have been former friends. They had first served senior officers of the United avoided except for the manipulations of together in the wardroom of United States OStates Navy met on "the field of two other officers who acted as seconds. in 1798. Their later correspondence honor" at Bladensburg, Maryland. This The meeting between James Barron shows Third Lieutenant Barron acted as duel was the result of a long-standing and Stephen Decatur was in some a mentor to the new midshipman. Their feud based on an insult to a lady and respects not typical. Christopher McKee paths had crossed frequently in the small a naval battle that was not fought. pointed this out in his landmark study of navy of that era. In 1804, Decatur the early U.S. Navy, A Gentlemanly and Honorable Profession. "In spite of the misleading impression created by the Barron-Decatur duel, the practice of dueling was all but entirely confmed to the younger members of the officer corps." At the time of their confrontation, Barron was 51 years old and Decatur 41. By contrast, twelve of eighteen officers killed in duels before 1815 were midshipmen. This trend had worried Decatur, who was himself probably the most experienced in dueling among naval officers of his day. In 1809, while While respected by all in Hampton Roads, the Decatur commanded the frigate United One of the greatest heroes of the U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • •A Maritime History of the United States
    The Eagle’s Webbed Feet The Eagle’s Webbed Feet •A Maritime History ofA theMaritime United History ofStates the United States A To Defend a New Country (& Creating a “New” Navy) “Don’t give up the ship” “We have met the enemy and they are ours” Barbary Pirates • State sponsored piracy of long standing • Active piracy • Tribute • After 1783, American vessels were subject to capture • However, Portuguese blockade kept them out of the Atlantic • By 1785, US is routinely paying ransom and tribute to the Barbary States • Treaty with Morocco (1783) • Treaty with Algiers (1785) • 15 years of tribute would follow (up to $1M / year) Resurgence • 1789 – New constitution authorizes a Navy (over significant protests) • No action, no money • In 1793, Portugal ends Gibraltar blockade • Algiers then captures 11 American merchant ships in the Atlantic • Demands ever increasing tribute • Causes Congress to finally act in two ways (Diplomacy & a Navy) • Naval Act of 1794 (Passed by 2 votes) • The “Six Frigates” • Manning (incl. marines) • Strong opposition led to cancellation clause • 1796 – Peace accord with Algiers • President Washington forces the issue on three frigates The Six Frigates • Three 44’s, Two 38’s, and one 36 • Arguably the best frigates in the world at the time • Royal Navy report • Achieved that elusive balance that warships strive for: “To outfight anything it USS Constitution couldn’t outrun” Quasi-War with France • 1789- French Revolution • By 1796 several issues erupt between France and the U.S. • Trade deal with England • Stopped paying our debt owed to the crown (not the republic) • French deployed privateers which seized 316 ships in 1796 alone • 1798 – The X,Y,Z affair • Congress authorizes completion of the other three frigates and the procurement of a small fleet • July 7 1798 – Congress authorized the Navy to attack French warships • Big American advantage – British blockade of French warships.
    [Show full text]