DOCSLIB.ORG

The Cruiser Houston Peacetime Icon, Wartime Martyr

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Cruiser Houston Peacetime Icon, Wartime Martyr llrhen the heavy cruiser CA-30 was Thg Cruiser chicago,ches,er,No*hdm?,.n, Y Y launched in 1929 , she was not the Louisuilk, and Sab Lake Ci4t. Eighry first ship, nor the last, to boast the name , I cities vied for naming righti to .L. * ^ - - -I - #ff*;,ix.1#ffi,*'J'f"*T n0USI0n: ffiii::-;,Hx;#;*:l;',1;Jfi", ;*':ix'**ilffi"i.Ti:*'.i*i governor of two states-f Texas. He was the victoric Pe o ceti m e I c0 n, iix'ru$i:i::i m, the Battle of San Jacinto, ' shed'rhe Republic "'*.*1*";1* the history of the U.S. an, Wo rli m e Mo ever a ship carried a rlyi prour ffi***'i:if#I"dH:Bernrieder, took the lead in organizing the cruiser Houston. Tr r. cr By Saye for the campaign. Late in the twentieth cenrury Jim cityt ^ A committee involving all segrnents nationally acclaimed professional foot- ba11teamfromanotherGxascity,theofthecirywasformedtotakebold action to p-ersuade the Navl to name Dallas Cowboys, was popularly W,:':,',,', ,,gn ,,W manner the cruiser Houstoncarght thepublicfavorinthe1930sanf,wereCol.Ih.iTBalI,chairmanof ;H::i'+ffiI';;i:[#l'; b..,,...America,sShip.,,Shecarried*.,.o.:n.::;MayorOscar thistrniqueeSteem'thisspecialcharis-Y&..Ho1combe;City{ouncilmanH. m",throughouthercareer.AntnT,n. Hffi,::J"oo*?ft'.t."1f* end, like Crockett and Bo Wi;W.'....:,,..;,,., lllll.,i.irmff: ffi-r fl ctuiserHoustongtnranteed'herselfaWxffi#.'.$r;*#fft,i,x;:'ffi:...'"",'f:ff:;;,,.. place in history. Chroruicle, General Maurice Hirsch; BACK TO THE BECINNINC Wffl 7-.W and\wiliam Bernrieder., \7orld War I, 'the war to end all V,,, ,: Over a period of nine months, 11thhourofthe11thdayofthe11thbehindthiseffort.Schoolchildren month,November11,l918.Thevic-VryW..MW*Wdraftedandmailedhundredsof1et- toriousLeagueofNationspromised^.mters.Itwasreportedthatthepas- newworldofeverlastingpeace.W*..;..:W;i;XSagewayoutsidetheofficeofNar,y Tieatiesboundthenationstorestric-We.;1;|;1...:.;W:$.SecretaryCurtisD..s7ilburwas tionsonthesizeofarmiesandW;.7W%.'......WcIoggedwithmaiIbagspackedwith n2yig5-ug21|esthatwereeasi1yand:..|.,.|...|WlettersfromHoustonschoolchiI. frequentlycircumvented,WwW:7:,::::;..dren.Peoplefromallovertxas IntheU'S.,the..Roaring.:",w{*',gavetheirSuPPort.Glegramsfrom USSHouston (CA-30) was launched on September 192! a Twenties,,were carefree, wlthjittle I/r (, in prominer,t people flood.d I thoughtror miritarya.* N"l.",r- ff:!;;;{#:,ytry:"';;:!}!;!ilra;,fi;;;;E;g;;r, \washington. Legisratures orrhe ble politician would think of propos- "j,ro ' states of Virginia, birthplace of Sam i1ri" 7o, lrer abikTy to euade the Japanese drr;rg it , *rb, ing increased funds for the neglected months of tie war Gifi ofWilliam A. Birnreidzr. Houston, and Tennessee, where military. Houston had been governor, passed Still, there were a few far-sighted states- cruisers.'Tiaditionally, cruisers are named resolutions supporting the ciry of men who knew that the preseiwation of lib- for cities, just as battleships are named for Houston. Bernrieder worked diligently to 'W'hen erry required eternal vigilance. This was states. the new cruisers were author- keep the enthusiasm high. especially notable in the Nary, where the ized, a fierce contest began among cities In early September, Bernrieder concept of a two-ocean deGnse force obvi- across the nation who wanted to put their received notice that Nary Secretary'Wilbur ously demanded a large modern fleet. name on a powerful new ship that would had scheduled a stop in Houston during a In 1925, Congress was persuaded by uavel over the seven seas. railroad journey. "\7e hastily summoned a the arguments of the Navy and authorized Even before construction was stafied, delegation of the committee, ciry officials funds for the construction of eight new six of the cruisers were named by the and civic leaders to meet the secretary at Secretary of the Nary. These were Pensacola, Union Station," remembered Bernrieder. 1:*;1*';;1' 1"?:t 1 L:,'"t;.t.>* 1.llt;tt:*--;q:121:z:;',1. *c. )- Crew of the L/SS Houston Corriesy Houslon Melropo ilon Reseorch Center, Houslon Pub ic Librory "He was traveling on the Sunset Limited was a hard-fought victory," said Bernrieder.' young ladies. Miss Elisabeth Holcombe was with his wife and Naval aide." the sponsor of the cruiser Houston. She was CRUISER HOUSTON COES TO SEA On 'Mednesday, September 7, 1927, a the daughter of Mayor Oscar Holcombe. Houston large crowd waited in eager anticipation for Designated CA-30, rhe was built in Miss Mary Ellen Bute was the Maid of at News the arrival of the Nar,y Secretary. There was Virginia Newport Shipbuilding & Honor. Miss Charlotte \Tilliams, the great- a loud cheer when he stepped down from Dry Dock Co. at a cost of $17 million. By granddaughter of General Sam Houston, rhe rrain and began shaking hands. Secrerary September 1929, she was ready to go in the was an honored member of the official Wilbur paused when he came to Mayor water. William Bernrieder scrambled to con- party. Holcombe, and announced to the mayor tact governors of many states, government Music for the occasion was by the newspapers throughout and to the assembled crowd that one of the officials, and the United States Nar,y Band under the direc- new cruisers would be the Houston. nation to spread awareness of the launching tion of Charles Benter. Music included "The Applause shook the station. and draw national attention to this event. Star Spangled Banneq" 'Anchors Aweigh," Houstonians "\7e celebrated, the whole town cele- A large group of traveled "Stars and Stripes Forever," "Texas C)ur to Newport News to attend the launching brated. The newspapers carried the story on Texas," "The Eyes oftxas fue Upon You," the front pages the next day. We all felt it on Saturday, September 7, 1.929. Among the and a march, "U.S. Cruiser Houston," com- official were Texas delegation Governor Dan posed by Charles Benter for this special Moody; Congressman Daniel Carrett; Col. occasion.5 Thomas Ball, H. chairman of the naming As the official sponsot Elisabeth committee; Col. R. C. Kuldell, president of Holcombe christened the cruiser Houston.lt ABOUTTHE AUTHOR: During the the Houston Chamber of Commerce; Rear was reported that she also broke a bottle of Korean War,.f im Saye (LtJG, USNR) Admiral A. Marshall, Commandant, \(I water from Buffalo Bayou on the shipt bow. served two years at sea. The captain Eighth Naval Col. R. \M District; After fitting out and sea trials, the Houston noted in his service record/ "Saye has Humphreys, Coliector of Customs in was commissioned on June 17, 1930.n a flare (sic) for writing." This "flare" Galveston; B. Bates, School Board; William The cruiser Houston had a displacement carried him through a four-decade .{l E. Monteith, Mayor of Houston; and of 9,050 tons. She was 600 feet long, with a career in advertising, and now spurs Villiam Bernrieder, aide to the mayor. beam width of 66 feet. Her main battery his passion for writing. Also in the official party were several was nine S-inch guns in three turrets, two forward and one aft. These guns could "SHOWBOAT" OF THE FLEET Iengthy cruises. From this high-profile throw a heavy projectile more than fifteen exposure, the cruiser became the "poster Following her two years of dury on the miles. Her secondary battery was eight 5- child" for the Navy. She was featured Asiatic Station, Houston crossed the Pacific in inchl25 caliber guns in single mounts. She newsreels, newspapers, and magazines to base in San Francisco. Here when bristled she gained a with numerous 50 and 30 caliber she was hosting the president, the secretary reputation for 'tpit and polish' and exem- machine guns. The speed of this cruiser was of the Nary, the Chief of Naval Operations, plary seamanship in training maneuvers. knots 33 and she carried a crew ofaround and other important persons. She was a The Navy singled o:ut Houston to carry one thousand officers and men. very impressive symbol of the President Franklin D. Roosevelt on an Nary when Originally, Hourton was equipped with she participated the extended voyage. in celebration marking a six-tube 2l-inch torpedo mounr. This was the opening of the Golden Gate Bridge on In the 1930s, presidents did not have removed early on. Prevailing Naly theory May 28,1937. Air Force One for lengthy trips. FDR, para- maintained cruisers that could expect to On April 7 1939, the cruiser returned lfzed from the waist down by polio, faced , fight at long distances, with their big guns. to her namesake ciry for a brief visit. \Var obvious difficulties in traveling on any of the Torpedo tubes were mounted on destroyers, clouds were hanging over all of the world, aircraft available at the time. The fast, pow- PT boats, and other small craft for striking but the people ofTexas and the people erful, impressive Houston was admirably of crippling blows at very close range. Removal the United States felt secure, protected by suited for presidential travel. An elevator was of the torpedo weapon was ro prove very two great oceans and a Naly with mighty installed to lift FDR in his wheelchair from costly in the final analysis., warships such as Houston. stateroom to quarterdeck or bridge. The Houston had rwo aircraft cata- FLACSHIP pults and four pontoon-rigged planes. The OF THE ASIATIC FLEET bulky pontoons were necessary to float the Back through the Panama Catd., Houston planes as they took position alongside, steamed to a west coast shipyard for over- under the crane to be lifted aboard ship. In haul and was then posted to Southeast Asia. the air, the pontoons reduced air speed to Arriving in Manila on November 19,1940, the point where rhe planes were sitting Houston became the flagship ofAdmiral ducks for fighter craft, such as the agile Thomas C. Hart. Captain Jesse B. Japanese "Zero." PEACE-TI M E S E RVI CE, 1930_1941 Shakedown cruises in the Atlantic occupied President Franklin D.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • "Sgt. Smith, First Marine Killed on Cuban Soil in the Spanish-American War?" Carroll County Times Article for 7 July 1
    "Sgt. Smith, First Marine Killed on Cuban Soil in the Spanish-American War?" Carroll County Times Article for 7 July 1996 By Jay A. Graybeal Shortly after I started working for the Historical Society, I found a photograph of Sgt. Charles H. Smith inscribed, "First American killed on Cuban soil in Spanish American War." I was intrigued! Over the past few years I have casually looked into his history and I related the following information after dinner at the Marine Corps League State convention held in Westminster on June 22nd. Sgt. Charles Hampton Smith was born on 15 January 1867 near Smallwood, Carroll County, Md. At about age 20 he left the county and worked in a Baltimore insurance firm. In 1893 he joined the Marine Corps serving as a member of a ship's detachment and traveling extensively. In a 5 January 1898 letter he wrote, "I have made friends in all parts of the world that I have been in: Turks, Greeks, Italians, Spanish, Moors, Austrians and English." The deteriorating relations between the United States and Spain and the destruction of the Battleship Maine on 15 February 1898 led to war. The Marines were preparing even before the Spanish declared war in late April. On 16 April Col. Commandant Charles Heywood ordered the creation of a Marine Battalion at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The 1st Marine Battalion consisted of 23 officers, 623 enlisted men and 1 Navy surgeon; the new unit was commanded by Civil War veteran Lt. Col. Robert W. Huntington. The unit was composed of five infantry companies and one artillery company armed with four 3-inch rapid fire guns.
    [Show full text]
  • GENERAL PHOTOGRAPHS File Subject Index
    GENERAL PHOTOGRAPHS File Subject Index A (General) Abeokuta: the Alake of Abram, Morris B.: see A (General) Abruzzi: Duke of Absher, Franklin Roosevelt: see A (General) Adams, C.E.: see A (General) Adams, Charles, Dr. D.F., C.E., Laura Franklin Delano, Gladys, Dorothy Adams, Fred: see A (General) Adams, Frederick B. and Mrs. (Eilen W. Delano) Adams, Frederick B., Jr. Adams, William Adult Education Program Advertisements, Sears: see A (General) Advertising: Exhibits re: bill (1944) against false advertising Advertising: Seagram Distilleries Corporation Agresta, Fred Jr.: see A (General) Agriculture Agriculture: Cotton Production: Mexican Cotton Pickers Agriculture: Department of (photos by) Agriculture: Department of: Weather Bureau Agriculture: Dutchess County Agriculture: Farm Training Program Agriculture: Guayule Cultivation Agriculture: Holmes Foundry Company- Farm Plan, 1933 Agriculture: Land Sale Agriculture: Pig Slaughter Agriculture: Soil Conservation Agriculture: Surplus Commodities (Consumers' Guide) Aircraft (2) Aircraft, 1907- 1914 (2) Aircraft: Presidential Aircraft: World War II: see World War II: Aircraft Airmail Akihito, Crown Prince of Japan: Visit to Hyde Park, NY Akin, David Akiyama, Kunia: see A (General) Alabama Alaska Alaska, Matanuska Valley Albemarle Island Albert, Medora: see A (General) Albright, Catherine Isabelle: see A (General) Albright, Edward (Minister to Finland) Albright, Ethel Marie: see A (General) Albright, Joe Emma: see A (General) Alcantara, Heitormelo: see A (General) Alderson, Wrae: see A (General) Aldine, Charles: see A (General) Aldrich, Richard and Mrs. Margaret Chanler Alexander (son of Charles and Belva Alexander): see A (General) Alexander, John H. Alexitch, Vladimir Joseph Alford, Bradford: see A (General) Allen, Mrs. Idella: see A (General) 2 Allen, Mrs. Mary E.: see A (General) Allen, R.C.
    [Show full text]
  • Aanspraak September 2016 English
    AanspraakAfdeling Verzetsdeelnemers en Oorlogsgetroffenen September 2016 Suddenly we were refugees with nowhere to go Lydia and Annie Aldewereld’s flight from the Nazis took them to the Dutch East Indies Contents Page 3 Speaking for your benefit. Page 4-7 Suddenly we were refugees with nowhere to go. Lydia and Annie Aldewereld’s flight from the Nazis took them to the Dutch East Indies. Page 8-10 Caught between two cultures. John Simons: They took my homeland from me and called it Indonesia. Page 11-14 I never saw them again. Henk Kleijn survived the Battle of the Java Sea and witnessed the atomic bomb on Nagasaki. Page 15 Questions and answers. No rights may be derived from this text. Translation: SVB, Amstelveen. Aanspraak - September 2016 - 2 Speaking for your benefit Increasingly, commemoration ceremonies tend It is even more to be regretted now that, after more to focus on passing stories on to the younger than 70 years, interest in the Second World War is generations. This year, for the first time during the growing among the younger generations. This is Remembrance Day Ceremony on Amsterdam’s important, not only because so many survivors and Dam Square, the young people who laid a wreath their direct descendants are still alive and deserving at the cenotaph told us who it was for and what had of respect, but also because, for the younger happened to that person during the war. At the generations, WW II is part of history and offers a National Indies Commemoration for the victims of framework for our present-day norms and values.
    [Show full text]
  • Navy Base Numbers
    Courtesy of ussmarblehead.com Navy Base Numbers Location of: ACTS - BAMA - BIHO - CAST - Iceland COPPER - Territory of Hawaii DUGOUT ZERO – Tenapag Harbor, Saipan EDUR – Navy #167 - Milne Bay, New Guinea EPIC - Navy #131 - Noumea, New Caledonia FANTAN – Navy #305 Fiji Islands FANTAN ONE - Navy #201 - Nandi, Viti Levu, Fiji Islands FANTAN TWO - Navy #202 - Suva, Viti Levu, Fiji Islands FREY – Navy #128 - Pearl Harbor JAMPUFF – Navy #201 – Nandi, Fiji Islands JOIN – Navy #151 – Dutch Harbor, Alaska LEFT – Navy #134 - Brisbane, Australia LION Four NORTH – Navy #103 - Argentia, Newfoundland PITH – Navy #117 - Trinidad, B.W.I. UROM – Navy #722 - Finschhafen, New Guinea WAIK – Navy #245 - Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia WHITE POPPY – Navy #131 - Noumea, New Caledonia Number FPO Place 10 SF Aiea, Oahu, T.H. (Navy Receiving Barracks 11 NY Antigua, British West Indies 12 NY Georgetown, British Guiana 14 SF Barber's Point, Oahu, T.H. (NAS) 15 SF Bishop's Point, Oahu, T.H. (Section Base) 16 NY Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico (Dir. Finder Sta) 17 NY Cape Mala, Panama, Canal Zone (Rad Sta) 18 SF Canberra, Australia (Rad Sta) 19 NY David, Canal Zone (Landplane Facility) 20 NY Fonseca, Nicaragua (Seaplane Base) 21 NY Gourock, Scotland 22 NY Great Exuma Island, Bahamas (NAS) 23 NY Havana, Cuba ~ 1 ~ Courtesy of ussmarblehead.com 24 SF Hilo, Hawaii, T.H. (Section Base) 25 NY Hvalfjordur, Iceland (Navy Depot) 26 NY Ivigtut, Greenland (Nav Sta--later, Advance Base) 27 SF Kahului, Maui, T.H. (Section Base) 28 SF Kaneohe, Oahu, T.H. (NAS) 29 SF Keehi Lagoon, Honolulu, T.H. (NAS) 30 SF Puunene, Maui, T.H.
    [Show full text]
  • Thursday 19Th February 1942 by Dennis J Weatherall JP TM AFAITT(L) LSM – Volunteer Researcher
    OCCASIONAL PAPER 74 Call the Hands Issue No. 39 March 2020 World War 2 Arrived on the Australian Mainland: Thursday 19th February 1942 By Dennis J Weatherall JP TM AFAITT(L) LSM – Volunteer Researcher Dennis Weatherall attended the recent 78th Anniversary of the Bombing of Darwin, also known as the “Battle of Darwin”, by Japanese Imperial Forces on Thursday 19th February 1942. The air raid siren sounded at exactly 09:58 - war had arrived in Australia. He asks why more Australians don’t know about the continuous attacks that started on that day and continued until 12th November 1943 - some 21 months. In this paper Dennis provides and overview of the attacks and naval losses in more detail. Darwin, has changed much since my last visit some 38 years ago and it is dramatically different to the Darwin of 1942 which bore the brunt of the first ever attack by a foreign power on Australian soil. Why didn’t we know they were coming? Was our intelligence so bad or were we too complacent in 1942? The Government of the day had anticipated the Japanese would push south but “when” was the big question. Evacuations of civilians had already started by February 1942. On the morning of the fateful day there were many ships, both Naval and Merchant men, in the Port of Darwin along with a QANTAS flying boat “Camilla” and three Consolidated PBY Catalina flying boats of the USN, when 188 Japanese aircraft of various types, 36 Zero fighters, 71 dive bombers and 81 medium attack bombers commenced their first raid.
    [Show full text]
  • The Alliance of Military Reunions
    The Alliance of Military Reunions Louis "Skip" Sander, Executive Director [email protected] – www.amr1.org – (412) 367-1376 153 Mayer Drive, Pittsburgh PA 15237 Directory of Military Reunions How to Use This List... Members are listed alphabetically within their service branch. To jump to a service branch, just click its name below. To visit a group's web site, just click its name. Groups with names in gray do not currently have a public web site. If you want to contact one of the latter, just send us an email. To learn more about a member's ship or unit, click the • to the left of its name. Air Force Army Coast Guard Marine Corps Navy Other AIR FORCE, including WWII USAAF ● 1st Computation Tech Squadron ● 3rd Air Rescue Squadron, Det. 1, Korea 1951-52 ● 6th Weather Squadron (Mobile) ● 7th Fighter Command Association WWII ● 8th Air Force Historical Society ● 9th Physiological Support Squadron ● 10th Security Police Association ● 11th Bombardment Group Association (H) ● 11th & 12th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadrons Joint Reunion ● 13 Jungle Air Force Veterans Association ● 15th Radio Squadron Mobile (RSM) USAFSS ● 20th Fighter Wing Association ● 34th Bomb Squadron ● 34th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Korat Thailand ● 39th Fighter Squadron Association ● 47th Bomb Wing Association ● 48th Communications Squadron Association ● 51st Munitions Maintenance Squadron Association ● 55th & 58th Weather Reconnaissance Squadrons ● 57th TCS/MAS/AS/WPS (Troop Carrier Squadron, Military Airlift Squadron, Airlift Squadron, Weapons Squadron) Military
    [Show full text]
  • Additional Historic Information the Doolittle Raid (Hornet CV-8) Compiled and Written by Museum Historian Bob Fish
    USS Hornet Sea, Air & Space Museum Additional Historic Information The Doolittle Raid (Hornet CV-8) Compiled and Written by Museum Historian Bob Fish AMERICA STRIKES BACK The Doolittle Raid of April 18, 1942 was the first U.S. air raid to strike the Japanese home islands during WWII. The mission is notable in that it was the only operation in which U.S. Army Air Forces bombers were launched from an aircraft carrier into combat. The raid demonstrated how vulnerable the Japanese home islands were to air attack just four months after their surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. While the damage inflicted was slight, the raid significantly boosted American morale while setting in motion a chain of Japanese military events that were disastrous for their long-term war effort. Planning & Preparation Immediately after the Pearl Harbor attack, President Roosevelt tasked senior U.S. military commanders with finding a suitable response to assuage the public outrage. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a difficult assignment. The Army Air Forces had no bases in Asia close enough to allow their bombers to attack Japan. At the same time, the Navy had no airplanes with the range and munitions capacity to do meaningful damage without risking the few ships left in the Pacific Fleet. In early January of 1942, Captain Francis Low1, a submariner on CNO Admiral Ernest King’s staff, visited Norfolk, VA to review the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, USS Hornet CV-8. During this visit, he realized that Army medium-range bombers might be successfully launched from an aircraft carrier.
    [Show full text]
  • World War II at Sea This Page Intentionally Left Blank World War II at Sea
    World War II at Sea This page intentionally left blank World War II at Sea AN ENCYCLOPEDIA Volume I: A–K Dr. Spencer C. Tucker Editor Dr. Paul G. Pierpaoli Jr. Associate Editor Dr. Eric W. Osborne Assistant Editor Vincent P. O’Hara Assistant Editor Copyright 2012 by ABC-CLIO, LLC All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data World War II at sea : an encyclopedia / Spencer C. Tucker. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-59884-457-3 (hardcopy : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-1-59884-458-0 (ebook) 1. World War, 1939–1945—Naval operations— Encyclopedias. I. Tucker, Spencer, 1937– II. Title: World War Two at sea. D770.W66 2011 940.54'503—dc23 2011042142 ISBN: 978-1-59884-457-3 EISBN: 978-1-59884-458-0 15 14 13 12 11 1 2 3 4 5 This book is also available on the World Wide Web as an eBook. Visit www.abc-clio.com for details. ABC-CLIO, LLC 130 Cremona Drive, P.O. Box 1911 Santa Barbara, California 93116-1911 This book is printed on acid-free paper Manufactured in the United States of America To Malcolm “Kip” Muir Jr., scholar, gifted teacher, and friend. This page intentionally left blank Contents About the Editor ix Editorial Advisory Board xi List of Entries xiii Preface xxiii Overview xxv Entries A–Z 1 Chronology of Principal Events of World War II at Sea 823 Glossary of World War II Naval Terms 831 Bibliography 839 List of Editors and Contributors 865 Categorical Index 877 Index 889 vii This page intentionally left blank About the Editor Spencer C.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 of 7 Three Ships Named USS Marblehead Since the Latter Part Of
    Three Ships named USS Marblehead The 1st Marblehead Since the latter part of the 19th century, cruisers in the United States Navy have carried the names of U.S. cities. Three ships have been named after Marblehead, MA, the birthplace of the U.S. Navy, and all three had distinguished careers. The 1st Marblehead. The first Marblehead was not a cruiser, however. She Source: Wikipedia.com was an Unadilla-class gunboat designed not for ship-to-ship warfare but for bombardment of coastal targets and blockade runners. Launched in 1861, she served the Union during the American Civil War. First assigned to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, she took part in operations along the York and Pamunkey Rivers in Virginia. On 1 MAY 1862, she shelled Confederate positions at Yorktown in support of General George McClellan's drive up the peninsula toward Richmond. In an unusual engagement, this Marblehead was docked in Pamunkey River when Confederate cavalry commander Jeb Stuart ordered an attack on the docked ship. Discovered by Union sailors and marines, who opened fire, the Confederate horse artillery under Major John Pelham unlimbered his guns and fired on Marblehead. The bluecoats were called back aboard and as the ship got under way Pelham's guns raced the ship, firing at it as long as the horse can keep up with it. The Marblehead escaped. Reassigned to the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, she commenced patrols off the southern east coast in search of Confederate vessels. With the single turreted, coastal monitor Passaic, in early-FEB 1863, she reconnoitered Georgia’s Wilmington River in an unsuccessful attempt to locate the ironclad ram CSS Atlanta.
    [Show full text]
  • The US Asiatic Fleet's Gray-Zone Deterrence Campaign Against Japan, 1937–40
    Naval War College Review Volume 72 Article 9 Number 3 Summer 2019 2019 “They Were Playing Chicken”—The .SU . Asiatic Fleet’s Gray-Zone Deterrence Campaign against Japan, 1937–40 Hunter Stires Follow this and additional works at: https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/nwc-review Recommended Citation Stires, Hunter (2019) "“They eW re Playing Chicken”—The .SU . Asiatic Fleet’s Gray-Zone Deterrence Campaign against Japan, 1937–40," Naval War College Review: Vol. 72 : No. 3 , Article 9. Available at: https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/nwc-review/vol72/iss3/9 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at U.S. Naval War College Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Naval War College Review by an authorized editor of U.S. Naval War College Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Stires: “They Were Playing Chicken”—The U.S. Asiatic Fleet’s Gray-Zone De “THEY WERE PLAYING CHICKEN” The U.S. Asiatic Fleet’s Gray-Zone Deterrence Campaign against Japan, 1937–40 Hunter Stires he United States is facing a significant strategic challenge to its interests, al- lies, and leadership of the liberal world order from an increasingly wealthy, Twell-armed, and assertively nationalistic China� Whether through the seizure of maritime features and the construction of artificial island fortifications in the South China Sea, the aggressive use of maritime law enforcement to articulate and impose its nationalistic territorial claims on its neighbors, or attempts to re- strict military and civilian freedom of navigation in international waters, Chinese forces are working to undermine and revise the political and geopolitical status quo in East Asia�1 These subtly assertive steps, which stop short of open warfare, constitute a category of activity known to contemporary military thinkers as gray-zone aggression�2 Current U�S� policy makers and the forces at their com- mand struggle to find effective countermeasures Hunter Stires is a fellow at the John B.
    [Show full text]
  • The Dutch Strategic and Operational Approach in the Indonesian War of Independence, 1945– 1949
    Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 46, Nr 2, 2018. doi: 10.5787/46-2-1237 THE DUTCH STRATEGIC AND OPERATIONAL APPROACH IN THE INDONESIAN WAR OF INDEPENDENCE, 1945– 1949 Leopold Scholtz1 North-West University Abstract The Indonesian War of Independence (1945–1949) and the Dutch attempt to combat the insurgency campaign by the Indonesian nationalists provides an excellent case study of how not to conduct a counter-insurgency war. In this article, it is reasoned that the Dutch security strategic objective – a smokescreen of autonomy while keeping hold of political power – was unrealistic. Their military strategic approach was very deficient. They approached the war with a conventional war mind- set, thinking that if they could merely reoccupy the whole archipelago and take the nationalist leaders prisoner, that it would guarantee victory. They also mistreated the indigenous population badly, including several mass murders and other war crimes, and ensured that the population turned against them. There was little coordination between the civilian and military authorities. Two conventional mobile operations, while conducted professionally, actually enlarged the territory to be pacified and weakened the Dutch hold on the country. By early 1949, it was clear that the Dutch had lost the war, mainly because the Dutch made a series of crucial mistakes, such as not attempting to win the hearts and minds of the local population. In addition, the implacable opposition by the United States made their war effort futile. Keywords: Indonesian War of Independence, Netherlands, insurgency, counter- insurgency, police actions, strategy, operations, tactics, Dutch army Introduction Analyses of counter-insurgency operations mostly concentrate on the well- known conflicts – the French and Americans in Vietnam, the British in Malaya and Kenya, the French in Algeria, the Portuguese in Angola and Mozambique, the Ian Smith government in Rhodesia, the South Africans in Namibia, et cetera.
    [Show full text]
  • List of United States Navy Losses in World War II
    List of United States Navy losses in World War II From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (Redirected from List of U.S. Navy losses in World War II) Jump to: navigation, search This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (August 2009) List of United States Navy and Coast Guard ships lost during World War II, from 31 October 1941 to 1 October 1945, sorted by type and name. See also List of ships of the United States Navy. Contents [hide] 1 Battleships 2 Aircraft carriers 3 Escort aircraft carriers 4 Heavy cruisers 5 Light cruisers 6 Destroyers 7 Destroyer escort vessels 8 Submarines 9 Minelayers 10 Minesweepers 11 Submarine chasers 12 Coast Guard vessels 13 Gunboats 14 Seaplane tenders 15 Motor torpedo boats 16 Tank landing ships 17 Medium landing ships 18 Tank landing craft 19 Infantry landing craft 20 Support landing craft 21 Tugs 22 Tankers 23 Troop transports 24 District patrol craft 25 Miscellaneous district craft 26 Cargo vessels 27 Miscellaneous auxiliaries 28 References 29 External links Battleships[edit source | edit] Name Location Date Cause 21°21′N 7 December Arizona 157°57′W21.350°N Sunk by carrier-based aircraft bombs 1941 157.950°W, Pearl Harbor Sunk by carrier-based aircraft torpedoes, 7 December raised in 1943, sank 17 May 1947 in a Oklahoma Pearl Harbor 1941 storm while being towed to San Francisco for scrapping Aircraft carriers[edit source |
    [Show full text]