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Dear Naval Historical Foundation Family,
Welcome back to Thursday Tidings.
This year, our Annual Meeting coincides with the monthly Second Saturday webinar. Acclaimed author Patrick K. O'Donnell will present this year's Cdr. David T. Leighton Lecture on his book, The Indispensibles: The Diverse Soldier-Mariners Who Shaped the Country, Formed the Navy, and Rowed Washington Across the Delaware. This year's Annual Meeting will be virtual, streamed live on our YouTube page on the morning of 11 June. Please read "Our announcements" below for more information on how you can virtually attend and participate in this year's Annual Meeting and Leighton Lecture.
This shortened Thursday Tidings will serve as a read-ahead for the 2022 Annual Meeting. We have also included a few bits of relevant featured content on the lecture's subject matter, the beginning of the Navy during the American Revolution, and the famous crossing of the Delaware River. Our Annual Report is forthcoming.
Charles Kolb reviews Innovating Victory: Naval technology in Three Wars this week. We have once again included some helpful links on the U.S. Navy's role in the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.
As always, fair winds and following seas shipmates. This email is best viewed as a webpage for your reading convenience and best quality.
{View as Webpage}
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THIS UPCOMING SATURDAY
2022 NHF Annual Meeting and the Cdr. David T. Leighton Lecture
11 June 2022
Streaming Live on NHF YouTube From the National Museum of the United States Navy
11 am
96th Annual Meeting of Naval Historical Foundation
12 pm
The Cdr. David T. Leighton Lecture
Featuring PATRICK K. O’DONNELL, author
The Indispensibles: The Diverse Soldier-Mariners Who Shaped the Country, Formed the Navy, and rowed Washington Across the Delaware
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Our next Second Saturday will coincide with our annual meeting and the Cdr. David T. Leighton Lecture, featuring Patrick K. O’Donnell, who will discuss his book The Indispensibles: The Diverse Soldier-Mariners Who Shaped the Country, Formed the Navy, and rowed Washington Across the Delaware, highlighting the critical role mariners played as America struggled for its independence.
The 11 June presentation will include prominent naval historians of the American Revolution to offer critique and commentary.
This will be streamed live via our NHF YouTube channel. Attendees will receive a link before the event. We hope to see you there virtually!
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Read Ahead Information for
2022 NHF Annual Meeting
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NHF Executive Director Sonny Masso Participates in D-Day Lecture at Yogi Berra Museum | |
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Moderated by Dean Karayanis, host of the "History Author Show," the program featured a panel of military leaders and best-selling authors to commemorate the 78th anniversary of the D-Day allied invasion of Europe. Speakers explored the human and emotional aspects of D-Day and the roles played by Bob Feller and Yogi Berra while serving in the Navy.
- Ray Mabus, 75th Secretary of the Navy
- Edward "Sonny” Masso, Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy (Ret.)
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Luke Epplin, Author of Our Team: The Epic Story of Four Men and the World Series That Changed Baseball
- Larry Berra, Son of Yogi Berra
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New Oral History Available:
Rear Admiral Wallace R. Dowd, Jr., SC, USN (Ret.)
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Wallace Rutherford Dowd, Jr., was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on 1 July 1921, son of Rear Admiral Wallace R. Dowd and Mrs. (Aloha Hinz) Dowd. He attended the University of Washington at Seattle, from which he received the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1942, and while there was a member of the NROTC Unit. On 11 July 1942, he was commissioned Ensign in the Supply Corps of the U.S. Navy and subsequently advanced in rank to that of Rear Admiral, to date from 1 July 1969.
After receiving his commission in 1942, he had instruction at the Naval Supply Corps School, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, until November 1942, then joined the USS Alden (DD 211). Detached from that destroyer in September 1943, he next served as Supply Officer in the Office of Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Savannah, Georgia. In August 1944, he was assigned fitting out duty in USS Antietam (CV 36), building at the Navy Yard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and reported on board that aircraft carrier upon her commissioning, 28 January 1945.
From there, he would have an illustrious career in the Supply Corps, which culminated in his position as the 32nd Chief of the Corps. He was the only individual ever to serve concurrently as the head of the Supply Corps of two world navies. Wally, as he was known to his many shipmates and friends, died of cancer on 14 July 2003 at his home in Silverdale, Wash., close by his beloved Hood Canal.
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Praise for:
The Indispensibles: The Diverse Soldier-Mariners Who Shaped the Country, Formed the Navy, and rowed Washington Across the Delaware
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"In The Indispensables, his second foray into the American Revolution, he does for the soldier-mariners of Marblehead, Mass., what he earlier accomplished for the Continental Army’s First Maryland Regiment in “Washington’s Immortals.” Readers who have enjoyed Mr. O’Donnell’s earlier books will not be disappointed with this one, his 12th."
The Wall Street Journal
“O’Donnell’s vivid writing reveals the sights, sounds, smells, and feelings of the men who do the actual fighting in wars.”
New York Journal of Books
"A vivid account of an impressive Revolutionary War unit and a can’t-miss choice for fans of O’Donnell’s previous books."
Kirkus
"O’Donnell also offers fresh insights into obscure yet crucial engagements at New York’s Throgs Neck and White Plains, and New Jersey’s Assunpink Creek."
Publishers Weekly
"O’Donnell’s prose line almost always registers somewhere between 'vivid' and 'purple,' which, providentially, is also pretty much where most of the prose of the time period also fell. This makes for gripping reading even when the subject matter has been written up countless times by countless historians, as in Washington’s thrill-packed surprise attack on the Hessian encampment at Trenton."
Open Letters Review
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George Washington's commitment to cross the Delaware River on Christmas 1776 foreshadowed the many hardships faced as well as the eventual victory of the Continental Army during the American Revolution. At first glance, the decision to transport 2,400 Continental soldiers across an icy river in one night, directly into a severe winter storm of sleet and snow seems irrational. | | | |
Washington Crossing the Delaware
Emanuel Leutze
(Met Museum)
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Leutze's depiction of Washington's attack on the Hessians at Trenton on December 25, 1776, was a great success in America and in Germany. Leutze began his first version of this subject in 1849. It was damaged in his studio by fire in 1850 and, although restored and acquired by the Bremen Kunsthalle, was again destroyed in a bombing raid in 1942. In 1850, Leutze began this version of the subject, which was placed on exhibition in New York during October of 1851. At this showing Marshall O. Roberts bought the canvas for the then-enormous sum of $10,000. In 1853, M. Knoedler published an engraving of it. Many studies for the painting exist, as do copies by other artists. | |
History - Washington Crossing Historic Park | In the winter of 1776, General George Washington and his ragged army had experienced only defeat and despair. The War for Independence was going badly, with failure following failure. In the preceding months, Washington's campaign in New York had not gone well; the Battle of Long Island ended in a loss when the British troops managed to out-maneuver the Continental Army. | | | |
The U.S. Navy's creation and development extended over nearly a quarter of a century, from the American Revolution to the Quasi-War with France, and proceeded in the face of numerous political, philosophical, and economic obstacles. The following essay and listing of resources paint a colorful and well-round picture of the service's origins. | | | |
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Innovating Victory: Naval Technology in Three Wars
By Vincent P. O'Hara and Leonard R. Heinz
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Reviewed by Charles C. Kolb. Ph.D.
O’Hara and Heinz have now collaborated in writing Innovating Victory: Naval Technology in Three Wars, an innovative comparison of the world's major combatant navies through three significant major conflicts (Spanish-American War, World War I, and World War II – the Russo-Japanese War has an occasional appearance) illustrating how nations incorporated – or failed to incorporate -- new technologies into their ships, their practices, and their doctrines. The authors examine six core technologies fundamental to twentieth-century naval warfare including new weapons (mines and torpedoes), new tools (radio and radar), and particularly new platforms (submarines and aircraft). They demonstrate how technology influences naval warfare, and vice versa. An “Introduction” and “Chapter 1: Use, Doctrine, and Innovation” provide appropriate context to the six chapters in which they examine the technological advances. The authors’ stated goals for this volume is (pp. 3-4): 1) briefly consider the nature and history of each of the six technologies; 2) consider the state of the technology when it was first used in war and how different navies expected to use it; 3) explore how major navies subsequently improved or modified their use of the technology; 4) examine the development of countermeasures; 5) discuss how navies developed doctrine and incorporated ancillary technologies to improve the core technology’s effectiveness. O’Hara and Heinz do point out that their book is “not intended to be a complete history of naval technology in the period covered” (p. 4).
Continue Reading the Full Review Here
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If you are interested in World War II history, please consider reviewing Short Sunderland: The “Flying Porcupines” in the Second World War, by Andrew Hendrie.
Guidelines for getting involved in the NHF Book Review program can be found here,
and a list of titles available for review can be found here.
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History in the Making: The U.S. Navy and the Ukrainian Crisis -- Select Links and Topics of Interest
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We are currently witnessing history in the making with the situation involving the Russian invasion of Ukraine beginning last week. How does the U.S. Navy fit in? How are strategists, theorists, and journalists gauging the role of the U.S. Navy in any impending conflict? Here are several articles of note that seek to answer these questions as the situation progresses. Article opinions reflect those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect any stance by the Naval Historical Foundation.
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Appeal For Assistance
Captain John Hebert Dent Memorial Fund
By Fred M. Apgar
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Gravesite at Bethel Cemetery in Jacksonboro, SC | |
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We recently received an email from an individual asking for assistance in sprucing up the neglected gravesite of Captain John Hebert Dent, a naval officer that served during the Quasi-War, First Barbary War, and the War of 1812. He was the acting captain of USS Constitution during the attacks on Tripoli in 1804. Captain Dent is buried in a neglected plot in Jacksonboro, South Carolina, in Bethel Cemetery. His goal is to raise funds to better serve the memory of Captain Dent and his service to the United States.
He writes: "Since your organization’s mission is to promote the rich history and heritage of the United States Navy, I thought you would like to join us in honoring Captain Dent. He was one of the Navy’s outstanding and respected officers, one who contributed so much to the legacy of the fledgling United States Navy and our emerging nation. I invite the Naval Historical Foundation to join us in honoring the memory of Captain John Hebert Dent."
You can read the full text of the appeal HERE.
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WWII Proximity Fuses
By John L. Morris
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The VT fuze Mark 45 was one of many similar proximity fuzes developed by the US during WWII to increase the effectiveness of gun-fired anti-Aircraft projectiles. This version of the fuze was screwed into high-explosive projectiles for the 3-inch 50-caliber guns that formed the main gun batteries of two classes of USN destroyer escorts. The VT fuze would detonate the projectile at its closest point of approach to an aircraft target as determined by a tiny radar transceiver in the fuze. A wet-cell battery, only activated when the acceleration of firing broke an acid vial, powered the radar system during the projectile’s total “time of flight.” The fuze shown was an early product, recognizable by the bare blob of solder (see fuze on right) used to connect the antenna to the transceiver. In use, the air friction after firing often melted the solder, rendering the fuze inoperable, so that portion was redesigned. The left hand fuze gives a view of the base of the electronics section and the many electrical contacts which carry power and signals between the two main sections.
VT-fuzed gun projectiles greatly increased the effectiveness of those weapons during WWII, especially against Japanese aircraft, certainly saving many ships and thousands of American lives. The fuzes shown are in a private collection in Laurel. MD. They are inert. The original cylindrical bases which contained both corrosive and energetic materials were destroyed prior to disposal of the intact conical sections by the government. This short article covers only a tiny piece of the VT fuze story, as thousands of people, hundreds of companies, and other theaters of operation were involved. There are many books, videos, etc. available that are more comprehensive if anyone is interested.
Additional Information:
Vintage Government Video
Navy Ordnance Pamphlet
3-Inch 50 Gun Info
Silver Spring, MD, Involvement
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A visual history of Fleet Week | Fleet Week in New York City as we know it now began in 1988. However, the first celebration of sailors docked at the Big Apple's ports goes back more than 120 years to the Spanish-American War. In 1898, Commodore George Dewey was hailed as the hero of Manila Bay in a city-wide celebration. | | | |
What Do You Do With a Drunken Sailor? The History of the Sea Shanty | There is something about sailing the open seas that comes with the stereotype of being a rum-soaked scalawag. One of the most popular sea shanties of all time is that which we've come to know as "What Shall We Do with the Drunken Sailor?" | | | |
Episode 122 Crossing the Delaware | December 25, 1776: Washington assembles enough troops to attempt an attack on the British, days before the enlistments of most of his remaining soldiers expire. Visit my site at blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this topic... | | |
Episode 35 - Crossing The Delaware | Check out this great listen on Audible.com. Things weren't looking so good for George Washington's Continental Army, so he had to do something fast! Why was it so important that he cross the Delaware River? Did he have to do it during the winter? What did it mean for the revolution? | | | |
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Reenactment of the Crossing of the Delaware
(NBC10 Philadelphia/YouTube)
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Washington's Crossing of the Delaware
(American Battlefield Trust/YouTube)
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2020 Reenactment
(Friends of Washington Crossing Park/YouTube)
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This Day in Naval History - 7 June
(Produced by NHHC)
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If you would like to recommend online content to be passed on to our Naval Historical Foundation Members in an upcoming edition of Thursday Tidings, please email Matt Eng, at: [email protected]
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Did you know that the Naval Historical Foundation participates in the Combined Federal Campaign? Our CFC number is: 11010
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