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13 February 2024
Welcome back to our National Maritime Historical Society members and friends who share a love for naval history!
With tomorrow being Valentine’s Day, we have two presentations highlighted of Immediate Interest covering “The Kissing Sailor” and those heartthrobs from Liverpool—The Beatles!
This weekend the Western Naval History Association hosts its annual symposium in San Diego. If you are in the Southern California area, we strongly encourage you to register and make your way to USS Midway for some outstanding presentations and the opportunity to meet and greet some of the best in the naval history business. For many of the rest of us, there will be opportunities to Zoom in and pick from a menu of outstanding presentations. See specifics below.
Last week we posted a link to the Society for Nautical Research journal Topmasts. This week we are pleased to share a link to The 1805 Dispatches: The Regular Letter of the 1805 Club. If you have an interest in naval warfare during the age of Nelson, this is the outfit for you!
Speaking of our British friends, Naval History and Heritage Command reports on a cooperative effort with the British Ministry of Defence to locate the destroyer Jacob Jones (DD 61) and recover her bell. Story below!
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Finally, we have some sad news to report. Admiral Bruce DeMars passed away on Saturday February 3. A graduate of the US Naval Academy, Admiral Bruce DeMars served for 44 years; his last position was Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion, in which he directed the historic transition of that program to the post-Cold War period. Upon his retirement, his distinguished career was marked with resolutions from both houses of the US Congress. Admiral DeMars had been a dedicated proponent of the teaching of naval history, leading his graduating class from the Naval Academy, the class of 1957, in endowing a new Distinguished Chair in Naval Heritage. As chairman of the Naval Historical Foundation, he had extended the outreach and visibility of that organization, raising the funds for exhibits for the National Museum of the US Navy, including a new Cold War Gallery, and integrating the history of technology in the context of naval history for visitors both live and on the museum’s website.
For his outstanding leadership in promoting education and greater awareness of these important chapters in naval history, NMHS honored Admiral DeMars with the NMHS Distinguished Service Award at the 2012 National Maritime Awards Dinner. Senator Christopher Dodd made the presentation. A detailed overview of his life written by Rear Adm. Samuel J. Cox is provided HERE. You can also learn more about DeMars’s story through an interview with him recorded in 2012 by the National Maritime Historical Society.
Naval History Book Reviews offers two reviews from Stephen Phillips and Charles C. Kolb on recent publications by Norman Polmar and John Kuehn.
Tuesday Tidings is compiled by Dr. David F. Winkler and Jessie Henderson as a benefit for members of the National Maritime Historical Society and friends of naval history.
As always, comments are welcome at nmhs@seahistory.org.
| ITEMS OF IMMEDIATE INTEREST | |
14 February 2024 - Virtual Book Talk: The Kissing Sailor
With Captain George Galdorisi
Noon–1 PM (EST)
14 February 2024 - Naval Order History with Dr. Daivid Kohnen
The Last British Invasion of America – The Beatles in the Global Maritime Arena
8 PM (EST) (Zoom)
16 February 2024 - Rebel Batteries and Forts: Defending Hampton Roads
With John V. Quarstein
Noon-1 PM (EST) (Live-Virtual)
17–18 February, 2023 – Western Naval History Association Symposium, San Diego, CA
20 February 2024 - Military Classics Seminar
Trent Hone will discuss Craig Symonds’s Nimitz At War
Fire Works Pizza, 2350 Clarendon Blvd, Arlington, VA 22201. Seminar sessions begin at 5:30 pm with a no-host reception, buffet dinner starting at 6:20, and the formal presentation beginning at 7:30. Dinner is now $40 per person. Questions should be directed to hdv3001@yahoo.com.
22 February 2024 - NMHS Seminar Series
God Save Benedict Arnold: The True Story of America's Most Hated Man
with historian and author Jack Kelley.
7 PM (EST) (Virtual)
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The Western Naval History Association Presents:
A Live and Virtual Event Streamed from USS Midway !
Expanding Naval History VI
Naval History Symposium
Saturday, February 17– Sunday, February 18
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (PST) each day
Once again the program committee of the WNHA has put together a fabulous symposium bringing forth some of today’s top-tier scholars sharing their latest research. Be sure to join in at noontime on the East Coast when British naval historian Evan Mawdsley sets the stage with a keynote: “Perspectives on the naval history of World War II: Pacific versus Atlantic/Mediterranean, USN versus RN, Decisive Battle versus Attrition.” Following in Mawdsley’s wake, participants will enjoy talks by David Kohnen, Denise Rucker Knepp, Bud Cole, Chris Perry, Trent Hone, Brian Walter, Andrew Lambert, Kevin Delamer, Richard Frank, Mike McDevitt, Karl Zingheim, Tom Duffy, Jon Southard, and Sam Tangredi. The complete program and proposed times for the talks can be found HERE.
Midway Institute Zoom Room Information for 2024 WHNA
Join Zoom Meeting (Room will open 10 minutes prior to start time)
Meeting ID: 906 082 5139
Passcode: 593661
In case you are wondering: what is the Western Naval Historical Association? Well, the Western Naval History Association (WNHA) is a membership organization open to all individuals with an interest in naval history through academic affiliation, professional activities, publications, interests in modeling, gaming, or association with family or veterans. Its mission is to advance the practice of, and interest in, naval history by creating a congenial community of like-minded individuals and providing its members with a forum to share resources and knowledge. Be sure to visit their website.
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From the Naval History and Heritage Command
UK Ministry of Defence Partners with NHHC to Recover Artifact from USS Jacob Jones
February 11, 2024
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In a joint effort between the United Kingdom and the United States, the UK Ministry of
Defence’s Salvage and Marine Operations, or SALMO, unit successfully conducted a survey of
the historic World War One wreck of USS Jacob Jones (DD 61).
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The ship’s bell recovered from the wreck of USS Jacob Jones (DD 61). Photo: MC1 Jonathan Nelson, NHHC Communication and Outreach Division | |
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In a joint effort between the United Kingdom and the United States, the UK Ministry of Defence’s Salvage and Marine Operations, or SALMO, unit successfully conducted a survey of the historic World War One wreck of USS Jacob Jones (DD-61). The operation, carried out at the behest of Naval History and Heritage Command, or NHHC, and with pivotal support from the US Embassy in London, led to the recovery of a key artifact—the ship's bell.
Jacob Jones, sunk by German submarine U-53 on Dec. 6, 1917, was the first US Navy destroyer lost to enemy action. The ship sank eight minutes after being struck, with the U-boat commander radioing the approximate location of the survivors to the nearest American base for rescue. Meanwhile, the ship’s officer-of-the-deck that directed the rescue effort died of exposure and was posthumously awarded the Navy Distinguished Service Medal.
In the final 18 months of World War One, the US Navy maintained a substantial presence in UK waters and the Western Approaches to help cope with the U-boat menace and keep the maritime lifeline between the Americas and the Europe open. Jacob Jones was one of half a dozen destroyers escorting a troop and supply convoy from southern Ireland to Brittany in December 1917.
Read full article>>
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NAVAL HISTORY BOOK REVIEWS | |
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Spy Ships: One Hundred Years of Intelligence Collection by Ships and Submarines By Norman Polmar and Lee J. Mathers, Potomac Books, (2023)
Reviewed by Stephen Phillips Ph.D.
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...Like the aforementioned coverage of Soviet AGIs in the Tonkin Gulf, there were equally surprising stories of US intelligence collection at sea in Chapter 9: Unusual Spy Ships. It was fascinating to learn that six Newport-class LSTs were employed in the Barents Sea to monitor the Soviets. These ships had efficient diesel propulsion, enabling long patrols without the need to refuel, and spaces normally assigned to embarked Marines that could be employed for intelligence professionals. In fact, the presence of USS Harlan County (LST 1196) in the Barents Sea in 1983 in company with other NATO ships contributed to the belief by the Soviet Union that a nuclear strike may be imminent during the command post exercise dubbed “Able Archer.” Their response brought the world close to Armageddon.
Spy Ships is an informative read. It is a good place to start research on intelligence collection at sea and highlights an interesting era before satellites and unmanned platforms in the air, surface, and undersea realms. Still, it is only a beginning, a robust survey that will need to be followed by other works in order to garner more valuable insight.
Read full review>>
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Strategy in Crisis: The Pacific War, 1937–1945
By John T. Kuehn, Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, (2023).
Reviewed by Charles C. Kolb, Ph.D.
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 |  | ...The Asia-Pacific Theater (1937–1945) of World War II continues to remain a significant topic for strategic and operational discussions among historians, military professionals, and aficionados of the public. Focused on American defensive and offensive actions, mixed with plans from wartime naval conferences and a few Roosevelt and Churchill consultations on global strategies, Kuehn’s new book is clearly aimed at professional military education students. America entered the ongoing Sino-Japanese war that had influenced subsequent military and political policies. He cleverly uses appropriate, specific historic analogies and comparisons with major military campaigns from North Africa, the Eurasian Eastern Front, and southern France. He also uses specific examples from the Pacific Theater and comparisons with North Africa, the Eurasian Eastern Front, and southern France. In addition, he shows that the Germans and Japanese made many of the same strategic and operational mistakes on land. Intermingled throughout the narratives, he provides cogent examples of how the American military overcame incomplete, incorrect, or erroneous strategic decisions and implementations to develop a set of sea, land, and air strategies to ultimately win the conflict. This is a valuable summary of a complex era of military history well told.
Parallel to the publication of this book is a brief article of more current interest by Kuehn: “Lying to Ourselves: Has the U.S. Navy Become the Imperial Japanese Navy of 1941?” John T. Kuehn Expeditions with MCUP [Marine Corps University Press] pp. 1–16 (3 May 2023). https://doi.org/10.36304/ExpwMCUP.2023.05 https://muse.jhu.edu/article/895759 Also worth reading is the January 2024 issue of the USNI Proceedings 150(1): 21–27, devoted to American Sea Power, especially Adm. Scott Swift’s (US Navy, Retired) thoughtful article, “Wartime Command & Control,” which provides a War of 2026 scenario rethinking of both command and control with mission command a central tenet.
Read full review>>
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NAVAL HISTORY BOOKS AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW | |
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Dr. Claude Berube, Director of the US Naval Academy Museum, interviews Dr. Nicholas Lambert on his forthcoming book, The Neptune Factor: Alfred Thayer Mahan and the Concept of Sea Power.
Dr. Lambert completed his undergraduate and graduate degrees at Oxford University. He was the Class of 1957 Chair at the US Naval Academy from 2016 to 2018. His previous books include Sir John Fisher’s Naval Revolution, Planning Armageddon, and The War Lords and the Gallipoli Disaster.
Listen here>>
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NAVAL HISTORY CALLS FOR PAPERS | |
CONTEST SUBMISSION DEADLINE | |
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Charles Dana Gibson Award
For the best article on North American maritime history published in a peer-reviewed journal in
2023
Honorarium: $1,000
Closing date for entries/nominations: 1 March 2024
Send copy and complete citation for the article to: NASOHGibsonaward@gmail.com
Selection: Articles will be evaluated by a three-person committee of NASOH members
Announcement of award recipient: TBD.
***The Recipient must be present at the NASOH conference to receive the award.****
NASOH presents the Charles Dana Gibson Award annually to the author of the most significant
article on any aspect of North American maritime history published in a refereed journal during
the previous year.
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Kings Maritime History Seminars
22 February 2024 – Rewriting Women into Maritime History: Visibilising diverse histories and futures, 1700–2023.
Jo Stanley, Blaydes Maritime Centre, University of Hull
7 March 2024 – Interplay of Empires: The quest for influence in the nineteenth-century Mediterranean
Cemal Atabaş, Marmara University, Istanbul
21 March 2024 – The Coal Black Sea: Winston Churchill and the biggest naval catastrophe of the First World War
Stuart Heaver, journalist and author
Note: This session will be delivered entirely online.
25 April 2024 – Ship of State? Regionalism and Cold War soft power aboard La France
Claire O’Mahony, University of Oxford
9 May 2024 – The Ordered Sea: Naval diplomacy in the Mediterranean, 1815–1911
Erik de Lange, King’s College London
23 May 2024 – The Post-Napoleonic Employment of Former Warships in the British Southern
Whale Fishery, 1815–1845
Julie Papworth and Roger Dence, King’s College London
Seminars for 2023–24 will continue as hybrid events, which means that they may be attended in
person or online (with the exception of the entirely online event on the 21st of March). As
always, attendance is free and open to all. To take part, you must register by visiting the KCL
School of Security Studies Events page. Those of you attending online will receive instructions shortly before the event, by email, about how to join. Otherwise, we will meet in person, as usual, in the Dockrill Room, K6.07, at King’s College London. Papers will begin at 17:15 GMT. The King’s Maritime History Seminar is hosted by the Laughton Naval Unit and the Sir Michael Howard Centre for the History of War in the Department of War Studies, King’s College London. It is organized by the British Commission for Maritime History in association with the Society for Nautical Research. For further information contact Dr. Alan James, War Studies, KCL, WC2R 2LS.
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UPCOMING NAVAL & MARITIME HISTORY GATHERINGS | |
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29 February–1 March 2024: Women’s History Symposium, National World War II Museum, New Orleans
18–21 April 2024: Society For Military History Annual Conference Arlington, VA
24–25 April 2024: Council of American Maritime Museums, Constitution Museum, Boston, MA
18 May 2024: Naval Dockyards Society 28th Annual Conference
From Yards to Hards: Preparing Allied naval forces for the 1944 Normandy Landings The D-Day Story, Portsmouth - Partner and Venue: Clarence Esplanade, Southsea, Portsmouth PO5 3NT
3–5 June 2024: Warships Resting in Peace, Suomenlinna, Helsinki, Finland
20–23 June 2024: Joint NASOH/CNRS Conference, St. Catherines, Ontario
September (TBD): Historic Naval Ship Association (HNSA) Symposium
24–28 September 2025: 12th Maritime Heritage Conference, Buffalo, NY
| 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: 222: Interview with Dr. Cameron McCoy, Part 1>>
Click here for all Preble Hall Podcasts >>
| 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 >>
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