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11 April 2023
Welcome back to our National Maritime Historical Society members and friends who share a love for naval history!
We open this week with Happy 123rd Birthday wishes to the United States Navy’s Submarine Service. Today in 1900, the US Navy accepted USS Holland into the fleet! On the subject of anniversaries, tomorrow will mark Lt. Theodore Ellyson’s designation as the Navy’s first naval aviator back in 1911.
As for upcoming events, we have a busy week ahead. Tonight at the Hill Center in Washington, DC (the former Navy Hospital), Dr. Regina Akers from the Naval History and Heritage Command and historian Dr. Edward Valentin Jr. will tackle the subject of race, identity, and the battle against discrimination in the US Navy in a program that will be live-streamed via Zoom.
Tomorrow is the Naval Order Heritage Night with guest speaker Michael Lilly, “zooming” in from Maui to discuss his recent book on Fleet Admiral Nimitz.
On Thursday there is a noon (EDT) virtual talk hosted by the Navy Museum on the subject of rigid American airships and their demise. That evening, the “Movie at the Memorial” feature is Top Gun Maverick.
You can come to the Navy Memorial this Saturday at 1 PM (EDT) for the annual “Blessing of the Fleet” ritual that is held this time of year at locations throughout the land. A little background of the Navy Memorial ceremony is offered below.
Thank you again Richard Dick for reviewing Black Snow: Curtis LeMay, the Firebombing of Tokyo, and the Road to the Atomic Bomb, by James M. Scott. Thanks to those who recently requested books for review. As noted last week, we recently received a LARGE shipment of recently published naval history books for review. Please review the updated list and send your requests to david.winkler@usnwc.edu.
Finally, for this week’s “In Case You Missed It” we offer a Navy League Sea Power article published in 2018 about the Navy’s employment of carrier pigeons.
Tuesday Tidings is compiled by Dr. David F. Winkler and Jessie Henderson. As always, comments are welcome at nmhs@seahistory.org.
| ITEMS OF IMMEDIATE INTEREST | |
11 April: Race, Identity, and the Struggle Against Discrimination in the US Navy
From Doris “Dorie” Miller to Benjamin Drummond: An in-depth conversation featuring eminent historians Dr. Regina T. Akers & Dr. Edward Valentin Jr. Moderated by Dr. Joseph P. Reidy.
7:00-9:00 PM EDT
Hill Center, Washington DC (In person/Live Stream $10 fee)
https://www.hillcenterdc.org/event/race-identity-and-the-struggle-against-discrimination-in-the-united-states-navy/
12 April: Virtual Presentation: Nimitz at Ease—How a Honolulu Couple Helped Nimitz Cope with the Stresses of Command, with Capt. Michael A. Lilly, USN (Ret.)
8:00-9:00 PM EDT
https://www.navalorder.org/noushistoryhappenings
13 April: Movie at the Memorial—Top Gun: Maverick
7:30–9:30 PM EDT
Navy Memorial, Washington, DC
https://www.navymemorial.org/new-events/2023/1/13/south-pacific-8ya2p
13 April: When Giants Ruled the Sky: the Brief Reign and Tragic Demise of the American Rigid Airship, with John J. Geoghegan and Curator Gordon Calhoun
Noon to 1 PM EDT Virtual Program on Facebook Premier
Virtual Book Talk: When Giants Ruled the Sky: the Brief Reign and Tragic Demise of the American Rigid Airship, with John J. Geoghegan and Curator, Gordon Calhoun (navy.mil)
19–21 April: 2023 CAMM Conference
Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, Oregon
Click here for more information and to register >>
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What is the Blessing of the Fleet?
Passed down through generations of sailors, fishermen, merchant mariners, and navies around the world, the centuries-old “Blessing of the Fleet” ceremony is intended to safeguard crews and their ships. It is said to protect them from the danger of the seas through a traditional blessing given by a clergyman at the water’s edge.
As a tribute to our nation’s rich maritime heritage and the men and women who have contributed to its growth and success, the United States Navy Memorial hosts its annual Blessing of the Fleet ceremony each spring.
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Welcoming the Arrival of Spring
The ceremony’s main highlight is when sailors from the US Navy’s Ceremonial Guard proceed across the “Granite Sea” on Navy Memorial Plaza to pour water from the Seven Seas and Great Lakes into the surrounding fountains. In doing so, the fountains are “charged with life” as they usher in the spring season.
Afterward, attendees are invited inside the Navy Memorial Visitor Center for a light reception featuring Navy Bean Soup from the White House Mess.
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This painting was presented to the US Navy Submarine Force Museum in Groton, Connecticut, after the war by Commodore James Fife; it remains there on display today. Barclay knew and sketched Fife when he was still a captain. The inscription in the lower right reads: “For Captain J. Fife, USN and his shipmates with my admiration and gratitude for their many kindnesses- McClelland Barclay USNR Southwest Pacific 1943.”
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Carrier Pigeon Centric Warfare
By David F. Winkler
Sea Power February 2018
As the US Navy transitioned from wood and sail to steel and steam, the advantages of speed and maneuverability posed challenges to a naval force that was not experienced in conducting fleet operations. Flag hoists and flashing lights were effective when ships steamed within line of sight, but the commander’s ability to direct fleet units operating over the horizon was problematic.
Writing for the Naval Institute Proceedings in 1897, Lt. Edward W. Eberle addressed the problem and proposed: “If, then, we can devise a system by which we can have reliable communication with the shore from any position as far as one hundred and fifty miles at sea, we will have solved the all-important problem, and the only way to obtain this long-distance communication over water is by means of messenger pigeons.”
Pigeons had been used as couriers over the centuries, and Eberle cited examples of the French use of the birds during the recent Franco-Prussian War. He noted the armies of Germany, France, Austria, Belgium, Spain, Italy, and Russia used pigeons as did the naval forces of France, Germany, Italy, Russia, and Spain, adding: “Great Britain is now turning her attention to this valuable method of communication over sea.”
Read full article>>
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NAVAL HISTORY BOOK REVIEWS | |
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Black Snow: Curtis LeMay, the Firebombing of Tokyo, and the Road to the Atomic Bomb, by James M. Scott; W.W. Norton, New York; 2022. ISBN 9781324002994, 448 pp.
Reviewed by Capt. Richard Dick, USN (Ret.)
...Scott does a good job exploring the military, ethical, and moral aspects of the firebombing, its effects on Japanese and Americans, its relationship to the dropping of the atomic bombs, and its impact on the Japanese surrender. While Black Snow is probably not the most authoritative account of the strategic bombing campaign against Japan, the book is a gripping, fast-moving account of events that still reverberate today.
Read the full review >>
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NOTE FOR AUTHORS OF VIETNAM NAVAL HISTORY BOOKS: The Capital Commandery of the Naval Order of the United States has been provided a tent on the National Mall for the forthcoming Vietnam Veterans welcome home event to be held in the nation’s capital from 11 to 13 May. To provide historical context for the thousands of veterans expected to attend, the Naval Order seeks authors of sea service Vietnam-themed books to be on hand to autograph books and talk history with those who served in SE Asia. If you are interested in participating, contact Dave Winkler at david.winkler@usnwc.edu. | |
NAVAL HISTORY BOOKS AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW | |
NAVAL HISTORICAL ANNIVERSARIES OF NOTE | |
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USS Holland (Submarine Torpedo Boat #1)
USS Holland (SS-1) was launched by Crescent Shipyards, Elizabeth, NJ, 1898; commissioned 12 October 1900, Newport, RI, Lt. Harry H. Caldwell in command.
On 16 October 1900, USS Holland (SS-1) left Newport under tow of tug Leyden for Annapolis, where she trained cadets of the Naval Academy as well as officers and enlisted men ordered there to receive training so vital in preparing for the operation of other submarines being built for the fleet.
USS Holland (SS-1) proved valuable for experimental purposes in collecting data for submarines under construction or contemplation. Her 166-mile surface run from Annapolis to Norfolk from 8 to 10 January 1901 provided useful data on her performance underway over an extended period.
Read more here>>
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USS Holland (SS-1)
Born as the Holland VI/USS Holland (SS-1), this early compact attack submarine was essentially the formal birth of the United States Navy’s submarine program heading into the 20th century. The vessel proved the first step towards a modernization of the “new-look” American Navy. The Holland was born out of a competition presented by the branch for a new, capable underwater vessel with an adequate submerged range and the capability to fire a torpedo. The design of the Holland was put down as early as 1888, headed by Irish engineer John Phillip Holland. After much redesign, convincing, and use of his own fortune to push the vessel along, the Holland was finally accepted into service as the first submarine of the United States Navy. Mr. Holland held the advantage of maintaining powerful Irish-American friends at the government level, which helped to ensure his vessel would see the light of day. Otherwise, the American submarine program would have languished until perhaps pushed by war. She was formally launched in May of 1897 before officially entering service with the USN some three years later. The submarine carried the name of J.P. Holland himself.
Read more here>>
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Theodore Gordon Ellyson, the first Naval officer to qualify as an airplane pilot, and distinguished pioneer of US Naval Aviation, was born on February 27, 1885, in Richmond, Virginia.
Appointed a Naval Cadet, he entered the US Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, from the Third District of Virginia in June 1901, and was graduated with the Class of 1905, on January 30, 1905. After the two years at sea then required by law before commissioning, he was commissioned Ensign in the US Navy on 31 January 1907, and subsequently advanced as follows: Lieutenant, junior grade, on 31 January 1910; Lieutenant, September 16, 1910; Lieutenant Commander, May 23, 1917; and Commander on July 1, 1918.
Read more here>>
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NAVAL HISTORY CALLS FOR PAPERS | |
UPCOMING NAVAL & MARITIME HISTORY GATHERINGS | |
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14–16 April 2023: National Maritime Historical Society 60th Annual Meeting, The Mariners’ Museum and Park, Newport News, VA
19–21 April 2023 Council of American Maritime Museums (CAMM) Conference, Columbia River Maritime Museum, Astoria, OR
9 May 2023: National Maritime Awards Dinner, National Press Club, Washington, DC
17–20 May 2023: North American Society for Oceanic History Conference, Maritime Museum of San Diego, CA
18–21 September 2023: Historic Naval Ship Association Conference aboard USS Slater
21 September 2023: Navy Memorial Lone Sailor Award Dinner, National Building Museum, Washington, DC
21–22 September 2023: McMullen Naval History Symposium, US Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD
17–22 October 2023: Naval Order of the United States Congress, San Diego
| Click here to watch Dr. Michael A. Verney’s presentation of his book: A Great and Rising Nation: Naval Exploration and Global Empire in the Early US Republic. | 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: 182: Admiral Mike Mullen, Part VI - VCNO>>
Click here for all Preble Hall Podcasts >>
| NAVAL HISTORY & HERITAGE COMMAND H-GRAMS | |
H-Gram 078: 20 March 2023 >> The Revolt of the Admirals, Ship Renaming
| DRACHINIFEL YOUTUBE CHANNEL | 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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