|
12 November 2024
Welcome back to our National Maritime Historical Society members and friends who share a love for naval history!
| |
|
Today marks the 82nd anniversary of the beginning of the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. It featured a melee off Lunga Point during the early hours of Friday the 13th that would lead to the destruction of the IJN battleship Hiei and a gun dual two nights later. Paul Stillwell would later describe the decimation of IJN Kirishima by USS Washington in Battleship Commander (Naval Institute Press, 2021).
The big news this week is the announcement of the discovery of the destroyer Edsall, sunk by the Japanese on 1 March 1942. Further details next week! We also announce the McMullen Naval History Symposium. There is also an outstanding Zoom presentation set for tomorrow evening with Dr. David Kohnen about his new book on Fleet Admiral King. Finally, we close with the announcement of the new exhibit at the National Museum for Naval Aviation.
This week Naval History Book Reviews is again taking a snooze. An updated list of available books is provided below.
| |
|
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 and naval history news items are welcome at nmhs@seahistory.org.
| |
|
McMullen Naval History Symposium
Once again, the US Naval Academy History Department will host this world-renowned event to highlight the latest research on naval and maritime history from academics and practitioners all over the globe. The next McMullen Naval History Symposium will be held in Annapolis, Maryland, on 18–19 September 2025. Conducted annually since 1973, the symposium has been described as the “largest regular meeting of naval historians in the world” and as the US Navy’s “single most important interaction with an academic historical audience.”
The year 2025 marks many significant milestones for the United States and its navy. Of special note is the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution and the founding of the Continental Navy. Many other significant naval events celebrate lesser milestones this year as well, including the end of the First Barbary War and the War of 1812, the end of World War II, and the founding of the US Naval Academy.
The History Department of the United States Naval Academy invites proposals for papers to be presented at the 2025 McMullen Naval History Symposium on these and any other topics related to the naval and maritime history of the United States or the world.
Please find the call for papers for the McMullen Naval History Symposium 2025 here.
Email proposals to navalhistorysymposium@gmail.com by midnight, 14 February, 2025.
Director: Capt. Stan Fisher, USN
(author of the highly acclaimed book Sustaining the Carrier War)
Deputy Director: Assistant Professor Abby Mullen
Email: navalhistorysymposium@gmail.com
| |
|
NAVAL ORDER OF THE UNITED STATES
presents
Dr David Kohnen, PhD
King’s Navy: Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King
and the Rise of American Sea Power, 1897–1947
13 November 2024, 8 PM EST
Between 1897 and 1945 the US Navy rose to lofty heights, with huge manpower, a lavish roster of ships, and a hard-earned reputation for professionalism and potency. By 1947, in the wake of the Second World War, the Navy, although still powerful, had been significantly scaled down; much of the senior leadership retired and the wartime edge gradually dulled.
This period from 1897 to 1947 was witnessed and to a large degree driven and determined by two admirals; Ernest J. King and King's mentor William S. Sims. These admirals were empowered by two giants of American political and military history; Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Through the lives of King, Sims, and the Roosevelts, Naval War College historian David Kohnen has crafted a sweeping history of American sea power from 1897 to 1947. This epic work was made possible through 20 years of research and writing.
The speaker’s latest book is an authoritative account of the rise and fall of American sea power between 1897 and 1947 and the definitive biography of Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King. By accessing undiscovered and recently declassified source material, along with the full cooperation of the King and Sims families, the author has been able to tell new stories and draw fresh conclusions, making this volume a must-have for scholars of naval history.
Biographical Sketch:
David Kohnen completed doctoral studies with the Laughton Professor of Naval History at the University of London, King’s College. As a historian in museums, he produced the award-winning exhibits surrounding the captured German submarine U-505 in Chicago and the battleship USS Wisconsin (BB-64) in Virginia. Kohnen’s past published works include 21st Century Knox: Influence, Sea Power, and History for the Modern Era (Naval Institute Press, 2016) and Commanders Winn and Knowles: Winning the U-Boat War with Intelligence (Enigma Press, 1999). Kohnen’s long awaited book, King’s Navy: Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King and the Rise of American Sea Power, 1897–1947 (Schiffer Publishing, 2024) is now on sale.
Watch this Naval Order History Presentation Here!
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81241470593?pwd=bEVtR1I4RFZNZ3BmWDBtR1dMWG15QT09
Meeting ID: 812 4147 0593 Passcode: 7041890
| |
New Exhibit Tells Naval Aerospace Medicine Story | |
Courtesy National Naval Aviation Museum | |
On Tuesday, 29 October 2024, nearly 150 people, including both active duty and retired military personnel, assembled at the National Naval Aviation Museum to open a new exhibit devoted to the history and current role of aerospace medicine in support of Naval Aviation. As Museum Director Capt. Sterling Gilliam, USN (Ret.), stated in his opening remarks, while “NAS Pensacola is known as the ‘Cradle of Naval Aviation,’ it is also the ancestral home of naval aerospace medicine.” The new exhibit speaks to that history with a timeline of events beginning with the assignment of the first Navy physicians for training in aviation medicine in 1922 (ironically, they received instruction from the Army) to the modern age. Notable artifacts featured in the historical section include medical devices that belonged to Capt. Robert Mitchell, MC, USN, who founded the ongoing study of former prisoners of war. Also displayed is the NASA flight jacket that belonged to Capt. Joseph C. Kerwin, MC, USN (Ret.), the first flight surgeon in space. The Skylab II command module in which he flew is exhibited nearby courtesy of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Captain Kerwin taped a special message that was part of the program for the exhibit opening.
The exhibit also touches on the operational aspects of Naval Aerospace Medicine in the fleet. Visitors can step up to interactive touchscreen kiosks to test their vision and hearing and learn if they are “fit to fly.” An example of the famous “Dilbert Dunker” introduces naval aerospace medicine’s role in water survival training and graphics panels cover an array of other subjects to include the psychological and physiological aspects of flying.
Read more about the new exhibit here: https://navalaviationmuseum.org/new-exhibit-tells-naval-aerospace-medicine-story/
| |
Get your 2025 Maritime Art Calendars! | |
NAVAL HISTORY BOOKS AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW | |
|
A Sailor’s Life for Me!
Check out the online game offered by the USS Constitution Museum!
Play here>>
| |
|
Maritime Communities Celebrating Milestones
SAVE THE DATES!
24–27 September 2025 • Buffalo, NY
We are delighted to be holding the 12th Maritime Heritage Conference in Buffalo in September 2025.
The conference brings together organizations and participants that engage in all aspects of maritime heritage. This includes maritime museums, historic lighthouses, tall ships for sail training and youth, small craft, marine art, sailing, naval and maritime scholars, advocacy, and more. It is also a gathering of the leadership of the maritime heritage community.
Buffalo will host the first Maritime Heritage Conference to be held in the Great Lakes region.
The 12th Maritime Heritage Conference (MHC) will bring together nautical heritage organizations and individuals for an information-packed conference encompassing a broad array of topics on the banks of Lake Erie at historic Buffalo, New York. Following in the wake of the World Canal Conference, which concludes with a bicentennial celebration of the opening of the Erie Canal, the 12th MHC will use that historic milestone to open a three-day program that invites attendees to consider other historic nautical milestones worthy of broader public attention.
The MHC has earned a reputation for its high take-away value, networking opportunities, and camaraderie. The conference steering committee invites you to become involved as a presenter; both session and individual proposals are encouraged. Don’t miss this opportunity to gather with individuals from all segments of the maritime community.
Call for Papers & Session Proposals
Papers and session topics include, but are not limited to:
• Inland Water Commerce and Seaport Operations (Erie Canal bicentennial!)
• Maritime and Naval History (2025 marks USN/USMC 250th Birthday)
• Maritime Art, Literature, and Music
• Education and Preservation
• Underwater Archaeology
• Trade and Communications
• Maritime Libraries, Archives, and Museums
• Marine Science and Ocean Conservation
• Historic Vessel Restoration
• Maritime Heritage Grant Program
• Maritime Landscapes
• National Marine Sanctuaries
• Small Craft
• Shipbuilding
• Marine Protected Areas
Focus sessions include, but are not limited to:
• Non-Profit administration
• Event Management
• Fundraising
• Media and Publications
• Media and Social Media
Submissions
Individual paper and session proposals should include a 250–400 word abstract and a one-paragraph biography about each presenter.
Please e-mail proposals and other queries to Dr. David Winkler at: MHC@seahistory.org
Deadline for proposals for papers and sessions is 31 May 2025.
| |
|
Society for Nautical Research Winter Lecture Series 2024–25
The Society for Nautical Research is delighted to announce the schedule for the forthcoming winter lecture series. These online talks will highlight new and ongoing research being undertaken by members of the society and its affiliations. The series aims to promote research into economic, social, political, military and environmental aspects of nautical history, drawing on British, European and international experience.
The 12-part lecture series will be held fortnightly on Wednesday evenings at 6:30PM (UK) between October 2024 to March 2025. Lectures will only be available online (via Zoom) and will be FREE to paying members of the SNR.
Not yet a member?
Sign up now from as little as £22.50 a year. Get access to exclusive events and talks, quarterly editions of the Mariner’s Mirror, and discounts at affiliated museums and gift shops! https://snr.org.uk/become-a-member/
Dates for your calendar:
20th November 2024: Associate Professor Evan Wilson (Hattendorf Historical Centre), “The Horrible Peace; British Veterans and the End of the Napoleonic Wars.”
4th December 2024: Sarah Mott, (Lloyd’s Register Foundation) “Rewriting Women into Maritime History; the SHE_SEES exhibition.”
18th December 2024: Bill Lindsay (independent scholar), “William Schaw Lindsay; Victorian Entrepreneur.”
Christmas Break
15th January 2025: Prof. Rodrigo Pérez Fernández (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid), “The past, present and future of shipbuilding.”
29th January 2025: Dr. Alan James (King’s College London), (full title TBC)
12th February 2025: Dr. Matthew Heaslip (University of Portsmouth), (full title TBC)
26th February 2025: Dr. Michael Roberts (University of Bangor), Archaeological exploration of historical shipwrecks in the Irish Sea. (full title TBC)
12th March 2025: Dr. Jo Stanley (independent scholar), “Diversity at Sea: How sharing historical research can make a difference to the present and future of the maritime industry and public understanding.”
19th March 2025: Dr. Cathryn Pearce (University of Portsmouth), “‘Bandied about for a place of refuge’: Extreme Weather, Coastal Shipping, and the Loss of Lord Nelson, 1840”
How to attend the lectures?
Zoom details will be circulated prior to each of the lectures but details can also be found in the “events” section of the members area of the SNR website (Click Here).
For any questions or queries please contact the convener (daisy.turnbull@myport.ac.uk).
| |
UPCOMING NAVAL & MARITIME HISTORY GATHERINGS | |
|
31 January–2 February 2025: Western Naval History Association Symposium (WNHA), San Diego, CA
27–30 March 2025: Society for Military History (SMH) Annual Meeting, Mobile, AL
9–11 April 2025: Council of American Maritime Museums Annual Meeting, Pensacola, FL
24–25 May 2025: Canadian Nautical Research Society Annual Conference Port Hope,
Ontario
18–19 September 2025: McMullen Naval History Symposium, US Naval Academy
24–28 September 2025: Historic Naval Ship Association (HNSA) Symposium/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: 241 - LtCol Tom Williams, USMC-Ret, Doorsteps of Hell>>>>
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 >>
| | | | |
