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5 December 2023
Welcome back to our National Maritime Historical Society members and friends who share a love for naval history!
Thursday marks the 82nd anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. In the nation’s capital there will be wreath layings at Arlington Cemetery, the World War II Memorial, the Navy Memorial, and the Navy Museum and the Army Navy Club will host the annual Naval Order of the United States Commemoration Dinner. Similar commemorative events will be occurring across the nation. The World War II Museum in New Orleans will mark the day by kicking off a 3-day international conference. Up in Baltimore, the commemoration will occur in the Inner Harbor where the last surviving ship present that day in Oahu—Coast Guard Cutter 37—will serve as the backdrop for noontime ceremonies. Historic Ships in Baltimore | Annual Pearl Harbor Memorial Ceremony.
Of course, the most poignant location to commemorate the attack is at Pearl Harbor itself, where the hulls of the Arizona and Utah remain submerged eight decades later. Courtesy of the
National Park Service, our feature article this week is the schedule of events, beginning tomorrow, that will be held to honor those who were there on that day of infamy.
Naval History Book Reviews thanks Dr. Satterfield for his review of A Horrible Peace. The updated list of books available is provided.
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 | |
National Park Service Schedule of Events at Pearl Harbor | |
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Description of Events | Pearl Harbor Events
Rosie the Riveters Poster Signing
· 6 December from 10:30 PM to 12:00 PM
· Pearl Harbor National Memorial, outside the Pacific Historic Parks bookstore
· Open to the public
Come meet some of the courageous women—now in their late 90s—who served during World War II as Rosie the Riveters! On 6 December, they'll meet with visitors and sign posters at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial, just outside the Pacific Historic Parks bookstore. As many as eight Rosies will attend events for the 82nd Commemoration this year—a record number.
USS Utah Ceremony
· 6 December at 5:00pm
· USS Utah Memorial
· Open to the public
· Visitors must have access to Ford Island (military or government-issued ID)
The USS Utah Memorial Sunset Ceremony held every year on or around December 7th honors the loss of the USS Utah (AG-16) and 58 of her crew. The USS Utah was the first ship torpedoed in the attack on the Pacific Fleet. Struck by two torpedoes, the ship capsized and sank within 12 minutes.
National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Ceremony
· 7 December at 7:30 AM
· Pearl Harbor National Memorial
· Open to the public
· To plan your visit, please see the FAQ page.
On December 7, 1941, just before 8am, a surprise attack on a United States naval base at Pearl Harbor began, killing more than 2,400 Americans. Each year, on this day, Pearl Harbor survivors, veterans, and visitors from all over the world come together in remembrance and honor. The acts of courage and heroism on that day have shaped the world as we know it. We honor this everlasting legacy now and always.
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Second Saturday: Pearl Harbor and the Kimmel Controversy
The Naval Historical Foundation Second Saturday program of December 2021 featuring the late Steven Honigman, who served as General Counsel of the Navy during the 1990s, providing an overview of efforts to restore Rear Admiral Husband E. Kimmel to the rank of full Admiral.
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NAVAL HISTORY BOOK REVIEWS | |
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The Horrible Peace: British Veterans and the End of the Napoleonic Wars By Evan Wilson, University of Massachusetts Press, Amherst, MA, (2023)
Reviewed by Dr. John R. Satterfield
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...Naval officers were more egalitarian, passing required examinations for promotion to lieutenant’s rank. Further promotions were based more on merit, and after promotion to post captain, seniority took over with officers needing only to live long enough to become admirals. Still, these officers received only half pay when not on active service. Even Horatio Nelson spent five years “on the beach” before commanding HMS Agamemnon in 1793. After 1815, the government cut the Royal Navy’s fleet by more than half, leaving an enormous surplus of naval officers, reducing the percentage of those from lower classes and ensuring that many never went to sea again. Although Britain’s fleet was larger than any other, only a fraction of these vessels were seaworthy, leaving the service stretched far beyond its real capacity.
Wilson’s study demonstrates clearly that Britain and its military and naval establishments, instruments of the Empire’s global dominance in the nineteenth century, paid a significant price for winning the Napoleonic wars, a tariff that contained the seeds of the Empire’s dissolution in the longer term. Pax Britannica was real, but it teetered on the brink for 99 years until 1914, when industrial warfare destroyed an entire British male generation, and the Royal Navy could play only a peripheral and diminishing role thereafter. As the Duke of Wellington famously noted in a different but related context, “Believe me, nothing except a battle lost can be half so melancholy as a battle won.”
Read full review>>
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NAVAL HISTORY BOOKS AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW | |
Speech by Franklin D. Roosevelt, New York (Transcript) | |
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125. The President Requests War Declaration 125 (“December 7, 1941 A Date Which Will Live in Infamy” Address to the Congress Asking That a State of War Be Declared Between the United States and Japan. December 8, 1941
Mr. Vice President, and Mr. Speaker, and Members of the Senate and House of Representatives:
YESTERDAY, December 7, 1941 a date which will live in infamy the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.
The United States was at peace with that Nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its Government and its Emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific. Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American Island of Oahu, the Japanese Ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack.
It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time the Japanese Government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.
The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. In addition American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.
Read full speech>>
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NAVAL HISTORY CALLS FOR PAPERS | |
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Brigadier General James L. Collins Jr. Book Prize in Military History
The US Commission on Military History proudly announces the submission date for all books for consideration for the Brigadier General James L. Collins Book Prize in Military History. The prize entails a $1,000 award to the author, irrespective of nationality, of the best book written in English on any field of military history published during 2022. The Book Prize Committee, comprising USCMH members Dr. Edward J. Marolda, (Chair), Dr. Jeffrey Clarke, and Dr. John Hosler, will review the submitted books and select the winner. Topics in all periods and all aspects of military history (including naval and air warfare) will be considered.
One copy of books for consideration by the Collins Prize Committee must be submitted to each of the following addresses:
Dr. Edward J. Marolda
15570 Golf Club Drive
Montclair, VA 22015
Dr. Jeffrey Clarke
1011 North Van Dorn Street
Alexandria, VA 22304
Dr. John Hosler
Command and General Staff
CollegeDepartment of Military History
100 Stimson Avenue
Fort Leavenworth, KS 66027
Copies must be postmarked no later than 31 December 2023. Upon notification from the selection committee, the Collins Prize will be presented at the USCMH Annual General Meeting usually held in early November of the following year. For further information contact the Collins Prize Committee Chair at: edwardmarolda@yahoo.com.
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UPCOMING NAVAL & MARITIME HISTORY GATHERINGS | |
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9–11 January 2024: Surface Navy Association National Symposium
17–18 February 2024: Western Naval History Association Symposium, San Diego, CA.
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
20–23 June 2024: Joint NASOH/CNRS Conference, St. Catherines, Ontario
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: 214: Questioning the Carrier Opportunities in Fleet Design for the US Navy>>
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 >>
If you are one of those friends who have considered joining the Society or have wanted to recommend membership to friends, the Society is offering a 60th anniversary membership sale: ten bucks! See:
Anniversary Membership Special Offer.
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