On Our Scope

December 2022

Editor-in-Chief Eric Mills shares highlights from the November/December issue of Naval History.

WWII German Warships Revealed in Drought-Sapped Danube

December 2022

The mighty Danube’s waters have been reduced to their lowest level in nearly a hundred years—resulting in the exposure of a ghost fleet of sunken World War II–era German warships ...

Naval Historical Foundation Announces 2022 Knox Medal Honorees

December 2022

The Naval Historical Foundation has announced that Dr. Norman Friedman and Dr. Donald F. Bittner are the 2022 Commodore Dudley W. Knox Medal recipients.

History in Lego: Yearly Expo Highlights Unique Ship-Modeling Subculture

December 2022

Lego isn’t only for kids anymore.

In Contact

December 2022

Readers respond to stories from recent issues of Naval History.

The Sad Frigate

By J. M. Caiella

December 2022

The new frigate was somewhat unusual: “ornate” and “profusely carved” and of “uncommon length.”

A British Connection . . . Part 2

December 2022

The second major U.S. Navy encounter with the Spitfire occurred during preparations for D-Day—the invasion of the Normandy coast of German-held France on 6 June 1944.

The Battle That Scuttled Hitler’s Surface Fleet

By Eric Mills

December 2022

The battle “was one of the finest examples in either of the two World Wars of how to handle destroyers and cruisers in action with heavier forces.”

A History of the Ship’s Compass

By Philip K. Allan

December 2022

Mechanical gyroscopes are beginning to be replaced by ring-laser or hemispherical-resonator ones, but most ships retain a traditional magnetic compass as a backup—just in case.

Destination: North Africa

By Vincent P. O’Hara

December 2022

Torch was the Atlantic Theater’s biggest Allied operation to date, an operation defined by high risk, high stakes, and a goodly share of luck.

Tough Race to Tunisia

By Vincent P. O’Hara

December 2022

After Operation Torch’s landings at Morocco and Algeria, Tunisia became the target–for both the Allies and the Axis alike.

The Nimitz Way

By Trent Hone

December 2022

A commitment to his “main and unchanging principles of warfare” underscored the strategic artistry of the admiral who led the U.S. Navy to victory in the Pacific.

Commander Ghormley’s Black Sea Challenge

By Elliot Carlson and Robert J. Hanyok

December 2022

Future South Pacific Commander-in-Chief Robert Ghormley faced an early career test that pitted him against recalcitrant Bolsheviks and warring Greeks and Turks.

History’s First Torpedo Strike

By Thomas Wildenberg

December 2022

After a rocky start, the experimental French boat Gustave Zédé went on to enter the annals of naval warfare as the first submarine to fire a torpedo and strike an ...

Friend or Foe: Identifying Ships in the Age of Fighting Sail

By Frederick C. Leiner

December 2022

Ship misidentification may have changed the course of the War of 1812.

Acts of Valor: William Halford, LT, USN

By Kelly Swann

December 2022

Graphic artistry brings to life the remarkable story of the wreck of the USS Saginaw and a selfless rescuer who garnered both the Medal of Honor and the praise of ...

Book Reviews

December 2022

Experts review Dark Voyage, Flying Camelot, and other new and noteworthy books.

Stateside War Efforts on Display at the World War II Home Front Museum

By Jonathan Hoppe

December 2022

At the World War II Home Front Museum, located in Saint Simon’s former Coast Guard station, visitors can learn about just some of the efforts that affected the area and ...

Leadership of the Finest Kind: Robert F. Dunn

By Lieutenant Commander Thomas Cutler, U.S. Navy (Retired)

December 2022

Among his many attributes, Bob Dunn was extraordinarily attuned to his crew, and he fervently believed in loyalty up and down the chain of command.

Sir Snuffy

December 2022

The following is an edited excerpt from an oral history interview with Admiral Smith and the Naval Institute’s Paul Stillwell in March 2006.

Pieces of the Past

December 2022

The National Museum of American History has several artifacts from the Imperial Japanese Navy’s 7 December 1941 surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.

Midget Submarines at Guadalcanal

By Aryeh Wetherhorn

December 2022

The employment of the Type A Hyoteki midget submarines at Guadalcanal has to be one of high expectations, and disappointing results.

The Devil is in the Details

By Lieutenant Commander Larry Parker, U.S. Navy (Retired)

December 2022

The fate of Memphis, Vicksburg, and the ironclad CSS Arkansas in the Civil War offer a classic example of the ‘for want of a nail’ proverb.

Marianas Turkey Shoot—Plus Seventy-Five

By Barrett Tillman

December 2022

It was those U.S. Navy airmen who won that the penultimate fleet engagement in world history.

How Clare and Henry Luce Helped Save England from Hitler

By Captain Michael A. Lilly, U.S. Navy (Retired)

December 2022

Before U.S. entry into World War II, a deal was made to avail England of U.S. destroyers then in mothballs—but it took some crafty manipulation of the famous Time-Life publisher ...

When Dissent was a Common Virtue

By Albert S. Kyle

December 2022

“The war in Vietnam was not lost in the field, nor was it lost of the front pages of the New York Times, or on the college campuses. It was ...

A Fatal Encounter in the Fog: The USS Chicago and SS Silverpalm Collision

By Thomas C. Hone

December 2022

As the Silverpalm bore down on the Chicago, Cox could only order his crew to prepare for a crash.

A Taranto—Pearl Harbor Connection?

By Christopher P. O'Connor

December 2022

If there was a connection, it ran through Rome.

Movie Review: ‘Devotion’ Delivers the Goods

By Barrett Tillman

December 2022

The big-screen adaptation of the bestselling book is a cinematic winner for naval aviation devotees.

In Memoriam: John Prados, 1951-2022

December 2022

The U.S. Naval Institute mourns the passing of acclaimed historian John Prados, the 2021 Naval History Author of the Year, who died on 29 November 2022.

The Cartoonist Who Predicted Pearl Harbor

By Naval Institute Staff

December 2022

Don Winslow of the Navy attracted legions of fans throughout the 1930s and 1940s.

Fighting Fires during the Pearl Harbor Attack

By Taira Payne

December 2022

Rear Admiral B. Robert Erly recounts the air raid on Pearl Harbor

The Sinking of the USS Nevada (BB-36)

By Taira Payne

December 2022

Captain Merdinger relives the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Homes for the Big Guns: Preserving U.S. Navy Heritage

By Terrance McGovern

December 2022

The effort has been ongoing to find good homes for historic 16-inch/50 battleship barrels that served on board iconic U.S. ships in World War II—and that effort has been paying ...

USS Carson City: Ship of Three Flags

By Wayne Scarpaci

December 2022

The legacy of the USS Carson City (PF-50).