On Our Scope

By Eric Mills

June 2022

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

Shackleton Expedition’s Lost Ship Located

By Eric Mills

June 2022

In one of the most significant shipwreck discoveries of recent times, the Endurance, long-lost ship of the legendary Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, has been located nearly 9,900 feet deep.

‘How to Fix a U-Boat’ Project Launched for U-534

June 2022

A multimillion-pound project is underway at Woodside, Birkenhead, England, to give the vessel a long-overdue restoration, spearheaded by the group Big Heritage.

Winkler Receives Distinguished Service Award

June 2022

Dr. David F. Winkler, historian at the Naval Historical Foundation, has been named a recipient of the National Maritime Historical Society’s Distinguished Service Award.

In Contact

June 2022

Readers respond to stories from recent issues of Naval History.

Trainer, Barnstormer, and Icon

By Norman Polmar

June 2022

The Curtiss JN biplane—invariably known as the Jenny—was the most widely flown U.S. Army training aircraft in World War I.

Manhattan’s Battleship

By J. M. Caiella

June 2022

The Recruit was to serve not only as a recruiting vehicle, but also as a training “ship” and a hands-on interface between the Navy and general public.

Showdown on the ‘Glorious First of June’

By Eric Mills

June 2022

Revolutionary France was beset by enemies on all sides, dissension from within, and, looming above it all, the specter of famine.

How the Propeller Displaced the Paddle Wheel

By Philip K. Allan

June 2022

The development of steam power in the 18th century was arguably one of the most important changes of its age. Shipbuilding, too, was part of this revolution.

Give Credit Where It’s Due

By John Prados

June 2022

U.S. codebreakers were key contributors to victory at Midway, but their vital role in the Battle of the Coral Sea is often overlooked.

Timeless Battle, Evolving Interpretations

By Jonathan Parshall

June 2022

Midway altered the trajectory of the Pacific war. For 80 years, history has continued to add to our understanding of the epic battle.

When War Erupted Off Virginia Beach

By Ed Offley

June 2022

Featuring a shift from torpedoes to minelaying, it was the most successful war patrol of U-701–but it also would be her last.

The Navy’s Artist of Reform

By Andrew K. Blackley

June 2022

An appreciation of the life, art, and genius of Henry Reuterdahl, whose innovations improved the early 20th-century U.S. fleet.

Who Really Blew Up Mare Island?

By Stephen C. Ruder

June 2022

Were German saboteurs behind the 1917 explosion at a naval ammunition depot, or has the identity of the real culprit been hiding in plain sight all along?

‘Navies of God’: The Siege of Damietta

By Captain Sam J. Tangredi, U.S. Navy (Retired)

June 2022

The Crusaders needed to capture the sea tower guarding the mouth of the Nile; enter “one of history’s first specialized amphibious assault ships.”

Acts of Valor: Nathan Gordon Green

By Kelly Swann

June 2022

Graphic artistry re-creates the story of Nathan Gordon Green.

Book Reviews

June 2022

Experts review Admirals Under Fire and other new and noteworthy books.

Philadelphia’s Fruits of Industry on Display at the Independence Seaport Museum

By Jonathan L. Hoppe

June 2022

The museum’s exhibits highlight Philadelphia’s role in the founding of the U.S. Navy and the maritime trade and the concept of freedom along the Delaware.

Courage and Tenacity: JFK, USN

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

June 2022

The story of John F. Kennedy’s World War II exploits are well known, but the rest of his time in the U.S. Navy has not received much attention.

‘The Nation Badly Needed an Offensive Action’

By General James H. Doolittle, U.S. Air Force (Retired)

June 2022

On 18 April 1942, Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle of the U.S. Army Air Forces entered the annals of World War II history in command of the celebrated Doolittle Raid.

Pieces of the Past

By Frank A. Blazich Jr.

June 2022

An artifact in the National Museum of American History tells the intriguing tale of a U.S. Navy connection to, of all things, the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

On-the-Roof Gang: The U.S. Navy’s Cryptologic Pioneers

By Master Chief Matt Zullo, U.S. Navy (Retired)

June 2022

The predecessors of today's naval enlisted crytologic professionals.

Blue Angels Skipper, Captain Arthur R. Hawkins, USN (Ret.)

By Taira Payne

June 2022

Capt Hawkins recalls performing the first through-the-canopy ejection from a jet.

Stillwell, Former Naval History Editor, Named NIP 2021 Author of the Year

June 2022

Paul Stillwell, who served as the first-ever Editor-in-Chief of Naval History magazine in the 1970s and ’80s, has been named 2021’s Naval Institute Press Author of the Year.

Ship Commissioning Honors First African-American Marine Aviator

June 2022

The first African American Marine aviator is honored with a ship named for him, the USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG-121)

Back in the U.S.S.R.

By Captain James “Ros” Poplar III, U.S. Navy (Retired)

June 2022

Remembering a historic, groundbreaking port call to Leningrad by the USS Leahy and USS Tattnall in 1975.

A Brief But Heroic Life

By Commander Thomas F. McCaffery, USNR (Ret.)

June 2022

Although the USS Lakatoi's career was less than a week it served an important role in the early days of World War II.

Radioman Jack McMullen: A Colorful Career

By Niles Laughner

June 2022

The role a radioman played in the Invasion of Sicily during World War II.

The Angelic Nurses of World War II

By CPO Robyn R. Heath

June 2022

The story of the Navy and Army nurses taken prisoners of war.

Remembering the Caribsea

By Jon Hoppe

June 2022

War comes to the East Coast.

The Sinking of the USS President Lincoln, 31 May 1918

By Jon Hoppe

June 2022

CDR P.W. Foote relates his experience as commanding officer of the USS President Lincoln during its sinking.

The Ladies of Newport

By Frankie Witzenburg

June 2022

The investigations that took place during the Newport Sex Scandal fall into a broader narrative of unethical techniques used to single out and persecute LGBTQ+ individuals.

The Pacific Strategy in World War II: Lessons for China’s Antiaccess/Area Denial Perimeter

By Major Patrick Naughton, U.S. Army Reserve

June 2022

By understanding the evolution of the strategy in the Pacific, the Navy can forge a future approach if it finds itself executing large-scale combat operations against China.

The Greatest Naval Deception of the Vietnam War

By Colonel John Gargus, USAF (Retired)

June 2022

The U.S. Navy had a critical (and unsung) role in the 1970 Son Tay raid; here is the story that was buried at the time.

The Retro Bomb

By Terry A. Gardner, EMC (SW) USN (Ret.)

June 2022

The U.S. Navy develops a unique weapon to combat U-boats.

The Greatest Naval Deception of the Vietnam War, Part Two

By Colonel John Gargus, U.S. Air Force (Retired)

June 2022

A blow-by-blow account of the critical (and unsung) role of the U.S. Navy in the 1970 Son Tay raid—a story that was buried at the time.

Flying Beer Trucks

By Rodney Harrison

June 2022

A trip to the hospital turns into a beer run for sailors on Emirau.

The Greatest Naval Deception of the Vietnam War, Part Three

By Colonel John Gargus, U.S. Air Force (Retired)

June 2022

A tribute to the U.S. Navy’s unsung role in the 1970 Son Tay raid—a story that was buried at the time.

The Air Force at Midway:  Doctrinal Lessons for the Joint Force  

By 2d Lt Grant T. Willis, USAF 

June 2022

“America’s Salamis” illustrated the importance of land-based air power for providing a timely, lethal, reliable, and survivable Pacific deterrent.

The Iowa-Class Battlecarrier: A Design that Never "Took Off"

By Jon Hoppe

June 2022

Following Desert Storm, the Navy recapitalized its assets and decommissioned the Iowas, though Charles Myers continued to push for the conversions as late as 1995.