On Our Scope

By Eric Mills

February 2023

Here at the U.S. Naval Institute, we have a legendary figure or two of our own.

Wreck of 17th-Century Swedish Warship Discovered

February 2023

Marine archaeologists from Vrak—the Museum of Wrecks in Stockholm, Sweden—have discovered the wreck of the 17th-century warship Äpplet (“Apple”).

Stillwell Wins Morison Award for Battleship Commander

February 2023

It is the third prestigious award in a row for the book.

Miniature Model Museum in Search of a Home

February 2023

Dror Doron, a naval officer based in Israel, has created a remarkable museum of models covering a wide variety of historical themes—including naval history—and he’s now seeking a home for ...

In Contact

February 2023

Readers respond to stories from recent issues of Naval History.

Flying with Grace

By Norman Polmar

February 2023

During the 1920s and 1930s several large, graceful, rigid airships flew across the Atlantic and within the United States. Four of them were emblazoned “U.S. Navy.”

‘Ultimately, Alone’

By J. M. Caiella

February 2023

The second oldest active commissioned U.S. Navy warship began life as an Army vessel crewed by U.S. Coast Guardsmen.

The Flaming Ships of Red Cliffs

By Eric Mills

February 2023

The trading routes of the Great Silk Road linked the empire of the Han to its mirror image in the west, the Roman Empire.

The Super Submarine: USS Albacore

By Norman Friedman

February 2023

The USS Albacore (AGSS-569) is remembered as the prototype for the hull form of fast, maneuverable submarines. But her story is much more complex than that.

The Marine Corps’ Air War Over the Pacific

By Lieutenant Colonel Peter F. Owen, U.S. Marine Corps (Retired)

February 2023

The First Prize Winner in the 2022 CNO Naval History Essay Contest offers an illuminating look at the markedly versatile role played by Marine air power in the fight against ...

Indomitable Spirit

By William J. Prom

February 2023

From his glory days as a star runner at the U.S. Naval Academy to his ultimate fate in the space shuttle Columbia, a tribute to Willie McCool.

Hell Roarin’ Mike

By William H. Thiesen

February 2023

The life and times of a Coast Guard legend—Captain Michael Healy, the rough-and-tumble tamer of the wild Alaskan frontier.

Captain Worden vs. the Rattlesnake

By John V. Quarstein

February 2023

After gaining fame in command of the USS Monitor, John Worden added to his luster with the destruction of a notorious Confederate commerce raider–turned blockade runner–turned privateer.

Taking Aim at North Sea Mines

By Todd A. Woofenden

February 2023

The waters were deadly after World War I with 70,000 mines strewn from Norway to the Orkney Islands. This was a job for the U.S. Navy.

The Unsinkable Imperial Transport

By David McCormick

February 2023

The remarkable story of a World War II British tanker that German U-boats simply could not sink—even after blowing her in half.

Book Reviews

February 2023

Historian David F. Winkler reviews Escape from Java: The Extraordinary World War II Story of the USS Marblehead.

Harm’s Way: Ernest E. Evans

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

February 2023

Arguably there are acts of courage in U.S. naval history that equal what Evans did, but none exceed it.

Pieces of the Past

February 2023

Throughout history, naval leaders have been honored on coins and commemorative medallions intended for collectors. A few have even risen to rule their nations.

Acts of Valor: Jay R. Vargas, USMC

By Kelly Swann

February 2023

Graphic art depicts the deeds of a Vietnam War hero who received the Medal of Honor for his actions at the 1968 Battle of Dai Do.

London Duty

By Rear Admiral Elliott B. Strauss, U.S. Navy (Retired)

February 2023

When Elliott Strauss served as naval attaché in 1930s London, it was a world of morning coats and top hats, of dinner jackets and old-school formality.

“Sixteen Minutes from Home” Willie McCool’s Memorial

By William Prom

February 2023

“From our orbital vantage point, we observe an earth without borders, full of peace”

The Sinking of the Lancastria

By Michael Sheldrick

February 2023

Thousands were killed when the Luftwaffe sank the British ship Lancastria in 1940; for some, even years later, the loss was personal.

Fateful Encounter: the USS S-38 and the Sinking of the Hydra II

By Captain James P. Ransom III, U.S. Navy (Retired)

February 2023

The encounter between a U.S. submarine and an allied merchant ship faded into obscurity.

The Strange Navy That Shipped Millions of Japanese Home

By Scot Christenson

May 2024

SCAJAP’s repatriation operation was an extraordinary logistical achievement that played a significant role in the postwar recovery of Asia

Charleston’s Confederate Ironclad Attack

By Richard Latture

February 2023

Lieutenant William H. Parker's account of the CSS Palmetto State's encounter with the Union blockaders.

Chongjin: Soviet Amphibious Operations Against Japan, 1945

By Charles Stephenson

February 2023

With Hitler defeated, the Soviet Union steered its efforts eastward for the final phase of the Pacific war.

The Loss of the USS Macon, 12 February 1935

By Taira Payne

February 2023

In this excerpt from his oral history Admiral Miller recounts the dramatic loss of the USS Macon.

Eyewitness to the Battle of the Atlantic

By William H. Thiesen

February 2023

Lieutenant Commander Anton Fischer created a lasting archive of vivid you-are-there imagery that captures the drama of the World War II Atlantic.