The Connecticut River Museum in Essex holds a fully-functional replica of the “Turtle,” the first American submarine ever built. Little-known fact: the first submarine and underwater time bomb were created during the American Revolution–before electricity, and before Jules Verne. It was 100% human-operated (no engines just hand cranks and foot pedals) and used phosphorescent moss as…
Category: Naval Warfare
Espionage Files: Naval Espionage in an A2AD Age
U.S. Navy Lt. Edward Lin, a native of Taiwan, speaks about his path to US citizenship at a naturalization ceremony in Honolulu, Hawaii, in this US Navy handout photo taken December 3, 2008. Lin, a US Navy officer with access to sensitive US intelligence, faces espionage charges over accusations he passed state secrets, possibly…
Profiles in Courage: USMC Wildcat Ace Downs 7 Japanese Bombers on his First Combat Patrol During WWII
During WWII, Marine 1st Lt. James E. Swett attacked 15 enemy bombers, destroying 7, on his first combat patrol. On April 7, 1943, Medal of Honor recipient and Marine fighter ace James E. Swett shot down 7 Japanese bombers, taking out four all on his own after he became separated from his wingmen. He was…
Military Defense News: A Tour of the USS Zumwalt, America’s First Stealth Ship
A reporter for Defense News is the first to spend time on the USS Zumwalt as it conducted builders trials off the coast of Maine. The 610 foot long, 16,000 ton stealth destroyer, the first of her class, is undergoing extra testing before delivery to the U.S. Navy. The Zumwalt‘s iconic slab-sided profile, in which no…
Military News: After 95 Years, the USS Conestoga Has Been Found
The USS Conestoga left the Navy yard at Mare Island, Calif., on Good Friday, 1921, bound for Pearl Harbor, with a complement of 56 sailors. It cleared the Golden Gate at 3:25 p.m. and steamed into the Gulf of the Farallones in heavy seas. The Conestoga was a rugged oceangoing tug that had once hauled coal…
Military History: Spain’s Siren Song
17th Century Spain and The Allure of Idealized History in Grand Strategy Many readers may be familiar with Paul Kennedy’s classic The Rise and Fall of Great Powers. It is often recommended to those who have an interest in grand strategy. However, readers might be less familiar with a collection of essays edited by Kennedy, Grand…
Military Defense News: “Railgun” Projectiles That Can Travel at Mach 6
New “bullets” for military railguns, which could strike enemy targets traveling at a whopping six times the speed of sound, are being tested. Electromagnetic railguns and lasers are two technologies the military is harnessing as an alternative to gunpowder. The U.S. Navy is pioneering the futuristic weapons that could play a vital role in future…
Military Defense News: Next-Gen Russian Subs Constructed of Stealthier Composite Materials
Next-generation Russian nuclear submarines may use composite structures — imagine something akin to a cutting-edge carbon fiber — in an attempt to drastically reduce their acoustical signatures. But this wouldn’t be the first time Moscow has experimented with novel materials to build submarines. Before its collapse, the Soviet Union pioneered the use of titanium hulls…
Military History: Top 5 Worst Submarine Disasters
North Korea’s apparent loss of one its submarines this week is a stark reminder that operating in the undersea domain is fraught with danger. Since the Second World War, the United States, Russia and China—and a host of other nations—have lost vessels and their crews to accidents. Operating submarines is a risky business under…
World War Two History: WW2 Vets Aim to Relive History as PT Boat Restoration Nears Completion
Very Cool. I love to see stuff like this! Wish I could have lended a hand! That is one mean PT Boat!-SF It was a run-in with the enemy that was too close for comfort, and more than 70 years later, the details remain vivid in the mind of a Navy veteran who served aboard…