Posted inAviation Maritime & Naval History World War 2

Our Navy Builds Flat-Top Mastery

By REAR-ADMIRAL E. L. COCHRANE, USN, Chief of the Bureau of Ships

By first punching the foe off balance and now smashing his last holds on the ocean, our aircraft carriers have proved modern speeders of Victory. Here “Buships” chief details how we’ve come from a mere seven to more than a hundred of these sky-sweepers.

Picture of an aircraft carrier from the side, showing rows of airplanes with folded wings on deck and sailors performing their work.

December 7, 1941, the United States had on hand seven full-sized carriers, the Lexington, Saratoga, Ranger, Yorktown, Enterprise, Wasp, and the Hornet, also the small escort carrier, Long Island. Of these the Lexington, Yorktown, Wasp, and Hornet have since been lost. For every one of those veterans lost, however, there has been built and are now at sea, nearly 30 replacements (including the escort carriers transferred to our allies).

In the two and a half years since Pearl Harbor, the number of carriers on hand (excluding the 38 transferred by lendlease to the British) has been increased to 90. totaling more than 1,400,000 tons. During this same period the combatant vessels of our Navy in all categories have more than tripled — going from 345 vessels, totaling 1,382,755 tons, to 1071 units, totaling 3,434,762 tons.

With the outbreak of war and following the heavy carrier losses in 1942. the desperate need for carrier strength in the Pacific and the growing demands for fighter transports pushed six vessels of the aircraft carrier program into top priority. With first call on the nation’s scarce materials and components, the inauguration of shift work, and the seven-day week, actual completions surpassed even the most optimistic forecasts.

Posted inMaritime & Naval History Ship Histories Shipwrecks & Nautical Disasters

Message in Bottle Tells of Shipwreck

Note Written in Dutch Found Floating in St. Lawrence Closes With “Adieu.”

By the Associated Press.

QUEBEC, November 2.—”Lost in storm. Written by one of the shipwrecked crew of the S. S. Aophard, Holland. Please be kind enough to forward this to Safekeeping. Happened October 25, 1925. Written by Ye Teolsa, Adieu.”

This message, countersigned by “Capt. Banderweevoen,” was found in a bottle in the St. Lawrence River near the lighthouse on Ste. Felicite, Quebec. October 27. It was written in Dutch, and, following its translation today by Abbe Desmet of Laval University, was sent to the Department of Marine and Fisheries at Ottawa.

Posted inBiographical Maritime & Naval History US Civil War

September 23, 1862 – Dismissal of Commander Preble

The telegraph has given the news of the dismissal from the service of Commander Preble, of the blockading squadron off Mobile, for allowing a vessel carrying the English flag to run the blockade, when he had power to prevent it. The people will not complain of any necessary increase of stringency in the Navy Department. An application of equal stringency to some other Departments would not be ungrateful to the popular heart. With reference to this particular case, however, we feel confident, as do the numerous friends of Commander Preble in this city, that when all the facts shall come to be known, he will be restored to his command. Commander P. is a Portland boy, was raised in this city, educated in our Public High School, and is known to be as true a sailor, as honest a man, and as loyal a citizen as ever stepped on shipboard, or obeyed an order. He is a nephew of the late Commodore Preble, and, like his old weather beaten kinsman, has seen hard and honorable service. His friends, we repeat, cherish abiding confidence that there must be palliating circumstances, which, when known, will cause his name to be restored to the service.

Posted inDaily News Maritime & Naval History Ship Histories

Majestic Sails Despite Strikers

Three Other Steamers Get Crews and Leave

Photo of RMS Majestic, a three-funneled ocean liner.

London, Sept. 2 (AP)—The situation in British home ports resulting from the official strike of seamen against a wage reduction was somewhat eased today by the sailing of the While Star liner Majestic from Southampton and the news that three steamers at Hull had finally obtained crews and would leave on time.

On the other hand there was little diminution in the seriousness of the situation in dominion ports as reflected in advices reaching London.

Posted inDaily News Maritime & Naval History

Preserve The “Bear”

Coast Guard cutter USS Bear, in the ice. It is captioned "U.S.S. Bear - Pt. Barrow Alaska - August 21, 1922. The bear is a 3 masted ship with a funnel between the first two masts.

Now that the historic Bear is safe again and en route south, let’s revive that former suggestion for preserving the grand old ship for Seattle.

Some time ago the Chamber of Commerce started a movement to bring the ship here after her last voyage as a coast guard cutter, and turn her into a sort of monument-—an embodiment of the spirit of the Northland. That is a worthy idea; it should be carried thru. And what better place for the Bear than Seattle harbor, from which so many tall ships have sailed to the storied lands to the northward?

Posted inMaritime & Naval History US Civil War

August 1, 1862 – Dispatch from the Gunboat Arkansas

CSS Arkansas running through the Union fleet above Vicksburg, Mississippi, 15 July 1862

The following is the dispatch in the Richmond Whig from the commander of the rebel gunboat Arkansas:

Vicksburg, July 15, 1862.

We engaged today, from six to eight a. m., with the enemy’s fleet above Vicksburg, consisting of four or more iron clad vessels and two heavy sloops-of-war, and four gunboats and seven or eight rams. We drove an iron-clad ashore, with colors down and disabled, blew up a ram, burned one vessel and damaged several others. Our smokestack was so shot to pieces that we lost steam, and could not use our vessel as a ram. We were otherwise cut up as we engaged at close quarters. Lost ten killed and fifteen wounded others with slight wounds.