On this day in 1862, a radically different type of warship is commissioned. USS Monitor  was the Union’s first iron-hulled steamship, but it wasn't the only one of its kind. The Confederacy had already been working on its own iron-hulled ship, CSS Virginia , for months. Between the two of them, Monitor  and Virginia  would have a lasting impact on naval warfare.   At this point in the Civil War, Union ships were maintaining a blockade at Hampton Roads in Virginia. When CSS Vi

On this day in 1864, a Confederate submarine torpedoes and sinks USS Housatonic.  The H.L. Hunley  changed naval warfare forever. It was the first submarine to successfully sink a warship!   Americans had been trying to develop submarines for use in warfare for decades. As early as 1776, an attempt was made to use a submarine during the American Revolution. In the mid-1800s, as the Civil War began, both Union and Confederate forces were still trying to develop this technology

On this day in 1992, the “Father of Naval Special Warfare” passes away. Phil Bucklew has been credited with laying the groundwork for many aspects of today’s naval special forces, including the Navy SEALs.   The former Cleveland Ram had been coaching a football game when Pearl Harbor was attacked. News of the Japanese assault was soon announced over the stadium’s loudspeakers. “We were down in the bar [after the game],” he later described, “and someone said, ‘Let’s all join t

On this day in 1812, USS Constitution wins an intense naval battle against HMS Guerrière . Perhaps you know that Constitution is...

On this day in 1944, a Coast Guardsman leads a daring mission, capturing hundreds of Germans and freeing dozens of American POWs....

On this day in 1968, a nuclear submarine in the United States Navy makes her last contact with an American base. She would soon go...

On this day in 1942, an American passenger-cargo ship travels from Guatemala to New Orleans. No one could then know it, but Heredia  ...

On this day in 1778, American naval hero John Paul Jones writes a “Chivalrous Letter” to the Countess of Selkirk. Or so it has been...

On this day in 1945, Americans destroy a German submarine near Point Judith, Rhode Island. That submarine, U-853, had torpedoed an...

On this day in 1912, RMS Titanic departs on its maiden voyage from Southhampton to New York. That trip famously ended when the ship hit...

On this day in 1942, a Navy chaplain engages in an action that would earn him the Navy Cross.   George S. Rentz is the only Navy Chaplain...

On this day in 1945, kamikazes plow into American warships near Iwo Jima. One aircraft carrier, the USS Bismarck Sea, was fatally...

On this day in 1732, an American Patriot is born in Massachusetts. You may or may not know John Glover’s name, but you do know about the...

On this day in 1803, the Tripolitans capture a stranded American vessel. Mere months later, Navy legend Stephen Decatur would set that...

On this day in 1923, USS Shenandoah  is christened. The rigid airship was intended for airborne surveillance, similar to what Germany...

On this day in 1920, a future U.S. Coast Guardsman is born. John “Jack” Cullen is best known for his role in finding and stopping Nazi...

On this day in 1776, Americans launch the first submarine attack. They hoped to break a British blockade of New York harbor. The...

On this day in 1851, the New York Yacht Club’s schooner, America , races and defeats fifteen yachts of the Royal Yacht Squadron. Did the...

On this day in 1939, the crew of the USS Squalus is rescued. The day before, the submarine had sunk to a shocking depth: 240 feet. The...

On this day in 1939, a Sargo-class submarine sinks during a deep dive. No submarine crew had ever been rescued once they’d sunk below 20...