CSS Alabama and USS Kearsarge: Duel off the Coast of France
In June 1864, the American Civil War had been raging for three years, and merchant ships were increasingly becoming targets. For the previous two years,…
A Desperate Fight to the Death: RMS Carmania Vs. SMS Cap Trafalgar 1914
In September 1914, WWI had only just begun. Europe was plunged headlong into the greatest conflict yet seen, but a victory for either side was…
Capture of the Privateer Jeune Richard, 1807 – When 28 men defeated 92
On October 1, 1807, a lone British packet was sailing 110 miles off the Northeast Coast of Barbados. The crew of 28, both men and…
When One Man Attacked The USA With His Militia at His Back – Pancho Villa
In 1916 WWI was ravaging Europe. Neutral countries were on edge, striving to stay out of the conflict. Then the southern border of the United…
When A British Destroyer Rammed a German Cruiser In World War Two
April 8, 1940, two ships found each other off the coast of Norway. One a German heavy cruiser the Admiral Hipper, the other, a British…
“Hell Roaring Mike”: A Highly Respected American Commander At Sea
Michael Augustine Healy was the first African-American man to command a US ship. He was well known and well respected for his actions off the…
The E.A. Stevens: A Ship Ahead of its Time
The 19th century saw an incredible advance in ship designs, from full-rigged wooden ships to enormous iron and steam liners. Progress was achieved through experimentation,…
A Sailor’s Life For Me – A day in the life of a Royal Navy Sailor from 1806
The life of a sailor has never been easy, and during wartime, it is doubly true. It was particularly so in the Royal Navy at the…
The First Yale Unit: College Students Form a Flying Squadron in 1916
In the Spring of 1916, as WWI was raging in Europe, the students at Yale University’s class of 1918 were preparing themselves for a summer of…
John D. Bulkeley’s Daring Evacuation of General Douglas Macarthur on a 77′ PT Boat
The US Navy is best known for its Admirals and battleships. Both are often the most prominent assets in the fleet, but in the Philippines,…
The Dawn of the Submarine: U-21 sinks HMS Pathfinder
In 1914 submarines were still a novel idea. Many nations had not utilized them until 1900, Germany not until 1906. Soon their worth would be…
Mighty WW2 Warships – KMS Admiral Graf Spee in the Battle of the River Plate
On September 1, 1939, while German troops were rolling across the border into Poland, their Navy was sent to raid Allied shipping lanes, much as…