12-19 NOVEMBER 1814 McGOWAN’S RAID The British and American naval fleets on Lake Ontario contested that region throughout the War of 1812. In fact, the British began the 1814 fighting season by chasing American Commodore CAPT Isaac Chauncey’s squadron from its Read More
31 OCTOBER-28 NOVEMBER 1873 VIRGINIUS AFFAIR Historically our Navy has been tasked with the protection of American citizens overseas, as witnessed by a nearly explosive brush with Spain in 1873. Cuban rebels were well into their 40-year struggle for independence from Read More
21 OCTOBER 1805 THE BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR (cont.) Watching the British advance, Villeneuve ordered his fleet into a traditional line-ahead (historians suspect a lack-luster execution was made in spite of Villeneuve’s suspicion that Nelson might break his line). The vacillating Villeneuve Read More
21 OCTOBER 1805 THE BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR It was the fifth year of Napoleon Bonaparte’s fifteen-year empire-building reign in France. Having already conquered Belgium, the Low Countries, Spain, and much of Italy, Napoleon’s next target was England. He planned a cross-channel Read More
16-18 OCTOBER 1775 THE BURNING OF FALMOUTH Royal Navy North American theater commander, VADM Samuel Graves, took a hardline against the rebellious activities of Patriots in New England’s coastal towns. He ordered Royal Navy LT Henry Mowat in HMS CANCEAUX, 6, Read More
2 JUNE 1918 WORLD WAR I AT OUR DOORSTEP The bright sun and calm seas off Delaware’s coast this morning belied the sinister intent with which U-151 cruised the surface. Germany and the US had been at war for a year, Read More
22 NOVEMBER 1941 HMS DEVONSHIRE vs. ATLANTIS One of the Royal Navy’s early successes in WWII was the effort against German surface raiders. Indeed, KMS ATLANTIS had accumulated some impressive statistics by November 1941. Converted from the freighter SS Goldenfels, she Read More
11 NOVEMBER 1940 GERMAN RAIDER ATLANTIS Recognizing at the outset of WWII that the Kriegsmarine had not the strength to match the Royal Navy’s warfleet, Hilter’s maritime strategy concentrated on guerre de course, interrupting the flow of merchant ships carrying the Read More
2 APRIL 1944 FATAL ACCIDENT The Caroline Island lagoon of Chuuk (formerly Truk), ringed by a 40-mile-wide coral reef, was a key forward naval base for the Japanese in WWII. With the Allied advance across the Pacific, Truk became the target Read More