Age of Sail, Barbary Wars, Sailors

Preble’s Boys

                                             13 SEPTEMBER 1803                                                 PREBLE’S BOYS On this date, CDORE Edward A. Preble reached the Mediterranean in his flagship CONSTITUTION, 44, with PHILADELPHIA, 36; ARGUS, 16; SYREN, 16; ENTERPRISE, 12; NAUTILUS, 12; VIXEN, 12.  He assumed command of our Mediterranean Squadron and Read More

Barbary Wars

A Typical Day in the Barbary Wars

                                                 18 MARCH 1804                           A TYPICAL DAY IN THE BARBARY WARS Official Navy records show that March 18th, 1804, was a typical day for the vessels blockading the Barbary state of Tripoli.  This power had been holding American merchant crewmen and cargoes Read More

Age of Sail, Barbary Wars, War of 1812

USS LYNX

                                               11 JANUARY 1820                                                       USS LYNX In modern times, the unexplained disappearance of a vessel at sea would raise much interest, concern, news coverage, and even sensationalist speculation.  Witness the loss of Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 in 2014.  In the 19th century, Read More

Anti-Submarine, Destroyers, WWII Atlantic

Persistence…

                                                 13-17 MAY 1944                                                 PERSISTENCE… At 1400 on 13 May 1944, CDR George C. Wright of DESRON 21 was ordered to take USS GLEAVES (DD-423), NIELDS (DD-616) and MACOMB (DD-458) out of Oran, Algeria, to search for a submarine that had torpedoed Read More