THE COAST GUARD'S IRONCLAD

 The roar of cannon fire fills the air as a pall of gun smoke drifts across the James River, eight miles south of Richmond, Virginia.  Three Union ironclads, including the Revenue Cutter Naugatuck, are fighting in a battle with Confederate-manned Fort Darling, perched atop Drewry Bluff.

 Musket fire rains down upon the Revenue Cutter’s armored pilothouse while Lt. David Constable, the Naugatuck’s commanding officer, issues commands to engage the elevated fort.  This is the Naugatuck’s first true battle, and the crew is anxious to prove their ship’s worth alongside the other ironclads – USS Galena and the battle-tested USS Monitor.

 “The Monitor is a custom built vessel from the ground up, incorporating very specific design principals,” said David Krop, curator at the Virginia Maritime Museum. “Naugatuck, on the other hand, was taking the principles of the Stevens Brothers and applying them to an already-existing vessel.”

The Stevens brothers were businessmen and inventors who hailed from northern New Jersey.  A host of new technologies were placed on the Naugatuck, including a ballast system that allowed the cutter to semi-submerge and alter its draft, twin propellers to improve handling, and the extensive use of an untested India rubber in gun mounts and as water-tight seals.  

“That was the first time rubber was used in that respect: it’s very similar to today’s watertight tanks,” said Dr. William Thiesen, Coast Guard historian.  “This was really the first application of that technology.”

Anxious to have the ship tested in wartime conditions, the Stevens family offered the Naugatuck to the Navy, who promptly rejected the strange ship with its startling new technology.

However, the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service, the predecessor to the modern U.S. Coast Guard, welcomed Naugatuck into their fleet with open arms, and by mid-March, the ironclad, with a mixed crew of Stevens family employees and cuttermen, were steaming from New York City to Hampton Roads, Virginia. 

On April 9, 1862, the Naugatuck and crew joined the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron on the James River.  During the Naugatuck’s time in Hampton Roads, the crew traded shots with the CSS Virginia, steamed alongside the Union’s most famous ironclad the Monitor in a joint attack on Confederate forces at Sewell’s Point and provided support in the capture of Norfolk. 

On May 10, with Confederate forces retreating toward Richmond, Commodore John Rodgers took command of the James River Squadron, comprised of the wooden warships

Aroostook and Port Royal and the ironclads Monitor, Galena and the smaller Naugatuck, and gave chase to the withdrawing rebels.

Naugatuck’s ballast system proved useful in the operation and allowed the ship’s commanding officer, Lt. David Constable to help guide the larger ships through the shallows and bends of the James River.  On May 15, at 7:45 a.m., the tiny river armada approached the elevated heights of Fort Darling.

The Galena, the largest and lightest armored of the three ironclads, initiated the battle and traded shots with the fort.  The light armor proved a problem as approximately one in three hits penetrated the ship’s armor.  The Monitor attacked next, but the Monitor’s crew could not elevate the guns high enough to do any damage to the fort, and the Monitor’s crew retired downstream, giving Constable and the smaller Naugatuck a chance at the battle.  The Naugatuck’s own armor and semi-submersible innovations worked effectively to protect the ship from the fort’s fire while the loading ability of the guns below deck protected the crew from sharpshooters and musket fire.  The cutter continued to fire at the fort; however, the same design flaw in the Monitor was also present with the Naugatuck.  Both ships were designed to fight ocean-going prey and could not properly engage the fort.  During the course of the battle, the Naugatuck’s main cannon exploded and damaged the pilothouse and ship’s deck.  Luckily, no one was seriously injured during the explosion.

With the Galena badly damaged and the main guns of the Monitor and Naugatuck either useless or destroyed, the James River Squadron retreated from the Battle of Drewry Bluff and headed back down to City Point.  Thirteen crewmen from the Galena lost their lives in the battle, while the Monitor and the Naugatuck escaped relatively unscathed. 

After the battle, the Naugatuck, with its maneuverability and ability to alter its draft, quickly ferried injured men of the battered fleet back down the James River.   Afterward, Constable and the crew were ordered to take the Naugatuck back to New York for repairs.

The Naugatuck would never see a major battle again but would continue to serve proudly for an additional 27 years in the Revenue Cutter Service, patrolling the shallow backwaters of North Carolina’s Outer Banks. 

“While Naugatuck may not have been as tough or armored and effective as some of the other vessels and ironclads that we are aware of, it, in its own right, it’s a unique part of the story of ironclads and the Coast Guard as well,” said David Krop.

BEST OF 2013: The Maine Windjammer Project

The Maine Windjammer Project was created to preserve a photographic record of the golden age of the Maine windjammer for the generations to come.

The golden age of sail is long gone, but, on the coast of Maine the golden age of the Maine windjammer is at its height. Imagine if you could know ahead of time the important moments of history and be there to photograph that moment. So many historic moments have gone by unrecognized by those present and only later realized the significance of that very moment.

There was a time when sail was king on the coast of Maine. The lime trade, granite & marble, lumber from virgin forests, ice and the fishing trades all employed sailing craft to move their products. The lime trade alone employed over 200 two masted schooners in Rockland and the surrounding coastal Maine towns.

Steam powered vessels were making some of the longer trans-Atlantic runs and the passenger trade up and down the coast. However, for coastal trade and the hundreds of islands located just off the coast of Maine sail is still king.

On any given day, the coastal waters would be filled with these two masted schooners delivering cargo to and from all the coastal towns. They are the lifeline for those living on the islands, delivering everything from lumber to butter and even your grandfather’s new Sunday suit.
Today only a handful of the sailing vessels remain. Many of them were simply used until they were worn out and replaced by a new one. During the Great Depression, thousands of these boats were just abandoned where they stood and left to rot.

There is, however a place where during the summer and fall you can still see these historic vessels sailing the clear blue waters the Atlantic much the way they have for the past 200 years. Penobscot Bay is located on the coast of Maine and on any given day in the summer you may be able to see as many as 15 or more of these proud sailing vessels, known as windjammers. Many of these boats have been sailing for over 100 years! They are truly living history.

The Maine Windjammer Project started in 2007. It is an ongoing project to document the modern history of the historic windjammers on the coast of Maine. Many of these boats are over 100 years old two are over 142 years, launched in 1871. This unique photographic history covers from 2007 to the present, sailing, haul out and the special events, such as The Great Schooner Race 2010 to present.

This extensive archive is available to maritime and American history museums and those doing research on these last surviving boats.

The Maine Windjammer Project: www.mainewindjammerproject.com

For additional information contact Doug Mills at: dougmills@shootmainestudios.com

Penobscot Marine Museum's 2013 History Conference

Fish, Wind and Tide: Maine's Future Resources? Penobscot Marine Museum 2013 Annual History Conference Saturday, November 2, 8:15 am to 5:00 pm University of Maine Hutchinson Center     This year the conference brings together scientists, historians and educators to discuss Maine's important resources of fish, wind and tide.  The issues examined will be the change in Maine's fisheries over the centuries and the current state of this important resource, the historic use of wind and tide and whether Maine can lead the way in new wind and tidal power development, and what the future looks like for Maine's working waterfront.     Gulf of Maine Fisheries: An Historic Overview William Leavenworth, Senior Research Fellow, Environmental Conservation Department, Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst Karen Alexander, Historic Fisheries Scientist, Univ. of New Hampshire Planning Maine's Coastal Resources Matthew Nixon, Maine Coastal Program, Maine Dept. of Conservation Richard Nelson, Friendship Lobsterman Caitlin Cleaver, Marine Programs Associate, Island Institute Priscilla M. Brooks, Vice President and Director, Ocean Conservation Law Foundation Historic Tide Mills of Maine Bud Warren, co-founder of Tide Mill Institute and marine historian Maine's Tidal Power Development Gayle Zydlewski, Assistant Professor of Marine Science, Univ. of Maine, Orono Teresa Johnson, Assistant Professor of Marine Policy, Univ. of Maine, Orono Richard W. Kimball, Associate Professor of Engineering, Maine Maritime Academy Richard S. Armstrong, Executive Director of Tidal Energy Demonstration & Evaluation Center, Maine Maritime Academy Sail Making The Old Fashioned Way Eben Wilson, Apprentice Sailmaker at Nathaniel Wilson Sailmaker Inc. Maine's Wind Power Development TBA, Advanced Structures and Composites Center, University of Maine, Orono Paul Williamson, Director and Industry Coordinator of the Maine Ocean & Wind Industry Initiative  "Fish, Wind and Tide: Maine's Future Resources?" Penobscot Marine Museum's 2013 History Conference is Saturday, November 2, 8:15 am to 5:00 pm at the University of Maine Hutchinson Center, 80 Belmont Avenue, Belfast, Maine. To register online go to https://historyconference.eventbrite.com.  For more information go to www.penobscotmarinemuseum.org or call Penobscot Marine Museum at 207-548-2529.   The museum's annual history conference draws together scholars, historians, educators and the public interested in the history of Maine and Penobscot Bay. The Conference provides a forum for the exploration and sharing of ideas about the region's traditions and resources to promote a deeper understanding of the possibilities for Maine's future.                             www.penobscotmarinemuseum.org

Story Sponsor

www.shootmainestudios.com

The Maine Windjammer Project

The Maine Windjammer Project was created to preserve a photographic record of the golden age of the Maine windjammer for the generations to come.

The golden age of sail is long gone, but, on the coast of Maine the golden age of the Maine windjammer is at its height. Imagine if you could know ahead of time the important moments of history and be there to photograph that moment. So many historic moments have gone by unrecognized by those present and only later realized the significance of that very moment.

There was a time when sail was king on the coast of Maine. The lime trade, granite & marble, lumber from virgin forests, ice and the fishing trades all employed sailing craft to move their products. The lime trade alone employed over 200 two masted schooners in Rockland and the surrounding coastal Maine towns.

Steam powered vessels were making some of the longer trans-Atlantic runs and the passenger trade up and down the coast. However, for coastal trade and the hundreds of islands located just off the coast of Maine sail is still king.

On any given day, the coastal waters would be filled with these two masted schooners delivering cargo to and from all the coastal towns. They are the lifeline for those living on the islands, delivering everything from lumber to butter and even your grandfather’s new Sunday suit.
Today only a handful of the sailing vessels remain. Many of them were simply used until they were worn out and replaced by a new one. During the Great Depression, thousands of these boats were just abandoned where they stood and left to rot.

There is, however a place where during the summer and fall you can still see these historic vessels sailing the clear blue waters the Atlantic much the way they have for the past 200 years. Penobscot Bay is located on the coast of Maine and on any given day in the summer you may be able to see as many as 15 or more of these proud sailing vessels, known as windjammers. Many of these boats have been sailing for over 100 years! They are truly living history.

The Maine Windjammer Project started in 2007. It is an ongoing project to document the modern history of the historic windjammers on the coast of Maine. Many of these boats are over 100 years old two are over 142 years, launched in 1871. This unique photographic history covers from 2007 to the present, sailing, haul out and the special events, such as The Great Schooner Race 2010 to present.

This extensive archive is available to maritime and American history museums and those doing research on these last surviving boats.

The Maine Windjammer Project: www.mainewindjammerproject.com

For additional information contact Doug Mills at: dougmills@shootmainestudios.com

This Week in Naval History

This Week in Naval History

9 May 1926:MOH – LCDR Byrd & Chief Aviation Pilot Floyd Boyd

On 9 May 1926, Lieutenant Commander Richard E. Byrd and Chief Aviation Pilot Floyd Bennett report reaching the North Pole in their heavier-than-air-flight aircraft, both received the Medal of Honor for this event.

10 May 1960: USS Triton completed submerged circumnavigation

On 10 May 1960, USS Triton (SSRN-586), commanded by Captain Edward L. Beach, completed a submerged circumnavigation of the world in 84 days following many of the routes taken by Magellan. Triton’s cruise proved invaluable to the US. Politically, it enhanced the nation's prestige. From an operational viewpoint, the cruise demonstrated the great submerged endurance and sustained high-speed transit capabilities of the first generation of nuclear-powered submarines. Moreover, during the voyage, the submarine collected reams of oceanographic data. At the cruise's conclusion, Triton received the Presidential Unit Citation and Captain Beach received the Legion of Merit from President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

11 May 1943: Invasion of Attu, Aleutian Islands

On 11 May 1943, in the Attu Operation, Task Force 16, commanded by Rear Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid, landed a force of 3,000 US Army troops of the 7th Division in the cold and the mist of the Aleutians. Organized resistance by the Japanese ended on 30 May. Only the third amphibious landing by the Americans during WWII, the logistics were studied for future operations in the Atlantic and the Pacific.

12 May 1938: USS Enterprise (CV 6) was commissioned

On 12 May 1938, USS Enterprise (CV 6) was commissioned. Notable service during WWII included: the Doolittle Raid, the Battle of Midway, the Guadalcanal Campaign, Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, the Battle of the Philippine Sea, the Battle of Leyte Gulf, and the Okinawa Campaign, where she was badly damaged by a kamikaze strike. Decommissioned in 1947 and after failed campaigns to make her a museum ship, Enterprise was sold for scrapping in July 1958.

13 May 1908: Navy Nurse Corps was established

On 13 May 1908, the Navy Nurse Corps was established by Public Law No. 115, though nurses volunteered on board US Navy ships beforehand such as during the Civil War on board USS Red Rover and during the Spanish-American War on board USS Solace (AH-2). Note, on 16 April 1947, Congress passed the Army-Navy Nurses Act, giving Army and Navy Nurse Corps members permanent commissioned rank.

14 May 1801: Tripoli declared war on the United States

On 14 May 1801, Tripoli declared war on the United States for not increasing the annual tribute paid as protection money to prevent raids on it ships. Within less than a week a squadron, under Commodore Richard Dale, set sail to protect American interests and arrived on 1 July at Gibraltar. The squadron ships were: the frigates -- President, commanded by Captain James Barron, Philadelphia, commanded by Captain Samuel Barron, and Essex, commanded by William Bainbridge. Notable events were the Burning of the Philadelphia, the bombardment and raids on Tripoli harbor, and the first U.S. Flag Raising on foreign soil by U.S. Marines at Derna. On 4 June 1805, Tripoli made peace with favorable terms to the United States. The treaty required no payment for the peace, nor did it provide for future tribute, but involved a ransom of sixty thousand dollars for the release of the prisoners from the frigate Philadelphia. The US also agreed to evacuate Derne.

15 May 1800: USS Essex arrived at Java for escort duty

On 15 May 1800, the frigate Essex, commanded by Edward Preble, arrived in Batavia, Java, to escort United States merchant ships. During her journey, she was first US Navy warship to cross the Equator and to first U.S. man-of-war to double the Cape of Good Hope, Essex completed her escort mission in November.

This Week in Naval History

7 Mar 1994: 1st orders for women on board a combatant USN ship

On 7 March 1994, the US Navy issued the first orders for women to be assigned on board a combatant ship, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69).

8 Mar 1950: Operation Portrex

On 8 March 1950, the exercise Operation Portrex began. Operation Portrex was the first use of airborne troops in support of an amphibious landing and took place on Vieques Island, Puerto Rico. The two-week long exercise evaluated joint service doctrine for the combined operation.

9 Mar 1862: 1st Battle between Ironclads

On 9 March 1862, in the first battle between ironclads, USS Monitor and CSS Virginia engaged in battle in Hampton Roads, Virginia, and ushered in a new era of war. Though no side could claim victory, the battle was conducted at close range; and after an exchange spread over four hours, Virginia eventually withdrew. Virginia remained a threatening force until she was scuttled on 11 May. Of the battle, Capt John A. Dahlgren stated, “Now comes the reign of iron and cased sloops…to take the place of wooden ships.”

10 Mar 1945: Nurse POWs flown to the U.S.

On 10 March 1945, the Navy and civilian nurses interned at Los Banos, Philippines as Prisoners of War were flown back to U.S. The Navy Nurses were taken Prisoners of War in early January 1942 and were later awarded the Bronze Star for their time in captivity.

11 Mar 1942 -- MOH -- Lieutenant John Bulkeley, USN

On 11 March 1942, Lieutenant John Bulkeley, Commander Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 3, departed Luzon for Mindanao with Lieutenant General Douglas MacArthur and Rear Admiral Francis W. Rockwell in motor torpedo boats PT 32, PT 34, PT 35, and PT 41. The boats arrived at Cagayan, Mindanao on the 13th after a 560 mile voyage in heavy to moderate seas. For this action, along with other operations in the Philippines during the start of WWII, he received the Medal of Honor. Bulkeley later attained the rank of Vice Admiral.

12 Mar 1956: Attack Squadron 83 deployed overseas

On 12 Mar 1956, the first missile firing aircraft squadron was deployed overseas, Attack Squadron 83, which was equipped with F7U-3 “Cutlasses” armed with Sparrow missiles. They sailed aboard USS Intrepid (CVA 11) for the Mediterranean from Norfolk, Virginia.

13 Mar 1952: US Navy bombardment of shore batteries at Korea

On 13 March 1952, during the Korean War, USS Manchester (CL 83), USS James E. Kyes (DD 787), USS McGinty (DE 365) and USS Douglas H. Fox (DD 779) were supported by aircraft from Task Force 77 in conducting a bombardment of shore batteries on Kalmagak, Wonson, Korea. These batteries had become very active against ships conducting the siege of Wonsan and their rapidly improving accuracy demonstrated the installation of new fire control equipment. The batteries were silenced.