The Soviet submarine S-6 which disappeared on patrol in September, 1941 was been identified on the floor of the Baltic by the Swedish military. The submarine was found southeast of the Baltic island of Oland, in what was, during the … Continue reading
Category Archives: History
It seems to me that history is all about connections. Lawrence Gooley, writing in the Adirondack Almanack, notes how many ships present at the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, were named in remembrance of those who fought … Continue reading
In December of 1941, Betty McIntosh was a reporter for the Honolulu Star Bulletin. On December 7th, when the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was attacked, she was sent out by her editors to report from a “women’s point of … Continue reading
The CBC’s Land & Sea is without question the favorite television program that I have never watched on television. While I cannot get Canadian broadcasting on my television, Land & Sea fortunately also puts their programming on-line. We have previously … Continue reading
Last Wednesday, we posted about the wreck of a wooden ship uncovered by Superstorm Sandy beneath the dunes of Fire Island, east of Davis Park. The remains are thought to be the Bessie A. White, more than 90 years old, said Paula Valentine, public affairs specialist for … Continue reading
Faulkner wrote, “The past isn’t dead. It isn’t even past.” I was reminded of this when I read a wonderful post on Joan Druett’s blog this morning, The Mutiny on the Bounty. She vividly recreates the scene of the mutiny from the deck … Continue reading
After almost 51 years in service, twice its expected lifespan, the nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise is winding up its 25th deployment and will be heading back to Norfolk to be deactivated on December 1 and decommissioned once all reusable items are removed. USS Enterprise was the … Continue reading
The figurehead on the Cutty Sark is dramatic – a woman, all in white, wearing a flowing robe which leaves her upper body uncovered. He face is fixed in a scowl or grimace and she is reaching out with one … Continue reading
Herman Melville died September 28, 1891. He was indeed a great American writer, some would argue the great American writer. He was also the greatest failed writer of his day. When he died all of his books had been out … Continue reading
Imagine an antique Victorian desk purchased for £30, that has a stuck drawer. A determined auctioneer, working on the drawer with a screw driver for around 20 minutes, managed to un-stick it only to find that the object blocking the drawer was a small bone … Continue reading
In our post about the passing of Bill King, we originally referred to him as the last surviving World War II submarine commander. Apparently, that is not the case. We learned from Pat Barnhouse on the MarHist list that “Lieutenant Commander … Continue reading
Bill King, one of the last surviving World War II submarine commanders and a single-handed circumnavigator, died yesterday at his home at Oranmore Castle in County Galway, Ireland. His family issued a statement which reads, “Commander Bill DSO, DSC submariner and … Continue reading
The first word one associates with speed under sail is probably not barge. Nevertheless, Thames River barges are no slackers when the wind is blowing. Recently, the folks at Cambria Trust posted a photo of a GPS screen on restored … Continue reading
The story goes that around 1856, a man from Missouri named Thomas built a “windwagon,” a “prairie clipper” to sail the Western plains. Unfortunately, despite sailing around 100 miles down the Santa Fe trail, his “Prairie Clipper Company” was not a … Continue reading
In 2010, the headline read, Modern cargo ships slow to the speed of the sailing clippers. The article was subtitled, “Container ships are taking longer to cross the oceans than the Cutty Sark did as owners adopt ‘super-slow steaming’ to … Continue reading