Admiral Yi Sun-sin, Korea’s Greatest Military Hero

Admiral Yi Sun-sin died 426 years ago today, in his final victory against the Japanese on behalf of the Joseon dynasty. He died of a gunshot wound at the Battle of Noryang on December 16, 1598, the closing battle of … Continue reading

Oil Spill in Kerch Strait After Russian Tankers Sink During Black Sea Storm

Authorities in Russia have said two small Russian oil tankers sank or were seriously damaged in the Black Sea on Sunday, resulting in an oil spill in the Kerch Strait.  The two tankers, Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239, each with cargo deadweights … Continue reading

HMS Victory, French Oak & the Ship of Theseus — Thoughts on Varied Lives of A Ship

The BBC recently reported that HMS Victory, one of the most celebrated warships in British history, is being repaired using wood from France. The conservation work is part of a 10-year project titled The Big Repair, which will cost £40-£45m. … Continue reading

USS Oklahoma Sailor John Auld Who Died in Pearl Harbor Attack Finally Buried in Albuquerque

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced on Thursday that US Navy Seaman 2nd Class John C. Auld, 23, of Newcastle, England, killed on the USS Oklahoma, during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor of 1941 has been identified.  He … Continue reading

Radio Broadcasts Reporting Attack on Pearl Harbor 83 Years Ago Today

An interrupted broadcast of a football game, a newsbreak during a performance by the New York Philharmonic, a weather report followed by an announcement from President Roosevelt that Japan had bombed Pearl Harbor. Reports of attacks on the Philippines. Here … Continue reading

Remembering the Halifax Explosion of 1917 & the Boston Christmas Tree

One hundred and seven years ago today, on the morning of December 6, 1917, the French freighter SS Mont-Blanc and the SS Imo, a Norwegian ship chartered to carry relief supplies to Belgium, collided in the Narrows, a strait connecting … Continue reading

Swedish Sailor Lost Overboard in ARC Ralley 2024

Yesterday, the World Cruising Club (WCC) released a statement regarding a Swedish sailor lost overboard in the mid-Atlantic from the Volvo 70 racing yacht Ocean Breeze on Monday while sailing with the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC). “It is with … Continue reading

Update: Egyptian Dive Boat Sinking — 5 Survivors Rescued After 30 Hours Trapped in Air Pocket

After the Egyptian liveaboard dive boat, Sea Story, capsized and sank in heavy weather in the Red Sea early Monday morning, 28 of the 44 passengers and crew were rescued. On Tuesday, divers rescued five additional survivors trapped in air … Continue reading

Egyptian Liveaboard Dive Boat Sinks in Red Sea, Sixteen Missing

The Sea Story, a 44m Egyptian tourist liveaboard dive boat, sank in the Red Sea early this morning. Of the 44 aboard, including 13 crew, 28 were rescued while 16 remain missing. The crew was all Egyptian, while the tourists … Continue reading

US Navy’s Military Sealift Command to Sideline 17 Ships Due to Mariner Shortage

The Military Sealift Command (MSC) operates approximately 125 replenishment and military transport ships to support the US Navy. Currently, MSC has more ships than it has civilian mariners to sustainably operate them.  MSC’s commander confirmed Thursday that the command will … Continue reading

Update: Undersea Cables Cut — Chinese Bulk Carrier Suspected, Irish Navy Intercepts Russian Spy Ship

We posted yesterday about a telecommunications cable in the Baltic Sea between Finland and Germany that was severed Monday morning, and a 218km internet link between Lithuania and Sweden’s Gotland Island that stopped working on Sunday. Chinese Bulk Carrier Detained … Continue reading

Watch Given to Captain of Carpathia, Rescuer of 700 on Titanic, Sells for Record £1.56M at Auction

An interesting story from the Guardian. When the RMS Titanic struck an iceberg and sank on 15 April 1912, approximately 1,500 died. The RMS Carpathia, under the command of Captain Arthur Rostron, rescued 706 passengers and crew from the Titanic‘s lifeboats. A … Continue reading

New Destroyer USS John Basilone Commissioned on Hudson River in New York City

Last Saturday morning at Pier 88 on the Hudson River, the US Navy commissioned its newest destroyer, USS John Basilone. With the New York City skyline as a backdrop, the ceremony took place between the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid and the … Continue reading

Repost: On Armistice Day, Remembering the German High Seas Fleet Mutinies of 1918

In the US, today is Veteran’s Day, when we honor those who have served in the military. It coincides with Armistice Day, the anniversary of the signing of the armistice which ended World War I, on the 11th hour of … Continue reading

Art on Superyachts — $3 Million Warhol “Brillo Pad Box” Sculpture Thrown Out With the Trash

In 1964, pop-artist Andy Warhol shocked the art world by making hundreds of replicas of supermarket cartons and presenting them as art. He painted screenprints of soup cans, then sculptures of packaging for Kellogg’s cornflakes and Heinz ketchup. Among the … Continue reading

Eighty Three Years Ago Today: The Sinking of the USS Reuben James – October 31, 1941

The first American naval ship lost in World War II was not sunk in the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941.  Over a month before, on October 31, 1941, the destroyer USS Reuben James, escorting a convoy bound … Continue reading

Eighty Years Ago Today — Battle off Samar, a Victory Against All Odds

The Battle of Leyte Gulf was fought eighty years ago this week between the US and Australian navies and the Imperial Japanese Navy.  It was the largest naval battle of World War II and by some standards the largest naval … Continue reading

Celebrating Trafalgar Day and the Anniversary of the Launching of “Old Ironsides”

Two hundred and nineteen years ago today, in 1805, the Royal Navy, commanded by Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, defeated the combined French and Spanish fleets in the Atlantic off Cape Trafalgar.  The decisive victory ended French plans to use the combined … Continue reading

Happy Belated Birthday US Navy – Whenever and Wherever the Date and Place May Be

We are a few days late in wishing the US Navy a happy 249th birthday. October 13th, is celebrated as the birthday of the United States Navy. This should not be confused with Navy Day, once celebrated on October 27th.  The current … Continue reading