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Every Sailor has a story…we dare you to tell yours.
The “Tell us your Story” focuses on the day and the life of every former and actve duty sailor’s everywhere and we invite you to participate. All stories submitted to the “Tell Us Your Story,” podcast include men and women who have proudly served in the U.S. Navy an opportunity to share their stories to help educate the public about the importance of a strong U.S. Navy.
The following was found on YouTube by a member. Sailors unknown.
February 26, 1991
During Operation Desert Storm, A-6E aircraft of VA-155 from USS Ranger (CVA 61) and Marine aircraft bomb Iraqi troops fleeing Kuwait City to Basra.
February 27, 1942
The Battle of the Java Sea begins, where the 14-ship Allied forces (American, Dutch, British and Australian) attempt to stop the 28-ship Japanese invasion of the Dutch East Indies colony of Java. The Japanese, during battles over three days, decimates the Allied forces, sinking at least 11 ships, killing more than 3,370 and taking nearly 1,500 prisoners.
February 28, 1844
An experimental 12-inch gun explodes on board USS Princeton, killing Secretary of State (former Secretary of the Navy) Abel P. Upshur, Secretary of the Navy Thomas W. Gilmer, and five other dignitaries and injuring 20 people.
March 1, 1953
During the Korean War, USS Valley Forge (CVA 45) aircraft raid the No.1 power plant at Chosen, Korea and heavily damage the strongly defended industrial site.
March 2, 1973
Women begin pilot training to U.S. Navy.
March 3, 1915
The Office of Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) is established by Congress with Adm. William S. Benson named the first CNO.
March 4, 1991
Iraq releases 10 Desert Storm prisoners of war (six Americans, three of whom were designated MIA), including Navy Lt. Jeffrey Zaun, Lt. Robert Wetzel, and Lt. Lawrence Slade
*Source: Naval History and Heritage Command. https://www.history.navy.mil
1942 – The Battle of the Java Sea begins, where the 14-ship Allied forces (American, Dutch, British and Australian) attempt to stop the 28-ship Japanese invasion.
On This Day
The Battle of the Java Sea began when the American-British-Dutch-Australian (ABDA) naval command attempted to stop the Japanese invasion of Java on February 27, 1942. Led by Royal Netherlands Navy Rear Admiral Karel W.F.M. Doorman, the ABDA force was decimated in a seven-hour battle. Lost in battle were Royal Netherlands cruisers Java and De Ruyter (Doorman’s flagship), along with Royal Netherlands destroyer Kortenauer. The Royal Navy (British) destroyers Electra and Jupiter were also sunk. Communication difficulties played a large part in the defeat, and the Japanese invasion continued, only delaying the inevitable by one-day. The cruisers, USS Houston (CA-30), and Australian cruiser, HMAS Perth, would evade being sunk by the Japanese but fate would soon intervene at the Battle of Sunda Strait, February 28-March 1, 1942.
1928
Pilot Cmdr. Theodore G. Ellyson (Naval Aviator No. 1) and crewmembers Lt. Cmdr. Hugo Schmidt and Lt. Roger S. Ransehousen died when their XOL-7 observation amphibian, BuNo A-7335, crashed into the Chesapeake Bay while en route from NAS Hampton Roads, Virginia, to Annapolis, Maryland.
1942
Seaplane tender USS Langley (AV-3), carrying 32 U.S. Army Air Force P-40 aircraft for the defense of Java, is bombed by Japanese naval land attack planes 75 miles south of Tjilatjap, Java. Due to the damage, Langley is shelled and torpedoed by USS Whipple (DD-217).
1942
The Battle of the Java Sea begins, where the 14-ship Allied forces (American, Dutch, British and Australian) attempt to stop the 28-ship Japanese invasion of the Dutch East Indies colony of Java. The Japanese, during battles over three days, decimates the Allied forces, sinking at least 11 ships, killing more than 3,370 and taking nearly 1,500 prisoners.
1945
Submarine USS Scabbardfish (SS-397) sinks Japanese guardboat No. 6 Kikau Maru, 100 miles northeast of Keelung, Formosa, while USS Blenny (SS-324) attacks a Japanese convoy off French Indochina and sinks merchant tanker Amato Maru off Cape Padaran.
1944
Three U.S. Navy submarines sink three Japanese cargo ships: Grayback (SS-208) sinks Ceylon Maru in the East China Sea; Cod (SS-224) sinks Taisoku Maru west of Halmahera while Trout (SS-202) sinks Aki Maru.
1945
Land-based patrol aircraft from VPB 112, along with others from three British vessels, HMS Labaun and HMS Loch Fada and HMS Wild Goose, sink German submarine U 327 in the English Channel.
1973
First airborne mine sweep in a live minefield takes place in the Haiphong, Vietnam ship channel by helicopters from Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron Twelve on board USS New Orleans (LPH-11).
2017
The Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Albuquerque (SSN-706) is decommissioned after 33 years of service during a ceremony held at Keyport Undersea Museum.
Newsweek is reporting that Russia is continuing to fulfill its long-standing naval nuclear plan despite Vladimir Putin’s recent decision to withdraw from an international treaty. Russian shipbuilding corporation, Sevmash, will provide the Russian Navy with two new submarines, the Imperator Alexander III and the Krasnoyarsk, by the end of the year. The Imperator Alexander III is a Borei class submarine capable of carrying 16 Bulava intercontinental ballistic missiles. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the submarines have improved weapon control systems, lower noise levels, and better systems for maneuvering and control at great depths. Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy’s ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) are focused on stealth and the precise delivery of nuclear warheads. The Ohio fleet has 14 SSBNs, each carrying up to 20 submarine-launched ballistic missiles. The U.S. Navy describes the SSBN’s strategic weapon as the Trident II D5 missile. The two Russian submarines are reportedly not related to Putin’s recent comments about nuclear proliferation or the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Two Iranian warships, the IRIS Makran and IRIS Dena, have been granted permission to dock in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, despite pressure from the US to bar them. The ships had previously been denied permission to dock in late January, but Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s government allowed them to dock after his trip to the US. The US has expressed concerns about the presence of the Iranian warships on Brazilian shores. The decision to allow the ships to dock comes as Lula seeks to bolster Brazil’s international standing. Diplomacy with Iran was one of the highlights of Lula’s previous presidential terms according to publised reports from Reuters.
Fox is reporting has quoted a ‘Warning sign’: Iran’s military reportedly sending warships to Brazil, Panama Canal in challenge to US ‘Tehran’s ability to expand its military presence in our hemisphere should be a warning sign,’ Sen. Rubio says
The Iran Marine Industrial Company is repairing a Russian ship that crashed into ice on the Volga River and is joining China in helping Russia dredge the Volga-Caspian Seaway Canal, further strengthening the emerging Moscow-Tehran axis, integrating Iran into the Russian-Chinese alliance, and threatening Ukraine. The involvement of China and Iran in the dredging project benefits Moscow’s ability to address bottlenecks, while allowing larger naval vessels from Russia’s Caspian Flotilla to transit to the Sea of Azov. The move will also counter Western influence and integrate Iran into the Russian-Chinese alliance in the military and economic spheres. The Kremlin’s decision to involve Iran in the dredging project will give Russia the advanced ability to project force westward more quickly. The author of the article is Paul Goble and it was published in Eurasia Daily Monitor and the Jamestown Foundation.
James Earl “Jimmy” Carter Jr. was the 39th President of the United States. Prior to his presidency, he served in the U.S. Navy and was a part of the team that worked on developing nuclear propulsion plants for naval vessels. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1946 and served on USS Wyoming before applying for submarine duty. He served as an executive officer, engineering officer, and electronics repair officer on the submarine SSK-1. After being selected by Admiral Hyman G. Rickover to join his program to create nuclear-powered submarines, Carter was assigned to the Naval Reactors Branch to assist in the design and development of these propulsion systems. He was preparing to become the engineering officer for USS Seawolf (SSN-575), but resigned from the Navy in 1953 to manage his family’s interests. Today, the Seawolf-class submarine Jimmy Carter (SSN-23) is named after him.
On February 17th, the U.S. Naval Academy held a ceremony to officially rename Building 105 after former President Jimmy Carter, the only Naval Academy graduate to become president. The renaming was a result of the Naming Commission recommending that all Department of Defense assets named for individuals who served in the Confederacy be renamed. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro gave remarks on Carter’s career, which included his time in the Navy, during which he had several noteworthy experiences. Despite his short time in the Navy, there is reason to believe that he would have had a successful career had he stayed.
Admiral Enrico Credendino warned Italian MPs that Moscow is increasing both the number of ships and its “aggressive attitude” in the Mediterranean Sea. According to Admiral Sanfelice di Monteforte, they’re here to stay Russian ships in the Med are rising in number and adopting an increasingly aggressive posture “that was not usual in the Mediterranean.” Speaking at the Defence Commission of Parliament’s Lower House, the Navy’s Chief of Staff Enrico Credendino warned of a “high risk of incident,” according to press reports at Decode39.
The knock-on effects of the war in Ukraine are reverberating on the sea, he said, noting “the impressive increase in the numbers of the Russian fleet in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea – to a level not even seen in the days of the Cold War.”
Although the high number of ships does not represent a direct threat to Italy’s national territory, Admiral Credendino warned MPs that Russia’s bolstering of forces and assertiveness “increase the tension so much.”
There is an “unstable balance” due to the presence of four allied aircraft carrier groups in the Med – a never-seen-before scenario, composed of the Italian, French, American and Spanish ships – and a Russian naval group with three modern ships posturing in the Ionian Sea, near Italian waters, warned the Navy’s Chief of Staff.
“The most modern ship is […] currently in South Africa and has embarked the hypersonic missiles: we don’t know whether they are effective or not, we will see, but the ship will enter the Mediterranean,” said Admiral Credendino, stressing that the situation “is complex and turbulent.”
The expert’s take. The presence of Russian ships is nothing new, and according to Admiral Ferdinando Sanfelice di Monteforte, a military expert and lecturer in strategic studies, “they will remain in the Mediterranean for quite a long time” with at least two different configurations. “those that seek to intimidate European countries in the Mediterranean, and those following the allied carrier groups in a function of counter-deterrence.”
While it’s reminiscent of the Cold War days, this situation entails a new threat: “the risk of a limited use of force by the Russians, with attacks on gas pipelines or submarine telecommunications cables” that crisscross the Med.
This novel tactic is a consequence of Russia being “in greater difficulty than in the Soviet Union era.”
Meanwhile, this scenario does not facilitate relations between the Northern and Southern shores of the Mediterranean basin. The Southern countries, explained Admiral Sanfelice di Monteforte, are worried “by the noise of sabre rattling” heard over the waters.
Upping the (cyber-)game. Given the political will to increase defence spending to 2% of GDP, the Navy official urged MPs to bridge the Italian Navy’s capability gaps. He also said that the month-long, all-fleet exercise in April would feature “a major cybersecurity training” to test the crew’s response time and the ships’ overall cyber resilience.
Admiral Enrico Credendino, the Navy’s Chief of Staff, warned Italian MPs that Russia is increasing its number of ships and adopting an increasingly aggressive posture in the Mediterranean Sea, which is increasing the risk of an incident. He noted that the impressive increase in the numbers of the Russian fleet in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea to a level not seen even in the days of the Cold War is due to the knock-on effects of the war in Ukraine. While the high number of ships does not represent a direct threat to Italy’s national territory, he warned that Russia’s bolstering of forces and assertiveness is increasing tension. Admiral Credendino also highlighted the risk of limited use of force by Russia, with attacks on gas pipelines or submarine telecommunications cables, which crisscross the Mediterranean. According to Admiral Ferdinando Sanfelice di Monteforte, a military expert and lecturer in strategic studies, the Russian ships will remain in the Mediterranean for quite a long time, with at least two different configurations. Additionally, Admiral Credendino urged MPs to bridge the Italian Navy’s capability gaps and to increase the Navy’s overall cyber resilience, which would be tested in a major cybersecurity training exercise in April writes Marco Battaglia at Decode39, a news and analysis website from italy.
The U.S. Navy appears to have learned its lesson after rushing new technology onto warships and speeding them into production, resulting in costly mistakes. In an article by David Sharp for ABC News, it was reported that the Navy is taking a more deliberate approach in the design and purchase of its next-generation destroyers to ensure new technologies, such as powerful lasers and hypersonic missiles, are mature before pressing ahead on construction.
Adm. Michael Gilday, chief of naval operations, acknowledged that the Navy has learned that when it moves too fast, big mistakes can be made. He stated, “Let’s be deliberate. Let’s not have our eyes become bigger than our stomach and get too far ahead of ourselves.”
The Navy is reducing risk by conducting more land tests and borrowing the radar and targeting system from the latest destroyers that’ll soon join the fleet. It’s also working with shipbuilders and designers to refine the ship’s blueprint, cost estimates, and workforce and supply forecasts.
While the Navy still plans to field new technologies on the destroyer, it’s balancing the best technology that’s reliable, affordable, and attainable. Matt Caris, a defense analyst with Avascent, said, “The Navy is trying to thread the needle with some potentially revolutionary capabilities in as low-risk and evolutionary process as possible. This was a lesson learned by the Navy’s laundry list of shameful acquisition programs.”
The Navy is trying to avoid repeating past shipbuilding mistakes, which have resulted in costly errors and early retirements of combat ships beset by problems. It’s juggling its priorities as it seeks not just a new destroyer but also a new attack submarine and a replacement for the F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet. The Navy is in a difficult spot because the Biden administration is not interested in dramatically increasing the military budget.
In conclusion, the Navy’s new approach to shipbuilding is a promising step towards avoiding past mistakes and ensuring new technologies are mature before construction. It shows a willingness to learn from costly errors and take a more deliberate approach to ensure the best possible outcome. Thank you David Sharp at ABC News for reporting on this important story.