Naval History
The French Navy – Marine Nationale 1939-40
France was second only to the United Kingdom as a colonial power, with possession stretching from the Caribbean to the Far East where French Indo-China was jealously watched by the Japanese. In between, France was also strong in much of Africa and especially in the north, as well as in the Middle East. Its possessions in North America and India…
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The Battle of Samar
At 6:35 A.M., as sunrise revealed a grayed-out and hazy dawn, the most powerful concentration of naval gun power the Japanese empire had ever assembled reordered its geometry in preparation for daylight operations. Twenty-five miles to Taffy 3’s north, lookouts on the heavy cruiser Chokai and light cruiser Noshiro reported…
Dunkerque and the Strasbourg Battleships
Dunkerque as built. Dunkerque The design of Dunkerque and Strasbourg was heavily influenced by the latest British practice. The battleships Nelson and Rodney, scaled-down versions of the G3 battlecruiser design of 1922, entered service in August and November 1927 respectively and had a major impact on the thinking of other…
MANNA FROM MARS: THE ARRIVAL OF SMSÂ GOEBEN
to force the Turks, even against their will, to spread the war to the Black Sea against their ancient enemy, Russia. —ADMIRAL WILHELM SOUCHON, commander of the German dreadnought SMS Goeben On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, the Duchess of Hohenberg, were murdered by an assassin…
Development of Naval Warfare in the Mediterranean I
A striking feature of the history of naval warfare is that most battles were fought close to land, often near a harbour or place of shelter. In ancient times sailors preferred to sail near to the coast, where protection could be sought in bad weather and supplies of food and…
Development of Naval Warfare in the Mediterranean II
Unlike their Mediterranean competitors the Turks had no established maritime culture. To become an Admiral in the Turkish fleet required no prior naval experience and the post would often be given to a governor of a coastal province. Similarly, captains and crew were not trained sailors. The captains typically rose…
Confederate Raid on New Bern, North Carolina
Start Date: February 1, 1864 End Date: February 2, 1864 New Bern, North Carolina, strategically sited on the Neuse River in North Carolina, had been captured by Union forces in March 1862. Not until January 1864 was Confederate Army of Northern Virginia commander General Robert E. Lee in position to…