Naval History Magazine – December 2021 Volume 35, Number 6

On Our Scope

By Eric Mills

December 2021

Highlights from the November/December issue of Naval History Magazine.

USMC Museum Receives Recovered Relics from Battle of Tarawa

December 2021

The National Museum of the Marine Corps has acquired a large collection of battlefield relics from the 20–23 November 1943 Battle of Tarawa.

Preservation Grant Awarded to USS Kidd

December 2021

The Baton Rouge, Louisiana, floating museum USS Kidd (DD-661) has been awarded a Tin Can Sailors Inc. grant of $10,000 for several ship preservation projects.

CNO Naval History Essay Contest Winners Feted

December 2021

The winners of the 2021 CNO Naval History Essay Contest were honored during a ceremony at the U.S. Naval Academy on 23 September.

UDT/SEAL Monument Unveiled

December 2021

A U.S. Navy UDT/SEAL monument was unveiled during a dedication ceremony at Miramar National Cemetery in San Diego on 27 August.

In Contact

December 2021

Readers weigh in on articles from recent Naval History magazine issues.

The Yankee Racehorse

By J M. Caiella

December 2021

The 36-gun ship Constellation was one of the first six frigates of the new U.S. Navy, which was created in 1797.

That Missing Douglas Aircraft

By Norman Polmar, Author, Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet

December 2021

The turboprop problems and the outstanding performance of the turbojet A4D Skyhawk led to cancellation of the A2D program.

Lovers, War Galleys, And The Rise Of An Empire

By Eric Mills

December 2021

Rivalry, power-plays, one of the world’s most legendary love affairs . . . Add a decisive naval battle into that mix, and you’ve got history in overdrive.

Landing on an Aircraft Carrier—Without Wheels

By Norman Polmar, Author, Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet

December 2021

Great Britain’s Royal Navy has been most innovative in carrier aviation.

Pearl Harbor at 80

By John Prados

December 2021

The 1941 attack that pulled America into global conflict was a seismic event in 20th-century history—and to this day, controversies continue and questions remain.

The Second-Wave Attack on Battleship Row

By Alan D. Zimm

December 2021

While the first strike on Pearl Harbor wreaked havoc and destruction, the follow-up strike was a thorough bust. What happened?

Bleak December

By Captain James P. Ransom III, U.S. Navy (Retired)

December 2021

Submarines were supposed to be the key element in the Asiatic Fleet’s defense of the Philippines—but the advancing Japanese tide rolled right over them in the weeks after Pearl Harbor.

Seizing the Initiative in Training

By Corbin Williamson

December 2021

First Prize winner—CNO Naval History Essay Contest. Underscoring the U.S./British/Australian naval exercises off Japan in 1947 and their relevance to the current geopolitical moment.

To an Uninhabited Extremity of the World

By Michael Romero

December 2021

In 1773, as the Royal Navy sought a passage across the North Pole, some future naval heroes were among those who ventured into that strange realm of the polar bear ...

Torpedo on Target!

By James D. Hornfischer, adapted by Doug Murray, drawn by Steven Sanders

December 2021

An excerpt from the graphic-novel adaptation of the naval bestseller The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors, published by Dead Reckoning.

Book Reviews

December 2021

Experts review Tomcat RIO, Into the Deep, and other new and noteworthy books.

Sunken Plane Wrecks of the Mediterranean

By Timmy Gambin and Lucy Woods

December 2021

Heritage Malta has created a free online platform to bring underwater wreck sites off the coasts of Gozo and Malta to the homes of the general public.

Collisions at Sea

By Lieutenant Commander Thomas J. Cutler, U.S. Navy (Retired)

December 2021

Despite the unique challenges that mariners face, there are practices that can significantly mitigate the risk of collision.

Insidious Political Influence

By Vice Admiral William P. Mack, U.S. Navy (Retired)

December 2021

Dr. John T. Mason Jr.’s 1980 oral history of Admiral Mack specified that the Institute could not release a sensitive portion of it until after the deaths of all involved.