Happy Halloween-Neptunus Rex's Royal Police

For Halloween 2011, we present "HRH" Neptunus Rex's Royal Police squad on board the battleship USS Alabama (BB-8) during the 1907-1909 cruise of the U.S. Battle Fleet (a.k.a. the “Great White Fleet”). The Royal Police's job was to enforce order during the "crossing the line" ceremonies, which took place when a ship crosses the equator. Along with other the warships of the Fleet, this particular crossing-the-line ceremony took place on January 8, 1908. It was one of the largest events of its type.

Naval Surface Forces at NOB Norfolk, 1944

This is an August 1944 aerial shot of the piers at Naval Operating Base Norfolk (present day Naval Station Norfolk). Tied up at the piers are ships that represent two very different roles the U.S. Navy's surface forces played during World War II.

The two ships in the center of the picture are the battleship USS Missouri (BB-63) and the large cruiser USS Alaska (CB-1). Both ships had recently been commissioned and were in Hampton Roads for gunnery training in the Chesapeake Bay. After several weeks of practice, the Navy deployed both ships to the Pacific for the final drive on Japan. Both vessels served as escorts to the aircraft carrier task forces and shore bombardment vessels.

The ships in the lower half of the picture are the escort carrier USS Croatan (CVE-25) and several unidentified destroyers tied up at the base's destroyer escort piers. The locally-based escort carrier was the central member of an anti-submarine warfare "hunter-killer" group consisting of Croatan and two to four destroyers/destroyer escorts. During the war, Croatan's aircraft and her destroyers accounted for six U-boat kills (U-856, -488, -490, -154, -880, and -1235).

USS Onondaga Ship Model

This is a model of the double-turreted, monitor-type ironclad USS Onondaga that is currently on display in the museum's gallery. Built by the master ship model builders at the U.S. Navy's Naval Sea System Command's David Taylor Research Center, the model is a popular attraction at the museum.

The model is also an excellent teaching tool, as its builders incorporated several details that make it easy to interpret. Of particular note are the everyday activities of the ship's company (note the white box on the bow of the ship).

The real Onondaga was a late-war ironclad that incorporated many "lessons learned" from earlier monitor-type warships. Named after a Native American nation in upstate New York that is a member of the Iroquois Confederation, the ship maintained an extremely low free board that is characteristic of all monitors. However, Naval architects gave Onondaga a second turret equipped with the new XV-inch Dahlgrens for increase firepower, a better power plant with two screw propellers for increased mobility, a pilot house placed on top of turret one for better protection from enemy shots, and an expanded lower hull for better sea-keeping traits.

The ironclad served mainly on the James River in 1864 and 1865. She served as the Union's guard ship for the river and kept the supply lines open for Grant's Overland Campaign against Richmond. She did battle with Confederate ironclads at the Battle of Trent's Reach.

Alfred Waud's sketch of USS Onondaga, 1864

Three Duels of Honor on One Fall Day in Norfolk

For much of the early 19th century, dueling was considered in some parts of the United States a civilized way to settle disputes. While there were formal rules for duels (see Lorenzo Sabine's 1855 work entitled Notes on Duels and Dueling), the duelers' "seconds" would work out house rules for each particular duel ahead of time.  This led to some unintended outcomes.

Three such duels with unintended outcomes took place in Norfolk.  The background to the duels centered around the 1807 Chesapeake-Leopard Affair.   They occurred between officers of the frigate Chesapeake and friends of Commodore James Barron, the man largely blamed for letting HMS Leopard fire on Chesapeake.  The first occurred between two of Chesapeake's midshipmen who both thought the other acted improperly during the incident.  The second and third involved Master Commandant Charles Gordon, Chesapeake's acting commanding officer during the incident, and two of Barron's friends.  Historian Charles Oscar Pullian picks up the story from here:

"These duels, which took place in the early fall of 1807, grew out of disputes over the fight between the Chesapeake and Leopard. Broome,  Crump, and Gordon were officers of the ill-fated Chesapeake, and Stark and M'Connico were citizens of Norfolk, and relatives or friends of the captain of the Chesapeake, James Barron. In the Broome-Crump duel, Broome received a flesh wound in the thigh. The Gordon-Stark duel arose from certain remarks made by Stark reflecting on Gordon's conduct during the fight.

 In the preliminary arrangements, it was stipulated that should one of the principals fire too soon, the second of the other might shoot him. After six shots had been exchanged, the word for the seventh was given. Stark fired prematurely, so Lieutenant W. H. Crane, the second of Gordon claimed, who, in accordance with the stipulation, shot at the doctor, wounding him in the arm. Stark's second, A. J. M'Connico, denied that his principal had fired improperly. This contention was duly settled by Gordon and M'Connico. Both were wounded, but not dangerously."

USS Truxtun Model

This is a half-model of the 12-gun brig USS Truxtun. The model dates to 1841, making it the second oldest artifact in the museum gallery (second only to the museum's half-model of USS Delaware). Before the invention of more advanced means of drawing and designing ships, architects would fabricate a half model from wood to provide guidance to workers on how to build the ship. Workers would take the model, lay it on the ground, and begin drawing out the ship's hull to correct proportions.

Workers at the Gosport Navy Yard (now Norfolk Naval Shipyard) built Truxtun between 1841 and 1843. The ship was one of the last all-sail ships built by Gosport. Operating out of Norfolk, she served one tour with the Mediterranean Squadron and one tour with the Africa Squadron in search of slave traders before being sent to Mexican waters for the Mexican-American War. It was during this conflict that gale force winds pushed her onto a coral reef. The ship's company abandoned the ship after several attempts to free her.

USS Minnesota Ship Model and USS Congress Jack

This is a model of the magnificently designed 48-gun steam frigate USS Minnesota that is on display in the museum's gallery. C. Lester McLeod built the 1/8" to 1 foot scale model and delivered it to the museum in 1990. Launched in the 1850s, Minnesota served as the flagship to the locally-based North Atlantic Blockading Squadron. She served in several actions during the Civil War including the Battle of Hampton Roads (both days), the 1861 Hatteras Expedition, and both 1864 and 1865 Fort Fisher campaigns. The frigate's design was respected (and feared) by naval observers worldwide as she provided a perfect balance of speed and firepower.

Behind the model is the jack from the sail frigate USS Congress. The frigate is most famous for being the second ship sunk by the ironclad CSS Virginia on March 8, 1862. A jack is a flag flown by a ship at the bow of the vessel. It typically is a partial design of the ship's national ensign and traditionally indicates that the ship is open for visitors. This particular artifact is one of the few artifacts from USS Congress known to exist.

Fore and Aft Hat

In the museum's gallery is this hat, known as either a "cocked" or "fore and aft" hat. U.S.N. uniform regulations adopted in 1813 stated that senior officers, "when in full dress, [are] to wear half boots, cut and thrust swords with yellow mountings, and gold laced cocked hats, the lace not to show more than three-quarters of an inch on each side."

While many 18th and 19th century U.S. Naval officers spent a lavish amount of their pay to ensure they were well-dressed, this particular cover took luxury to a different level. According to regulations, the hat only had to have gold lacing on wool cloth. This particular hat, however, used real beaver skin instead of wool, and real ostrich feathers, along with a lavish amount of gold in the lacing. The ostrich feathers by themselves probably cost more than did the lacing.

The use of animal parts--bird feathers in particular--was common in the 18th and 19th centuries in both military and civilian (men and women) headwear.The practice led to a sharp decline in the population of several bird species.