USS Cumberland/CSS Florida Wrecksight(TM) images

USS Cumberland


CSS Florida

We have recently received these stunning 3-D images of the sloop-of-war USS Cumberland and the cruiser CSS Florida. The images were taken by technicians from Adavanced Underwater Surveys, Inc., using their Wrecksight(TM) software during the June 2011 stabilization survey project of the two shipwrecks. The project was sponsored by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's Marine Sanctuaries Division, the Naval History and Heritage Command's Underwater Archaeology Division, and the Hampton Roads Naval Museum (also part of NHHC).

The ironclad CSS Virginia rammed and sank Cumberland on March 8, 1862 on the first day of the Battle of Hampton Roads. Shortly after being brought back from Brazil under tow, Florida sank just a few hundred yards away from Cumberland in 1864 under mysterious circumstances.

Both wrecks are under the protection of Federal law and artifacts from both vessels can be seen at the Hampton Roads Naval Museum.

USS Enterprise (CVN-65)-50th Anniversary

We post three images of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN-65). It is the 50th anniversary of Enterprise's commissioning. The ship is currently making preparations for her final deployment of her legendary career and is currently the longest serving combat ready ship in the fleet.

Thanksgiving Dinner 1945

You know what you had for dinner yesterday, but ever wonder what Sailors at Naval Training Station Norfolk ate in 1945? Check out the menu from their dinner! We also have a previous blog post that details some of the Thanksgiving menus from Norfolk-based warships during World War II. Enjoy!

Thank-a-Veteran and Operation Holiday Cheer

Many thanks to those of you who brought your children to HRNM this past weekend to make cards for veterans. We also had a class in Great Bridge create cards for us to take, which we greatly appreciate. Today we took those cards to the Veterans' Administration Hospital in Hampton, Virginia, where they will be handed out to patients at the hospital. We had over 80 cards to hand out--in just one weekend!

That brings us to our next project. Operation Holiday Cheer begins this Thursday, November 17, and runs until November 29. This year, our Facebook fans voted for USS Ramage (DDG-61) to receive the cards from HRNM. Visitors to HRNM will have the opportunity to make cards for sailors aboard USS Ramage, which is currently on back-to-back deployments, and will be deployed during the holiday season.

Would you like to create cards and bring them in? Please do! Please feel free to have your class, your family, your business, or your friends make your own cards for us to send with ours.

To participate, there are a few (minor) requirements: 1) The cards must be 8.5" x 11" or smaller. 2) The cards cannot be in separate envelopes. 3) You must contact Laura at laura.l.orr@navy.mil or 757-322-3108 to set up a time to drop off the cards or have her pick them up. 4) All cards must be dropped off at (or picked up by) HRNM by Wednesday, November 30.

We hope you'll consider participating in Operation Holiday Cheer. Our goal is to have enough cards for every sailor on USS Ramage--approximately 300 cards. Please help us out!

The German Village at Norfolk Naval Shipyard

This is a 1916 picture of the German auxiliary cruisers Prinz Fredrich and Prinz Wilhelm at Norfolk Naval Shipyard. In front of the two ship are buildings known informally by the locals as the "German Village." After being told that the United States Government interned their vessels for the duration of World War I, sailors from the two cruisers fabricated the village from scrap metal provided by the shipyard.

As the United States was not officially at war with Germany, the sailors were not considered prisoners-of-war. At the same, the British and French governments (and their squadron of six cruisers hovering off the coast of Virginia) insisted that the ships and their sailors remain in Hampton Roads.

The two ships were formerly German luxury cruise ships. Like many countries, the German Empire subsidized the construction of fast, passenger cruise ships (seventeen in all) with the idea that the ships could be turned into either troop transports or commerce raiders during times of war. From August 1914 to March 1915, Prinz Fredrich and Prinz Wilhem raided Allied shipping in the South Pacific and then the Atlantic before seeking shelter in Hampton Roads.

When the United States declared war on Germany in April 1917, the sailors were officially made prisoners and their two ships war prizes. Taken to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, workers converted the two ships into troop transports USS Von Steuben and USS DeKalb.

Like a Good Neighbor, Uncle Sam is There

We recently received this 1942 insurance policy issued to an Ocean View, Norfolk, household from the War Damage Corporation. At a rate of $.10, this particular house was protected against "direct physical lost or damage to the property described in the attached which may result from enemy attack including any action taken by the Military, Naval, or Air Forces of the United States in resisting enemy attack."

In 1943, the American Risk and Insurance Association noted in their official journal that when the United States officially entered World War II in December 1941, it "created a demand for protection to property of its citizenry against loss by reason of enemy action." Similar to perils involving flood, property insurance typically has an exclusion clause for wars and insurrection. The journal went on to note that some insurance companies attempted to market war insurance on their own. However, they found that since, in their opinion, there were no "actuarial figures" to go by, they charged extremely high rates to nervous homeowners. The demand for such insurance skyrocketed shortly after the Japanese submarine I-17 shelled California's Ellwood Oil Fields in February 1942. While the submarine only did about $1,000 in damage, it sent off a major panic among the American public.

To help homeowners get the insurance, Congress chartered the War Damage Corporation in March 1942. As stated in the above policy, the Corporation would pay for war damage caused by an "actual attack." It would not pay for damage caused by sabotage or "nonuniform agents" of the enemy, however. It would also not pay for damage caused by a blackout (i.e. a car running into your house because the local civil defense board turned off the streetlights). Uncle Sam also demanded his premiums up front before issuing a policy.

USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) Press Kits

In the museum's collection are the Newport News Shipbuilding press kits for each major stage in the construction and commissioning of the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70). "Selling" the Navy to the taxpaying public has been a full time job throughout the history of the fleet. Kits like this one are just one tool that modern day public relations officers use to accomplish this goal.

The kits in the museum collection are complete with everything a journalist needs to write a nice article about the shipyard's latest project and the Navy's newest warship. Included in the kit are booklets from the official keel laying ceremony, the launching, and the commissioning; a seating chart that identifies the VIPs; maps on how to get to the shipyard; plenty of bumper stickers with the ship's name and logo on it; and several press releases that give information about every aspect of the ceremony, such as the ship's namesake and the tradition of commission ceremonies.