Local History, World Events

CSS Florida's Blakley Rifle Shells

2012-01-25T12:13:00.007-05:00

Currently on display in the museum's CSS Florida exhibit are three Bashley Britten shells that were to used with the ship's Blakely Rifles. The shells are named for Bashely Britten, an English inventor who patented this new type of shell in 1855. This shell has a lead base that would expand upon the gun being fired. This expansion would make the shell fit better in the barrel of the weapon as it travelled down the barrel, thus producing better accuracy once the shell left the gun. This design feature can still seen in modern day small arm bullets and some artillery shells.

The Blakley rifle is named for Captain Theophilus Alexander Blakley, a British ordnance expert who designed a series of light and heavy artillery pieces from the 1850s through the 1880s. His sympathies lay strongly with the Confederacy during the Civil War and did much to assist the Southern states' problem of not having enough modern artillery. He was more than happy to not only sell finished guns to both the Confederate Army and Navy, but also his knowledge of ordnance via his patents (which in turn was used by men like John Mercer Brooke to design the Brooke Rifle). Rather than inventing a new type of shell specifically for his guns, Blakely used the widely adopted Britten shell design.

One of Florida's seven-inch Blakleys is currently on display at the Washington Navy Yard's Willard Park. The second gun is currently on display at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Florida's wreck is located in Hampton Roads and the Hampton Roads Naval Museum is the repository for the ship's artifacts.

USS Philippine Sea (CV-47) aircraft in the Korean War

2012-01-23T09:58:00.004-05:00

Flight crews warm up the engines of F4U Corsairs from Fighter Squadron 114 (VF-114) during the Korean War, 1950. Loaded with air-to-ground rockets, the versatile Corsair was used extensively as a ground strike platform. These aircraft were bound for fighting around the Chosin Reservoir during the U.N. offensive into North Korea.

The aircraft are on board the Norfolk-based USS Philippine Sea (CV-47), which was raced to the theater shortly after the North Korean assault on South Korea. Despite how some Atlantic Fleet admirals felt about participating in the Korean War in 1950 ("Korea is the Pacific Fleet's problem, the Soviet Union is ours" was a typical quote), several Norfolk-based ships (namely the battleships, Essex-class aircraft carriers, and minesweepers) participated in the war. The Pacific Fleet did not have the resources to handle the high intensity combat operations.

Nonetheless, Korea was only seen as one part of a large Communist plan and many of Norfolk's bigger aircraft carriers stayed in the Atlantic. After this deployment, the Navy transferred Philippine Sea to the Pacific Fleet on a permanent basis.

LEGO Shipbuilding Promo-Quick and Easy Construction!

2012-01-19T09:22:00.001-05:00

Want to show off your LEGO shipbuilding skills? Bring come to HRNM on Saturday, February 4 from 10 am to 5pm for HRNM's "Brick by Brick: Lego Shipbuilding" program. Enter your LEGO ship in the builders' contest contest to win prizes or use design plans to build ships here at the museum from scratch. Contact us at hrnnavalmuseum@navy.mil for more information!

USS Cayuga Model

2012-01-17T11:58:00.001-05:00

This is a ship model of the USS Cayuga, a Civil War-era gunboat. The ship was one of the "90-day" gunboats built by private shipbuilders at the beginning of the war. Officially a part of the Unadilla-class, the press gave Cayuga and her twenty-three sister ships the "90-day" label as they allegedly were to built in just three months. While none of them were finished in time advertised shipbuilders did deliver most of them by the end of 1861. The class of ship fill the Navy's critical need for coastal warships to serve in the littoral regions of the Confederacy.

USS Cayuga as drawn by noted naval artist R.G. Skerret

Cayuga herself did not served in the Hampton Roads region (she served with Farragut's squadron in the Mississippi River). However, many of her sister ships like USS Aroostook did. As all the ships were almost exact duplicates of each other, the model is effective interpretation tool for this part of the region's Civil War history.

Photograph of USS Aroostook in the Far East during anti-piracy duties

The model itself is 1/8 an inch to 1 foot model. Master ship mode maker Tom Tragel restored the model in 1984. It can be seen in the museum's Civil War gallery.

1921 Virginia Capes Bombing Tests

2012-01-13T10:17:00.003-05:00

Foster and his fellow Shamut shipmates during the operation

One of the more controversial events in history of the U.S. Navy was the bombing tests on old American and German warships off the Virginia Capes in 1921. With the experiments General Billy Mitchell of the U.S. Army Air Corps set out to prove the superiority of airpower over surface warships (namely battleships), thus a large surface fleet would no longer be needed in a future war. Much has been made about the experiments being a fight between the U.S. Navy and Army. In reality, the Navy participated in the experiments just as much, if not more, than the Army. Read more about the experiments on our command's website.

While assigned to the minelayer USS Shamut (CM-4), BM3 Robert Foster took several of his own pictures documenting the event. Shamut served as the observation platform for Army and Navy inspectors. She also served as a tender to the thirteen seaplanes that were "searching" for the enemy fleet of the German battleship Ostfriesland, light cruiser Franklin, the destroyer G-104, submarine U-117, and USS Iowa (BB-4), which was operating under remote radio control. Here is some of what Foster witnessed:

German battleship Ostfriesland being hit by a 300-pound bomb

Inspection party boarding USS Iowa (BB-4). At considerable expense, workers installed an apparatus that allowed the Spanish-American War-era battleship to operated remotely. This way, pilots would be bombing a moving target.

Ostfriesland hit by a 300 and a 2000-pound bomb

LEGO Shipbuilding at HRNM!

2012-01-10T11:30:00.006-05:00

You may have already heard a bit about HRNM's upcoming LEGO Shipbuilding program, but this blog post contains all details relating to the event.

When: Saturday, February 4, 2012
Time: 10am to 5pm
Where: At HRNM (2nd floor of Nauticus)
Cost: FREE!

What you should do: HRNM wants people to bring their already-built LEGO ships (made from a kit or from scratch) to display at the museum for the day. At 2pm on February 4, staff members and members of the local Lego hobbyist group, HARDLUG, will hold a ship contest. Prizes will be given to the winner of the best adult-built ship and best child-built ship brought in before 2pm.

It is NOT a requirement to bring a ship with you, however. There will be many other fun activities for people who do not bring a ship for the contest. This entire event is for both adults and children.

HRNM will set up a ship-building station during the program, where anyone can build their own ships to enter into the contest or create one from HRNM’s own diagrams. Build everything from simple ship designs to a scale representation of the Civil War ironclad USS Monitor. Participants will learn the science behind building ships while using LEGOs. Have fun showcasing your talent while “connecting” with enthusiasts in the Hampton Roads community.

Want to participate in the contest but can't make it to the program? That's okay! Just set up a time to drop off your submission with HRNM staff (see below for contact info).

HRNM is partnering with the local LEGO hobbyist group, Hampton Roads Lego User Group (HARDLUG), to produce this program.
Contact Laura at hrnavalmuseum@navy.mil or 757-322-2987 with any questions. No pre-registration is required. See you at HRNM on February 4!

**Please note: All LEGO creations made with HRNM LEGOs must stay at the museum.

Local View of the 1942 U-boat Operation Paukenschlag

2012-01-04T13:44:00.003-05:00

January 1942 Fifth Naval District Map showing successful U-boat kills off the coast of the Virginia Capes and Cape Hatteras. (Click image to enlarge)

It is January at the museum, when cold weather slows visitation. Nothing was slow 70 years ago this month when the Battle of the Atlantic came to Norfolk – or more broadly speaking, to the 5th Naval District, a Navy administrative area stretching across the mid-Atlantic region. Its headquarters were at the Naval Operating Base, the installation now known as the Norfolk Naval Station.This location was deliberate, since Commandant of the 5th Naval District also commanded the Naval Operating Base. In January 1942 German U-boats brought their campaign to cripple Allied shipping to the Atlantic seaboard (which the Germans labeled the campaign Paukenschlag, which loosely translates in English as "Drumbeat"). One day alone, January 19, witnessed a swath of destruction across the shipping lanes near Cape Hatteras: SS Lady Hawkins torpedoed, (250 killed); SS City of Atlanta torpedoed, (44 killed); SS Malay torpedoed, shelled, damaged; SS Ciltvaria, torpedoed and sunk.

The reaction of the local Navy commanders to this crisis is detailed in an official report held by the museum: “War Record of the Fifth Naval District 1942.” These 542 typed pages, held in a standard issue Navy green binder, were compiled per the direction of Rear Admiral Manley H. Simons, who was Commandant during the fateful year. (He also simultaneously served as the Commander of the Chesapeake Task Force of the Eastern Sea Frontier.) The report was described by the anonymous staff officers who wrote it as “a digest of verbal accounts, written stories, and reports of officers and men who have taken part in Fifth Naval District war operations during 1942." Its purpose was to “capture the Fifth Naval District’s participation in the U-boat campaign of 1942.”

While the Battle of the Atlantic’s military actions are well documented, the “War Record” does provide a contemporary point of view, and also details the wide responsibilities of the Navy staff. These included assembling all the basic building blocks of military intelligence such as first-hand accounts of enemy actions, charts, and photographs. At one point on January 28 one naval district officer was dispatched to the burning hulk of the unfortunate SS Empire Gem, abandoned after an enemy attack off Cape Hatteras to retrieve “routing instructions, zigzag tables, confidential books, and Navy merchant codes” from the wheelhouse. He found “the entire wheelhouse, chart room and bridge quarters under water … Thus it was impossible to obtain the papers.”

NAS Norfolk's The Dope Sheet Gets Cold

2012-01-03T13:00:00.003-05:00

This alarmist headline is from The Dope Sheet, the official newspaper for Naval Air Station Norfolk. It was not the typical headline from a newspaper that devoted much of its space to changes in command, "bravo zulus" to sailor volunteer work, movie listings at the base theater, and the latest news (and pictures) on Hollywood starlets. Did the sailors at NAS Norfolk know something about the end of the world that others did not? Well, not necessarily. After one reads the accompanying article, one learns that the headline is a bit overblown, but not by much.

1948 was indeed the beginning of dangerous times for the United States and the World as a whole. President Harry S. Truman's 1947 public speech that announced American support for Greece and Turkey against communist forces (the "Truman Doctrine" as it has since been called) is considered by many historians to be the beginning of the Cold War. This was followed by the more secret "NSC-68" paper that concluded, "The issues that face us are momentous, involving the fulfillment or destruction not only of this Republic but of civilization itself."

The Dope Sheet article references a Joint Chiefs of Staff planning document known as the "M-Day Plan." This document outlined what the JCS saw as possible threats, particularly nuclear weapon threats, over the next thirty years. It also produced a map of the current and very real national security threats facing the United States in 1948.

But, fear not, hillbilly music would remain.

HRNM 2012 Public Programs Music Video

2011-12-29T09:43:00.005-05:00

Have you ever seen that "lonely" viral video of the movie pirate in the setting of a rap video? Well, here is the Hampton Roads Naval Museum's take on that video, with our very own Blue Jacket Puppet stars Simon and Patty talking about some events happening at the museum next year.

Below are the lyrics to the song, with links to the events mentioned. For more info on all 2012 Calendar of Events at HRNM, go to www.hrnm.navy.mil or check out their Facebook page at Facebook.com/hrnavalmuseum. Stay tuned and enjoy the video! You can continue to listen/download the song HERE.

(Simon)
Here we go. 2012 public programs
Museum events are coming back.

2012 'bout to start, come and visit us
After hours learning history, come and soak it up (soak it up)
Graphic novels in September, come and draw with us
Making cards support sailors will be so much fun.

Brick by brick we're taking LEGOs, making models, building decks,
Bring your mothers and fathers, making crafts, support vets
Boot Camp's in the summer, our Halloween the best
Visit us online you will be impressed!

(Patty)
Let's talk about the Civil War Navy
We've got events at the museum next year (what?)
J. Michael Cobb will present us a lecture (oh, interesting)
on Fort Wool's involvement in the Civil War!

(Simon)
Yeah, that was kinda weird, but we're back to 2012
Watch out naval history is coming off the shelves
McClure Field event, family fun this summer
Tourin' expo houses, see the field like a base runner.

Teachers come to us to book a school program

(Patty)
Is it free?

(Simon)
..they ask and I gotta say "Yes, Ma'am"
Always come to us, our outreach #1
Come to the museum, bring all, and have fun!

(Patty)
If you like to paint (I do), we've got a contest
Paint us some ships from Hampton Roads' shore
We will display them in our museum
During our program on the 8th of March!

Happy Holidays from USS Augusta (CA-31) and Pittsburgh (ACR-4)

2011-12-23T13:50:00.005-05:00

This holiday greeting card comes from the Norfolk-based heavy cruiser USS Augusta (CA-31). Built by Newport News Shipbuilding, Augusta was a well-balanced warship that served as a squadron and fleet flagship for most of her career. She was assigned duty as flagship for Commander, Scouting Force, Vice Admiral Arthur L. Willard, on 21 May 1931. During the summer of 1931, she operated with the other warships of Scouting Force carrying out tactical exercises off the New England coast. In August 1931, she was reclassified a heavy cruiser, CA-31. In September, Augusta moved south to Chesapeake Bay, where she joined her colleagues in their normal fall gunnery drills. That employment lasted until mid-November when the cruisers disbanded and retired to their respective home yards. Augusta entered the Norfolk Navy Yard at that time. At the beginning of 1932, she and the other cruisers of the Scouting Force reassembled in Hampton Roads, whence they departed on 8 January on their way to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Augusta conducted training evolutions with the Scouting Force in the vicinity of Guantanamo Bay until 18 February, when the force headed for the Panama Canal on its way to the eastern Pacific to participate in Fleet Problem XIII. She arrived in San Pedro, Calif., on 7 March but returned to sea three days later to execute the fleet problem. During the maneuvers, Augusta and her colleagues in Scouting Force squared off against Battle Force in defense of three simulated "atolls" located at widely separated points on the west coast. The exercises afforded the Fleet training in strategic scouting and an opportunity to practice defending and attacking a convoy.

The second card is from the Newport News Shipbuilding-built armored cruiser USS Pittsburgh (ex-Pennsylvania) (ACR-4). We are not sure when the card was produced, but the ship was renamed Pittsburgh in 1912 to make room for the giant battleship Pennsylvania (BB-38). Our best guess for this card is between 1917 (when she conducted war patrols) and 1922 (when she served as flagship of the U.S. Navy's European Squadron).

Battle of Hampton Roads Watercolor Contest

2011-12-20T15:36:00.007-05:00

Mark your calendars! This winter, HRNM is running a Battle of Hampton Roads watercolor contest. Paint watercolor art relating to the battle and you may win a prize! The Battle of Hampton Roads Watercolor Contest is run by the Hampton Roads Naval Museum to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the battle. Please note the following rules regarding the contest. Contact us at hrnavalmuseum@navy.mil or 757-322-3108 with any questions or to submit your registration.

A few guidelines to remember:
- Watercolor art may be developed anytime between now and March 8. March 8 is the deadline for drop off.
- Watercolors must be created on small canvases provided by HRNM.
- All watercolor art must be original and relate to the Battle of Hampton Roads (ships, sailors, battle, etc).
- You must fill out the registration form and email it to hrnnavalmuseum@navy.mil before you start work on your watercolor. Below is a jpeg of the photo which you can print to fill out. This form is also posted here.

- All watercolors must be dropped off at HRNM by 4pm on Thursday, March 8, 2012.

A few points of interest:
- All watercolor art will be unveiled at HRNM during the FREE After Hours History program on March 8, 2012, at 6pm.
- Watercolors will be placed in different age groups and judged by age group.
- The winner in each age group will receive a prize package from HRNM.

HRNM will provide one day to work on your watercolor art at the museum: Saturday, February 25, anytime between 10am and 4pm. Register to attend that session by emailing hrnnavalmuseum@navy.mil.

We hope you'll participate in our program!

Model of USS SC136

2011-12-17T10:25:00.003-05:00

Our good friends at the Mariners’ Museum in Newport News recently completed a ship model cleaning project for the museum. Here is the result of one of their efforts, the fresh-looking 1982 model of USS Subchaser 136. This sturdy vessel was one of the original 110-foot subchasers of World War I, and was the last hull number in a series of twenty-one built at Norfolk Naval Shipyard. Subchaser 136 served in an anti-submarine group along the Atlantic coast headed by USS Jouett (DD-41). SC 136 crossed the ocean in mid-1918, but arrived just as the war ended.

The Navy designed and deployed subchasers as an inexpensive solution to the critical need for anti-submarine platforms. Built out of wood (as steel was scarce in the wartime economy), the ships were built for speed and equipped with 3-inch guns and depth charges. They often worked in groups, usually with a torpedo-boat destroyer accompanying them. American yards turned out over 400 of the ships and many of them were sold to Allied nations.

Other good friends at The Subchaser Archives have posted a great series of images of SC 136 in the Caribbean in 1919, attending to the crew of USS May (SP 164), which grounded near Santo Domingo. They are available here: http://www.subchaser.org/set-sc136-09.

HRNM’s model was built by Mr.Thomas E. Tragle, a renowned builder of ship models, whose USS Monitor is also part of the museum collection. Mr. Tragle studied architectural drafting and mechanical drawing and these skills led him to employment in the model department of Newport News Shipbuilding. Later he joined the training department at Fort Eustis, where he built many different models until his retirement in 1972. From 1976 to 1986 he served as director of model building in the architecture department at Hampton Institute. He died in 1989.

Of interest to readers of this blog, Mr. Tragle was a Navy veteran of World War II, assigned to USS PC 496, a World War II subchaser. PC 496 sank in the Mediterranean as a result of a torpedo attack by an Italian submarine. Mr. Tragle has models in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution, including a Union gunboat, USS Carondolet. Other works of his are displayed in the Watermen's Museum, where he served on the board of directors.

Robert Foster Collection and USS Shawmut (CM-4)

2011-12-13T10:48:00.007-05:00

One of many cartoons collected by BM3 Robert Foster

We recently received several items that belong to BM3 Robert Foster, a sailor who served on board the Norfolk-based mine layer USS Shawmut (CM-4) from 1918 to 1922. Shawmut most famously served in the 1918 North Sea Mine Barrage during World War I. When not laying mines, she served as a seaplane tender for the fleet. The Navy later changed the name of the vessel to Oglala to avoid confusion with USS Chamount (AP-5).

Shawmut at her home pier at NOB Hampton Roads
(now Naval Station Norfolk).

Foster took several photographs of Shawmut's time in the Caribbean, when the vessel was deployed to Panama for the Atlantic Fleet's 1921-22 winter fleet exercises. Foster also took several pictures of the other ships participating in the exercises, particularly the battleships. He also collected newspaper cartoons about the Navy (see above) and kept them in a scrapbook.

Shawmut's sailors load up mines while
at the Yorktown Mine Depot
(now Yorktown Naval Weapons Station).

Foster took these images of the Atlantic Fleet's battleships during the 1922 winter exercises. In this set are ships that would be at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941: USS Tennessee (BB-43),USS California (BB-44), USS Arizona (BB-39), USS Pennsylvania (BB-38), and the newly built hospital ship USS Relief (AH-1).

Korean War Flight Log

2011-12-09T10:44:00.002-05:00

In the museum's Cold War gallery is the flight log from Lieutenant Cliff Church, who flew combat missions in the Korean War and the Vietnam War in an A-1 Skyraider "Spad" fighter/bomber. Church had the distinction of flying in one of the first and last Spad squadrons. During his tour in Korea, he flew off the Norfolk-built and based USS Lake Champlain (CV-39).

Flight log books are a staple of any type flying, whether its a civilian or military flight. This particular log records the type of plane and the specific plane the pilot is flying (under the "model" and "Bureau Number"); the type of flight ("Character of Flight"); the number of hours flown; and most importantly, the type of landing. This last category was the score the pilot received from the carrier's deck landing officer on how well the pilot landed on the flight deck. The higher the number the better the landing.

Developed in the late 1940s, the A-1 was the Navy's and Marine Corps' workhorse bomber in the 1950s and 1960s. Able to carry a large payload of ordnance and built to withstand ground fire, the plane was used often in air-to-ground strike missions.

Pearl Harbor Day-USS West Virginia (BB-48) Artifacts

2011-12-07T09:44:00.004-05:00

For the 70th anniversary of the Japanese air raid on the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, we present two artifacts from the battleship USS West Virginia (BB-48). The first is the ship's wheel and the second is a binnacle used for navigation. Both items are in the museum's World War II gallery.

USS West Virgina and Tennessee after being struck by Japanese torpedoes.

Before the war, West Virginia was stationed in Norfolk before being overhauled and modernized at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard. The Navy then sent her to the Pacific Ocean for permanent duty. During the air raid, Japanese planes struck West Virginia with nine torpedoes and killed over 100 sailors including her captain. See more about the attack on Pearl Harbor at our command's website. Salvage teams saved West Virginia after the attack. After an extensive repair and overhaul project, the battleship saw active service from mid-1944 until the end of the war.

USS Pawnee Gangway Headboards

2011-12-06T10:58:00.002-05:00

In the museum's Civil War gallery are the gangway headboards from the steam sloop-of-war USS Pawnee. Named for the people of the Pawnee Nation, the ship was a pre-war shallow draft steamer built specifically for littoral (i.e. coastal) duties. Heavily armed and well designed, she saw frequent service during the war on both the North Atlantic and South Atlantic Blockading Squadrons. Most notably, she rescued USS Cumberland from the Gosport Navy Yard at the beginning of the war and served in the Port Royal Expedition. After the war, she was based in Hampton Roads and served as a hospital ship.

As the name suggests, gangway headboards would be found at the top of a ship's gangway, greeting the ship's company and visitors alike to the ship. Hand carved from a tropical hardwood such as teak or mahogany, the artist would typically create an image that was in line with the ship's name. In this case, the artist chose a Pawnee warrior on one side and his weapons on the other.

USS Midway (CV-41) Recognition Model

2011-12-01T08:51:00.004-05:00

This is a ship recognition model of the Newport News-built aircraft carrier USS Midway (CV-41) that is on display in the museum’s gallery. John Reeder, a volunteer with the U.S. Navy’s Curator of Navy Ship Models, provided this write up for us:

This model of Midway is a 1:500 (one inch of model to 500 feet of real ship) scale and produced in 1954 or 1955 by Comet Metal Products Company, located in New York City. The Navy approved a prototype of the model in October 1954. An earlier recognition model of Midway was produced by H. A. Framburg & Company in 1945. The model here shows significant modifications, particularly the replacement of the 40mm guns by 3-inch twin mounts and removal of most 20mm anti-aircraft guns. Also, the radars are shown, which were excluded from the original model for security reasons. A final recognition model of the Midway (actually, the sister ship Franklin D. Roosevelt (CV-42)) was produced for the Navy in 1959, showing the conversion to an angled flight deck.

The Navy acquired recognition models in three scales: 1:500, 1:600 and 1:1200. The Navy purchased a set of waterline models of British and German ships in 1:1200 scale during WWI. From 1918 to 1940 it bought very small quantities of 1:1200 models for use in Submarine Attack Trainers. In 1940, a need was recognized for models to be used in classroom training - the scale chosen was 1:500 scale. Initial sets modeling Japanese, German, and U.S. ships were produced by David Taylor Model Basin. After December 7, 1941, and throughout WWII, sets were commercially produced, primarily by three companies: Comet Metal Products, H.A. Framburg, and South Salem Studios.

The 1:500 models were meant for shore classrooms and major combatants. The above companies and others also produced versions of the models in 1:1200 scale for use by small shore stations and small combatants. Small quantities of selected models were also produced in 1:600 scale for use in Submarine Attack Trainers (which were designed to use either 1:1200 or 1:600 scale models).

Production of recognition models essentially stopped after WWII, except for the continued acquisition of small quantities of 1:1200 models for use in the Attack Trainers. However, the Korean War and the growth of the USSR naval threat led to a rebirth of the 1:500 scale program in 1952. The program was cancelled in 1962.

USS Cumberland/CSS Florida Wrecksight(TM) images

2011-11-29T08:46:00.003-05:00

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

2011-11-28T11:55:00.004-05:00

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

2011-11-25T10:28:00.004-05:00

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

2011-11-15T08:00:00.010-05:00

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

2011-11-10T09:54:00.004-05:00

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

2011-11-07T15:38:00.001-05:00

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

2011-11-03T10:10:00.005-05:00

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.

Happy Halloween-Neptunus Rex's Royal Police

2011-10-31T09:06:00.004-05:00

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

2011-10-28T08:56:00.003-05:00

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

2011-10-26T10:12:00.003-05:00

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

2011-10-24T09:05:00.010-05:00

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

2011-10-18T09:36:00.002-05:00

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

2011-10-12T10:24:00.002-05:00

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

2011-10-05T14:50:00.004-05:00

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, 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, [animal lovers turn away now] 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 were probably more expensive to purchase than the lacing.

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

Uriah Phillips Levy Cup

2011-09-29T10:06:00.006-05:00

Now on display in the museum gallery is a silver commemorative cup given by the citizens of Norfolk to Uriah Phillips Levy in 1815 in thanks for his service during the War of 1812. Inscribed on the cup are Levy's initials "U.L." and the Latin phrase "Dant Facta Hanc Corman" or "Deeds Gave This Crown."

During the war, Midshipman Levy was captured by the Royal Navy while serving on the brig USS Argus off the coast of Ireland. The brig fell to HMS Pelican after a successful commerce raiding campaign in Britain's home waters. Levy and most of Argus' ship's company were sent to the notorious Dartmoor Prison until the end of the war.

Levy is well known for being the first Jewish flag officer in the U.S. Navy, an advocate for judicial and punishment reform within the Navy, and the savior of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello after the estate had fallen into disrepair. The Jewish chapel at Naval Station Norfolk is named in his honor.

Happy 125th, Newport News Shipbuilding!

2011-09-26T10:35:00.001-05:00

In 1886, the Virginia General Assembly charted the Chesapeake Shipbuilding and Dry dock Company. With the primary financial backing of railroad tycoon Collis B. Huntington, the company began building infrastructure along the James River in what is now Newport News, Virginia. By 1889, workers finished the company's first dry dock and opened its doors to business. By the early 20th century, the company became a major builder of the U.S. Navy's new steel hulled warships. Now called Newport Newport Shipbuilding, the company is one of the largest privately-owned shipyards in the world. Click on the article at left to learn more about the 1889 opening.

New Daybook Published

2011-09-23T15:42:00.001-05:00

The newest edition of HRNM's journal of local naval history and events is now online. This issue's cover story looks at the naval events of the American Civil War in Hampton Roads from October 1861 to Febrauray 1862. Download it here!

Yard Worker's Pocket Watch

2011-09-20T10:52:00.013-05:00

This is a pocket watch that belonged to master shipwright Francis Hart, an employee of the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in the 1880s and '90s. Hart worked on the second-class battleship USS Texas and the protected cruiser USS Raleigh (C-8) during his time at the Yard. The watch is currently on display in the museum's Steel Navy gallery.

The watch was state-of-the-art in Hart's day. It only needed to be wound once a week, instead of every day, as indicated by the words "8 days" and "8 Dias". Handmade in La Chaux de Fonds, Switzerland by the Hebdomas company (now known as ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse), the watch was a low cost timepiece marketed to working-class men like Hart. The exposed balance in the front was a characteristic of Hebdomas watches.

Hart was an Irish immigrant who trained as a shipwright in the port of Belfast, Ireland, before coming to the United States. He initially landed in New Orleans, but sought cooler weather farther north and ended up in Norfolk. Hired on the spot by the Yard to work on the U.S. Navy's newest steel warships, Hart was praised by the commandant for his skill as a shipwright.

The Brig is Near-One Night Only, October 21

2011-09-16T12:44:00.004-05:00

For one night only, the Hampton Roads Naval Museum will present the "Brig of Bartholomew" puppet show. This grand event will take place during the museum's Hunt for Dead October special event. The Hunt begins on October 21 from 6 to 9 p.m. Free admission!

USS T-1 (SS-52) at Norfolk Naval Shipyard

2011-09-13T14:19:00.003-05:00

Pictured here is the cruiser-type submarine USS T-1 undergoing repairs at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, 1921. Launched in 1918 and commissioned in 1920, the boat was the U.S. Navy's first attempt to build this type of boat. On paper, she was a technological wonder. She displaced over 1,000-tons, had good speed (c. 20 knots), eight torpedo tubes, and had good endurance (c.3,000 nm cruising range @ 18knots). T-1 and her sister boats T-2 and T-3 formed Submarine Division 15 and were based at Naval Operating Base Hampton Roads.

In the museum's collection is a picture of a member of this class at the Yard in 1923.

The project was not a success as all three boats had critical issues with their twin-screw propulsion system. Additionally, the Navy could never settle on the boat's name. First the Navy called her Schley, then AA-1, then SF-1, and then finally settled on T-1. However, like many new ship designs with state of the art technology, the boats served as a platform for better submarine designs in the future.

Chief Oliver and the Spanish Flu Epidemic

2011-09-08T10:21:00.003-05:00

USS New Hampshire in Brest, France, December 1918

Quartermaster Chief Petty Officer J.T. Oliver's granddaughter (and donor of his photographs) relayed this story that Oliver told to her about how he had to get creative in preventing the spread of the deadly and highly contagious Spanish Influenza:

“On one of the U.S.S. New Hampshire's return trips from France, the hold of the ship was filled with coffins of men who died during the 1918-1919 Spanish Influenza Epidemic. Antibiotics didn't exist in that era, so the threat of infection was great, and the coffins were draped with heavy tarpaulins drenched in disinfectant. And the hold was off limits to the crew.

However, a group of ‘bad boys’ would sneak down into the hold of the ship at night and play poker, using one of the coffins as a table. QMC Oliver was told to he had stop these poker games before the flu spread all over the ship. So one night ... he crept down into the hold and hid in an empty coffin ... and waited for the poker game to start. When it did and the ‘bad boys’ were focused on the game, he lifted the lid of the coffin and moaned, ‘ooooooooooooooooooooooooohhhhh,’ and let the lid slam closed.

The ‘bad boys’ were a little spooked. ‘What was that?’ ‘I don't know.’ ‘It sounded like someone moaning.’ ‘I didn't hear anything.’ ‘I tell you I heard someone moaning.’ ‘You're hearing things.’ After a minute or two of silence, the ‘bad boys’ decided it was nothing, just the normal creaking of a ship at sea, and the game resumed. A few minutes later, Oliver lifted the lid again and moaned in a much louder voice, ‘ooooooooooooooooooooooooooohhhhh,’ and let the lid slam closed.

This time the ‘bad boys’ left ... and in such a hurry that one of them had footprints up the back of his white jumper. From that point on there were no more card games (or any other activity) in the hold of the ship.”

USS Idaho (BB-43),1918...Maybe

2011-09-07T08:38:00.001-05:00

This is another photo from the collection of Quartermaster Chief Petty Officer J.T. Oliver. Chief Oliver was a part of the ship's company of USS New Hampshire (BB-25) during World War I. According to the caption, Oliver states that this is the brand new battleship USS Idaho (BB-43) underway and conducting live fire exercises with her 14-inch rifles in the Chesapeake Bay. He took the photo from the fan tail of New Hampshire.

There is a date issue, however, with the photo. There were two battleships named USS Idaho. The first one was a "Great White Fleet"-era battleship that the United States sold to the Hellenic Navy (Greece) in 1914 (and later sunk in 1942 by German bombers). New York Shipbuilding Corporation launched the second battleship named Idaho in 1917, but the U.S. Navy did not commission the ship into the fleet until 1919.

It is possible, given the war crisis at hand, that Idaho conducted part of her shakedown cruise with the rest of the fleet. Any assistance in identifying the photo would be most appreciated. Below are two positive identified photos of the second Idaho battleship.

USS Idaho, 1927

USS Idaho off of Okinawa, 1945

USS New Hampshire (BB-25), 1918

2011-09-02T11:56:00.006-05:00

QMC J.T. Oliver

Recently a visitor brought by some local photographs, once belonging to QMC (quartermaster, chief petty officer) J.T. Oliver, USN. Chief Oliver had a long Navy career, which naturally led him to Hampton Roads during World War I on board USS New Hampshire (BB-25).

New Hampshire came to Norfolk in February 1917 for overhaul, where she lay when the United States entered World War I. For the next year and a half she trained gunners and engineers in coastal waters, and on September 15, 1918, began the first of two convoy escort missions, guarding transports from New York to a rendezvous point off the French coast. On December 24, she sailed on the first of four voyages bringing veterans home from France to east coast ports.

Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels (with the binoculars up to his eyes) aboard
New Hampshire during live fire exercises in the Chesapeake Bay, 1918.

Of note in these pictures is the Secretary of the Navy, Josephus Daniels, working for a living. (shown above) Chief Oliver's hand-written caption for the photo states "The Captain and Secretary of the Navy taking time of firing on board USS New Hampshire at US Target Grounds Va. Another image (shown below) shows the ship's Second Division drilling on dry land. The exact location of the drill field is not given. It was possibly taken at Naval Operating Base Hampton Roads (modern day Naval Station Norfolk). But it could have also been taken at St. Helena Naval Training Station, which was next to the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in modern day Chesapeake, Virginia. Any guesses as to the structure behind the men are welcome.

New Hampshire's sailors from the ship's Second Division conducting manual-of-arms drills, 1918

Aircraft Carriers in the Elizabeth River

2011-08-31T13:19:00.006-05:00

One of the more awe-inspiring sights is a modern aircraft carrier navigating the Elizabeth River as she travels between Norfolk Naval Shipyard and Naval Station Norfolk.

USS America (CV-66) at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, 1982

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) shortly after leaving the Yard and heading upstream, 1989.

USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) passing Norfolk's Town Point Park, August 1, 1987

USS Enterprise (CVN-65) passing by battleship Wisconsin (BB-64), Nauticus, and
the Portsmouth Naval Medical Center, August 30, 2011

USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) docking at Naval Station Norfolk, 1997.

Alfred Waud's Hampton Roads Civil War Sketches, Part 2

2011-08-24T09:07:00.001-05:00

The Library of Congress is the caretaker of a large portion of Alfred Waud's drawings and has digitized several hundred sketches.

Waud visited Hampton Roads in late 1861 to cover the Hatteras Expedition. Here is part 2 of some of his sketches:

Sloop-of-War USS Cumberland in Hampton Roads

Steam frigate USS Wabash in Hampton Roads

Steam gunboat USS Louisana and paddle steam gunboat CSS Yorktown.
The two ships exchanged shots in Hampton Roads, 1861.

Fort Hatteras after its capture in August 1861

USS Monticello exchanging shots with Confederate infantry, Cape Hatteras, 1861

Destruction of Norfolk Navy Yard, 1862

Alfred Waud's Hampton Roads Civil War Sketches, Part 1

2011-08-23T09:38:00.002-05:00

One of the most accomplished battlefield artist of the American Civil War was Alfred Waud. Working under a contract to provide rough sketches for Harper's Weekly, (that were later turned into the paper's famous woodcut engravings), Waud was present for almost every major ground action in Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. The Library of Congress is the caretaker of a large portion of Waud's drawings and has digitized several hundred sketches.

Waud visited Hampton Roads in late 1861 to cover the Hatteras Expedition. Here are a few examples of what he saw:

Gunboat USS Whitehall

Various ships anchored next to Fort Monroe

Steam frigate USS Minnesota, Fort Monroe, and the Rip Raps

Sloop-of-war USS Cumberland

USS Cumberland, USS Savannah, and shore batteries exchanging shots with CSS Yorktown

The Band is Here! USS New York Musicians Heading Out to Sea

2011-08-18T11:03:00.006-05:00

While coxswains hold their steam launches fast to the dock, U.S. Navy musicians from the armored cruiser USS New York (ACR-2) carefully board them near the Chamberlain Hotel (on the northeastern shore of Hampton Roads, next to Fort Monroe), c. 1900. Notice that musicians are wearing a "Pickelhelm" style cover and grey coats. Also notice the script "NY" on the launches indicating that they belong to New York.

Sailor's Ditty Box

2011-08-12T14:51:00.005-05:00

Ditty boxes were small, lockable containers carried aboard ship by sailors and used to store their most prized possessions. Items might include personal papers such as journals and letters, pocket watches, cigarettes, grooming and writing implements as well as small working and sewing tools. Early boxes came in different sizes and shapes designed to fit the owner’s needs. These were usually constructed from pine with dovetail joinery, and decorated with maritime images. Prior to WWI, the US Navy issued six by six by twelve inch white wooden boxes that contained holders for an ink bottle, pens and pencils. Sometime around WWII the box was exchanged for a small brown suitcase which is no longer issued.

This 19th century folk art sailor’s box is a new addition to the museum’s collection, and was recently examined for conservation needs as part of an award from the Virginia Association of Museums’ assessment grant program. The wooden box is decorated with brass tacks and plates marked “USS Wasp”, ”R”, “M” and “1809”.

The USS Wasp, a sloop of war commissioned in 1807, made her mark during the War of 1812. On October 16, 1812 she went to battle with the HBM Frolic, capturing the brig after a brief fight. However, the victory was short lived as the nearby British 74-gun ship-of-the-line Poictiers overwhelmed the Wasp forcing her commanding officer Master Commandant Jacob Jones to surrender. USS Wasp was briefly put into service as the Peacock with the Royal Navy, but went down off the capes of Virginia in 1813.

HRNM Interns Conduct Life at Sea Program

2011-08-11T23:38:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, HRNM Summer Interns Jordan Hock and Samuel Nelson conducted the "Life at Sea" educational program to 30 children at the Crossroads Recreation Center in Norfolk, VA. Jordan and Sam have done a fantastic job this summer (see LAST POST). Here are a few images of Jordan and Sam doing an excellent job with the program.

HRNM Education Intern Samuel Nelson Interacts with the Crowd.

HRNM Education Intern Jordan Hock Explains Recreation in the Age of Sail.

Samuel Nelson

Jordan Hock

2011 HRNM Summer Interns

2011-08-08T22:00:00.000-05:00

Over the past two and a half months, HRNM Educators have had the pleasure of having two exceptional interns working with the educational department: Jordan Hock and Samuel Nelson. Jordan is entering his senior year at Hampton Sydney and Sam recently finished his freshman year at George Washington University.

It has been an enriching experience for both HRNM staff and interns this summer. Watch this brief Youtube video to learn about what the interns have been up to this summer.

The Hunt for Dead October Halloween Event: Puppet Shows

2011-08-05T10:48:00.001-05:00

A few months ago, we received a grant from the Tidewater Officers' Spouses' Association to create and conduct puppet shows for visitors and military families around Hampton Roads. Thanks to their generosity, we have created a variety of fun and educational programs, including one for our signature Halloween event, The Hunt for Dead October. The event will take place on October 21st, starting at 6pm. Kids will be able to do everything from searching for skeleton parts in a scavenger hunt to playing inside a full size inflatable whale!

As an early treat for our readers, we have included a few movie inspired advertisements for our Halloween puppet play, "The Brig of Bartholomew." We will be conducting the family friendly puppet show at 6:30, 7:00, and 7:30 that evening. See if you can guess what film they came from. Enjoy!

The Last Mission of USS Texas (BB-35)

2011-08-01T08:41:00.003-05:00

Shown here is the battleship USS Texas (BB-35) being towed up the Elizabeth River and past Norfolk Naval Shipyard in 1948, enroute to her new home in La Porte, Texas. She currently serves as a state memorial at the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Park.
Newport News Shipbuilding launched the 27,000-ton warship in 1912. Homeported in Norfolk for much of her operational career, Texas served in many World War I and World War II campaigns, including Operation Torch, Operation Overlord ("D-Day"), Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. At the end of the war, she was decommissioned. She was spared the fate of many of her sister ships (towed out to the Pacific and sunk by an atomic bomb in the Binki Atoll tests), when the state of Texas put up the money to have the ship towed and permanently berthed.

Brick-by-Brick: Shipbuilding with LEGOs

2011-07-28T08:00:00.015-05:00

Finished LEGO model of USS Monitor built by Sam Nelson

We're always looking to create new programs, and our interns have been working on a cool new idea recently. This one involves using LEGOs to build ships. This shipbuilding program utilizes science, technology, education, and math (STEM) skills in a fun way so participants can learn about the principles of shipbuilding. STEM is an Office of Naval Research-led program that is meant to increase the talent pool of future Sailors, naval engineers, and scientists.

Depending on participants' level of interest and expertise, they can either follow instructions for building a ship created by our interns, Sam Nelson and Jordan Hock, or they can build their own ship. This program will be for both adults and children. More details will be coming in the very near future!

Skin Deep: Sailors' Tattoos in Norfolk

2011-07-19T07:59:00.008-05:00

We're preparing for our next big special event (on September 22), which is about sailors' tattoos. To do this, though, we need your help! As part of the evening event, we would like to create a photo exhibit of sailors' tattoos and their stories. Thus, we're looking for you to submit photos of your own. If you are (or were) a Navy sailor and have tattoos from your time in the Navy, please send photos of those tattoos to me at laura.l.orr@navy.mil. Also include your name, when you served, and the story behind your tattoo. If you want us to keep your photo anonymous in our exhibit, we're more than happy to do so--we just need your name for our records. You can also mail any photos and information to me at: Hampton Roads Naval Museum; Attn: Laura Orr; One Waterside Drive, Suite 248; Norfolk, VA 23510.

The tattoo below is from one of our docents, Doc Shoop, a retired Navy corpsman. You'll learn its story at the event on Sept 22!

Along with the tattoo exhibit, we're planning to have a variety of activities for the evening. Tom Moore, Photo Curator at the Mariners' Museum, will be here to talk about the history of tattooing in Norfolk. In addition to Tom's talk, we'll be holding some hands-on tattooing fun activities throughout the museum. Finally, we're looking for a local tattoo artist who would be willing to bring along some tools of the trade to talk about what he/she does in Hampton Roads. If you know of anyone who would be interested in doing this, please contact me.

The event is on Thursday, September 22, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at HRNM in downtown Norfolk. Best of all, it's FREE and we'll have food and drinks for everyone! All you have to do is RSVP to 757-322-3108 before September 19 (don't worry, you'll get more reminders closer to that date).

Contact me if you have any questions. We're hoping to have a lot of people send in their tattoo photos and stories so we can display them in the museum. Thanks in advance for your help, and we hope to see you there!

Recovering Gemini 11-1965/1966

2011-07-11T11:18:00.003-05:00

One of the advantages of the modern-day Space Shuttle is its ability to land at the same place it took off and be reused for a future flight. Before the invention and perfection of this technology, the modules carrying American astronauts in the Apollo, Gemini, and Mercury programs had to splash down in the ocean. This required the mobilization of a large task force of warships to be on standby, ready to pick up the astronauts.

In 1965, NASA and the Navy tasked the Atlantic Fleet to recover Gemini 11 and astronauts Charles "Pete" Conrad and Richard Gordon (more about the mission and its many accomplishments can be read here at NASA's website). Shown here are two images of the ship's company of the Norfolk-based USS La Salle (LPD-3/AGF-3) rehearsing the recovery of a Gemini space craft off the coast of Ascension Island.

Gemini 11 began reentry on September 15, 1966. Splashdown in the western Atlantic Ocean some 700 miles east of Cape Kennedy occurred at 8:59:35 a.m. EST. The crew was picked up by helicopter and brought to the Norfolk-based USS Guam (LPH-9) at 9:23 a.m. and the spacecraft was recovered at 9:58 a.m.

Boys Summer Camp at Naval Operating Base Hampton Roads

2011-07-06T11:39:00.003-05:00

In the 1920s, the U.S. Navy sponsored two "experimental" summer camps for boys between the ages of 16 and 20 at Naval Operating Base Hampton Roads and Naval Training Station Great Lakes. Shown here are "before" and "after" pictures of the boys attending the camp at NOB Hampton Roads (now Naval Station Norfolk). The "before" picture was taken in July 1921 and the "after" picture was taken on the base's parade grounds in August 1921.

The camps were forerunners to the modern-day Sea Cadets program. At the camp, active duty sailors introduced teenage boys to life in the U.S. Navy. Boys who graduated from the summer camps entered the U.S. Naval Reserves as active-duty sailors and were automatically accepted into advance training schools. This, of course, depended upon the boys' parents' consent in order to send their sons off to Naval service.

Full Size Battleship Program at HRNM

2011-07-05T12:41:00.002-05:00

Do you remember playing the Milton Bradley board game Battleship as a kid? Do you remember the anticipation of scoring hits on your friend's board, or the feeling of nervousness when your opponent scores near hits and misses on your elaborate ship setup?

One of the original MB Battleship game boxes

Instead of all solid blue or green board pieces, we checker-boarded our life size version using both white and blue soft foam tiles. Given our space constraints in the Odean Vanthul Life at Sea Room, a life-size game board of 50 spaces were used on both sides (10 across x 5 down). Instead of battleship game pieces, human participants become the ships themselves as they link together to make 4 square battleships, 3 square destroyers and subs, and 1 person patrol boats. We hope to do the full size (10x10) very soon.

The game helps to teach visitors, especially younger ones, about simple graphs and reading the X and Y axis, coordinates, quadrants, origin, and basic memorization. These are useful skills, as many younger visitors are learning the same principles in their math classes during the school year.

HRNM Education Staff, interns, and volunteers had a great time setting up and conducting the game for visitors this past week and 4th of July weekend. Hundreds of visitors participated over the past week, as family members took on family members (and sometimes our HRNM Staff). Come on down and see for yourself! We will be playing this periodically this summer.

Ed Volunteer Chris Armistead and the full size Battleship in our Life at Sea Room

USS Cumberland and CSS Florida Expedition

2011-06-28T09:15:00.010-05:00

Yesterday, Gordon Calhoun and I went with NOAA and NHHC's Underwater Archaeology branch to the sites of the USS Cumberland and CSS Florida wrecks, off Newport News. We spent the day observing marine archaeologists map the two wrecks with their new technology, creating sonar images of them so we can compare how the wrecks have settled and changed over the years.

Here are some of the images as the archaeologists viewed them on their computer screens. In future weeks, we'll be able to provide you with the official images, but these we took with our camera while on the boat.
The above image is of Florida. Note how fuzzy the sides of the wreck are, indicating the large amount of sediment on it.
This is an image of Cumberland. Note how much sharper this image is than Florida--much less sediment is on this ship. Below is another image of Cumberland in black and white.
All of the above images were taken by sonar equipment that was lowered into the water below the boat's hull. Here is a photo of the crew working to lower the equipment once we reached the approximate location of both wrecks.

1943 NTS Norfolk Baseball Team

2011-06-26T12:21:00.006-05:00

Phil Rizzuto

The Norfolk Ledger-Star sent a photojournalist to Naval Training Station Norfolk in 1943 to photograph the members of the "NTS Nine," the station's baseball team. The NTS Nine was loaded with some of baseball's most well known starts and a few future Hall of Famers. The Norfolk Public Libary's Sargeant Memorial Room was gracious enough to share these photos with us. We include three photos from the collection.

Dom Dimaggio

Walter Masterson, Fred Hutchinson, Charlie Wagner, Tom Early

Battleship Wisconsin at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, 1951

2011-06-21T10:37:00.003-05:00

The Norfolk Public Library's Sargeant Memorial Collection recently found several images in their stacks of the battleship Wisconsin (BB-64) from the 1940s and 1950s. Photojournalists from the Ledger-Star (a local Norfolk newspaper that is now part of the Virginian-Pilot) took the pictures. The NPL was gracious enough to share the photos with us.

The set of images shown here include Wisconsin arriving at Norfolk Naval Shipyard on January 9, 1951. The U.S. Navy had just pulled the ship out of mothballs in response to the Korean War and workers at the Yard recommissioned her into fighting form.

Animals in the Navy Week

2011-06-20T09:06:00.003-05:00

YNC Hanna feeding the bear mascot of NAS Norfolk a Hershey (with almonds) bar.

To promote our re-launch of the museum's Twitter page, we are posting all this week historic images of animals (mascots or working animals) in the U.S. Navy. So, see something new on this "wild" topic everyday at www.twitter.com/hrnm. Have an animal photos from your days in the Navy? Send it to us at hrnavalmuseum@navy.mil and we will post it! (We are really looking for a photo of "Felix," the Amazon parrot mascot of the Norfolk-based destroyer USS Stump (DD-978)).

Admiral George Dewey and his blue Chow-Chow "Bob."

Frank Lloyd Wright at the Jamestown Exposition

2011-06-13T09:45:00.004-05:00

One of the major themes of the 1907 Jamestown Exposition was free enterprise and American capitalism. Several major American and foreign companies, from the giant Pennsylvania Railroad to a small start up known as General Electric, commissioned lavish buildings and exhibits to show off their products and services. One of these companies was the Larkin Soap Company of Buffalo, New York. Started in 1875, the company was originally one of America's leading soap companies before they expanded their product line to include most household products. At the same time, the company also introduced a mail order service.

The founder of the company John Larkin was a good friend of another American pioneer, architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Having already commissioned Wright in 1904 to design the company's Buffalo headquarters (which is considered to be one of Wright's masterpieces), Larkin commissioned Wright to design a building to promote the Larkin Company's marketing concept. Called the "Larkin Idea," this strategy attempted to sell to the American homemaker what the ideal home should look like. This of course included the company's full line of consumer goods.

One visitor to the building wrote, "There was something homey and restful in that little cottage. Both young and old ladies went through the building with attentive eyes, pausing now and then as their fancy fixed upon this chair or that bedstead or other desirable article 'for my room at home.' The 'Larkin idea" is one of the most distinctive phases of modern business life, and there are millions of 'Larkin homes' throughout the country, in which the products of this firm are regarded as household necessities, and where the 'idea' meets with a hearty welcome."

The building, unfortunately, was torn down after the Exposition. Its location today would be at the corner of Pocahontas and Farragut Avenues at Naval Station Norfolk.

Memorial Day Photo Contest 2011

2011-06-09T06:00:00.001-05:00

Two weeks ago, we asked our Facebook fans to post photos showing what Memorial Day meant to them. We ended up with eleven submissions--which is a great response rate for the first photo contest we've ever done!--and then asked our fans to vote on their favorite photo. The winner received a prize package from HRNM. Featured in this blog post are the winner and two runners-up. Thank you to everyone who participated and everyone who voted. We hope to hold another photo contest in the coming months!

The winner: Sherry Voyles, with her photo of "observing and paying tribute to our veterans during the annual ceremony at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery," St. Louis, Missouri:

Second place: Melissa White-Contreras, with "They don't remember their grandfather, but they are still proud that he served..."

Third place: India Sharpe Meissel, with "Legion Riders meeting our brave men and women at the Atlanta airport."

USS Iowa at Dry Dock Number 4

2011-06-06T09:47:00.003-05:00

These three photos are of the battleship USS Iowa (BB-61) in Dry dock Number 4 at Norfolk Naval Shipyard-Portsmouth, April and May 1985. The Navy had placed the battleship in the dry dock for four months of what the Navy calls "post shakedown availability" (PSA) repairs. PSA repairs are conducted on ships to fix problems found during a ship's first cruise after being launched or overhauled.

Number 4 was one of the few places the Navy could place a ship the size of Iowa. Growing pains led the Navy to build the dry dock in the early 1900s. The Fleet's newest battleship designs were longer than the U.S. Government's current docks and the Navy wanted to keep the ability to repair its own ships and its own facilities. Contractors finished work on the facility in 1919.

Harrison S. Taft,an 1896 naval architect graduate of MIT, designed and oversaw construction of the dry dock. The school's alumni magazine proudly produced this description of Taft's work: "Dry dock No. 4 is said to have been the most complicated reinforced concrete structure ever built for the Navy Department. The dock is of the largest size, being 1,000 feet in length and 144 feet in width; its depth is 51 feet. In its construction 625,000 cubic yards of earth were excavated and 185.000 cubic yards of concrete were poured and reinforced. The dock is capable of handling the largest ships now afloat and will probably be able to handle any which may be designed in the future unless radical changes take place in the world's harbors and ship channels. Work was begun in January, 1917, and the entire job was completed two years and three months later, a feat which is said to constitute a record in the United States."

Mark VI Mine and New Online Exhibit

2011-06-01T09:55:00.007-05:00

This is a Mark VI mine on display in the museum's gallery. During World War I, the St. Juliens Annex of the Norfolk Naval Shipyard assembled over 100,000 of these weapons. The U.S. Navy's Mine Laying Squadron One deployed about 70,000 of them in the North Sea during an operation known as the "North Sea Mine Barrage." The goal was to seal off the North Sea as an exit point for German U-boats.

The mines were quite advanced for their day. The sphere contained 300 pounds of TNT, more than enough to rip an 800-ton submarine apart. A U-boat would trigger the mine by touching either the sphere itself or the wire cable located above and below the charge. The mine's trigger, however, was possibly too sensitive as there were many reports of deployed mines exploding due to other objects in the sea such as fish or floating debris. The Navy stored surplus mines at the newly-established Yorktown Mine Depot in Yorktown, Virginia. Today the facility is known as Naval Weapons Station Yorktown.

In cooperation with Commander, Navy Region, Mid-Atlantic, a new online exhibit about St. Juliens Creek Annex and the mines can now be seen at the museum's website.

Live Fire Exercises in the Chesapeake Bay, 1911

2011-05-23T10:16:00.006-05:00

This the Norfolk-based, pre-dreadnought battleship USS New Hampshire (BB-25) conducting live fire exercises near the Chesapeake Bay's Tangier Island, March 1911. The battleship's gunners fired at San Marcos (ex-USS Texas) and hit the 6,660-ton, Spanish-American War veteran forty-seven times.

While the exercise was useful in training sailors in the operations of large caliber weapons, both the U.S. Army and Navy studied the exercise for a different reason. The exercise was a rare opportunity for surface warfare and coast defense artillery experts to closely inspect and interpret the effects of large caliber artillery shells on an armored target. Secretary of the Navy George Meyer and his aides observed the exercise from USS Dolphin (PG-22), as did the U.S. Army's Chief of Ordnance, Brigadier General William Crozier, from the destroyer USS McCall (DD-25), and a pool of newspaper reporters from the torpedo boat USS Stringham (TB-19). What is not known is how this aerial picture was taken as there was no naval avaition at the time.

Not everyone looked forwarded to the test. Shortly before New Hampshire put to sea, seventy sailors of the ship's company deserted. They believed the ship's 12-inch guns were on the brink of bursting and thus unsafe to use. They claimed that the guns had been fired over 200 times without a safety overhaul. The Navy placed a request with the City of Norfolk police department to assist in rounding up the deserters and within a few days, most had been arrested. None of the guns had any issues during the operation.

Mercy Medical Airlift: Angels with Flight Wings

2011-05-19T09:40:00.001-05:00

One of the characteristics that define today’s modern Navy is its strong tie to aviation. For the last 100 years, naval aviators treaded new ground in times of peace and war. From flat top to runway, their service is a testament to the honor, courage, and commitment we see every day.

This sense of service continues at Angel Flight, where naval aviators volunteer their time to provide charitable air transportations to those in need. Now in the year of its centennial anniversary, there is no better time to commemorate those service men and women who are using their talents to give back to the greater good at Angel Flight and its parent organization, Mercy Medical Airlift. Their dedication truly makes them "angels with flight wings." Below is a brief interview with one of MMA/Angel Flight's courageous volunteers, Richard Keys.

1. Tell us very briefly about your service experience in the field of naval aviation?
I entered the Navy in 1983 through the Aviation Officer Candidate School and was designated an E-2C Naval Flight Officer in 1984. I served over 22 years in various squadrons and staffs deploying in the Mediterranian, North Atlantic, and the Middle East. My last sea tour was a Air Operations Officer aboard the USS Nimitz (CVN 68).

2. What brought you to Mercy Medical Airlift?
I have been flying since I was 15 and a few years ago a friend invited me to go along with him on an Angel Flight. After that I was hooked and signed up with Angel Flight Mid Atlantic.

3. The three core values of the United States Navy are honor, courage, and commitment. What examples do you see of this in your Angel Flight passengers?
I see all three of the Navy core values exhibited by patients I have flown. All of them are fighting long battles that require a tremendous amount of courage and committment and they figtht their battles grace and honor. Some it must go throug painful treatments surguries for months or years while others must endure the grind and disruption of weekly trips to distant treatment facilities.

4. Why is it important to use your skills at Angel Flight?
Life has treated me pretty weill and it is a great way to give back to the community and help those in need while doing what I love - flying.

5. Any additional comments?
Mercy Medical Airlift and Angel Flight are great organizations and I ask all pilots to consider volunteering. And if your not a pilot they can always use some help around the office or at various events. You won't regret it.

For more information on Mercy Medical Airlist, visit their blog HERE.

USS Saratoga and Lexington off the Virginia Capes

2011-05-16T09:15:00.001-05:00

This is a 1930 photo of the aircraft carriers USS Saratoga (CV-2) and Lexington (CV-3) off the Virginia Capes. Along with eleven battleships, USS Langley (CV-1), nine cruisers, twenty-five destroyers, and two fleet submarines (V-2 and V-3), the two 33,000-ton aircraft carriers participated in an official Naval Review by President Herbert Hoover. The President observed the carriers' torpedo bombers practice attack runs on the battleships. A crewmember of the mammoth dirigible USS Los Angeles (ZR-3) took this photo.

The fleet had just completed Fleet Problem X, an official U.S. Navy battle exercise designed to develop naval aviation doctrines, in the Caribbean. After the Review, most of the fleet got underway for San Diego and Pearl Harbor.

HMS Queen Elizabeth at Craney Island

2011-05-09T09:03:00.002-05:00

This is a picture of the British battleship HMS Queen Elizabeth at the Craney Island fuel depot, 1943. The picture had been taken shortly after Norfolk Naval Shipyard completed a major repair project on the vessel. The depot (located about half way down the Elizabeth River) had five piers to refuel warships, including one specifically for aircraft carriers and battleships.

Italian naval commandos severly damaged the 33,000-ton warship on December 18, 1941. The commandos mined Queen Elizabeth and the battleship HMS Warspite during a daring raid on the two ships' Alexandria, Egypt anchorage. The Royal Navy conducted some temporary repairs on Queen Elizabeth, but only enough to allow the battleship to make it across the Atlantic Ocean to Hampton Roads. The battleship was one of many Royal Navy ships Norfolk Naval Shipyard repaired during World War II.

Union Jacks Luncheon Lecture: "A Sailor's Life"

2011-05-03T20:50:00.000-05:00

Historian Michael J. Bennett discusses the harsh realities of life aboard Union vessels during the American Civil War.

For more information, go to the Civil War Navy Sesquicentennial Blog homepage for more information.

President-Little Belt Affair, 200th Anniversary

2011-04-29T09:25:00.007-05:00

As we approach the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, it is important remember the incidents that precipitate the war. May marks the 200th anniversary of one of the more inflammatory incidents.

Upon hearing that the British frigate HMS Guerriere had stopped the American warship Spitfire and impressed one of her sailors, Commodore John Rodgers and the frigate President sortied from Hampton Roads in search of the British warship. With the humiliation of the 1807 Chesapeake-Leopard affair still fresh in the American psyche, Rodgers had every intention of properly upholding American honor.

After a few days of searching, watches aboard President spotted a sail and Rodgers ordered a pursuit. According to Rodgers, his ship pursed the unknown sail for several hours until the two vessels closed to within a hundred yards. Rodgers hailed the unknown ship several times with the question "What ship is that?" The unknown ship, again according to Rodgers, replied with gunfire.

The American commodore ordered an immediate response. His ship, one of the most heavily armed frigates in the world, unleashed five minutes of devastating fire. After a short ceasefire, the unknown ship fired two more shots. Rodgers ordered a second broadside, which lasted another five minutes. The unknown ship struck and identified itself as the sloop-of-war HMS Little Belt.

Over the next several months, public investigations were held and diplomatic notes passed. Both sides claimed the other fired first and both sides claimed the other failed to identified itself. Both sides praised their commanding officers for upholding their respective flags. The British government asked for reparations. The Madison administration responded that when His Majesty's Government was willing to pay for damages to Chesapeake, he would be willing to talk about Little Belt.

Niles' Register, a Baltimore-based newspaper, labeled the incident an "affair." The editor quickly added the sarcastic, but prophetic comment "everything is an affair nowadays."

Read first hand accounts of the action here.

Guns of Gosport-Where They Ended Up

2011-04-18T12:31:00.008-05:00

On April 19, 1861, Commandant Charles Stewart McCauely ordered the Gosport Navy Yard's buildings to be torched, the dry-dock destroyed, the guns spiked, and the ships scuttled. The job of spiking the guns fell to the ship's company of USS Cumberland. With only a few hours and two hundred men to complete the task, the operation was a failure. When the Virginia state forces moved to occupy the Yard, they found several hundred guns in operating order.

Norfolk-native Samuel Barron, officer-in-charge of Virginia's newly established state navy (much like his grandfather was during the American Revolution) and French Forrest, the new commandant of the Gosport Navy, quickly ordered the treasure trove to be deployed throughout the South. In a June 10 memo to Virginia Governor John Letcher, Barron reported on where the guns were sent. In all, they distributed 412 guns with about half remaining in Virginia.

James River Defenses:

-Fort Powhatan: Eight 32-pounders
-Jamestown Island-Three IX-inch Dahlgrens, nine 8-inch Columbiads, six 32-pounders, two 12-pounders
-Pig Point: Four VIII-inch Dahlgren, four 32-pounder

York River Defenses:

-West Point: Two IX-Inch Dahlgrens, one 32-pounder
-Gloucester Point: Eight IX-Inch Dahlgrens, four 32-pounders
-Yorktown-Eight 8-inch Columbiads and barbette guns

Potomac River defenses
-Potomac Creek: Two VIII-inch Dahlgrens
-Aquia Creek: One VIII-inch Dahlgren, one Parrot Rifle field piece
-Simms’ Point: One VIII-inch Dahlgren, three Parrot Rifle field pieces
-Harpers Ferry: Two 32-pounders Elizabeth River defenses:
-Fort Norfolk: Twelve IX-inch guns, four 32-pounders
-Craney Island: One X-inch Dahlgren, sixteen VIII-inch Dahlgrens, four 32-pounders
-Fort Nelson (Naval Hospital): Two VIII-inch Dahlgren, five 32-pounders
-Bush Bluff: Five 32-pounders
-Pinner’s Point: Twelve 32-pounders
-Sewell’s Point: Six IX-inch Dahlgrens, four 32-pounders
-Lambert’s Point: Six 32-pounders
-Barrett’s Point: Six 32-pounders

Ships
-Frigate United States (in Norfolk)-Three IX-inch Dahlgrens, Sixteen 32-pounders
-Steam Tug Teaser (in Norfolk)-Two 32-pounders
-Steamer Yorktown (in Richmond)-One X-Inch Dahlgren, Six VIII-inch Dahlgrens, One 64-pounder

Shipped Out of Hampton Roads
For the City of Richmond-Sixty guns of unspecified calibers
For the State of North Carolina-Ten VIII-inch Dahlgrens, seventy 32-pounders
For the State of Tennessee-Fifty-two 32-pounders
For the State of Louisiana-One IX-inch Dahlgren, Eight VIII-inch Dahlgrens, twelve 32-pounders
For the State of Georgia-Two 32-pounders

Union Jacks: Yankee Sailors in the Civil War

2011-04-11T07:42:00.007-05:00

Historians have given a great deal of attention to the lives and experiences of Civil War soldiers, but surprisingly little is known about navy sailors who participated in the conflict. In our second luncheon lecture of 2011, Michael J. Bennett will be discussing his book, Union Jacks: Yankee Sailors in the Civil War.

Through his research, Bennett has found that sailors differed from their counterparts in the army in many ways. They tended to be a rougher bunch of men than the regular soldiers, drinking and fighting excessively. Those who were not foreign-born, escaped slaves, or unemployed at the time they enlisted often hailed from the urban working class rather than from rural farms and towns. In addition, most sailors enlisted for pragmatic rather than ideological reasons.

Come and join us on Thursday, April 28, as Michael J. Bennett describes the lives of the enlisted sailors in the Union Navy. The luncheon begins at 11:30am at the Crowne Plaza in downtown Norfolk (700 Monticello Avenue, Norfolk, VA). It costs $15 for members of the Hampton Roads Naval Historical Foundation and $20 for non-members to attend. To attend just the lecture, there is no cost (though you must still RSVP).

RSVPs are required by Saturday, April 23. Please call 757-322-3109 to leave a message with your reservation, or contact Laura at 757-322-3108 or laura.l.orr@navy.mil with any questions.

We hope to see you there!

Builder's Half-Model-USS Delaware

2011-04-06T10:53:00.003-05:00

This is the builder's half-model of the Gosport-built 74-gun ship-of-the-line USS Delaware. Designed shortly after the War of 1812, the model is one of the oldest artifacts in the museum. While it looks very simple, the ship’s architect built the model with the intent of it being used by the shipyard’s workers as a construction guide.
The ship builder would take a model like this, put it on the floor, and start making drawings on the floor in proportion to the actual size of the ship. If the builder found any errors in the ship designer’s original calculations, he could then make corrections to the math before the keel was laid and heavy construction began.

As many half-models ended up in the fireplace once workers finished, these type of models are rare. The museum is very appreciative to the Navy's Curator of Ship Models (the legal custodian for all Department of the Navy ship models) for loaning and allowing us to display models like this.

USS Tecumseh Engine Room Gong

2011-03-29T09:40:00.002-05:00

USS Tecumseh was one of several monitor-type warships built by the U.S. Navy for use against Confederate forts. The ship served on the James River in 1863 in support of Federal littoral operations, before being sent to the Gulf of Mexico.

During the 1864 Battle of Mobile Bay, Tecumseh was the lead warship in Farragut's squadron as it engaged Ft. Morgan and attempted to head into Mobile Bay. A few mintutes into the battle, Tescumseh struck a "torpedo" (what we now call a underwater mine) and quickly sank.

There have been a few surveys of the wreck over the years. But due to the ship being covered in mud by swift currents, only a few artifacts have been retrieved. One of them is the ship's engine room gong, which is currently on display in the museum's gallery. Ship gongs like this one were important tools of intra-ship communication before the advent of more modern mechanical and electronic forms of communication. Gongs produced loud, clear rings that notified overworked and otherwise distracted engine room crews to pay attention to a ship’s captain’s new orders.

Spring Means Baseball

2011-03-21T09:52:00.000-05:00

With the beginning of the Spring season, we present this modern day image of the front entrance to Naval Station Norfolk's McClure Field. Originally built between 1917 and 1919, the Field is one of the oldest brick baseball stadiums in the United States.

We also present this rotary camera view of Opening Day, 1919 when the stadium was simply called the "Athletic Field." This was the first baseball game played at the Field.

Jamestown Exposition Tomahawk

2011-03-15T12:54:00.000-05:00

The museum recently acquired this souvenir of the 1907 Jamestown Exposition from a donor who accidentally dug it up on his property. The item is one of hundreds of items marketed to Exposition visitors by vendors attempting to make a profit off the world's fair. Among other Exposition items in the museum's collection include dinnerware, tea sets, tapestries, song and poetry books, and post cards.

The fair was supposed to be a celebration of the 300th anniversary of the Jamestown settlement. As a result, Native American themes were strongly present at the fair, particularly in the form of Pocahontas, her father Powhatan, and English explorer John Smith. However, ignorance of real Native American culture and the Jamestown settlement was just as prevalent.

Cutlass of USS Zouave's Commanding Officer

2011-03-08T13:08:00.000-05:00

On this anniversary of the first day of the Battle of Hampton Roads (March 8, 1862), we present the cutlass of Henry Reaney, who was a volunteer Naval officer that served in the battle. The museum received and accessioned the weapon just a few weeks ago.

The weapon is a standard cutlass manufactured for the U.S. Navy by the Ames Manufacturing Company. Ames made thousands of such weapons during the war. The stamp "D.R." stands for Daniel Reynolds, a U.S. Navy weapon's inspector.

Reaney was the commanding officer of USS Zouave, an armed tug assigned to blockading naval forces in Hampton Roads at the time of the battle. Reaney's original standing orders were to assist the sloop-of-war USS Cumberland, if and when Confederate forces attacked. When CSS Virginia launched her assault, Reaney was told by Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge on board Cumberland to go ahead and find out what ship was coming up the Elizabeth River (and not to assist Cumberland). Renaey compounded the mistake by firing the tug's 30-pounder Parrot Rifle at Virginia at long range (to no effect). After seeing Cumberland rammed and sunk by Virginia, Reaney moved Zouave over to the frigate USS Congress and assisted that ship in getting to shallow water.

Reaney wrote about his ship's action for Battles and Leaders of the Civil War. The account can be found at http://ehistory.osu.edu/osu/books/battles/vol1/pageview.cfm?page=714&dir=712.

USS Bagley and USS Potomac at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, 1937

2011-03-04T11:55:00.000-05:00

Among collection of construction photos of the destroyer USS Bagley (DD-386) is this January 4, 1937 photo of the warship at pier side after launching. Notice the ship in the background. The vessel is USS Potomac (AG-25), President Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidential yacht. Whether the vessel was at the Navy Yard for repairs or a surprise Presidential visit, we are not sure.

Potomac was formerly a U.S. Coast Guard cutter before her new role as F.D.R.'s "Floating White House." Norfolk Naval Shipyard converted the vessel to her new role from 1935 to 1936 and recommissioned the vessel on March 4, 1936. The ship is now a National Historic Landmark and docked in Oakland, California.

Sailor's Diary-Ask For Permission First, 1937

2011-02-28T09:30:00.000-05:00

If the Navy wanted you to have modern devices, they would have issued them. Here is SK2 Lukei, out of Norfolk on USS Arkansas (BB 33) May 1937, seeking permission to have an electric razor. Arkansas at the time was cruising to Annapolis to pick up Midshipmen for the practice cruise of 1937. Their destination: Kiel, Germany. The same ship would later bombard German soliders on D-day. That June day, SK2 Lukei was crossing the International Date Line en route to another battle at Saipan. Click on the image to enlarge the text of Lukei's permission slip for his personal electric razor.

Battleship USS Arkansas (BB-33), early 1930s.

A Sailor's Diary, 1927

2011-02-25T10:48:00.000-05:00

Reese F. Lukei enlisted in the Navy in 1927 and reported to Norfolk for basic training in July. Lukei kept a typewritten diary of his Navy career for the next 20 years - through 1947. This page, his first entry, provides an interesting look at the early Naval Station. Note that Naval Station headquarters is called "the Glass house." Vaccination for typhoid and small pox required a quarantine that lasted almost one month. Click on the image to enlarge text.

Builder's Model USS America

2011-02-23T09:21:00.001-05:00

One of the crown jewels of the museum's collection is the builder's model of the aircraft carrier USS America (CV-66). Built by the model shop of Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in the 1960s, the model is over six feet long at a scale 1/8" to one foot. It is one of the largest ship models in the Navy's collection and can be seen in the museum's Cold War gallery.

Constructing Destroyers at Norfolk Naval Shipyard-Part 2

2011-02-18T11:14:00.000-05:00

These are a few more of the pictures the museum recently received on the construction of three destroyers at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in the mid-1930s. These pictures show the construction USS Bagley (DD-386).

Frames for Bagley's hull pre-fabricated at the Yard's Shop 11, June 1935

While the workers made the frames, the keel was laid down at the same time.

View of structure, September 1935

Workers at the Yard's boiler shop assemble the ship's stack and breeching, March 1936.

Launch day-September 1936. Miss Bella Worth Bagley, sister of the ship's namesake, christens the ship.

Bagley in the Elizabeth River, shortly after launch. Workers later assembled the ship's guns, bridge, and stack.

Constructing Destroyers at Norfolk Naval Shipyard-Part 1

2011-02-15T13:20:00.000-05:00

Keel-laying ceremony for USS Helm (DD-388)

The museum was recently given two photo albums depicting the construction of the destroyers Bagley (DD-386), Blue (DD-387), and Helm (DD-388) at Norfolk Naval Shipyard-Portsmouth between 1936 and 1938. All three ships were built from funding provided by President Franklin Roosevelt's National Industrial Recovery Act, a controversial "New Deal" program designed to revitalize American manufacturing. All three warships had very active Naval careers during World War II.

The photos show the complete cycle of construction from the ceremonial keel laying to builders' trials. Here are a few of the pictures. More will be published later this week.

The finished product of Helm's bridge and deck house at one the Yard's manfacturing shops.

Hulls of Blue (left) and Helm (right). Notice the sign at the far right. It reminds workers that the ships were built under funding provided by the National Industrial Recovery Act.

Installing the bridge and deck house on the Helm's hull.

Ensign Jesse Brown

2011-02-11T10:06:00.000-05:00

In honor of African American history month, we present a picture of Ensign Jesse Brown, the Navy's first African American aviator. Ensign Brown flew with VF-32, a squadron of F4U Corsairs based out of Oceana Naval Air Station.

During a combat mission in the Korean War, Ensign Brown was shot down while flying close air support near the Chosin Reservoir in November 1950. Despite several attempts to rescue him, Brown died of his injuries. He was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. See more images of Ensign Brown at the Naval History and Heritage Command's website. If you are interested in learning more about the history of African Americans in the U.S. Navy, contact our education department at 757-322-2987 and ask about the "Blacks in Blue" program.

Fight Night-NAAS Oceana, 1944

2011-02-03T11:46:00.000-05:00

A typical "smoker" at Naval Auxillary Air Station (NAAS) Oceana, in which a hangar has been converted into a boxing auditorium. Note the Navy band at left, in uniform, the aircraft under repair in the background and the (admittedly few) female guests. These events were sailors' entertainment in the mostly rural part of Princess Anne County (Virginia Beach).

The Museum's New You Tube Channel

2011-02-02T10:15:00.000-05:00

More videos can be seen at the museum's new You Tube channel!

Main Entrance to NOB Hampton Roads, 1937

2011-01-28T13:46:00.000-05:00

Main gate to the "U.S. Naval Operating Base Hampton Roads," 1937. Today this would be Gate 2 of Naval Station Norfolk off Hampton Blvd.

The Navy's Tips for Sailors on Liberty in Norfolk-1952

2011-01-25T09:52:00.000-05:00

This is the ship newsletter from USS Damato (DD 871), a Gearing-class destroyer named for Corporal Anthony P. Damato USMC who was killed in action during the battle of Eniwetok (1944) and posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

Like many ships she had a mimeographed newsletter, in this case Damato News. In the September 30, 1952 issue the front page article is a debrief on the next port of call, Norfolk, Virginia. Among other things:
"Never ride in a taxi alone; find at least five other sailors going in the same direction. Do not molest women wearing wedding veils or wedding rings... All establishments serving the local drink known as beer are considered worth while stops."

See more tips by clicking on the image.

Great White Fleet Silk Mural

2011-01-20T10:14:00.000-05:00

Museum staff have recently installed this silk embroidered mural commentating the voyage of the U.S. Battle Fleet's (a.k.a. the "Great White Fleet") world cruise in the museum's Great White Fleet gallery. Sailors commissioned artists in Japan to make these elaborate and colorful murals while the Fleet was in Yokohama.

Yorktown Mine Depot Images

2011-01-11T13:16:00.000-05:00

Torpedo warhead assembly-Each warhead contained 710 pounds of the explosive called
Torpex. The explosive was powerful enough to crack a ship in half with a single torpedo.

A World War II-era yearbook of the Yorktown Mine Depot (now called Yorktown Naval Weapons Station) was recently donated to the museum. The book has several previously unseen images of the Depot's important (and extremely dangerous) work of assembling torpedoes and mines for use by the U.S. Navy. The Depot was also one of the largest employers of African Americans in the region, many of whom (as shown here) worked in the ordnance department.

Workers pour hot, liquefied Torpex into the torpedo warheads.
The vats behind the warheads were used to make
the effective, but very dangerous explosive.

USS Big Chief (IX-101) alongside the Depot's piers offloading empty warhead casings.

Women workers assemble Mk 18 torpedoes at the Depot.

Ongoing Research-The Navy Response to the Nat Turner Uprising

2011-01-06T10:33:00.000-05:00

1831 newspaper iillustration of the Nat Turner uprising (Library of Congress)

Here is one of the articles we are working for the next issue of The Daybook. One of the key events in the antebellum era was the 1831 slave revolt in Southampton County, Virginia. Led by slave Nat Turner, the uprising killed sixty-one whites without regard to age or gender. Fearful that the local revolt was just one small part of a larger revolt, state and local authorities called on the Federal government to provide assistance. Two sloops-of-war, USS Natchez and USS Warren, along with the personnel Gosport Navy Yard answered the request.

Mystery USS Wisconsin (BB-64) Picture

2011-01-03T11:18:00.000-05:00

We have this image of USS Wisconsin (BB-64) in our collection and we could use your help in identifying when and where it could have been taken. Thanks your help!

Bob Comet-Navy Veteran, Docent, and Friend of the Museum

2010-12-21T14:36:00.000-05:00

It is with great sadness that we mourn the lost of Bob Comet. Bob was a docent at the museum who volunteered his time to the art of model ship building. He shared his knowledge and love for the craft with anyone who stopped by his table in the museum gallery. Bob built several dozen models, many from scratch with just wood, tools, his hands, and a set of original ship plans. Three of his models, the Revolutionary War brig Fair American, the torpedo boat USS Winslow (TB-5), and the patrol gunboat USS Nashville (PG-7), are on display in the museum gallery.

USS Nashville

Bob Feller

2010-12-16T09:21:00.000-05:00

Bob Feller, Hall of Fame baseball player and World War II Navy veteran, died yesterday at the age of 92. Feller was a true American patriot. Two days after Pearl Harbor was attacked, Feller informed the Cleveland Indians baseball team not to expect him for Spring training as he just enlisted in the Navy.While the Navy gave him the rate of "Chief Specialist Athletic," he wanted to train like any other sailor. He struck as a gunner's mate and began his training here in Norfolk. He later served as a 40mm gun captain on the Norfolk-built battleship USS Alabama (BB-60).

When I started to work on an article about the "NTS Nine," the name of Naval Training Station Norfolk's baseball team in World War II, I got a phone call from Mr. Feller himself. He had heard through the grapevine that someone wanted to talk to him about his time in the Navy. He told me he was always more proud of his service in the Navy than his time in the Major Leagues. Shortly after the interview, he sent me the autographed picture shown above.

I strongly encourage you to visit our special section on our website to read about Feller's time here in Norfolk and the rest of the Major League players who gave up a life of luxury to serve their country.

Bob Feller and two of his NTS Nine teammates "Ace" Parker (Football Hall of Fame and Portsmouth, Virginia-native) and Sam Chapman (Philadelphia A's all-star outfielder).

Kids' Activities in the Museum

2010-12-15T07:39:00.000-05:00

This week, we're coming up with activities for kids to do on a daily basis in our museum gallery. These need to be low-tech, cheap (but fun!) activities that can be available everyday, even if a staff member is not able to run them. For this task, we'd like to get our visitors' input. What do you want to see in our museum for your kids to do? Do you want a variety of activities, from coloring and games for younger kids to more intensive hands-on activities for older kids? Is there anything in particular that, when you've visited our museum--or any museum relating to naval history--your kids have said, "Wow, I really wish I could do [this]?" If so, please let us know! We want to incorporate your ideas into our new low-tech kids' activities so this is truly an area designed by you, our visitors. If you feel uncomfortable sharing your ideas here where everyone can see them, please send them to me at laura.l.orr@navy.mil. We look forward to hearing from you soon, and thanks so much for helping out!

Ranger Receives the War Warning

2010-12-08T09:48:00.000-05:00

While on stationed on the Neutrality Patrol, the Norfolk-based aircraft carrier USS Ranger (CV-4) received this message.

Deleting an Urban Legend on USS Constitution

2010-12-06T13:43:00.000-05:00

The Internet is a wonderful tool for distributing information. Unfortunately, that includes urban legends and misinformation. You made have seen this e-mail forwarded to your inbox:
---------
Subject: A LITTLE KNOWN TIDBIT

LITTLE KNOWN TIDBIT OF NAVAL HISTORY...

The U. S. S.. Constitution (Old Ironsides), as a combat vessel, carried 48,600 gallons of fresh water for her crew of 475 officers and men. This was sufficient to last six months of sustained operations at sea. She carried no evaporators (i.e. fresh water distillers).

However, let it be noted that according to her ship's log, "On July 27, 1798, the U.S.S. Constitution sailed from Boston with a full complement of 475 officers and men, 48,600 gallons of fresh water; 7,400 cannon shot; 11,600 pounds of black powder and 79,400 gallons of rum."

Her mission: "To destroy and harass English shipping."
Making Jamaica on 6 October, she took on 826 pounds of flour and 68,300 gallons of rum.

Then she headed for the Azores , arriving there 12 November. . .She provisioned with 550 pounds of beef and 64,300 gallons of Portuguese wine.

On 18 November, she set sail for England . In the ensuing days she defeated five British men-of-war and captured and scuttled 12 English merchant ships, salvaging only the rum aboard each.

By 26 January, her powder and shot were exhausted. Nevertheless, although unarmed she made a night raid up the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. Her landing party captured a whisky distillery and transferred 40,000 gallons of single malt Scotch aboard by dawn. Then she headed home.

The U. S. S. Constitution arrived in Boston on 20 February 1799, with no cannon shot, no food, no powder, no rum, no wine, no whisky, and 38,600 gallons of water.

I told my students, "That’s probably where the expression ‘Sailing the High Seas originated.’"

GO NAVY!
-----------
Not only is this "forward" full of errors, it is somewhat insulting to the real history of "Old Ironsides." Here are just a few of the errors:

1) In 1799, the United States was war with France, not England. The British were actually our unofficial allies in the "Quasi-War" with the French Republic.
2) The United States Navy moved away from using Jamaican rum as part of the grog ration and moved towards more home grown spirits such as Kentucky whisky. Captains also had a strict policy against public intoxication. A sailor found less than sober was often subject to flogging.
3) Speaking of Jamaica, the colony was a major British naval station. Why would it outfit an American warship during an alleged war with the British?
4) USS Constitution defeated four British warships (Java, Guerriere, Levant, and Cyane) ...in the War of 1812.
5) Having said that, Constitution never raided the home isles. However, the brig USS Argus did (see the book Fatal Cruise of the Argus).
6) When a warship captured a merchant ship, the alcohol supply was the last thing on the captain's mind. Instead, he was looking for goods he could sell when the cruise was over.

I strongly suggest going to Constitution's website to see more about the real ship. Better yet, go to Boston and see the ship in person.

The Navy in Franklin, Virginia

2010-11-30T11:23:00.000-05:00

NAAS Franklin from the air

Several dozen aircraft including F6F Hellcats and SB2C Helldivers

F6F Hellcat

Shown here are a series of photos of Naval Auxiliary Air Station (NAAS) Franklin, Virginia (about 40 miles west of Norfolk) during World War II. Few things are more rooted in Virginia than U.S. naval aviation. In addition to Eugene Ely's first flight, all eleven ships of the Navy's current aircraft carrier fleet were built in Newport News, and five are homeported close by at Naval Station Norfolk. The planes that operate from these East Coast ships are local as well, with F-18 Hornets and Super Hornets from Virginia Beach's NAS Oceana and E-2 Hawkeyes and C-2 Greyhounds flying out of NAS Norfolk's Chambers Field.

Naval aircraft and their support ships and personnel have long been instrumental in national defense, from fighting in the skies over the Pacific in World War II to flying half of the fixed-wing sorties in Afghanistan today.While navies and ships have for centuries protected national shorelines and projected power abroad, naval aviation is relatively new. In the U.S., it began a hundred years ago in Virginia, on November 14, 1910, when a young pilot named Eugene Ely took off from a temporary wooden deck attached to the cruiser USS Birmingham. The partnerships the Navy has forged throughout these past one hundred years with Hampton Roads remain as important as ever and are no more evident than the Navy's current engagement with the City of Franklin and Isle of Wight county. The Navy is working together with the airport, elected officials and the community to reach a mutually beneficial arrangement that satisfies the Navy's training needs and provides benefits to the community and region.

The Navy's overarching requirements stem from the need to provide the most effective and realistic training possible to prepare our Aviators to support the Combatant Commander, and is anchored in improving aviation training capacity, fidelity and operational flexibility to support the Fleet Response Plan under all conditions. The Navy's proposed action for Franklin municipal Airport entails conducting Field Carrier Landing Practice (FCLP) for E-2/C-2 Fleet turbo-prop aircraft.

The Navy's presence in Franklin was an important one to the war effort back in the 1940s. The Acceptance and Delivery Unit (ADU) for Naval Air Center Hampton Roads was located at Monogram (in now what is Suffolk, VA) in 1943. Because Monogram's grass runways were unusable 35% of the time due to rain drainage, in January 1943 the Navy initially leased Franklin Municipal Airport, located in adjoining Isle of Wight County, and built the required infrastructure. The Navy commissioned the airfield NAAS Franklin on May 1943 and moved the ADU from Monogram shortly thereafter.

The ADU's mission at Franklin consisted of accepting new aircraft, maintaining a pool of spare aircraft, and transferring aircraft from that pool. Also aircraft that had been overhauled and repaired by Norfolk's Assembly and Repair Department were sent there, and like the new aircraft, were ferried to operational squadrons on awaiting aircraft carriers. During the course of NAAS Franklin's existence the station handled over 11,865 aircraft. By September 1945 over 500 aircraft were onboard the station at any one time. Four months later the Navy placed NAAS Franklin in caretaker status. NAAS Franklin initially had two 3000ft concrete runways. In 1945 the Navy lengthened the existing runways and added a new 4200ft runway, 09/27. In 1944 station personnel numbered seven officers and 86 enlisted personnel, while barracks accommodated up to 40 officers and 200 enlisted. The Navy returned the airfield to Franklin in a series of deeds in 1947 and 1948.

Thanksgiving at Sea

2010-11-23T09:57:00.000-05:00

Posted here are two Thanksgiving Day menus from locally based warships during World War II. The first two images are from the battleship USS New York (BB-34), which was serving as a gunnery training vessel in the Chesapeake Bay at the time. The second menu is from the hard working destroyer USS Livermore (DD-429), which was in dry dock at the time recovering from damage suffered during the invasion of southern France. The destroyer also participated in the Anzio landings and escorted several convoys between Hampton Roads and North Africa.

Navy Heritage Lecture: "Norfolk, VA and Pearl Harbor Remembered"

2010-11-22T20:49:00.000-05:00

The Hampton Roads Naval Museum is proud to offer lecture and programs centered around the history and heritage of the United States Navy in Hampton Roads, VA, America's "First Region."
December's Navy Heritage presentation will center around the 1941 Japanese raid on the U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor and its importance to American history. HRNM Educator Stephen Hebert will discuss the socio-economic impact that the "day that will live in infamy" had on the homeport of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet.

The 45-minute presentation will begin at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, 7 December in the Jamestown Exposition room inside the Hampton Roads Naval Museum. Admission for the museum is free.

La Belle Chocolatiѐre

2010-11-16T17:29:00.000-05:00

Chas. W. Shonk Manufacturing & Lithograph Company (Chicago, Illinois, 1890-1935)

La Belle Chocolatiѐre

Lithograph on Tin

One might not expect to find a fine example of Victorian era advertising in its naval collection, but this original tin lithograph which is part of the Hampton Roads Naval Museum’s collection gives a fascinating glimpse into our unique Naval Station Norfolk history. La Belle Chocolatiѐre is believed to have come from the “Chocolate House”, one of the original houses built as part of the 1907 Jamestown Exposition. During the exposition, the house featured exhibits of the Walter Baker & Company, Limited, a manufacturer of chocolate and cocoa. The framed tin sign, found in the attic of the house, has a plaque attached that reads, " 'La Belle Chocolatiere' famous trademark of Walker Baker Chocolate Company presented to Commander, Atlantic Division, Naval Facilities Engineering Command."

The image of La Belle was taken from a pastel on parchment painting by the Swiss Artist Jean-Étienne Liotard (1702-1789). It was painted between 1743 and 1745, and hangs in the Gallery ‘Alte Meister’ in Dresden, Germany. Its use as the Company’s trademark came from Henry Pierce, the firm’s fifth owner, who saw the original painting during a European trip in the late 1870s. He was so enamored with the image that he commissioned a large-scale replica painted for display at his offices in Dorchester, Massachusetts. The image was first used on packaging and advertisements in 1877, and became the official trademark of the company in 1883.

One of the more interesting facts about the artwork is the story behind the lady in the painting. Her true identity has never been confirmed. Legend has it that the lady in the painting was Anna Baltauf, daughter of a destitute knight and possibly a ladies’ maiden at the Viennese court. Prince von Dietrichstein sees her, falls in love and marries her against the wishes of the nobility. Another version is that Prince von Dietrichstein meets Anna Baltauf in a Viennese chocolate shop where she works as a shop girl. He falls in love with her and marries her “against strong objections from the nobility”. As a wedding present the prince hires Liotard to paint his bride as he had first seen her.

It is confirmed that during the period in which the painting was completed, Liotard stayed in Vienna at the court of the Austrian Empress Maria Theresia painting portraits of the Empress and her husband. Therefore, it is more than likely that the model was one of the young ladies at the Viennese Court. Nevertheless, the story was so intriguing that The Walter Baker Company printed its own version in the company’s recipe booklet in 1913. The image of “the beautiful chocolate girl” which has appeared on millions of cocoa tins and advertisements, and its romantic tale have become immortal.

Was the unframed tin sign part of the original exhibit in 1907? Was it found, then framed and presented to the Commander? Or was the tin sign found elsewhere, framed and presented to the Commander? How many tin signs of La Belle were originally made by Chas . W. Shonk Manufacturing & Lithograph Company? The quest to find information on this unique artifact turned up many facts however, many more questions remain unanswered.

Veterans' Day at HRNM

2010-11-15T10:55:00.000-05:00

In honor of Veteran's Day, the museum's education staff provided art supplies for the visiting public to write thank you cards. The cards will be sent to the Hampton VA Medical Center in Hampton, Virginia.

The education staff also provided sticky notes and a blank board. They asked veterans to write down why they chose to serve and place their answer on the board. Go to our Facebook photo album to see some of their responses.