German Warships and President Taft in Hampton Roads, 1912

USS Idaho (BB-24) waiting for the German squadron east of Hampton Roads

Those who hold public office know that one must be careful when making a comment within earshot of the media.  In 1910, the battleship USS Minnesota (BB-22) made a port call in England. During an official reception, the mayor of London asked Minnesota's commanding officer, the always outspoken Captain William Simms, what the United States would do if England were attacked by a foreign power. Simms responded, "It is my opinion that you may count on every man, every dollar, every drop of blood of kindred from across the sea."


The German dreadnought SMS Molkte near Fort Monore

This statement infuriated Kaiser Wilhelm who naturally believed he was speaking of the German Empire. Relations between Germany and the United States were lukewarm at best in the early 20th century, particularly with Germany's increased involvement in the Western Hemisphere. Thus, President Howard Taft had to publicly reprimand Simms and apologize to the Kaiser in person.  But that was not good enough for German diplomats. The diplomats also noted in their official protest that the American Navy frequently visited France and Great Britain, but never Germany. 

The German Squadron from left to right-The cruisers SMS

Stettin and Bremen and the battleship Molkte.

The Germans demanded a public showing of goodwill between the United States and the Germans.  Taft agreed. In the Summer 1911, the Navy's Second Division of the Atlantic Fleet travelled to Kiel, Germany where the Kaiser and the entire German fleet greeted them.

In the Summer 1912, the German Navy reciprocated the visit with three ships, the cruisers SMS Stettin and Bremen and the brand new dreadnought-type battleship SMS Moltke. Realizing that Taft was in the middle of a reelection, the Kaiser wanted to send the ships as not to cause distraction to the American election season. Thus he sent them to Hampton Roads from Kiel in May 1912. The three ship squadron arrived off the Virginia Capes in late May, and were saluted by USS Idaho (BB-24) upon arrival. Two divisions of U.S. Battleships lined Hampton Roads to greet the Germans, including Utah (BB-31), Michigan (BB-27), Delaware (BB-28), and South Carolina (BB-26).

The Presidential yacth Mayflower entering Hampton Roads
and approaching the line of U.S. battleships on the left and
the German squadron on  the right.


Taft arrived in the Presidential yacht Mayflower and boarded Molkte. There, Vice Admiral Hubert von Rebeur-Paschwitz greeted the President and his entourage and personally gave him a tour of the ship. Taft remarked "Admiral, I'm glad to welcome you and to have an opportunity of visiting the Moltke, of the finest ships I have ever seen." Upon leaving the ship, Moltke's band struck up the "Star Spangled Banner." Once the Hampton Roads' festivities were over, the senior staff of the German ships proceed to Washington and New York City where they were wined and dined by America's leading politicians and business leaders.

The Washington, D.C. photo studio of Harris and Ewing followed the President to Hampton Roads and took these very vivid shots of the President, the U.S. Navy and the German squadron. Many more of the studio's collection can be found at the Library of Congress' website.

President Taft being given a tour of Moltke by German Vice Admiral Hubert von Rebuer-Pachswitch

PT Boats at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, 1942

These are photos of "patrol torpedo" boats (more commonly called "PT" boats) on board the "Liberty"-type cargo ship SS Joseph Stanton at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, August 1942. Specifically shown in the pictures are PT-107, -108, and -109 (not shown is PT-110). All four vessels had just finished shakedown cruises and were on board Joseph Stanton to be transported to Panama and then to the Pacific Theater. All four vessels participated in the Guadalcanal Campaign. PT-109 is easily the most famous of the group. Her commanding officer was Lieutenant (junior grade) John F. Kennedy and the patrol boat was sunk by a Japanese destroyer. The crew's survival is one of the great epic stories of the war.

PT boats were the U.S. Navy's solution to fill a critical need for small patrol craft. Armed with two to four torpedoes and several light guns, the vessels served a variety of roles during the war, including as picket patrol vessels, for search and rescue missions, and for raiding. Like torpedo boats of the Steel Navy time period, these vessels required a certain amount of steel nerves to take into combat as the crews often pitted themselves against targets much bigger than themselves. Depending on the contractor, the PT boats came in several different versions. The three boats pictured are labeled "Elco," as they were built by the Elco Naval Division of the Electric Boat Company.

USS Saratoga and Lexington off the Virginia Capes

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.

USS Bagley and USS Potomac at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, 1937

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.

Constructing Destroyers at Norfolk Naval Shipyard-Part 1

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.

1861 Officer Commission Document

All officers of the United States Armed Forces have a clause in their commissioning papers that they "serve at the pleasure of the President of the United States" (as opposed to enlisted sailors who serve according to terms set forth in an enlistment contract). Back in the 19th century, U.S. Naval officers got their commission paper personally signed by the President. Every time a new Administration took over, an officer would get a new document, hand signed by the new President.

In the museum's collections are the commission papers of Rear Admiral William Talbot Truxtun, grandson of the famous Commodore Thomas Truxtun.  This special collection includes his papers with the signature of every President  from John Tyler to Chester Arthur. 

William was one of eight grandsons who followed in their grandfather's career steps and among them, he had among the more distinguished careers. He served in the Navy, mainly in Hampton Roads, from 1841 until his death in 1885 and saw frequent combat during the American Civil War. Shown here is Truxtun's commission signed by Abraham Lincoln.

FDR at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard

On this Inauguration Day, we post a photo of President Franklin Roosevelt at the Norfolk Navy Yard during his 1940 tour of Hampton Roads' military facilities. Norfolk Navy Yard was one of many facilities that received millions of dollars from New Deal programs. FDR's purpose in visiting Hampton Roads was to shore up support for these programs that had been criticized for granting too much authority to the President. A full transcript of the visit can be read at our website http://www.hrnm.navy.mil/daybooks/Volume13Issue1.pdf