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DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060
Archive of Older "What's New in the Online Library of
Selected Images?" --
Entries posted in May & June 2000
This page features older entries from the Online Library's
"What's New?" section.
For the more recent entries, see What's
New in the Online Library of Selected Images;
For entries older than those seen here, see:
What's New in the Online Library of Selected
Images? -- Entries posted in March & April 2000;
What's New in the Online Library of Selected
Images? -- Entries posted in January & February 2000;
What's New in the Online Library of Selected
Images? -- Entries posted in November & December 1999;
What's New in the Online Library of Selected
Images? -- Entries posted in July through October 1999;
What's New in the Online Library of Selected
Images? -- Entries posted in May & June 1999;
What's New in the Online Library of Selected
Images? -- Entries posted in March & April 1999;
What's New in the Online Library of Selected
Images? -- Entries posted in January & February 1999; and
What's New in the Online Library of Selected
Images? -- Entries posted in October - December 1998
- Several new ships were added during the past week, among
them a battleship, additional Civil War ironclads, and a submarine.
The largest of them is USS California
(BB-44), one of the pre-World War II Battle Fleet's "Big
Five" and a victim of the Pearl Harbor attack that was subsequently
massively modernized.
The Civil War ironclads are USS Lafayette
and USS Eastport,
both of which served in the Mississippi River area. We have several
good pictures of Lafayette, but can only offer references
to other institutions' images of Eastport.
The submarine is USS F-4
(SS-23), which was accidently lost off Honolulu in 1915.
She was subsequently the subject of a very daring salvage effort,
including work by Navy Divers at what were for that time, and
for decades later, extremely great depths.
The week's remaining ships include USS Greene
(DD-266), a World War I era destroyer that served during
World War II as a seaplane tender (AVD-13), convoy escort and
high-speed transport (APD-36); the attack cargo ship USS Virgo (AKA-20), which
became an ammunition ship (AE-30) during the Vietnam War era;
and two tugs, USS Wandank
(AT-26) and Penacook
(YT-6), which assisted in rescue and salvage work on USS
Squalus in 1939.
30 June 2000
- Rather slim pickin's in the new postings department this
week, though there was a lot of "behind the scenes"
work that will become apparent in weeks to come.
Only two new ships made their way into the Online Library lineup,
one Korean War era aircraft carrier and one Civil War Mississippi
River area ironclad. USS Leyte
(CV-32) is the carrier. She was an Atlantic Fleet ship that
was sent to Korea for one combat tour in late 1950 and early
1951. All the rest of her career was spent in her home area,
including later service as an anti-submarine warfare ship. The
week's second ship is USS Choctaw
(1863-1866), one of the Civil War's more impressive-looking
ships.
26 June 2000
- New postings this week include four ships and three people,
plus another battleship class.
The latter, the Colorado
(BB-45 through BB-48) class, incorporates the last three
individual battleships to join the Online Library, including
this week's first new ship, USS Colorado
(BB-45). Other ships added include two Civil War era vessels,
the river ironclad USS Essex
and the steam sloop of war Ticonderoga.
The remaining ship presentation, which still needs another week's
work to bring it fully to completion, is the submarine Squalus
(SS-192), whose tragic loss in 1939 produced one of the Navy's
most memorable rescue and salvage efforts. After being recovered
and repaired, Squalus was renamed Sailfish and
went on to have a notable World War II combat career.
People of the week include the 1951-53 Chief of Naval Operations,
Admiral William M. Fechteler,
and two men associated with some of the new ships: Commodore
William D. Porter, the rather colorful Commanding Officer
of the Civil War Essex and Sergeant
Richard Binder, USMC, who was awarded the Medal of Honor
for his performance of duty while serving in USS Ticonderoga.
19 June 2000
- This week's offerings include a two "pairs", and
a number of individual items.
"Pair" number one contains two Essex class aircraft
carriers, USS Bunker Hill
(CV-17) and USS Boxer
(CV-21). After serving in most Pacific War campaigns from
late 1943 on, Bunker Hill was badly damaged by a suicide
plane attack in May 1945. She was one of the two Essex
class carriers that were not active during the Korean War and
Cold War eras. Boxer, commissioned during the final months
of the Second World War, saw continuous service for the next
twenty-four years, including extensive Korean War combat action
and a decade as one of the Navy's first helicopter-carrying amphibious
assault ships.
Our second "pair" is made up of the last two of the
three "Timberclad" gunboats that were very active during
the first year of the Civil War in the Mississippi River area.
They are USS Conestoga
(1861-1864) and USS Lexington
(1861-1865). The week's other new Civil War posting is the
Confederate cruiser CSS Georgia.
Other ships and ship-related subjects added to the Online Library
include the unique Alaska
class large cruisers of World War II, the small seaplane
tender USS Barnegat
(AVP-10) and the pioneering Japanese aircraft carrier Hosho.
We also added another Secretary of the Navy, John
Y. Mason, the only man to hold the office twice.
12 June 2000
- The passing of May and the arrival of June brings four new
ships and two more people into the Online Library.
The people include a Secretary of the Navy, David
Henshaw, who served briefly in 1843-44, and a Vietnam War
Hero, Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class David
R. Ray, who was awarded a posthumous Medal of Honor for his
actions.
Our new U.S. Navy ships are the battleship Maryland
(BB-46), and the Civil War ironclad river gunboat Benton.
The Confederate cruiser Nashville
completes the week's Civil War additions.
Marking the start of what will be a slow, but steady, effort
to provide coverage of World War II German warships, we have
posted pages on the big battleship Tirpitz.
5 June 2000
- Another seven days' effort has added five more people, three
U.S Navy ships, a Confederate ironclad floating battery and another
group of midget Japanese submarines to the Online Library.
Three of the new people were involved with the tragic gun explosion
on board USS Princeton
(1843-1849) in 1844: The ship's Commanding Officer, Captain
Robert F. Stockton, who was injured, and Secretary of the
Navy Thomas W. Gilmer
and Secretary of State (and former Secretary of the Navy) Abel P. Upshur, who
were killed. Other people added include Admiral
Aubrey W. Fitch, an important figure in Naval Aviation before
and during World War II, and another World War I Yeoman (F),
Hildreth Meiere.
New U.S. Navy ships include the aircraft carrier Essex
(CV-9, later CVA/CVS-9), which had nearly three decades'
of World War II, Korean War and Cold War service, the oiler Mississinewa (AO-59),
which was sunk by a Japanese human torpedo in November 1944,
and the Civil War "timberclad" gunboat Tyler.
This week's Confederate warship is the armored floating battery
Georgia,
which served in the defenses of Savannah, Georgia. Our Japanese
contribution is the "Kaiten"
type human torpedo, an underwater component of the "Special
Attack" forces that included the much more effective "Kamikaze"
suicide aircraft.
29 May 2000
- The week just past saw a variety of ships added to the Online
Library, plus one person.
New U.S. Navy ships include the battleship West
Virginia (BB-48), the destroyer Sims
(DD-409), the Civil War river monitor Osage,
and two early screw-propelled steamships, Princeton
(1843-1849) and her successor of the same name, Princeton
(1852-1866). The deck of the first Princeton was the
site of an ordnance accident in 1844 that killed two Cabinet
officers and a number of other dignitaries.
Additional Civil War subjects added include the Confederate gunboat
McRae
of 1861-62, and her Commanding Officer, Lieutenant
Thomas B. Huger, CSN.
Lastly, another big Japanese battleship, the Musashi,
and the aircraft carrier Zuikaku
have made their Online Library debuts.
22 May 2000
- The second week of May has brought some "heavy"
material to the Online Library, specifically a new topic: U.S.
Navy Battleships, featuring a
special selection of views and links to associated coverage on
all types of battleships and battle cruisers constructed (if
not completed) for the Navy since the World War I era. These
include new pages on the South
Dakota (BB 49-54), North
Carolina (BB 55-56), South
Dakota (BB 57-60) , and Iowa
(BB 61-66) classes. Previously posted coverage on the Montana (BB 67-72) class
battleships and the Lexington
(CC 1-6) class battle cruisers is included in this project,
which will continue to receive new material on earlier battleships
as we steadily work our way through the fleet.
Adding to the "weighty" nature of the week's work is
new coverage on the Japanese battleship Yamato,
the largest battleship ever built, and one which continues to
be an object of Worldwide interest.
New individual U.S. Navy ships posted include: another small
aircraft carrier, USS Princeton
(CVL-23), which was the last "fast"carrier lost
in World War II; the submarine USS Torsk
(SS-423), now serving as a memorial ship at Baltimore, Maryland;
the Civil War river monitor USS Neosho
and construction views of two uncompleted battleships, Montana
(BB-51) and North Carolina
(BB-52).
Concluding this report are fresh, new postings on the Confederate
gunboat Stonewall
Jackson, lost in action near New Orleans in 1862, and
the Navy's second Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral
Robert E. Coontz, who served from 1919 to 1923.
15 May 2000
- In a work week somewhat shortened by the staff's headlong
rush up to the North Woods for several days, reportable progress
was still achieved. To wit:
The World War I era Yeomen
(F) presentation is now complete, containing just about everything
we have on the subject. Pages posted last week include: Yeomen
(F) -- Individuals and Yeomen
(F) -- Artifacts & Documents. In addition, more than twenty
individual Yeomen (F) have been added to the People
-- United States category. Check Yeomen
(F) -- Individuals for handy links to each one.
New "Online Library" ships include the small aircraft
carrier USS Belleau Wood
(CVL-24), the Civil War river monitor USS Ozark
and the would-be Confederate raider Rappahannock.
We have compensated for last week's dereliction in the Secretaries
of the Navy department with the addition of two Honorable Gentlemen
this week: James K. Paulding,
who served from 1838 into 1841, and Paulding's successor, George E. Badger.
8 May 2000
This page features March & April 2000 entries from the Online
Library's "What's New?" section.
For the more recent entries, see What's
New in the Online Library of Selected Images;
For entries older than those seen here, see:
What's New in the Online Library of Selected
Images? -- Entries posted in March & April 2000;
What's New in the Online Library of Selected
Images? -- Entries posted in January & February 2000;
What's New in the Online Library of Selected
Images? -- Entries posted in November & December 1999;
What's New in the Online Library of Selected
Images? -- Entries posted in July through October 1999;
What's New in the Online Library of Selected
Images? -- Entries posted in May & June 1999;
What's New in the Online Library of Selected
Images? -- Entries posted in March & April 1999;
What's New in the Online Library of Selected
Images? -- Entries posted in January & February 1999; and
What's New in the Online Library of Selected
Images? -- Entries posted in October - December 1998
Return to Online Library listing.
Page completed 9 July 2000
Coding updated 8 April 2001