On Aug. 8, 1942, six Nazi saboteurs who had landed in New York and Florida to wage a campaign of terror were executed and buried in a secret cemetery in Washington, D.C. A mysterious memorial was later found near their grave site. Read More
Tag Archives: World War II
New Survey: USS Houston Wreck ‘Largely Intact,’ HMAS Perth Status Inconclusive
USS Houston (CA-30) in 1934. US Navy Photo
A new sonar survey has found the World War II wreck of cruiser USS Houston (CA-30) mostly undisturbed, while the status of nearby wreck of Australian warship HMAS Perth is less clear, according to information from the U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command provided to USNI News. Read More
USNI News Interview: Mel Gibson, Vince Vaughn Talk New Battle of Okinawa Movie ‘Hacksaw Ridge’
Andrew Garfield as Medal of Honor recipient Desmond Doss in the new film Hacksaw Ridge. Lionsgate Photo
CORRECTION: A previous version of this post incorrectly stated the number of U.S. service members who were awarded the Medal of Honor for actions during the Battle of Okinawa. Twenty-four service members were awarded the Medal of Honor following the battle — 13 posthumously.
The Battle of Okinawa has been referred to as a “meat grinder” because of the carnage that took place during the three months of savage fighting between Japanese and U.S. led allied forces in 1945. Read More
Video: Color Footage of Japan’s World War II Surrender
The following is Sept. 2, 1945 footage of the Japanese World War II surrender on USS Missouri (BB-63) filmed by Cmdr. George F. Kosco and preserved to the Naval History and Heritage Command. Read More
New Lead Uncovered in Search for USS Indianapolis
USS Indianapolis in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in 1937. US Navy Photo
More than 70 years after the cruiser USS Indianapolis (CA-35) was sunk, a new clue discovered by a Navy researcher could give expeditions hunting for the missing ship a better location to look, the service said this week. Read More
Curiosity and High-tech Sonar Uncover Lost WWII Torpedo Bomber 72 Years Later
The remains of the missing Grumman TBM-1C Avenger. Photo Courtesy of Scripps Institution of Oceanography
For 72 years, it was missing in action. The Navy torpedo bomber rested on the sandy bottom off Palau’s coast, its fuselage violently broken from anti-aircraft fire amid heavy fighting of World War II. Read More
Opinion: A New Approach to Dealing with ISIS
French fighters leave for strikes against ISIS targets in Syria on Nov. 15, 2015. French Ministry of Defense Photo
The desire for some expressive use of military power to release pent-up anger in France and the Western world in response to the latest terrorist attack in Paris is reaching a new level. France responded with strikes against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS, ISIL and also called Daesh) targets over the weekend. Read More
NOAA, Boeing Survey WWII-Era Carrier USS Independence Sunk Near San Francisco in 1951
Features on an historic photo of USS Independence CVL 22 are captured in a three-dimensional (3D) low-resolution sonar image of the shipwreck in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The Coda Octopus Echoscope 3D sonar, integrated on the Boeing Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) Echo Ranger, imaged the shipwreck during the first maritime archaeological survey. NOAA image.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminstration (NOAA), the Navy and Boeing together found and surveyed the sunken USS Independence (CVL-22), a light aircraft carrier the Navy sunk in 1951 after subjecting the ship to an atomic bomb blast. Read More
Navy Kicks Off Year-Long Celebration of Navy Reserve Centennial
Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Jonathan Greenert, Chief of Navy Reserve Vice Adm. Robin Braun, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs Juan Garcia and Navy Reserve Force Master Chief C.J. Mitchell cut a ribbon in front of the new Centennial of the U.S. Navy Reserve display in the Pentagon on March 2, 2015. US Navy Photo
In a ceremony at the Pentagon on Monday, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Jonathan Greenert and Chief of Navy Reserve Vice Adm. Robin Braun began a year-long celebration of the U.S. Navy Reserve on its centennial. Read More
Iwo Jima at 70: To Love a Lost Hero
The following is a remembrance of World War II Medal of Honor recipient Marine 1st Lt. Jack Lummus. The piece appeared in Naval History in 1995 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima with the original title, “To Love a Lost Hero.” Before the war, Lummus had played in the National Football League for the New York Giants and had played college ball at Baylor. Read More
