Naval History
By
LPO McStravick
13 Oct 1775
• The Continental Congress authorized the
outfitting of a ten-gun warship.
• Marking the beginning of the Continental
Navy
3 Dec 1775
• Lt. John Paul Jones first XO of a man-ofwar of the Continental Navy.
3-4 Mar 1776
• Commodore Esek Hopkins lead a
Continental squadron defeating the British
at Nassau in the Bahamas.
• First amphibious assault by American
Marines commanded by Capt. Samuel
Nicholas.
7 Sep 1776
• Sgt. Ezra Lee, Continental Army, made the
first “submarine” attack on a warship.
• Unsuccessfully placing a charge on a
British war ship from the submersible
named the “Turtle.”
24 Apr 1778
• John Paul Jones in command of the sloop
Ranger defeats and captures the sloop
HMS Drake.
23 Sep 1780
• John Paul Jones commanding the
Bonhomme Richard rejected the British
surrender with “I have not yet begun to
fight!”
• His ship sank, but they were able to
capture the frigate HMS Serapis.
30 Apr 1798
• The Department of the Navy is first
established.
18 Jun 1798
• Benjamin Stoddert, first secretary of the
Navy.
21 Aug 1862
• The Monitor was the Navy’s first armored
ship, New Ironsides.
1 May 1898
• “You may fire when ready, Gridley.”
• Commodore George Dewey’s words to his
flagships captain where the Asiatic
Squadron defeated the Spanish in Manila
Bay.
12 Oct 1900
• SS1 Holland first submarine commissioned
in the U.S. Navy.
• 19 May 1902-DD5 Decatur Navy’s first
active destroyer was commissioned.
20 Mar 1922
• A former coal-carrier, the Jupiter, was
converted into the USS Langley CV1 to
become the Navy’s first aircraft carrier.
7 Dec 1941
• Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor
killing 2008 Navy men and inflecting serve
damage on the U.S. Pacific Fleet.
4-8 May 1942
• Battle of the Coral Sea was fought
resulting in the end of Japanese advances
in the South Pacific.
• First Naval battle fought only by aircraft
and opposing fleets never saw one
another.
4-6 Jun 1942
• Battle of Midway ended Japanese initiative
in the Pacific with the sinking of four of
their carriers.
6 Jun 1944
• Nearly 2500 U.S. Navy ships and craft
take part in the Allies invasion of
Normandy.
• The largest amphibious assault in history.
2 Sep 1945
• Japan surrenders aboard the USS Missouri
BB63.
Mission statement of the United States
Navy
• The mission of the Navy is to maintain,
train and equip combat-ready Naval forces
capable of winning wars, deterring
aggression and maintaining freedom of
the seas.
Sea Power
• World prosperity and security depends on
free use of the seas. Markets crave security
•
and our vital interests are best served by a
stable global system.
70% of the world is water, 80% of the world
lives within a few hundred miles of the oceans
and 90% of our commerce sails across it.