Month: September 2023

Source: United States Navy

WASHINGTON NAVY YARD – Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) announced the release of a new publication, “On the Verge of Breaking Down Completely”: Surviving the Kamikaze off Okinawa, 1945, online, Sept. 21, 2023.

The new book, written by Guy Nasuti, a historian at NHHC, explores the kamikaze attacks that took place during the battle of Okinawa and the impact these attacks had on the sailors who fought during the battle.

During the Battle of Okinawa (1 April–22 June 1945), American sailors confronted their most destructive enemy of the Pacific War: the kamikaze of the Imperial Japanese Special Attack Corps. Over the course of what quickly became the deadliest engagement ever fought by the U.S. Navy, American naval officers and their crews developed new tactics to counter the brutal onslaught of a suicidal enemy whose sole purpose was to demoralize the U.S. fleet and inflict as many casualties as possible. With Japanese hopes for a negotiated peace fading, the nation’s military leaders viewed the kamikaze as their last hope to prevent U.S. forces from reaching the home islands and compelling Japan’s unconditional surrender. Indeed, for the first time in the war, the number of U.S. sailors who perished was greater than the number of American soldiers or Marines who died fighting to secure the island.

Drawing on the accounts of enlisted sailors, this study sheds new light on the desperate struggle off Okinawa and provides fresh insight into the terrifying ordeal of men under the relentless assault of suicide attacks. Ultimately, American sailors’ tenacity and ability to adapt in order to win during World War II should serve as enduring inspiration to those serving in the U.S. Navy today.

“These men were exhausted and angry at the Japanese for killing their friends and hitting their ships”, said Nasuti. “They persevered in all that they did and continued fighting until Japan surrendered.”

To download a 508-compilant PDF version of the book please visit: https://www.history.navy.mil/research/publications/publications-by-subject/on-the-verge-of-breaking-down-completely.html

To check out other publications from NHHC, visit: https://www.history.navy.mil/research/publications.html

Source: United States Navy

For this year’s contest, 117 essays were submitted — 67 in the Rising Historian category, 13 in the Professional category, and 37 in the Midshipmen/Cadet Historian category.

The CNO Naval History Essay Contest originated in 2017 began under then CNO Adm. John Richardson to further understanding of how lessons from history can inform the Navy’s way ahead. The goal of the contest is to leverage the knowledge and creativity of current and former uniformed and civilian members of the U.S. maritime services, the Merchant Marines, and professional historians to broaden and deepen the Navy’s warfighting knowledge by applying lessons from history to help ensure maritime superiority in an era of great power competition.

“Our Navy’s story is ever-growing, and our fleet’s legacy shines bright. This endeavor is personally important to me,” said Kacher who is also the author of several Naval Institute Press books. “I’m a Sailor by trade, but my writing life – which is a vocation – started with a contest similar to this. That was the gateway for me to explore, think, learn and write. And I could not be more grateful for this tradition that we have – started nearly a century ago – that still provides a venue to celebrate independent thought. I want to praise all the contestants for having the courage to write and submit an essay. All the participants faced the writer’s greatest adversary – the blank page … Your submissions and efforts have tremendous value to the fleet. We may not be able to predict the future. We don’t know what competition or conflict tomorrow may bring, but the rigorous study and reflection can assure we are better prepared for whatever challenges remain ahead.”

Previous years of the competition had only two categories: Professional and Rising. This year’s contest expanded the competition to include a Student Historian category. 

Award recipients were as follows:

Professional Historian award recipients

• First place:  Mr. Andrew Blackley; “A Double-Edged Sword:  The Legacy Bases of the Central Pacific,” Independent scholar and 2nd place Professional Historian category recipient in 2022
• Second place:  Cmdr. Jeff Vandenengel, “Fighting Sail and Submarines”

Blackley’s first-place Professional Historian Category essay encouraged leaders to consider the forward-looking strategic dilemma Adm. Chester Nimitz’ offered in 1944 regarding remaining WWII-constructed island bases and airfields in the Pacific Theater. The legacy bases of the Central Pacific, while supporting defensive and offensive support that gave the United States the advantage during the Second World War, also provide a means for forces to move in either direction and the possibility of new aggressors to utilizing them to assert dominance in the Indo-Pacific area.

Rising Historian award recipients

• First Place: (co-authors) Maj. Ryan Ratcliffe, U.S. Marine Corps, and Dr. Douglas Bryant; “Learning from History in the Making: Combining Lessons from Ukraine and Naval History to Attain Maritime Superiority”
• Second Place:  Cmdr. Richard O. Morgan, U.S. Naval Reserve; “Disruptive Technologies and Great Power Conflict: The Maritime Propeller Case Study”
• Third Place:  Lt. Vince Kindfuller, U.S. Navy; “Rekindling Innovation in Naval Exercises: Lessons from the Interwar Fleet Problems, 1923-1940”

In the Rising Historian Category, Ratcliffe’s first-place entry assesses current and historical conflicts to illustrate while deterrence should remain a core tenet of the national defense strategy, investing in warfighting capabilities that cement our tactical advantage – particularly in the maritime domain – must take precedence. 

Midshipmen/Cadet Historian award recipients

• First Place:  Midshipman 1/C Liam Nawara, U.S. Naval Academy; “Lessons for a Wartime U.S. Navy: STUFT Vessels in the Falklands War” 
• Second Place:  Midshipman 1/C Nels J. Waaraniemi, U.S. Naval Academy; “The Invasion that Never Was: Operation Causeway and its Lessons”
• Third Place:  Midshipman 3/C Pierre S. Briand, University of Southern California, NROTC; “Rivalry and Confusion at Leyte:  Lessons for Sea Control in the Pacific”

Nawara’s winning Student Historian Category essay looks at how the Royal Navy had to rely upon converted commercial “ships take up from trade (STUFT)” vessels for military use in 1982 after divesting their warfare assets the previous year. Nawara suggests the U.S. Navy could face a similar capability gap in future conflicts, and analyzes the British use of these vessels to offer challenges and success the U.S. might face undertaking a commercial vessel conversion program.

Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) manages the annual essay contest on behalf of the CNO, supported by the U.S. Naval Institute – which has been running essay contests since 1878.

“History is not a collection of nostalgia to be pulled out for anniversaries. History in its true form is the systematic study and documentation of a past to inform a future. As the U.S. Navy’s institutional memory, Naval History and Heritage Command continually strives to preserve and present an accurate history of the U.S. Navy, sharing hard-won historical lessons in support of current operations,” said NHHC Director Samuel Cox. “We take our mission seriously, and these annual essay awards are just one way we invite others to join us in that endeavor. The essays authored by this year’s award recipients are diverse, insightful, historical perspectives meant to influence and improve future operations.”

All winning essays will be published in USNI’s Proceedings or Naval History in 2024. Following publication, essays will be available (along with additional information on the CNO Naval Essay Contest) at https://www.history.navy.mil/get-involved/essay-contest.html.

Source: United States Navy

The Honorable Jared Golden, U.S. Representative, Maine’s 2^nd District, will address the ceremony via recorded remarks. Remarks will also be provided by Vice Admiral John Fuller, Naval Inspector General; Rear Adm. James Downey, Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition; the Honorable Mark O’Brien, Mayor of Augusta, Maine; the Honorable Chris Gardner, Director of the Eastport Port Authority and Washington County Maine Commissioner; and Mr. Larry Ryder, Vice President of Business Development, and External Affairs, Austal USA.  The ship’s sponsor is the Honorable Leigh Saufley, President and Dean of University of Maine School of Law and former Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court.

LCS 34 is the 17th Independent-variant LCS, the 33rd in the class. She is the second naval warship named for the city of Augusta, Maine. LCS 34 continues the legacy of USS Augusta (SSN 710), a Los Angeles-class submarine that was in active service for 24 years and decommissioned on February 11, 2009.

The selection of Augusta as the ship’s namesake, the easternmost state capital in the U.S., recognizes the value of Maine’s maritime history and landscape. The state’s rugged Atlantic coast is home to fishermen, lobstermen, and a thriving maritime industry that is testament to Maine’s enduring contributions to the nation.

The LCS class consists of two variants, the Freedom and the Independence, designed and built by two industry teams. Lockheed Martin leads the Freedom-variant team, the odd-numbered hulls, in Marinette, Wisconsin. Austal USA leads the Independence-variant team in Mobile, Alabama, for LCS 6 and the subsequent even-numbered hulls.

Littoral combat ships are fast, optimally-manned, mission-tailored surface combatants that operate in near-shore and open-ocean environments, winning against 21st-century coastal threats. LCS integrate with joint, combined, manned and unmanned teams to support forward-presence, maritime security, sea control and deterrence missions around the globe.

The ceremony will be live streamed at https://www.dvidshub.net/webcast/32605. The link becomes active approximately ten minutes prior to the event at 09:50 a.m. EST.

Media may direct queries to the Navy Office of Information at (703) 697-5342. More information on the littoral combat ship program can be found at:  https://www.navy.mil/Resources/Fact-Files/Display-FactFiles/Article/2171607/littoral-combat-ship-class-lcs/

Source: United States Navy

Norwegian participants in the exercise included the Ula-class submarine HNoMS Uthaug, F-35 fighter aircraft and P-8 maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft from the Royal Norwegian Air Force, and the Naval Special Forces – Marinejegerkommandoen (MJK). U.S. participants included USS Florida and U.S. Air Force aircraft.

The exercise focused on increasing interoperability and the combined capabilities of U.S. and Norwegian forces to execute missions in the High North.

“It is a big step forward for Norwegian – American interoperability and allied capability,” said Capt. Benjamin Selph, commodore, Task Force 69. “We look forward to continuing to operate with our Norwegian Allies as we train and work towards promoting safety and security in Europe.”

Additionally, Commodore Oeyvind Dunsaed, commodore of Norwegian Special Forces Command (NORSOCOM), and Lieutenant Commander Theodor S. Hoeyaas-Helland, commanding officer of HNoMS Uthaug, and multiple Norwegian and U.S. subject matter experts visited Florida for joint operational planning during the exercise.

“It was an honor to be invited onboard the USS Florida during this activity. The investment and resources that the US Navy is contributing is key to move our joint efforts towards the challenges of tomorrow,” said Dunsaed. “We look forward to the continued development of this collaboration.”

Following the exercise, USS Florida conducted a regularly scheduled port visit to Tromsø, Norway.

For over 80 years, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-U.S. Naval Forces Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF) has forged strategic relationships with allies and partners, leveraging a foundation of shared values to preserve security and stability.

Headquartered in Naples, Italy, NAVEUR-NAVAF operates U.S. naval forces in the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) areas of responsibility. U.S. Sixth Fleet is permanently assigned to NAVEUR-NAVAF and employs maritime forces through the full spectrum of joint and naval operations.