Naval Observer

Naval news, history, pop culture, and quirky facts.

[Naval Observer @naval_observer]

"A good Navy is not a provocation to war. It is the surest guaranty of peace." —Theodore Roosevelt

[Naval Observer @naval_observer]

On this day in 1971, RADM George Morrison was the keynote speaker at the decommissioning ceremony for the aircraft carrier USS Bon Homme Richard. His son, rock singer Jim Morrison of The Doors, died in Paris the next day.
#OTD

[Naval Observer @naval_observer]

On this day in 1932, airship USS Los Angeles (ZR-3) was decommissioned. It was the only U.S. Navy rigid airship not to meet a disastrous end—though it came close in 1927 when a gust of wind pushed it into an almost vertical position as it was moored to a mast at NAS Lakehurst.

[Naval Observer @naval_observer]

On this day in 1972, LCDR Emory Brown made the first carrier landing of an F-14 Tomcat aboard USS Forrestal (CVA-59). The last F-14 carrier landing would take place 34 years later when LT Chris Rattigan landed aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) on July 28, 2006 (if you don't count Maverick's emergency landing in 2022).

[Naval Observer @naval_observer]

On this day in 1968, the Stars and Stripes on Mount Suribachi was lowered for the final time and replaced with the Japanese flag as the U.S. reverted administrative control of Iwo Jima to Japan. The transfer took place 23 years after the iconic flag-raising.
#WWII #USMC #OTD

[Naval Observer @naval_observer]

@simonharley You win the Quirkiest Photo to the Week Award.

[Naval Observer @naval_observer]

On this day in 1942, the Japanese destroyer Yamakaze was torpedoed and sunk by USS Nautilus (SS-168) about 60 nautical miles from the coast of Japan. This photo was taken through the periscope of the Nautilus.

[Naval Observer @naval_observer]

The German Federal Ministry of Defense confirmed that the plan to procure six F126 frigates has been canceled due to cost. $2.3 billion had already been spent on the project. The frigates would have been the German Navy's largest warships since WWII.

[Naval Observer @naval_observer]

For the 1978 World Cup, a businessman claimed that he had secured a submarine that would take the Tartan Army to Argentina for the tournament. He said he had leased the sub from a foreign navy that needed to generate revenue due to defense budget cuts. The journey would be limited to 150 male fans, each paying £600 for a ticket. However, the deal fell through.
#WorldCup2026 #tartanarmy #Scotland

[Naval Observer @naval_observer]

On this day in 1943, Congressman Andrew May bragged to reporters that the Japanese were setting depth charges too shallow because they didn't know how deep U.S. subs could dive. Admiral Charles Lockwood later said that the revelation caused the Japanese to adjust, allowing them to destroy 10 American subs and take the lives 800 sailors.

[Naval Observer @naval_observer]

Scary! On this day in 1998, fishermen spotted a manned North Korean submarine tangled in nets in South Korean waters. South Korean Navy ships placed the disabled sub under tow at which point it sank after possibly being scuttled by the crew. When a salvage team was able to recover the sub, it was discovered that the crew had been executed by officers who then committed suicide.

[Naval Observer @naval_observer]

On this day in 1933, former Petty Officer 3rd Class Machinery Repairman John Dillinger began his new career as a bank robber, stealing $10,600 in a holdup in New Carlisle, Ohio. Dillinger had served aboard USS Utah (BB-31) before deserting in 1923. He was declared Public Enemy No. 1 by the FBI in 1934.

[Cats in the Navy @CatsintheNavy]

Happy Caturday! These U.S. Navy aviators are playing with their cat in the aircraft carrier's ready room prior to a mission during WWII.
#WWII
#Caturday
#CatsofTwitter

[Naval Observer @naval_observer]

On this day in 1970, USS Tautog collided with Soviet sub K-108. Chunks of K-108's screw became embedded in Tautog's sail. The U.S. was convinced that K-108 had been sunk in the accident but later learned that the sub managed to return to port. The incident was kept secret.

[Naval Observer @naval_observer]

On this day in 1944, "The Great Marianas Turkey Shoot" began during the Battle of the Philippine Sea. U.S. pilots and A.A. gunners destroyed 600+ enemy aircraft. Flying an F6F Hellcat, Navy ace Lt. Alex Vraciu shot down 6 dive bombers in 8 minutes.
#WWII

[Naval Observer @naval_observer]

On this day in 1968, LTJG Clyde Lassen flew his UH-2A Seasprite deep inside North Vietnam at night and rescued two downed naval aviators despite facing anti-aircraft fire, dense tree cover and limited illumination. When he completed the mission by safely landing on USS Jouett, he only had 5 minutes of fuel left. Lassen was the only Navy helicopter pilot awarded the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War.

[Naval Observer @naval_observer]

On this day in 2019, crew members from a U.S. Coast Guard cutter pursued and boarded a narco-submarine in the Pacific, seizing 17,000 pounds of cocaine with an estimated value of $232 million.
#OTD

[Naval Observer @naval_observer]

On this day in 1976, the film MIDWAY premiered. Which movie do you prefer—the stock footage and practical effects of MIDWAY (1976) or the more recent CGI-heavy MIDWAY (2019)?
#WWII
#OTD

[Naval Observer @naval_observer]

Today is Bunker Hill Day. Named to commemorate the Revolutionary War battle, the carrier USS Bunker Hill (CV-17) was severely damaged by kamikaze attacks in 1945. The photo of a burning Bunker Hill became the basis for the artwork of the acclaimed soundtrack to VICTORY AT SEA.

[Cats in the Navy @CatsintheNavy]

Happy National Mascot Day! This mascot of HMS Cornwall is enjoying the view from one of the heavy cruiser's guns in 1933. Ships' cats liked to sit in the muzzles of guns because it gave them a secure spot from where they could watch activity on the deck or take an undisturbed nap—until it was time for battle!
#NationalMascotDay
#CatsofX