Sea History 102 - Autumn 2002

No. 102

NATIONAL MARITIME HISTORICAL SOCIETY

AUTUMN2002

SEA HISTQRyu

75

THE ART, LITERATURE, ADVENTURE, LORE & LEARNING OF THE SEA

DUYFKENUNDER SAIL

The Battle of Midway MARINE ART: Mystic International

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A TRADITION OF GROWTH, STABILITY AND EXCELLENCE

No. 102

SEA HISTORY

AUTUMN 2002

CONTENTS FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE

8 The Battle of Midway: America's First Victory in a Fleet Action in World War II, by H. P. Will mo tt, PhD The Battle ofMidway in June 1942 marked the first decisive victory won by the American fleet over the Japanese and the last time Japan mounted a major naval offensive in the Pacific war they had launched six months earlier.

14 The World of the Dutch East India Company Four hundred years ago the Vereenigde Oost-I ndische Compagnie overwhelmed competition in Europe to monopolize much ofthe valuable trade in spices, tea and textiles in the far reaches ofthe East I ndies.

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16 The Duyjken Replica, by Marianne Garvey; photos by Robert Garvey A splendid replica, recalling the early days ofEuropean exploration and commerce in the East I ndies, is captured on film on a voyage of rediscovery.

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22 MARINE ART: Mystic's Grand 23rd "Annual International Marine Art Exhibition" After nearly a quarter ofa century, the premier marine art exhibit continues to draw the best in maritime art from well-established artists and fresh new entrants.

29 General Harrison: Portrait of a Gold Rush Storeship,

by Allen G. Pastron, PhD, and Rebecca Percey A remarkable remnant ofthe California Gold Rush emerged from under the streets ofSan Francisco last summer, reminding Californians of their vibrant maritime history.

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32 Lateen Sail Through the Golden Gate, by Dr. G iovanni Panell a The lateen rig, rarely seen in the United States, flourished in a community ofItalian fishermen who brought their traditional boatbuilding skills to San Francisco.

LUCA VILLATA

COVER: The splendid D uyfke n steps along nicely under a menacing sky en route to Banda on her maiden voyage. The replica is currently sailing Dutch waters in commemoration ofthe 400th anniversary ofthe Dutch East India Company, which owned the original Duyfken in the first years ofthe 1600s. (Photo: Robert Garvey) See pages 16-20.

DEPARTMENTS 2 D ECK LOG & LETTERS 6 NMHS: A CAUSE IN MOTION 36 SHIP NOTES, SEAPORT & MUSEUM NEWS/CALENDAR

41 AMERICAN MERCHANT MARINE MUSEUM N EWS

42 REVIEWS 48 PATRONS

32 SEA HISTORY(issn 01 46-93 12) is published quarterly by rhe Narional Mariri me Hisro rical Sociery, 5 John Walsh Blvd., PO Box 68, Peekskill NY 10566. Periodicals posrage paid ar Peekskill NY 10566 and add '! maili ng offices.

COPYRIGHT © 2002 by rhe Narional Maririme Hisrorical Sociery. Tel: 914-737-7878.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes ro Sea History, PO Box 68, Pee kskill NY 10566.

NATIONAL MARITIME HISTORICAL SOCIETY

DECK LOG

LETTERS

Members: Who You Are and How You See Our Mission The response to our members survey, sent out in April, was an encouraging 10.6%. It was by intention almost a duplicate of our survey of 1997, so that we could measure changes in interest or views on the National Maritime Historical Society's mission.

The first of the four sections asked how often members read the regular features in Sea H istory. Five years ago Deck Log (64%), Ship Notes (61 %) and NMHS News (60%) were the most highly read items. This year the three leaders were Ship Notes (61 %), Marine Art (57%) and Deck Log (55%).

The second section, intended to draw out members' areas of interest, asked what kind of articles you most enjoyed. Five years ago the three leading categories were adventures at sea (68%), closely followed by general maritime history (67%) with World War II in third place (64%) in the "always read" rating. This year the three leaders were World War II (67%), with great sea battles and adventures at sea tied for second place (64%), and general maritime history following closely (63%).

While comments on Sea History were overwhelmingly complimentary, concerns about our mission were often cautionary, with comments such as: "Ambitious missions, but financial considerations must be heeded"; "This is a full load of projects- trust you won't be spread too thinly"; "Membership is the key to any organization-how do we interest people with no sea experience?"; "Quality is important whatever you do. Don't overextend-one ratline at a time and hold fast"; "Ship saving should be done locally. Don't get into ship restoration other than carry news about it!"; and "Help others save ships. The Society should not own one." Reaching young people was emphasized. Still, of the mission items marked "essential," the three leaders this year were the same as those in 1997 with very similar percentages: "publishing Sea History" was in first place (79% in 1997, 80% in 2002); "building a national constituency" was second (51 % in 1997, 55% in 2002), and "saving historic ships" was third (47% in 1997, 53% in 2002) with no close runner-up for fourth place in either year.

And last, but very important, we got to know a bit more about you, discovering that 45% of respondents visit museums three times or more a year; that 59% are collectors of maritime items, from books to binnacles to art; that 86% have an interest in marine art; and that we read a lot, with 54% of us purchasing six or more books a year.

We also learned that most members found out about Sea History from a friend, relative or acquaintance (72%) , with complimentary copies of Sea History accounting for 38% and just seeing the magazine somewhere in third place at 15%.

Members Speak Out I have in front of me the 1OOth issue of Sea History, a magazine that I have enjoyed for over twenty years. During that time I have drawn inspiration from the articles about the rich and varied maritime world, abo ut the ships saved, the adventures shared, and your efforts to maintain an awareness of the history and traditions of seafaring throughout the world.

Sea History has consistently been the only publication that combined an appreciation for "the art, literature, adventure, lore and learn ing of the sea." For me, though, it is about more than historic ships and sea captains, more than books and paintingsit has been a place to read abour the fleet of traditional vessels with their missions of education and personal challenge.

"Sail training" and "education at sea" are concepts that are kept alive not just in articles written about them , but in the sponsorship by NMHS of the Maritime Education Initiative and the support of those concepts on board today's vessels, historic as well as repli cas .

Sea History is much more than a collection of articles for maritime aficionados. It is an endorsement of a philosophy oflife, a belief in using the lessons and challenges of seafaring for the benefit of each new generation. We cannot afford to lose the image of a young boy or girl aloft. Wrestling a topsail into submi ssion and "leaning forward into life," as IrvingJohnson so aptly put it, is the way of life that Sea History encourages.

ALIX T. THORNE, President Ocean Classroom Foundation, Inc. Cornwall, New York

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Members should note that the best way to reach more people with the Sea History message is person-to-person. The best way to help us meet the challenges set before us is to sign up a member like yourselfl NORMA STANFORD

Vice President You can request a copy ofthefive-page report ftom NMHS (send a ] selfaddressed, stamped envelope) or see it on-line on the ''Members Only "page at www.seahistory.org.

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In your "All Hands" Report, you invited members' comments on the National Maritime Historical Sociery's efforts to promote our maritime h eritage.

We at the Ventura County Maritime Museum in California are also dedicated to a greater understanding and enjoyment of our maritime heritage. The ends of greater awareness of the importance of our maritime pas t are far more important than the means by which this heritage is passed on, so a variety of ways offered by similarly inclined organizations is appropriate. Still, you ask about the value of some of the means described in "All H ands," so here are some thoughts.

More than $3,000,000, including

SEA HISTORY l 02, AUTUMN 2002

$50,000 from a member of NMHS, has been or is to be spent on the effort to save the steam schooner Wapama in California.

This expenditure stands in stark contrast to the lesser expense of the hands-on approach carried out in education programs such as sail training aboard the US Coast Guard Barque Eagle for students and similar programs referred to in "All Hands."

We recognize that Karl Kortum and others in the Society devoted most of their efforrs to salvaging old ships and that this effort may lie at the very heart and core of the Society's existence. But should it?

With an annual budget ofless than 7% of the funds to be spent on rhe Wapama, our museum reaches more than 25,000 people annually with programs on the Pilgrim, Tole Mour and other vessels. Each year we offer more than 5 ,000 grade-school children a marine history/biology program with a half day at sea, cosponsored and supported by the Ventura County Superintendent of Schools.

We see our goals as similar to yours.

Each of our" officer" -level members is given a subscription to Sea History. We have helped the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum set up a similar program, so we are directly responsible for several hundred new members in your Society.

HARRY L. NELSON, JR., Chairman Ventura County Mari time Muse um Oxnard, California Bravo! Great job on eve1ythingyou put into this establishment as well as the magazine.

I spend a good part of my working career out at sea, and when I get a chance to read my Sea History iris a pure delight. I am a boatswain mare on board the USCGC Dallas. Homeported in Charleston, South Carolina, we conduct law enforcement, search and rescue and other maritime operations.

Maritime history is a big part of my life and I soon hope to pursue a career in traditional ship building or crewing aboard a tall ship.

But before I leave the Coast Guard I hope to sail aboard rhe USCG Barque Eagle, which I have fallen in love with. She is a wonderful asset ro our country.

SAMUEL TRAVER Charleston, South Carolina Adventures in the North Atlantic "The Crystal Project " by Charles Dana Gibson in Sea History 101 (pp 10-13) trig-

SEA HISTORY 102, AUTUMN 2002

gered memories of the transport of fighter airplanes to England in 1942. In October of 1942, I was a cadet on the SS North King, which was loaded with supplies and replacements, headed for Bluie West 8 in Greenland, rhe last refueling base for rhe planes before the hop to Iceland. The North Kingwas a venerable lady built in 1903 in Hamburg, Germany, propelled by a monstrous quadruple-expansion steam engine that purred like a kitten. She sailed under the flag of Panama, since the ship's officers were nor American citizens, and by law she could nor fly the American flag, although she was owned by the US War Shipping Administration and operated by US Lines.

The officers and crew of this ancient (even then) ship were from countries taken over by the Axis Powers who made their way to England and then to the United States to continue their own war. The master was Norwegian, a retired sea captain who had sailed a sixteen-foot boar alone from Norway to England when his country fell to the Germans.

The voyage in October 1942 was the eighth and last North Atlantic crossing Tom Dennen, as deck cadet, and I, as engine cadet, made on the North King after being on board for seven months. Mr. Gibson's narrative regarding the difficulty anchoring in the Koksoak River reminded me of what occurred when we stopped at Godthab, Greenland. Our captain ignored the instructions from shore and dropped rhe starboard hook in the bottomless fjord.

The anchor derail raced for cover as the chain played completely out, tearing the shackle out of the bulkhead in the chain locker. Good-bye anchor and chain. In the confusion, the ship swung lightly, brushing stem-to-stern against another vessel.

This dislodged the antisub smoke floats hanging on the rail. As soon as the floats hit the water they did what they were designed to do. Black fog covered the area.

We did get to Bluie West 8, and used the port anchor satisfactorily. We need not have been concerned about swinging, because the next night we were frozen in solid. In a week, with the help of a thaw and an icebreaker tug, we were freed. It was unusual to see icicles hanging from the ship's ribs in the boiler room.

Before leaving Bluie West 8, the captain asked the engineers to ballast down since the ship was now empty and he had received word of heavy weather in the Atlantic. The "oil king" did this by filling the double-bottomed ranks with #6 fuel oil from the "deep ranks" midship. This worked well when we hit the Atlantic weather, but no one gave any thought to the Gulf Stream and its warm currents, which we encountered in the afternoon.

The appearance of the ship changed overnight. Fuel oil was everywhere, running down the scuppers, leaving the sort of trail that German subs searched for. And we were sailing alone.

Fortunately, we did arrive, dirty but safe, in Bosron, and Tom and I returned to

Join Us for a Voyage into History Our seafaring heritage comes alive in the pages of Sea History, from the ancient mariners of Greece to Portuguese navigators opening up the ocean world to the heroic efforts of seamen in this century's conflicts. Each issue brings new insights and new discoveries. If you love the sea, rivers, lakes,

and bays-if you love the legacy of those who sail in deep water and their workaday craft, then you belong with us.

Join today!

Mail in the form below, phone: I 800 221-NMHS (6647) or visit us at: www.seahistory.org.

Yes, I want to join the Society and receive Sea History quarterly. My contribution is enclosed . ($17.50 is for Sea History; any amount above that is tax deductible.) Sign me 0 $35 Regular Member 0 $50 Family Member 0 $100 Friend 0 $250 Patron 0 $500 Donor 102

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Return to: National Maritime Historical Society, PO Box 68, Peekskill NY 10566

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LETTERS NATIONAL MARITIME HISTORICAL SOCIETY OFFICERS &TRUSTEES: Chairman, Howard Slotnick; Vice Chairmen, Richardo R. Lopes, Edward G . Zelinsky; Executive Vice President, Burche nal G ree n; Vice President, Norma Sranford; Treasurer, Will iam H. White; Secretary, Marshall Screiberc; Trustees, Donald M .

Birney, Walter R. Brown, Sabaco Carucci, Richard T. du Moulin , David S. Fowler,JackGaffney, Virginia Steele Grubb, Rodney N . Houghcon , Steven W. Jo nes, Ri chard M. Larrabee, Warren G. Leback, Guy E. C. Maitland, Karen E. Markoe, Michael R. McKay, Jam es ]. McNamara, David A. O'Neil , Ronald L. Oswald, David Plattner, Bradford D. Sm ith, David B. Viecor, Alexa nder E. Zago reos; Chairmen Emeriti, Alan G. C hoate, G uy E. C. Maitland, C raig A. C. Reynolds; President Emeritus, Pecer Scan ford FOUNDER: Karl Korcum (191 7- 1996) OVERSEERS: Chairman, RA.OM David C. Brown; Walter Cronkite, Alan D. Hutchiso n, Jakob lsbrandtsen,John Lehm an , Warren Marr, II, Brian A. McAl lister, John Scobart, Wi lliam G. Winrerer ADVlSORS: Co-Chairmen,F rankO. Braynard , MelbourneSm ith; D .K. Abbass, RaymondAker, Geo rge F. Bass, Francis E. Bowker, Oswald L. Brett, No rman J. Brouwer, RA.OM Josep h F. Call o, Francis J. D uf!Y, John W. Ewald , Joseph L. Farr, Timothy Foore, W illiam Gi lkerson, Thomas C. G illmer, Walter J. Handelman, C harles E. H erdendorf, Sreven A. Hyman, Hajo Kmmel, Gunna r Lundeberg, Conrad Mi lster, W illiam G. Mul ler, David E. Perkins, Nancy Hughes Richardson, Timothy J. Runyan, Shannon J. Wal l, Thomas Wells NMHS STAFF: Executive Vice President, Burchenal G reen; Director ofEducation, David B. Al Jen; Membership Coordinator, Nancy Schnaars; Membership Secretary, Irene Eisenfeld; Membership Assistant, Ann Makelainen; Accounting, Jill Romeo; Executive Assistant, Karen Ritell; SEA HISTORY STAFF: Editor, Justine AJ1lstrom; Executive Editor, Norma Sran ford; Editor at Large, Peter Scan ford; Advertising, Ma rin Engler TO GET IN TOUCH WITH US:

Add ress:

5 John Walsh Boulevard PO Box 68 Peekskill NY 10566 Phon e: 914 737-7878; 800 221-NMHS Fax: 914 737-78 16 Web sire: www.seahiscory.org nmhs@sealliscory.org E-mai l:

MEMBERSHIP is invited.Afterguard $ 10,000; Benefaccor $5, 000; Plankowner $2,5 00; Sponsor $ 1,000; Donor $500; Parron $25 0; Friend $ 100; Co ncribucor $75; Family $5 0; Regular $35 . All members outside che USA please add $ 10 for postage. SEA HISTORY is senr co all members. Individual copies cost $3.75.

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Kings Point to continue our education.

Eighteen months later, I gained firsthand knowledge of the transport of fighter planes fully assembled on tankers. I sailed as third assistant engineer on the SS Sag Harbor, a T2 tanker canying assembled fighter planes on platforms above the deck and close to six million gallons of aviation fuel below them-a submarine captain's dream and our nightmare. We eluded the enemy and with the aid of a Canadian corvette arrive safely in Bristol, England.

HENRY SCHULMAN

Great Neck, New York The Richness of Hawaii's Seas I would like to briefly introduce the state of maritime studies in Hawaii to your readers.

Hawaii is simply the best location in the world to study maritime history. Polynesian navigation, western voyages of exploration, the Manila galleon trade, whaling and fishing, commerce, naval activities in World War II , and Cold War undersea espionage are only some of the highlights awaiting students. The University of Hawaii has excellent archives on maritime Pacific topics, and there are li terally hundreds of shipwrecks scattered around the islands.

T his being the case, in 1996 the Marine Option Program at UH created an interdisciplinary graduate certificate program in Maritime Archaeology and History. Ir is the only agency in the state to have attempted this. T he MAH program has, among other projects, offered hands-o n education, carried out field inves tigations of wreck sites, and created a statewide inventory of submerged cultural resources.

In the best of situations, academic institutions support maritime history as a field of study and states recognize that submerged cultural resources can be historic treasures. This has yet to happen in Hawaii. Historic wrecks are not part of resource management, and (except for a single course supported by the MAH program) there is no maritime history curriculum at the Pacific's flagship universiry.

Due to budgetary constraints, funding for the Maritime Archaeology and History program has recently been terminated. (The Marine Option Program continues.) Departments at UH have been working on reproposing the program, and decisions are pending. Rather than take a negative view, it is more productive to say that there

is nothing but potential for the future of maritime history in Hawaii.

One way or ano ther, there will be maritime research in the Hawaiian Islands ... the seas are too rich to remain fallow for long. Support (moral or otherwise) for those dedicated to making the maritime program a permanent reali ry at the Un iversiry of Hawaii is greatly appreciate.

Mahalo and AlohaD R. HANS VAN T lLBURG 2525 Correa Road, HIG 2 14 Un iversiry of Hawaii Honolulu, Hawaii 96822 e-mail: hkvant@hawaii. edu Calling Merchant Marine Veterans I write to fo llow up on the American Merchant Marine Museum News in Sea History 101 (p36) concerning the ceremony held on National Maritime Day to honor merchant mariners and armed guard who lost their lives during wartime. The Kings Point C hapter referred to in the article is part of the national organization of American Merchant Marine Veterans. We have approximately 4,000 active members. We estimate that there are actually 30,000 to 35,000 merchant marine veterans still living who served in World War II. At our national convention in Seattle in May, a committee was formed to introduce a bill in Co ngress this year to obtain what we call "just compensation." T his compensation is now fifry years overdue, as we were denied any benefits after WWII and were not given veteran status until 1988.

We would like very much to hear from anyone who served on merchant ships during Wo rld War II. I can be reached at the address below.

ROBERT F . PARK

PO Box 66896 St. Pete Beach, Florida 33736 e-mail: captpark_2000@yahoo.com ERRATA & ADDENDA

W e neglected note that the first three photographs used in Dr. Louis Norton's "Superstitions of Fishermen" (SH 101 , pp2830) are part of a collection gathered for the book Men, Fish and Boats: A Pictorial Story of the North Atlantic Fishermen (London, 1934) by Alfred Stanford. The collection has been placed at Mystic Seaport.

SEA HISTORY 102, AUTUMN 2002

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NMHS: A CAUSE IN MOTION

Two Historic Vessels Arrive at NMHS Warren Marr, godfarherofrhe rep I ica Freedom Schooner Amistad and overseer of the National Maritime Historical Society, made a special presentation to President Emeritus Peter Stanford of a superbly accurate model of the new Amistad on 11 June.

Made by shipmodeler George Lowery, an honorary rrusree of the Society, the model was driven up from George and Marcelline's home and workshop in Sarasota, Florida.

C hairman Howard Slotnick, trustees Walter Brown and Ronald Oswald and

of water a minute 200 feet into the air.

Members sailed aboard her on two cruises on the Hudson River.

The Harvey came to national attention on 11 September 2001 , when she evacuated people from Lower Manhattan and provided the New York City fire department with water from the Hudson to fight the fires at the World Trade Center site.

When the Harvey was built in 1931 for the New York City fire department, she was the most powerful fireboat in the world.

Retired in 1995, the Harvey was rescued by a dedicated group of volunteers, who returned her to working con di rion and keep her active in the harbor today.

The dedicated crew brought ~ the Harvey to Peekskill as part of ~ their program to promote the ~ fireboat's story, to celebrate the Ci courage of the crews who sailed ~ her, and to promote interest in The Marrs (seated) present the Stanfards (standing maritime act ivit ies on the behind them) with the model of the Amisrad built by Hudson River.

Lowery (between the Stanfards) as the rest of the crew BURCHENAL GREEN Looks on.

Executive Vice President former trustee Harry Vinall with his wife Caro l were on hand for the presentation, as NMHS members took the opportunity to were Warren's wife, the Hon. Carmel examine the engine ofthe Harvey.

Carrington Marr, their daughter-in-law and grandchi ldren, and NMHS sraff.

Warren Marr expressed his gratitude to Peter Stanford and the Society for their unwavering support over the many years Mr. Marr and Amisrad Affiliates worked toward the goal of building the ship and a strong educational program to carry her message. Mr. Stanford salured Mr. Marr for his steadfast dedication and vision, which led to the new Amistad sailing America's coasts, carrying her message of friendship and equal rights. ,_ ~------------------~ On Saturday, 27 July, the ~ ~ National Maritime Historical u Society welcomed the historic ~ < and heroic fireboat john ]. ~ Harvey to Peekskill, New York, :; where our headquarters is located. She arrived in all her glory, shooting 18,000 gallons The John J. Harvey shows what she can do.

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Heroes to be Recognized at NMHS Awards Dinner Each year, the National Maritime Historical Society recognizes ships, organizations, and individuals in the maritime heritage field who have promoted awareness of maritime history through saving historic ships, developing education programs, or building and sai ling historic replicas. For this year's Annual Awards Dinner, on Wednesday, 23 October, it seemed appropriate to depart a bit from tradition to recognize people who are currently making maritime history in service to their communities in local and international waters.

On the international front, we pay tribute to the work of Lord Ian McColl, MD, who serves with Mercy Ships, a global charity that has operated a fleet of hospital ships in developing nations since 1978.

We will also honor the men and women of US Coast Guard Activities New York for their heroic efforts in New York Harbor after the attack of September 11, 2001, The award will be presented by our trustee RADM Richard Larrabee, USCG (Ret.), who was at his office in the World Trade Center when it was attacked.

World Trade Center Anchor on Display In Sea History 99 we reported on the recovery of an anchor from the sub-basement of the World Trade Center in New York in 1999, thanks to member Brian Young and his son Kevin, from Electricians Union Local #3. The anchor had been discovered during the excavations for the twin rowers in the 1967, but had been forgotten until Kevin noticed it in Tower 2 and told his father, who reported it to NMHS. Ir will be the centerpiece of "Fo rged in Fire," an exhib it at the India House C lub documenting the h isrmy ofHanover Square ("New York's first wo rld trade center") in lower Manhattan and New York's remarkab le recovery after devastating fires in 1776, 1835, 1845 and 1853. The exhibit runs from 25 September 2002 to 5 January 2003. (India House, One Hanover Square, New York NY 10004; 212 269-2323; web sire: www.indiahouseclub.org)

SEA HISTORY 102, AUTUMN 2002

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SEA HISTORY 102, AUTUMN 2002

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The Battle of Midway: America's First

by H. P. Willmott, PhD

few wars see naval matters of greater sig- by successive offensive efforts based upon nificance than those on land, yet in chis war local superiority, possession of the initiaIn his new book The War with Japan: The Japan was comprehensively defeated by tive, and surprise, though in truth what Period of Balance, May 1942-0ctober naval power proj ected across an emire gripped Japan 's various enemies was not so 1943, H. P. Willmott presents highly de- ocean. This aspect of the war was nor much surprise as amazement. Few offensives tailed and readable accounts ofthe battles unique-Spain's conquest of Cemral and march} a pan's war against weak, uncoordiin the Pacific interwoven with an exami- Sourh America in the 1500s is an example nated enem ies that were defensively denation ofthe political military, and other of such a conquest-bur it does represem a ployed.

Defeat followed defeat for the Amerifactors that drove participants, as well as most uncommon sec of evems. T hird, the analysis ofthe historiography ofthis period Pacific war is unusual in that its greatest cans, British and Durch rhroughom the of World War II To commemorate the single battle, the battle for Leyte Gulf in western Pacific and so utheast Asia between sixtieth anniversary ofthe critical Battle of 1944, was fought after the decision of the December 194 1 and May 1942, defeats char were abj ect and humiliating. Bm if Midway (4-6 June 1942), we present war had been reached.

Willmott's introduction to the battle, writWhen did the Japanese cause pass re- Japan secured "the southern resources area" ten for Sea History, followed by excerpts call? It is hard to resist the idea that it was for which she wem to war, and without describing the dramatic events of the first at Pearl Harbor that Japan, in going to war which she could not survive as a great against the US, demonstrated a fundamen- power, she nonetheless had to face the day of the engagement. tal misreading of the nature of the war it problem of forcing a negotiated peace on he term "Second World War" is initiated and the nature of its main enemy. an enemy char, even in the midst of defeat, one most Americans understand as This, of course, would suggest that Japan's scared their determination never to treat a war char began with the Japanese defeat was inevitable. If Japan's defeat was bur to wage total war to either victory or arrack on the US Pacific Fleer at its Pearl indeed inevitabl e, then could any defeat defeat.

H arbor base on the first Sunday of Decem- along the way represent "the decisive battle" Japan had no reasoned national strategy ber 194 1 and ended, almost three months or "a turning point"? with whi ch to wage such a war. It so ught to These confl icting views may be resolved protect its gains by creating a defensive after the final defeat of Germany, with the signing of the insrrumem of Japa n's un- by noting simply char victo ry might be perimeter around itself, with garrisons and conditi onal surrender aboard USS Mis- inevitable but it sti ll has to be fought for, air units supported by the fleet. On this souri in Tokyo Bay on 2 September 1945. and losses must be taken as its price. T his is perimeter th ey would fight the An1ericans But such a sraremem belies the complexity the significance of the battle between Japan to exhaustio n. But the perimeter was mostly of evems. and the US at Midway sixty years ago. gaps, the garrisons and air units were too T he Seco nd Wo rld War was in effect The opening phase of the war was really weak to sustain themselves in protracted two quire separa te wars largely unrelated to without precedem in the modern world. operations, and there could never be a one another except for rhe fact that Ger- Japan opened hostilities with an arrack on guarantee that the fl eer would be avail able many and Japan faced common enemies. the Pacific Fleer some 4, 100 miles from the to support threatened bases and garrisons.

H ence, in early spring 1942, the JapaT he Japanese war was much more than a base the strike force sailed from-roughly the equivalem of a British fleer leaving nese decided to sweep into the southwest war fought in the Pacific between 1941 and 1945; it was a war fought throughout Portsmouth to strike at an American fl eer and cemral Pacific. Bm in undertaking so utheast Asia and in Manchuria and China gathered off Norfolk, Virginia. Moreover, these efforts in May 1942 the advamage of chat can be dated if not from September the open ing Japanese arrack ranged across surpri se had largely been spem, and the 1931 then certainly Jul y 1937. And, al- 112 degrees oflongi mde and was followed operational and administrative margins on though the eve nts on the mainland were which rhe fleer worked in moving against vital in shaping what passed for peace Midway Islands were marginal at very Crew aboard USS Yorktown repair bomb damage after 1945, th e outcome of this co nflict best -and theAmericans possessed foreon 4 June 1942. (All images are US Navy photos, was decided in rhe Pacific. warning char was beyond price. courtesy the National Archives) T he Pacifi c war commands historical artemion on any number of co unts, Mr. Willmott is a senior research fellow at bur three matters relating to the war as the Institute for the Study of War and a whol e and one char deals with its Society, De Montfort University, and a visiting lecturer at Greenwich Maritime opening phase should give cause for reflection. First, scares as mismatched as Institute, University of Greenwich, EnJapan and the Un ited Scares-in terms gland, who has written extensively on of geographical and demographic size, modern naval and military subjects. The namral resources, and industrial and War with Japan (Scholarly Resources, Wilmington DE, 2002, l 80pp, maps, financial strength-very seldom fi ght o ne another, and even more seldom do biblio, index, ISBN 0-8420-5033-7; they fight wars initiated by rhe weaker $17.95pb) is available ftom major bookstores or ftom the publisher at www side; they usually resolve their differences by means other than war. Second, .scholarly.com or 1 888 712-1811.

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SEA HISTORY l 02, AUTUMN 2002

Victory in a Fleet Action in World War II Aware ofJapanese plans to move on Midway, 1000 miles west of Hawaii, in early June 1942, Admiral Chester Nimitz sent Task Force 16, under Admiral Raymond Spruance, and Task Force 17, under Admiral Frank Fletcher, with three carriers, to meet Admiral Nagumo Chuichi, who led a four-carrier strikingforce to be followed by an invasion fleet ofmore than eighty ships.

greater part of American bombers on Midway were on the gro und as the Japanese approached. The last bomber left Midway with Japanese aircraft less than thi rty miles distant, but they set out without fighter escort. Nonetheless, and to use a Japanese observation at the time, the fact that the bombers did get away meant that Midway was like a snake that had crawled away leaving its cast-off skin to be attacked. The Japanese shattered the fi ghter force held in defense. T he hangars and oil dumps on Sand Island and the power station on Eastern Island were destroyed , but clearly the attack failed to neutralize the atoll, and at 0700 the flight commander signaled Nagumo and the carriers his view that a second, followu p strike would be necessary.

This signal was received at a time when the Japanese carrier force came under attack by bombers from Midway. The first to arrive were six Avengers and four Marauders, which dived in succession with the result that both sets of aircraft were cut to pieces. One Avenger and two M arauders survived the combat air patrol, and two of these were heavily dam aged : the only aircraft that came within effective range was a heavily damaged Marauder that tried to crash itself into the Akagi. About 0715 , as this attack ended, Nagumo predictably ordered that the Kates held in readiness with a torpedo armament be taken below and rearmed for a second attack on Midway.

Nagumo's decision went to the heart of the Japanese dilemma in this operation.

The rearming of the Kates, refueling of Zekes, and readying of formations would take about ninety minutes with another thirty minutes needed to fly off the second strike, and the aircraft returning from Midway could be expected to arrive over the carriers between 0815 and 0830 . The various timings indicated that the Japanese

might well face an option of difficulties, but as long as there was only one target, Midway, it was likely that whatever difficulties arose could be negotiated. At 0728, however, Nagumo's force received a sighting report of an American task group m ade by the seaplane from the Tone that had been delayed. How the American formation escaped detection by one of the Jakes from the Chikuma is one of the puzzles of During the night of 3-4 June, Uapan's] Midway, as is the perverse fact that the First Carrier Sriking Fo rce increased speed seaplane that found the formation failed to to be in its flying-off positio n with the note the presence of carriers. dawn. At the same time the Americans o n This signal caused some fifteen minutes Midway were preparing their air fo rmaof deliberations on the Akagi and ended tions for reconnaissance, combat air patrol, with the decision to halt the rearming of the and strike missio ns. At 04 15 on 4 June Kates and the sending of a signal to the eleven Catalin a a mphibi a ns we re di sTone's seaplane asking for cl arification. patched while sixteen B-1 7 Flying Fo rWhat seems extraordinary is that no one on tresses were committed against the transthe carrier staff asked the obvious question port force to the west. Six W ildcats we re of why the Americans should be where they held as the dawn combat air patrol , and at were, and on their reported course, unless sea the carriers co mmitted ten D auntless they had carriers . Bur if the staff of the scouts to the sam e role. Within fifteen carrier force fai led in this respect, then the more minutes the Japanese carriers had attitude aboard th e fl ee t fl ags hip, the begun to launch the aircraft co mmitted to Yamato , ap pears incredible. There was no the initial strike against Midway, and within co ncern that the basic premise of the Midanother fifteen minutes these aircraft, in way plan-that the Americans could only their attack formation, had set off for the react to events-was clearly dead and buratoll at a speed of 125 kn o ts. They left ied . T he enemy's un anticipated appearance behind a formation m aking 25 knots as it m erely m eant the des truction of American sought to cut down the distance that reforces so much the sooner, and the greater turning aircraft wo uld have to fl y after the victory in the process. There seems to having attacked Midway .. . . have been absolutely no appreciation that It was not until 0552 that th e Japanese Nagumo, at that moment, faced a threecarrier force was sighted, two carri ers being day schedule reduced to thirty minutes. reported. With intellige nce pointing to the Nagumo's problems were compounded Japa nese havin g fo ur o r five carriers, a by the fact that at the very time when the report that cited two presented Fletcher counterorder about armingand the requestwith obvio us difficulties. H aving decided for-clarification signal were made, there to proceed with an attack, at 0607 Fletcher began a series of attacks by aircraft from divided his forces . While the Yorktown Midway that was to last until 0830 .... Th~ recovered aircraft from the combat air pafin al wave of the] attack, which like all the trol, the Enterprise and Hornet settled on a others failed to register a single hit, took co urse that ensured convergence place between 081 7 and 0830. It TBD- 1 aircraft from Torpedo Squadron Six are prepared for had just started when the carrier with Japanese carriers assumed to launching on USS Enterprise at about 0730-0740 on 4 J une. force received a signal from the be closing on Midway. With the Yorktown fo llowing the Enterprise Tone's seaplane reporting the and Hornet, the US carriers wo uld presence ofwhat seemed to be an be ab le to laun ch their aircraft abo ut aircraft carrier with the Ameri0700 and the latter would contact can task force. the Japanese carriers, at a range of * * * * * abo ut 15 5 miles from the AmeriThis signal initiated what has can formations, at o r about 0830 . generally been portrayed by most Radar at Midway picked up the historians as the critical phase of incoming Japanese force at a range the battle for the Japanese. The of ninety-three miles, and by an report, along with a second sigunfortunate sequence of events the nal sent at 0830 that noted the SEA HISTORY 102, AUTUMN 2002

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tors from the Enterprise. Thus, in presence of rwo additional cruispressing their attack, the Hornet's ers, set in motion a sequence of fifteen torpedo-bombers were events that ended disastrously, and wholly unsupported. The attack the general line of criticism dirightly entered US naval lore berected against Nagumo is that he cause in accordance with rhe exshould have ordered an immediate pressed wishes of the squadro n attack without waiting to recover commander, Lieutenant Comaircraft returning from their mismander John C. Waldron, that all sion against Midway .... aircraft should press home the atThe real point of criticism USS Yorktown is hit on the port side, amidships, during the tack witho ut regard to the conseshould be directed not so much mid-afternoon attack by planes .from the carrier Hiryu. quences, the Devastators, formed against the decisions made or not made by Nagumo, with one possible ex- because after forty minutes in the air they into an extended lin e for search-and-attack ception, but rather to a plan of campaign could not be held any longer. What should purposes, were met by a combat air patrol that left rhe First Carrier Striking Force have been perhaps two set-piece attacks that accounted for every American aircrafr. exposed to defeat in detail and a fai lure on thus ended in six separate and uncoordi- Only one pilot survived an attack rhar the rhe part of Yamamoto and the Combined nated attacks. This fragmentation of effort, Japanese carriers evaded with ease.

Fleet staff to keep the carrier formation this lack of concentration and coo rdinaThe trails left by Japanese fighters movfu lly informed of developments that di- tion, should have ensured fai lure bur per- ing against the Hornet's torpedo-bombers versely produced success. drew the attention of rhe Devastators from rectly affected its operations and safety.

T he one possible exception-the decithe Enterprise. They had flown the pre* * * * * sion by Nagumo-rhar does invite criti- The first attacks on the Japanese force by scribed 239-degree course and found nothcism was the one thar committed the Japa- the US carrier squadrons certainly were less ing, and like the Hornet's formation searched nese carriers, once they had recovered their than impressive. In committing their squad- to the north when signs of battle attracted aircraft from rhe Midway strike, to sreer a rons to rhe offensive, the operations staff their notice at a range of thirty miles. At course that reduced the distance berween provided a course of239 degrees based on 0930, by which time the Hornet's torpedothemselves and the American carriers .... rhe assumption that rhe Japanese carriers bombers had been destroyed, the enemy Steering to the west in the hope that the would continue to close on Midway after carriers were sighted. In seeking to arrack, enemy strike would hit rhe empty sea or to launching their aircraft, but the Japanese the Devastators, coming from the south, the north may nor have evaded every en- formation was to the north of where rhe had to work their way from astern around emy squadron, bur either course might American staff had calculated it to be be- the flank of a fast-moving enemy to posihave bought the Japanese carriers those cause ir had lost time in bea ring off the tions from which to mount their assault. attacks made by aircraft from Midway. The Devastators split themselves into two extra minutes that they needed.

Inevitably, because rhe Japanese lost this Moreover, ir had then turn ed onro a course forces in rhe hope of dividing the Zekes and battle, the attention ofHistory has concen- that would have taken ir astern of rhe Japanese antiaircraft fire, bur rhe combat trated on their plan of campaign and con- American formations and hence north and air patrol accounted for ten of rhe Devastaduct of operations, and rhe basic line rhar clear of American aircraft seeking conracr tors before the survivors simply aimed themhas been followed over rhe years has been on rhe prescribed 239-degree course. If all selves at the nearest carrier, rhe Kaga, and rhar they largely brought defeat upon them- these aircraft had flown this course, none launched their torpedoes as best they could. selves. Such a conclusion cannot be denied, would have sigh red rhe enemy carriers , and Such improvisation ensured rhe escape of but it could be said that the American such was the fare of the Dauntlesses and these four Dauntlesses. The Kaga evaded conduct of operations came close to snatch- Wildcats from the Hornet. These planes the torpedoes aimed at her with ease.

This attack took place between 0940 ing defeat from the jaws of victory. Two flew the set course until 0930, by which aspects of this conduct of operations-the time they should have been directly over and about 1005 , and scarcely had it ended rwin facts that berween 0552 and 0838 the enemy formation. With visibility good than a third arrack, by the Devastators Fletcher received no signal reporting the in all directions, the aircraft encountered from the Yorktown, began. Unlike the torpedo-bombers from the orher two carriers, strength , position, and co urse of the First empty ocean ....

The Hornet's remaining squadron did the twelve from the Yorktown had fighter Carrier Striking Force and that Task Force 16 took an hour to launch a total of 117 find the enemy, mainly because it had ex- support in the shape of six Wildcats, but aircraft while the Yor!?town did not begin to pected to do so north of the calculated the Japanese com bar air patrol at this stage launch her aircraft until 0838, or thirty-rwo position. The torpedo-bombers met the was in strength and at low level , and hence minures after rhe Enterprise and Hornet had enemy as the latter turned away from Mid- able to move immediately against the completed flying off their aircraft-pro- way, just after 0918, but under conditions American formation. Moreover, the invide ample evidence of such a charge. With rharwere disastrous. The D evastators should coming American aircraft were sighted by the Enterprise and Ho rnet being delayed in have been afforded fighter cover, but dur- Japanese cruisers at a range of eighteen the launching of their Devastators and Wild- ing the Wildcats' climb to medium altitude miles. This combination of Japanese adcats, the two carriers had to send our rheir visual contact had been lost and rhe Hornet' s vantages served to ensure that ten of rhe Dauntless bombers without fighter cover fighters aligned themselves with D evasta- Devas tators were destroyed, seven before 10

SEA HISTORY 102, AUTUMN 2002

they had a chance to launch their torpedoes. The Japanese carriers avoided this las t torpedo attack with the same ease as they had avoided the attacks by the Devastators from the Enterprise and Hornet.

This final Devastator attack on the Japanese carrier force began at about 1000 and ended about 1020, and it was the las t of the attacks that failed to result in damage to any Japanese warship . But berwee n them the three D evastator sorties achieved rwo things.

The Japanese, knowing that these aircraft had not come from Midway, were suddenly made aware that at least rwo American carriers were at sea, and the Zekes of the Japanese combat air patrol were concentrated at low altitude at the very time when the D aundesses from the Enterprise and Yorktown arrived over the Japanese carriers.

The latter had nearly completed the rearming and refueling of all the serviceable ai rcraft that had returned from the attack on Midway. . . . T he Japa nese carriers had escaped being caught in the process of recovering, rearming, and refueling their aircraft, but time had not allowed fo r the proper stowing ofspare amm unition, draining of fuel lines, and rem oval of bowsers from the flight and hangar decks.

* * * * * [The next] phase of the battle unfo lded with th e Daund esses from the Enterprise, having gone to the so uth of the Japanese position , locatin g the enemy carrier formation co urtesy of the lon e Japanese destroye r Arashi. She had been left behind afre r the Am erican submarin e Nautilus, finding herself in the co mpany of the First Carri er Striking Force, had fired rwo torpedoes at a Japanese battleship: as the carriers hurried on, the Arashi had been left to keep down or destroy the Nautilus. Sighted when she was steaming to rejoin her parent formation, the Arashi inadverten tly pointed the way for the Enterprise's Dauntlesses.

Whe n the latte r enco untered the Japanese format ion, the Dauntlesses di vided by squadron, with the bombers moving against the Kaga and the sco uts against the Akagi.

[Three Japanese carriers, the Kaga, Akagi and Soryu, were rapidly dispatched, as the bombs dropped by the Americans set off detonatio ns on each carrier) What remained of 4 June was spent by most of the screening units of the First Carri er Striking Fo rce trying to save the stricken carriers and evacuate personnel, but all three carriers were doomed from the SEA HISTORY 102, AUTUMN 2002

The Japan ese aircraft carrier Hiryu burns on the morning of5 June 1942. time that they were hit. They were doomed for rwo common reasons, of which one was obv ious: all three were littered with ordnance that had not been returned to the magazines and had fli ght decks with open fuel lines and bowsers because it had not been possible to lower Zekes to the hangar decks for rearming and refueling....

T he second reason was more fundamental. Of all navies, the Kaigun was the least concerned with defensive requirements fo r its carriers. T he Soryu had just 1 inch of armor over her machinery and 2 inches over her magazines and aviation fuel. The Hiryu had 3.5 inches of armor over her tanks but was only partially compartmentalized. The Akagi and Kaga, having been laid down originally as capital ships, had casements and belts but were no better protected horizontally than the Hiryu and Soryu . ...

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The commander of the Second Carrier Division, Rear Admiral Yamaguchi Tamon, had urged Nagumo to fl y off a strike at 0830, before the aircraft returning from Midway had been recovered. H aving had his wo rst fears realized, Yamaguchi was determined to strike immediately now that the balance of vulnerabilities had been reversed: having conducted an attack that had acco unted for three enemy carriers, the American carriers now had the task of recovering, refuelin g, and rearming their returning aircraft while the enemy had no such obligations . T he Japanese problem, however, was that the bal ance of vuln erabilities had not been reversed to the extent that gave the H iryu any realistic chances of overturning the imbalance oflosses. At this stage, Yamaguchi did not know that his command faced three American carriers, and it was the third, separate from the other rwo, that m ade a difficult task next to impossible, although with the Ho rnet having lost virtually all her offensive capabili ty either at sea or to Midway, more unneces-

sary American loss was experienced. With the Enterprise well short of where she was supposed to meet her returning aircraft, eighteen Dauntlesses were obliged to ditch short of their carrier, and only rwo managed to reach the Yorktown. The result was that after the morning strike, Task Force 16 retained only a minor offensive capability.

The Yorktown's aircraft were able to find the carrier with little difficulty; th e only problem was that they led Japanese aircraft to her. Unknown to the Japanese, however, American radar had IFF (identification , fri end or foe) capability and th e incoming] apanese were found at a range of sixty-five miles. The Yorktown, which had recovered Dauntlesses from TF 16 and her own Wildcats, immediately set about draining fuel lines, consigning a fuel bowser on the flight deck to the deep, and after 1150 dispatching ten Dauntlesses in pairs on reco nnaissance to a distance of250 miles in an attempt to ensure that contact with the enemy was retained . Waving off her own dive-bombers, fifteen of which were recovered by the Enterprise, the Yorktown , with rwo heavy cruisers and five destroyers, worked up to 30 knots even as Wildcats from the combat air patrol shot down six Vais in cruise formation. With another fi ve Vais destroyed before the Japanese divebombers could attack, berween 1205 and 1216 the Yorktown was assailed by only seven Vais. She was left dead in the water as a result of three hits and three near-misses.

* * * * * Now, with what seemed one-half of the American strength out of action, the H iryu prepared for another attack, although with the loss of sixteen aircraft in the last one she had no reserve with which to press any advantage . Having recovered aircraft from the Midway strike, the H iry u could muster only ten Kates, one of which was a stray from the Akagi, plus six Zekes, rwo of which hail ed from the Kaga. In preparing fo r another strike the flight commander ordered his dam aged Kate to be made ready, knowing that it could not be provided with fuel for a return trip . These aircraft were committed to the attack at 13 3 1 with very clear instructions to ignore one statio nary carrier.

Although the initiative for the moment lay with the Hiryu, the balance of advantage increasingly favored the Americans from rhis rime. Ir did so in part because scouring by the Yorktown ensured that contact with 11

the Hiryu was made and retained, and from this fact flowed a number of matters that combined to ensure her destruction . In effect, Fletcher's decision to dispatch ten Dauntlesses proved a reconnaissance for TF 16, which after its morning's losses could not have mounted a reconnaissance on its own. The Yorktown also provided the Enterprise with the equivalent of the divebomber squadron, while in the second half of the afternoon eleven of the Dauntlesses that had landed on Midway made their way back to the Hornet. The overall result was that in addition to what the Yorktown retained, the Enterprise and Hornet together mustered about one carrier's worth ofbombers while the Hiryu, after launching her third strike mission of the day, had virtually nothing left in reserve.

It was only after the Hiryu had co mmitted her last aircraft to this attack that the Japanese realized, for the first time, that they faced three American carriers, not two. This information was elicited from a Judy reconnaissance aircraft from the Soryu, which, with a defective radio, returned to the Hiryu after the latter had launched her third strike mission. It was confirmed by a prisoner who had been plucked from the water by the Arashi and who was axed to death after interrogation. For the first time, therefore, the Japanese were made aware that even after having hammered one enemy carrier, they faced not one but two carriers: the chances of an understrength strike by Kates against one carrier were not good, but against two were barely existent.

And some thirty minutes after the Hiryu began to launch her aircraft, and unseen by any Japanese eye after th e reconnaissance seaplane from the Chikuma watching over Task Force 17 was shot down by a Wildcat from TF 16, the Yorktown began moving under her own power. ...

At abut 1428 the Kates and Zekes from the Hiryu's third attack force came across her and her escorts, and not unnaturally the Japanese aircrew never considered that this was the carrier reportedly burning furiously and dead in the water. The Kates immediately moved into the attack, losing the first of their number to a six-s trong combat air patrol provided by the Enterprise. The Kates divided into two fi ve-s trong sections to try to mount a scissors attack, butthe Yorktown's tum-away left one of these secrions with an extended ap proach in which Wildcats and flak accounted for every aircraft.

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Only four Kates were able to launch torpedoes at the carrier but two of them struck her in the region of Fram es 75 and 90 on the port side and, ripping open the Yorktown over 65 feet of her length, caused massive destruction to the boiler and generator rooms .... The order to abandon ship was given at 1458. Men went over the side as all the destroyers lowered boats and began the task of picking up survivors.

Ultimately three of the destroyers picked up some 1,800 of the 2,200-man crew, at some risk to their own stability. [The Yorktown was finally sunk by the submarine I168 on 6 June.] At this time, however, the major events of the latter part of the day were being shaped by two sets of decisions : one taken on the Enterprise, and the other on the Hiryu.

Perhaps strangely, the decisions were the same: the carriers were to undertake one more offensive effort. The American decision was what could be expected: the survivors of the morning attack had been recovered and those fit to continue operations brought to readiness. The Japanese decision was not necessarily what might have been expected: the Hiryu had launched three strike missions and must have been close to exhaustion; more important, she had only six Kates and six Vals for an attack. But the Hiryu was committed to a fourth and last operation because it was believed that two enemy carriers had been seriously damaged. Originally, an attack was to be launched at 1630, but it was postponed in the hope that if launched later, dusk would afford the bombers a degree of protection that would otherwise be deni ed them .

With Yamamoto and the whole of the Combined Fleet seem ingly making for Midway at full speed, with the Aleutians venture halted to bring two carriers to the south more quickl y, and with the Hiryu assumed to have knocked out two enemy carriers in the fight, there was perhaps something to be said for a third strike in an attempt to ensure an equalization oflosses.

Against that, however, was the simple fact that if the Hosho, Junyo, Ryujo, and Zuiho were to be committed to the battle, then it was viral for the Hiryu to survive, and that meant that she clear the battle area immediately: her survival was more important than any loss she might be able to inflict on the enemy. Bur once the Hiryu had flown off her aircraft at 133 1 the initiative lay

with the Americans, and with the range between forces coming down to about 110 miles during the afternoon and the Americans having reestablished contact with the Hiryu and her escorts at 1420, the Hiryu was far more vulnerable than her admiral and captain realized.

With the decision to launch a strike against the lone Japanese carrier still in the battle, the Enterprise turned into the wind at 1530 and launched twenty-five Dauntlesses, one of which was forced to return to the carrier almost immediately. Of the rem aining aircraft, ten, from the Enterprise, were under orders to attack the Hiryu, and fourteen, from the Yorktown, were invited to earn their keep at the expense of m embers of her screen. The Hornet was supposed to have contributed to the attack, but orders to her were so mismanaged that she was unaware both of the Hiryu's posi tion and what was expected of her. But with the timely return of her sixteen Dauntlesses from Midway, the Hornet was able to hurriedly refuel these aircraft and began to launch them at 1603. They were, however, superfluous. The aircraft from the Enterprise first found theAkagi, Kaga, and Soryu and their escorts and then found the Hiryu and her screen some forty miles to the north. With the Dauntlesses sighted before they reached the point of attack, a combination ofZekes, flak, and high-speed maneuvering on the part of the carrier was enough to ensure that all the Dauntlesses from the Enterprise missed the Hiryu. The D auntlesses from the Yorktown's air group, however, chose to await the outcome of the initial attack, and when it failed they concen traced against the Hiryu, hitting her four times.

The whole endeavor, which began at 1703, lasted about five minutes. Of the twentyfour Dauntlesses that bombarded tl1e carrier two were shot down and three more were badly damaged, one being lost as it tried to land on the Enterprise. The surviving Dauntlesses were recovered by 1834. The hits sustained by the Hiryu doomed her as surely as her three companions had been doomed by their hits some six hours earlier.

After midnight on 5 June Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku cancelled the Midway operation. US forces searched for the Japanese fleet, but engaged only a few vessels before turning east for home. The US lost one carrier, 150 planes and 300 men while the Japanese lost four carriers, 275 planes and nearly 5000 men. ~ SEA HISTORY 102, AUTUMN 2002

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Tfie Wor{i( of tfie Dutch East India Company In 2 002, the Netherlands celebrates the 400th anniversary of the Dutch East India Company. The Maritime Museum Rotterdam and the Netherlands Maritime Museum Amsterdam collaborated on exhibits exploring Asian influence on European culture. This article is adapted from a piece from the Netherlands Maritime Museum based on the exhibits. our hundred years ago, on 20 M arch 1602, the Vereenigde Oost-Indische C ompagnie (VO C), or U nited East India Company, was es tablished by the States General of the Dutch Republic to unite the disparate Dutch companies that were competing with each other fo r the lucrative trade with Asia. T he overseas co mmercial activities of the company made a deep impression on its contemporaries, and the history of the company speaks to the imagination of a present-day audience.

T he United Eastlndia Company quickly expanded to become the greatest commerci al enterprise in the world, a position that it managed to maintain for almost 200 years. T he VO C had thousands of emp loyees based in no fewer than thirty posts in Asia-the primary one in Batavia (now Jakarta), on the island of Java-and six in the Dutch Republic, each with its own offices, warehouses, and wharves . Over 200 years, their ships made nearly 5,000 voyages to Asian ports, returning with goods sold for almost two billion flor ins.

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Spices Spice fever led European traders-first the Portuguese, then th e Spanish, and thereafter the English and the Dutch- to Asia.

T here were immense profits to be had from selling spices to the European elite who used them as both a curative and a fl avo r enhancer and we re prepared to pay a steep price for them. Nonetheless, it was not easy to make real money in the spice trade.

T he fitting out of ships for such a long voyage was costly, the passage around the tip of Africa was dangerous, and conductin g business in far-off foreign ports was difficult. The pepper, cloves, mace, and n utm eg were cultivated and prepared by local populations and cam e into the hands of Europeans through the agency of native prin ces or merchants.

Only a small quantity of a spice was

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necessary to flavor a stew, soup , or apple tart. If spices arri ving simultaneously in Europe ensured a broader ma rket, it also meant that sales wo uld be in smaller quantities. T he market was soon saturated, leading to a fall in prices . There was thus no furth er chance to make the huge profits necessary to cover the risks of the trade.

H ence, whoever wanted to make money in spices had to ensure that the market at home was never oversupplied , and es tablishing a monopoly was the best guarantee of this. Th e Portuguese enj oyed that position from the beginning of the 1500s, but one hundred years later, the Dutch and the E nglish encroached upon and eventually too k over the Portuguese monopoly.

Ceylon T he VOC pitted themselves against European co mpeti to rs and the islanders of the Banda Sea, monopolizing the spice trade by fo rce. O ne island thus wrested from the Portuguese, Ceylon, was the only place where the finest cinnamon could be found in commercial quan tities. In 1637 the king of Ka ndy-th e only native monarch wh o had not been deposed-as ked for Dutch mil itary support to drive the Portuguese from the island. In exchange the Dutch wo uld be granted a trade monopoly in cinnamon and elephants.

When the Portuguese finally departed in 1658, the kin g and the voe disputed the terms of their agreement. The king wanted undi vided sove reignty over the island , offering to repay Dutch military expenditures in cinn amon and elephants.

Bu t the VOC set the king's war debts so high that he was unable to liquidate them in the short term . Thus, the Dutch held the cinnamo n-producin g areas taken from the Portuguese as securi ty. T he VO C undertook several military expeditions against the king between 1660 and 168 0 but never managed to break native resistance. Only in the late 1600s did king and co mpany hit upon an arrangement: the Dutch wo uld retain their possessions in Ceylon, but wo uld manage the terri to ries (completely at their own discretion) in th e king's name.

T he acknowledgmen t of the king as sovereign authority over the enti re island took the form of a yearly voe delegation to the royal court, the company paying tribute with Persian horses or porcelain .

Over time, the company became increasingly dependent fo r cinnamon on the king, who became less disposed to cooperate. T his simmering conflict came suddenly to the boil in 1760 , wh en the Kandy War broke out. T he VO C initially could not co unter native guerrilla forces but eventually won the war. Under the Treaty of Colombo (1 766), the king reigned in his kingdom in the interior, but all coastal areas fo rmally came under voe administration.

Dutch Profit from Intra-Asian Trade D uring the ti me of th e VO C, the C hinese and Dutch were the only outsiders allowed to enter Japan. H ence, the VOC had a great co mpetiti ve adva ntage over the ir European rivals. T he co mpany could acqui re silve r and go ld from Japan in exchange for products such as textiles from India, deerskins from Fo rmosa (T aiwan) and Siam (Thailand), and skate skins from India and Siam. The Dutch used th e Japanese precious metals as a medium of exchange th ro ughout Asia, making Japan a crucial link in the VO C's tradin g system, while other trad ers had to brin g precious metals all the way from Europe.

In the Dutch Eas t India C ompany's trade with China, for example, they could pay for tea with silver or pepper acquired elsewhere in Asia, giving them more fl exibility than competitors wh o had to co me from Europe carrying gold and silver. After 1760, however, the co untry traders, pri vate English merchants trading independently in Asia, took over the VO C's successfu l methods. T hey worked closely with England's East India Company, and th e voe found itself unequal to such a powerful combination . The Dutch were obliged to leave the tea trade in English hands.

In India, the VOC' s fo rtified warehouses and military posts stood in the center of bustling ports such as Surat in the northwest, along the Coromandel Coas t, and in the northeast, spread ac ross the Ganges delta in Bengal. It was only thanks to special privileges granted by the G reat Mogul that the Dutch and other Europeans could maintain their positi on aga inst local merchants. The VOC was the mos t powerful trader in India for decades, bu t experienced strong competition from Asian merchants and from their European rivals.

Eventually, the British East India Com-

SEA HISTORY 102, AUTUMN 2002

pany and the French Compagnie des Indes O rientales controlled the European market, and after 1760 an ever-greater porti on of India came under British administration. Again , the Durch had ro bow out in the face of British supremacy.

Asian Influence in the European World Berween 1600 and 1800, the daily lives of Europeans changed markedly as a consequence of commercial contacts with Asia.

Fo r many years, the use of spices had been reserved fo r the European elite. Bu t thanks to the quantities brought in by the voe and England's East India Company, by the 1600s sp ices came within the reach of members of nearly all rhe social classes of Europe. Pepper, cloves, mace, nu tmeg, and ci nnamon were used as medici nes, in cosmetics, and in all sorts of foo d and drink.

Indian calicoes (the original chi ntzes) we re extremely popular as a clothing material during the 1700s. T hanks to the great asso rtment of types and grades, even th e most humble kitchen maid could wea r the new fas hi ons. W omen wo re cali co dresses, smocks, and sunbonnets. Durch regional dress also incorporated Indi an moti fs. T his influence is still to be seen in tradi tio nal costume in the IJsselmeer communiti es of Bunschoren-S pakenburgand Marken. T he red handkerchief, which half the population of the Netherlands seems to have knon ed aro und its neck during carni val season, is also oflndi an ori gin .

T hrough the 1600s, expensive obj ects from Asia appeared in rhe houses ofEu ro pe's elite. Furniture continued to be of European manufac ture and style but was lami nated or inlaid with exotic materials such as rosewood, ebony, ivo ry and mother-ofpearl. C h inese blue-and-white motifs began to appear on Durch pon ery and riles, and D urch interio rs fea tured Japanese lacquer-wo rk or Chinese porcelain .

T he European interior of th e 1700s developed an even stronger Asian stamp .

Al l manner of exo tica fill ed th e rooms.

Nearly every upper-class household had a few pieces of chine de commande (bes poke porcelain). Chinese wallpaper impa rted an Eastern ambience, and private roo ms, such as the bedroo m, were even hung with chintz wallpape r in rhe same colorful motif as the bedspread and canopy. Furni ture was occas ionally of Asian man ufac tu re and style,

SEA HISTORY 102, AUTUMN 2002

This engraving, probably by Robert de Baudous, is dated 1603. The inscription reads, in part: Carriers boast of wagons, but seamen trust their ships, The ships with which the Batavians voyage to the Antipodes. and chairs were upholstered with deligh tfu l Indian fabr ics. A tea table wi th tea service was de rigueur for the new habit of raking mid-aftern oon tea in the company of one's friends.

Tea became a peop le's drink in Europe in the 1700s. In the D utch Repu blic, girls sold tea on the street, while indoors, tea drin king became a ritual rife with snobbery. Tea rab ies, tea caddies, and a fi ne tea service, whi ch after use was sto red in cabinet specially buil t for chinaware, were pro minentl y displayed in the parlor, or (even ben er) in a tea house with a view of the garden or the Ri ve r Vecht. Some people went bankrupt stri ving fo r the most fashio nable tea acco utrements. Tea drinking retains its symboli c value, as demonstrated by the custom of High Tea and the persistent beliefin the Netherlands that" a morher ough t to be at home with a pot of tea when the children return fro m school. "

Scientific Investigation T he VO C was an important intermediary in advancing European kn owledge of Asia.

T he company itself undertook no scientific investigations, but p ro moted individual efforrs if it though t they held commercial pro mise. Knowledge- hun gry company functio naries also carried out inves tigations on their own initiative during their Asian postings . O thers sent objects back to Euro pe on rhe request of European scientists.

Many studies on the unusual mores and customs of the Asians we re published, and

the ve ry map of Asia was revised as a result of the voyages of di scovery undertaken by Abel Tasman and others. M yri ad artifac ts wo und up in the curio cabinets of private collectors, and a rhinoceros named C lara even went on to ur in Europe. The Naturalis M useum in Leiden is traceable to a collecti on of stuffed birds belonging to the Amsterdam merchant Temminck. Such collections fo rm ed the basis for scientific inves tigation as well as for important books such as Systema Naturae, by the Swedi sh botanist Karl von Linne (Carolus Linneaus), and botani cal and zoological studi es by VOC employees G. E. Rumphius (The Flora of Amboina), and Van Reede tot Drake nsrein (History of Dutch Colonial Botany) remain important reference works.

The Demise of the VOC T he enormous p rofits of the 1600s were nor realized th ro ugh rhe 1700s, as the balance of trade evened out and the Du rch lost gro und to England throughout Asia.

War with England in 1780 led to di sastro us fi nancial losses, and rhe company had to rely on government assistance fo r survival. Wi th the establishment of the Baravian Republic, the VO C was na tionalized and, fi nal ly, their ch arter was not renewed in 1800 .

Although the voe was prim arily engaged in the spi ce industry, the ways the co mpany influenced European life are fa r more p rofo und. W ithout the VO C, all mann er of everyday items in Durch society and culture, including food, drink, fas hion, housing, and general knowledge, wo uld be absent, both then and now. Th e co nceptualizati on of the wo rld that arose as a result of the D utch East India Com pany's activities in Asia fo rmed th e bas is of an intellectual construct that Westerners carry with them today. .t

Additional information was gained from the web site (www.tanap.net) ofTowards a New Age ofPartnership, an organization using the archives of the VOC in Europe, Asia and South Africa to explore the globalization of the world in early modern history as part of UNESCO 's Memory ofthe World Program.

We also thank Scott Rasmussen for translating and revisingparts ofthe museum's article.

For information on the VOC anniversary, see the web site www. voc2002. nl.

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TheDuyfken

by Marianne Garvey;

In 1997 construction began on a replica of the Duyfken, a Dutch ship of trade and exploration built ca. 1600. The story of her construction in Australia, her maiden voyage, and the recording ofthe story in pictures and words follows. Her full story, with reports from her builders and her crew, has been told in the book To Build a Ship, by Robert Garvey, the photographer who captured the ship in the pictures on these pages.

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En route to Banda on her maiden voyage, the Duyfken steps along nicely under a menacing sky.

During the early stages, the "plank first" method of construction was clearly visible.

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small oak sailing ship arrives in a deep volcanic harbour, its pennants barely stirring in a wisp of breeze.

T he afternoon quiet is broken by the beat of drums as several brightly-co loured war canoes approach the square rigger. Nati ve warriors paddle hard and chant a challenge to the foreigners.

The ship is the Dutch "jachr" Duyjken, the harbour is in the Banda Archipelago, home of the precio us nutmeg spice, and the rime is the dawn of the 17th century.

Or is it? Leap fotward 400 years and the scene is repeated. The weary crew aboard the replica Duyjken has traveled thousands of nautical miles in a cramped vessel to reach this tropical paradise; again, the Spi ce Islands are in turmoil, and the threat of violence hovers like a monsoo n cloud.

A fast and sturdy ship, the ori ginal Duyjken (Little Dove) was owned by the Vereenigde Oosr-Indische Com pagnie (VOC), or United Durch East India Company, and in 1606 became the first reco rded European vessel to drop anchor in Australian waters. She was built for trade and exploration in an era of discovery, science, art and trade for the N erherlandsan age when wooden shipbuilding was a thriving industry and shipwrights we re wealthy employers. Nearly fo ur centuries later in the port city ofFremande, Western Australia, the Duyfken Replica Project was set up to preserve the dying art of wooden shipbuilding and to highlight Australia's early modern history.

A crew of specialist trades men had been assembled in 1988 to co nstruct a replica of Captain Jam es Cook's ship Endeavour. Anxious that such a fine concentration of wooden shipbuilding talent not be lost to Wes tern Australia after Endeavour's launch in 1993, a gro up of enthusiasts set abo ut findin g and funding a new project. T he Duyfken 1606 Replica Foundation was

SEA HISTORY 102, AUTUMN 2002

Replica photos by Robert Garvey born, and o n 10 January 1997 Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands symbolically laid the ship's keel.

According to project director Graeme Cocks, the Foundation's vision was, first, to co nstruct the most accurate possible reproduction ofa Durch jachr and, seco nd , to tell the sto ry of Captain Willem Janszoo n's voyage of discovery to Australia. Bur long befo re any Latvian oak was shipped from the frozen was res of the northern hemisphere to th e hot docks of Fremanrl e, a team of researchers, led by maritim e architect Nick Burningham, had to recreate the ship's design .

"No plans for any Durch ship of the Duyjken's era we re ever drawn on paper or parchment," Burningham explains. "A ship's design evolved in the master shipwright's head; designing and building a ship was an inseparably integrated process. " T he researchers used computer sofrwa re to anal yze hull forms depi cted in co ntemporary art. T he wrecks of Durchbuilr ships offered furth er evidence, as did shipbuildingconrracts and documents from the rime, which revealed clues LO perfo rm ance and carrying capacity. Ultimately, the cho ice of individual timbers for specific uses and myriad practical derails were decided by the master shipwright as the ship rook shape.

Master shipwright Bill Leonard notes: "The past has a way of reaching into the present, and, agreeing that no as pect of the design would be fi xed, we let the D uyjken

The man on the left caulks a seam, while another sees to the smooth fit ofthe rudder.

This interior view ofthe hull before fit-out looks aft toward the constable's cabin. Rows ofhanging knees line either side ofthe hull, and a man works on the whipstaff in the stern.

j ennJ1Scrayen carved the coat-of arms ofthe City ofFremantle, later fitted on the vessel's stern.

SEA HISTORY l02, AUTUMN 2002

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Finished blocks lie on coils of hemp line.

A bout 155 blocks, dead-eyes and euphroes were made for the Duyfken.

The Duyfken completes her provisioning in preparation for the first leg of her j ourney, up the west coast ofAustralia to B roome, from where she sailed north-east to Kupang on West Timor, then into the Banda Sea.

evolve by practising ancient methods and by following intuition- just like the olden days ."

So, like their 17th-century counterparts, the D uyfken shipwrights bent planks over fires, using iron klasses to turn the wood, and pinned the hull together with wooden trunnels (tree nails), guided by the twist of timber as well as historical data. Durin g the Age of Discovery, Durch ships were built shell first, p lank by plank, without using the pre-planned framework favo ured by other European shipbuilders, and th e shipwrights follo wed this practice.

Proj ect photographer Robert Garvey began documenting the D uyfken's construction in 1997 as her hull took shape in the shipya rd at the Western Australian M aritime M useum, which is also home to the wreck of another VOC ship, Batavia, which foundered on a co ral island in 1629.

"T his was an ideal project for me. I grew up-and still live-on the coast and spent every available moment either in or on the ocean. M y work as a profess ional photographer has taken me all over the wo rld into many different enviro nments. But for me, the ultimate work is to foc us on nauti cal and maritim e photography," says Garvey.

* * * * * In June 2000, M uslims and Ch risti ans were locked in a deadly struggle, and mosques and churches we re being sacked as rel igious violence crackled th ro ugh the province. N obody wanted to be stranded in the midst of a massacre. Duyjken and her Australian crew had cut short a goodwill tour of the region and sailed straight to the Banda archipelago, where the ship wo uld commence her re-enactment voyage of discovery to Australia.

Garvey and G raeme Cocks flew to Uj ung Padang on Sulawesi, where they booked tickets to Banda Neira via Ambon on an inter-island ferry. O n the previous visit to Ambon, the fe rry had been strafed by gunfire from a speedboar.

"Embarking at Ujung Padang, the docks looked like a scene out of the film The Year of L iving D angerously," recalls Garvey.

"Thousands of people we re shouting and pushing in every direction. The ship was preparing to pull out and with every blare of its horn, the crowd surged in a greater fre nzy. In Ambon, the wharf was crammed with refu gees , people searching for their families, and gro ups of armed men."

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SEA HISTORY 102, AUTUMN 2002

The Duyfken sails into the sheltered harbour formed by Banda Neira and Gunung Api, the smoking active volcano which dominates the scene.

The ferry reached the tiny island of Banda Neira at night, bearing down upon the flimsy wharf in a gargantuan blaze of light. Checking into a fading dockside hotel owned by Banda'sch ief, Des Alwi, Garvey and Cocks awoke the next morning to find themselves in a tropical paradise of lush jungle, deep green water and crumbling ruins, overshadowed by the towering volcanic island Gunung Api. But even this remote and seemingly peacefu l cluster of island gems had seen vio lence in the preceding weeks.

"The Christian churches on Neira and Api, both of them hundreds of years old, had been destroyed ," says Garvey. "Christians had been killed on Loncar and the culprits rounded up and jailed on Neira.

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soon as we started sailing, it was clear that the Duyfken would sail at a good speed with a favo rable wind. " They were allowed out during the day and were invo lved in a beating durin g the time Graeme and I were there. " In a strange way, the po litically inspired religious turmoil in the Maluku Province was like a 21st-century reverberation of the violent trade wars berween the Portuguese, Spanish, English and Dutch four hundred years earli er. In a time when spi ces were more valuable than gold, and nurmegthought to cure the plague-was found only on Banda, the economic powers of Europe would do anything to control the archipelago. Physical evidence of that violent era can be seen in the crumbling forts and can nons scauered abou t the roadsides.

Garvey's images of Banda have a serene and timeless quality, taking the viewer back to a time when explorers dreamed of finding a fabled land of gold they called "Nova Guinea. " Records suggest that Captain Willem Janszoo n reached the great southern land in February 1606. Australia would have appeared drab and flat under a low grey sky, as the monsoon season cast a humid pall over the coast. Janszoon's crew clashed with Australian Aborigines and left a land that was clearly devoid of trade opportunities, not knowing they had unwiuingly discovered the Sixth Continent.

The original Duyjken was hauled ashore SEA HISTORY 102, AUTUMN 2002

At Banda Neira, the Duyfken is greeted by a color.fol kora-kora, the traditional local war canoe.

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"On the first leg of the re-enactment voyage, she reeled off eight knots hour after hour" at Ternate for repairs in 1608, deemed unrepairable, and probably broken up. T he flimsy records of her existence were buried in archi ves and the faded ink journals of ancient mariners. T he Duyjken replica is currently touring the Netherlands, where she has brought the past into the present for posterity as part of the 400-year anniversary celebrations of the voe. ,t To Build a Ship: T he VOC Replica Shi p Duyfken, by Robert Garvey (University of Western Australia Press, Crawley WA, Australia, 2001 , 104pp, illus, ISBN 1 8762 68573; $44.45hc and JSBN 1876268581; $26 65pb) is available in the US ftom major bookstores and International Specialized Book Services at 503 287-3093 orwww.isbs. com.

Robert Garvey, 24 Cobb Street, Scarborough, Perth WA, Australia; 61 (8) 9245 2006; fax: 61 (8) 9245 2007; web site: www. garvey. com. au.

The Duyjken 1606 Replica Foundation, PO Box 1085, Fremantle WA 6959, Australia; 61(8)9272 6854;fax: 61 (8)93364688; web site: www.duyjken.com.

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SEA HISTORY 102, AUTUMN 2002

Geoff Hunt Captures the Ships of the American Revolution.

General Washington realized the importance of striking at British ships, and the first war vessels to serve the United States were commissioned by him.

From a collection of small and unsuitable vessels, under diverse commands and flying different flags, a Continental Navy was eventually created.

The paintings are reproduced on acid.free paper with coloifast inks. Each is signed and numbered and 75 ofeach limited edition of 700 are also remarqued and available for an additional $225.

"The Bonhomme Richard, John Paul Jones's famous flagship" Image: 2 1 x 13 3/4 inches Trim size: 25 1/4 x 19 inches Two of rhe mosr famous names in American naval hiswry are John Paul Jones and Bonhomme Richard, yet the ship was a French-builr merchamman and never crossed rhe Atlantic under Jones's command. $125 .

"General Washington's Wolfpack; Continental Army schooners raiding British supply ships, 1776" Image: 19 3/4 x 13 1/4 inches Trim size: 24 x 18 112 inches Encamped ourside Boswn, Washingwn 's forces outnumbered rhe Brirish wirhin rhe ciry, bur rhe Bri rish com manded rhe sea. Washingwn wanted w inrercepr rheir supply ships and, if possible, caprure munirions, which his army desperarely needed. H e leased eighr small schooners and manned rhem wirh soldiers from sea-minded unirs, such as rhe 21 st Massachusem from Marblehead. These fade vessels played havoc wirh Brirish shipping and eventually caprured rhe longed-for powder ship . $125 .

" H.M.S. Augusta: Philadelphia, 1777. British 64-gun ship under fire from Fort Mifflin and Pennsylvania State Navy gunboats" Image: 19 3/ 4 x 14 112 inches Trim size: 24 x 19 3/ 4 inches The Royal Navy rried w force irs way up rh e Delaware River w make co m acr wirh Brirish uoops in Philadelphia. On 23 Ocwber rhe Augusta ran aground off Fon Mifflin , rhen caughr fire. Under heavy an ack from shore baneries, galleys and guardboars, rhe Augusta had w be abandoned and her magazine larer exploded, desuoying rhe largest Brirish warship losr in acrion in rhe course of rhe war. $125.

1-800-221-NMHS (6647) or send $125 + $10 s/h to: NATIONAL MARITIME HISTORICAL SOCIETY PO Box 68, Peekskill NY 10566

To order your print call

NY residents add applicabl e sales tax . For foreign shipping inquire at 914-737-7878, ext. 0, or via e-mail at

nmhs@seahistory.org

MARINE ART

Mystic's Grand 23rd''Annual International

Marine Art Exhibition"

M

ystic Seaport's 23rd Annual International Marine Art Exhibition has drawn another bounty of exceptional art from around the world.

The juried show, which runs from 21 September through 3 November 2002, features over 100 artists from 18 countries: Australia, Canada, C hina, England, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Poland, Russia, Scotland, South Africa, Sweden, the United Stares and Venezuela.

Many of today's most renowned marine artists received their start at the Mystic International over the past quarter century. The Maritime Gallery is proud to provide a comprehensive look at current trends in the world of marin e art by presenting the works ofwell-estab lished artists alongside those of fresh new entrants.

The Mystic International is considered a premier event in the field of maritime art.

Each year more than 500 entries are culled to just over 100 accepted pieces. Judges this year include Peter Sranford, founding president of South Street Seaport Museum and editor at large of Sea History magazine; Sydney H. Rogers, former editor of Boating magazine and avid yachtsman; and Marie Korsonis, vice president of the Maritime Department at Christie's, New York.

Seven awards and over $5,000 in prizes will be presented.

Here is a sampling of the show. .t

Douglas R. Laird, "Beauty and Power," 31 x 24, oil. Douglas Laird was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1946. Interested in art at a very early age, at fifteen he apprenticed in an advertising agency and art studio, an d then attended Edinburgh College of Art for three years.

Laird's extensive travels throughout North America and Europe have influenced the subj ects of his paintings. Although nor a Canadian citizen , he has lived there since 1965 .

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A handsome full-color catalog ofthe exhibition is available for $5 from The Maritime Gallery, Mystic Seaport, PO Box 6000, Mystic CT 06355; 860 572-5388; web site: www. mysticseaport. orglgallery.

SEA HISTORY 102, AUTUMN 2002

Richard Boyer, "Sunday Morning Sail," 24 x 30, oil. "We spent rhree days painting in rhe rown of Kappeln, Germany, on rhe Balric Sea. The inler here exrends quire fa r inland, and during rh e Viking era people used rhese warerways ro porrage rheir boars across rhis point ro rhe Norrh Sea. Whar drew me ro rhis spor is rhar rheir harbo r allows only 'old' boars ro dock."

Boyer's interesr in painting bega n ar an early age. Ar rhe University of Utah he srudied under Al vin G irrens. Afrer earning his BFA in 1981 , he went ro Kiel, Germany, where he srudied language and used the opporruniry ro rravel rhroughour Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Richard now divid es his rime between his home in Utah and Sweden, rhe ho me of his wife Karin.

Matthew Stothart, "The Franklin Expedition," 3 x 16 1/4 x 3, scrimshaw on fossi l ivory mounted on rosewood. "As a boy on rhe Easr Coasr I was fascinared wirh our early hisrory and enjoyed rhe museums we visited . When we moved ro Santa Fe, I worked in my father's frame shop and mer many of rhe local arrists, which inspired me ro pursue arr as a vocation. I srudied arr ar Wesrern Washingron University and lace r wo rked for rhe Alaskan Silve r

and Ivory Company learning the crafr of scrimshaw, my boyhood interest in whaling and hisrory combi ned with my love of art. By 1980 I was a freelance scrimshander and shared srudio space wi th some of the finest artists, learning from rhem and improving my ski lls and technique. I have a grear respecr for the material we use, ivory being a rare and unique medium ro work on. Each piece should be done with great care and raken ro irs full potential. "

Ian Hansen, "Sophocles," 24 x 36, oil. Born in Bordertown, Ausrralia, Ian Hansen is a self-raugh r marine artist.

H e srarred painring when he was eighr yea rs old and joined rhe Royal Ausrralian Navy as an ap prenrice shipwrighr when he was only fifteen. He served rwelve years, reaching rhe rank of Chief Perry Officer. Upon leaving rhe navy, Ian decided to become a full-rime artist. His firsr one-man show was in Sydney in 1974; his mosr recenr show was a bicenrenary exhibirion in Sydney in which all 43 of his painrings sold. Ian is a keen yachrsman who sails in single-handed yachr races and is currendy rebuilding a 45-foor rimber yachr for cruising in rhe Pacific.

The Sophocles carried rhe jubilee rig (wirh no royals) of the 1890s, whose non-caperin g proftle and broad, shallow sails look awkward when compared to earlier rigs.

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Robert P. Davis, "Arriving Troop Ships, 1945," 30 x 40, oil.

"Afrer rhe victory in Europe, rhere were over 1.8 million troops rerurning home. To band, cheers, cakes and cookies, and graceful love, most of rhe Gis enrered rhe Porr of New York aboard anyrhing rhar could floar, mosdy chartered rramps and marginal tonnage from rhe neurral warri me co unrries . Every day rhere were five to ren rroop ships docking from Europe like a long victory parade, and rhe bands played on. I've shown a scene ar rhe foor of 49th Street in Manhattan with rwo such vessels berrhed and one being hawsered in. " Roberr P. Davis was a srudem of Arthur Koch of rhe Choare School and Yale Universiry School of Fine Am. He has also srudied wirh rhe marine artisr Gordon Granr. He began his professional career working for adverrisi ng agencies in New York, including Ogilvy, Benson and Marher. He larer served as a producrion designer and became a morion picrure arr director, winning an Academy Award and a Golden Lion Award ar rhe Venice Fi lm Fesrival for borh design and direcrion. Davis has raced in rhe famous yachr Ondine in rhe TransArlamic race and in rhree Fasmer races aboard rhe Irish currer Helen of Howth.

SEA HISTORY 102, AUTUMN 2002

Edward Griffith, "Spice Lady at Ton Khem," 22 x 12, acryli c. A grad uate of the Universiryof Cincin nati wi th a Bachelo r of Science in design, Ed G ri ffit h has wo rked as an agency art director, graphic designer, illustrato r and pa inter. T he las t six years have been devoted to marine painring. H e com bines the natural and man-made scenery of the coastal Carolinas in a realistic style of painring, capturing the merging impress ions of pas t and present that so dominate th at part of the co untry. Ed paints and displays hi s or igin al paintings and prints at the Griffi th Gallery in Wilmington, N orrh Caro lina.

SEA HISTORY I 02, AUTUMN 2002

25

Willem Eerland, "Cutter Near the Rounding Mark" 6 1/4 x 9 1/2, oil.

Willem Eerland lives in a small village near Rotterdam, T he Netherlands, where he became fascinated with sailing by the age of fi ve and, since his fa ther was a tugboat captain, he spent all his free time on the water, often sketching boats. Once out of school, he spent eight yea rs on tugboats, two of which he captained. H e then briefly took drawing and painting lessons and began his art career.

H e researches his painring intensively, which has led him to publish articl es in Du tc h m aritim e m agaz in es.

Eerland chooses his subj ects freely, because, in his wo rds, "First, I painr for myself."

Leonard Mizerek, "Setting Sail," 22 x 34, oil. "Bringing light into my work has been a current focus. I enjoy looking for the hidden colors in natu ral light. I ofren look at the sky or at refl ections in the sea and see how my perception of color changes fro m day to day. Light al ters the color of all obj ects and to uches those nearby. It sets a mood or evokes an emotion .. . . I prefer maritime subjects because I enjoy the way water refl ects the sky, the coas t and the weather. It mirrors the shapes of obj ects and intensifies their light. I pai nt outdoors to capture the light firsthand and bring out all th e color and lumin os ity."

26

SEA HISTORY 102, AUTUMN 2002

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SEA HISTORY 102, AUTUMN 2002

GENERAL HARRISON Portrait ofa Gold Rush Storeship

by Allen G. Pastron, PhD and Rebecca Percey The remains ofthe General Harrison emerge from under the streets of San Francisco.

T

he California Gold Rush unleashed a wave of social, economic and entrepreneurial energy that, seemingly over ni ght, transformed San Francisco from a sleepy hamlet into the largest American urban center west of the Mississippi River. Today, a century and a halflater, the physical traces of this historical phenomenon can still be found buried beneath the streets of the modern city.

During the summer of 2001, a spectacular remnant of San Francisco's tumultuous past emerged from a construction site in the heart of the financial district, at the northwest corner of C lay and Battery streets. As workers prepared to lay the foundations of a new hotel , the rubble of several early-20th-century structures was cleared away, and archaeo logists labored feverishly to expose the charred hulk of the Gold Rush storeship General Harrison.

T he sight of the impressive remains of a wooden sailing shi p co njured memories of San Francisco 's dramatic, often chaotic beginnin gs. It was a time when the city's burgeoning polyglot

population practically doubled every month, when the area that wo uld someday become the city's financial district still lay submerged beneath the shallow wa ters of Yerba Buena Cove, and when some of the city's best-known buildings were, in fact, the wooden hulls of the vessels that had, only a few months before, brought the "Argo nauts of '49 " to the California frontier.

A Decade Under Sail T he General Harrison was only ten years old and still in her prime when she arrived at San Francisco during the height of the Gold Rush in earl y 1850. She was co nstructed in 1840 on the banks of the Merrimack River in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Built entirely of white oak, the General Harrison was a copper-fastened, copper-sheathed, three-masted full-rigged ship with two decks, a square stern, and a billethead. As built, she displaced nea rl y 4 10 to ns and measured more than 126 feet in length with a 26-foot, 7-i nch beam and a 13-foot, 3 112 -inch dep th of hold.

Archaeologists recover a crate fuLL of wine bottles, many of which are intact and stiff contain wine. (ALL photos courtesy Archeo-Tec, Inc.)

SEA HISTORY 102, AUTUMN 2002

29

In 1843 she was engaged in rhe Easr Coasr packer rrade, running berween Boston and New Orleans. By 1847 rhe ship was owned by rhe successful Boston m erchant Thomas H. Perkins and complered a circumnavigarion, rounding Cape Horn to sail to such di verse Pacific desrinarions as Valparaiso, Lahaina, Honolulu, Ta hiri and Hong Kong, finally rerurning to Boston via rhe Cape of Good Hope afre r sixreen months ar sea. H er fin al voyage originared in Boston during the summer of 1849, and after a passage of 198 days she emered the Golden Gate on 3 February 1850.

Arrival at San Francisco Ironically, the General H arrison's fame is no t related to her career at sea but rather to the events that ensued after she dropped anchor for the last time in San Francisco's harbor. Although still fit for servi ce at sea, she met a fate common to many ships arri ving at San Francisco during the height of the Gold Rush. Shortly after her arrival at Yerba Buena Cove, she was abandoned by crew and passengers alike, all headed for California's golden fronti er. For some months, along with hundreds of other vessels, she swayed silently at anchor, idle and derelict.

While San Francisco's harbor was filled with a glut of unwamed ships throughout 18 50, the siruation on shore was far different. New buildings could not be erected fasr enough to satisfy th e requirements of the ciry's exploding popul ation. In particular, rhe lack of suirabl e ware ho use space was acutely felt by merchants along the waterfront. Local entrepreneurs soo n dev ised a creative, profitable answer to thi s probl em- the storeship .

At the time, unwanted ships could be acquired easily and inexpensively. T he selected vessel was rowed to rhe desired wa terfront location and transformed in to an instant building. Throughout the Gold Rush, dozens of vessels were converted to storeship use in San Francisco and served not o nly as warehouses but as restaurants, saloons, hotels and, in one insta nce, the municipal jail.

By May 1850 the General Harrison had been sold to E. Mickle and Company and rowed to the no rth side of the Clay Street

Ge neral H arriso n s sister storeships Apollo and Niantic (from Frank Marryats Mountains and Molehills; or, Recollections of a Burnt Journal (New York, 1855)).

Wharf where sh e was convened to a sroreship. Afrer she was secured in the muddy shallows ofYerba Buena Cove, her masts and spars were removed, all ballast was off-loaded from the hold, and the side of her hull was pierced for ease of access. A single-story barn-like strucrure was erected on deck.

By the end of May rhe General H arrison was ready for business as a storeship. An advertisement in th e 30 May 1850 edirion of th e Alta California proclaimed rhe following: This fine and commodious vessel being now permanently stationed at the corner of C lay and Battery srreets, and in readiness to receive stores of any description, offers a rare inducement to holders of goods. Terms exceedingl y moderate and the proprietors are d etermined to afford every satisfaction to those friends who may avail of the faci liries presented. Apply to E. Mickle & Company, C lay Street Wharf.

Like the nearby Apollo and Niantic, she quickly filled with stores.

For the year berween May 1850 and May 1851 , the storeship General H arrison was one of the most recognizable landmarks on San Francisco's sprawling waterfront. However, her career as a storeship was destined to brief. Along with the Niantic and Apollo, she was des troyed in the San Francisco fire of 3-4 May 1851.

Following the conflagration, her charred hulk was partially salvaged by a crew of Chinese workers in the employ of San Francisco's best-known ship breaker, C harles H are. The salvage operations included rhe removal of all of the accessible copper shearhing and man y of the drift bolrs, spikes and metal fittings that could be removed from rhe hulk.

Within momhs, the remains of the General H arrison were entombed in landfill. New buildings soo n arose at the northwest corner of Clay and Battery Streets, and the storeship was largely forgotten. The hull was briefly exposed in the aftermath of the San Francisco earthquake of Ap ril 1906. Ar rhat time, a number of Douglas fir pilings were dri ve n through rhe remains to support the new srrucrures that wo uld occupy the site throughout the remainder of the 1900s. T he timbers were then interred until the beginning of the next century.

In the late 1990s, plans to develop the corner of Clay and Battery were presented to the San Francisco Planning D epartment. In recognition of rhe General Harrison's importance as a unique remn am of the ciry's Gold Rush beginnings, a systematic program of arch aeol ogical resea rch was for mula red and integra red into th e development process.

As soon as the site had been cl eared of the recendy demolished buildings, the archaeologists bega n the laborious process of unearthing the remains. As only a finite amount of time had been allocated for work on the H arrison, the archaeological research was conducted wirhour pause for eighteen consecutive days. Day by day, th e lon g- buried remn ants of th e storeship slowly emerged from th e den se strat um of mud, sand and rubble that had encased her for 150 years.

General Harrison Resurfaces T he General Harrison was burned to rhe ware rline in the fire of May 1851 , while the lower porrion of the hull was spared the ravages of the fl ames. T he well-preserved rimbers provided a rare and welcome opportuniry to take a firsthand look ar mid- 19thcentury American shipbuildin g as well as the process of Gold Rush-era shipbreaking. Throughour the process ofarchaeological SEA HISTORY 102, AUTUMN 2002

~&qilJI 3 discovery, hundreds of passersby halted abruptly and stared in amazem ent at the sight of ship timbers lying exposed beneath the heart of the city. As the days passed, a large crowd of onlookers becam e a common fixture at the construction fence. Altho ugh the archaeologists felt constantly pressed for rime, they paused to answer the questions of the many curious o bservers eager to lea rn about storeships and their place in the California G old Rush.

Archaeological evidence clearly dem onstrates that backbreaking effo rt was required to recycle the hulk's most valuable co mponents. T he copper sheathing was pulled from the hull, a process that would have required the salvage rs to co nduct much of their work in the water at periods oflow ride. As the crew removed drift bolts from the hull, the holes were plugged from the o utside in an effort to keep the ship's interior dry.

Evidence suggests that the 1851 salvage process was rather hasty. The co ndition of two of the drift boles indicated that an attempt m ade to salvage them had been abandoned-one of the clinch rings had been removed and ano ther was partially removed .

A stack of copper sheathing plates was fo und o utside che hull along the po rt beam of the hulk. Nearb y was a heavy iron pry-bar, presumably used to remove the clinch rings and drift bolts.

Acco rding to Premice Mulford, who o bserved the salvage efforts , H are's Chinese employees "put the sh attered timbers in one pile, the iron boles in another, the copper in ano ther." Apparently, the m en were conducting their wo rk as usual bur were interrupted abruptly and were unable to complete the job.

The Cargo As the interior of the hulk was cleared and exposed , the archaeologists reali zed th at the General H arrison's 185 1 cargo was nowhere to be seen. Except for a sparse scattering of items that had been casually discarded during the sal vage process-fo r example, a number of clay pipes, a broken whiskey bo ttle, and a pile of pegfas rened leather boots-the interio r of che hulk was devoid of merchandise. A quarter cemury earlier, archaeological excavation of the nearby storeship Niantic h ad yielded a large, diverse q uanti ty of G old Rush m erchandise, and it was hoped char the General H arrison would yield a simila rly impressive cargo. With a sense of disappointment, the arch aeo logists acce pted that these hopes might not come to fruiti on .

H owever, disappoimmem was soo n transfo rmed into triumph as the backhoe continued excavatio n of the starboard exterior of the hulk and a m ass of cul tural refuse was suddenly revealed and immedi ately recognized as the rem ains of the General H arrison's fin al cargo . Apparently, the salvage crew saw no value in the charred remnants of the m erchandise being stored within the hull and dumped it uncerem o niously in to the bay.

The recovered m erchandise co nsisted of wheat, m etal tacks and nails, bolts of cloth, tens of thousands of Italian glass crade beads, the handle of a derringer, and imact wine and ale bottles.

M ost spectacularly, amidst the m erchandise thrown ove rboard were several crates of Burgundy wine. One of these crates was recove red completely intact. Inside the crate, still packed neatly in straw, were twelve wine bottles, many of which were corked and retained theiroriginal come m s. T he deposit of dumped m erchan-

SEA HISTORY 102, AUTUMN 2002

A

A mong the historical treasu res recovered in the excavation ofthe ship were pipes, spikes used in the ship s construction, and copper sheathing that once covered the bottom of the hull.

dise also co m ained millions of extremely fire-effected bottle glass fragm ents-twisted and fu sed together, and turned opaque blues and whites-demonstrating the intense heat of the 185 1 fire. The massive quantity of glass fra gments al so reveals the amount of alcohol being stored in the General H arrison's hull. Knowing the mo netary and social value of alcohol, th e destroyed bottles portray just how significant the damages from the fire were; certainly several fo rtunes were lost as a res ult of the General H arrison's destroyed cargo alone.

Witness to the Gold Rush If a picture is worth a thousand words, then beholding that image in a tangible reali ty must be worth a million. Historical documentati o n provides detailed descri pri o ns of the pas t. Bur when coupled with archaeological work, histo ry is give n a three-dimensionality th at cannot be captured w ithin the pages of a book. The importance of the General Ha rrison and her cargo lies in the way that history is transformed into a livin g reality. As the hull emerged from below the modern city streets, San Franciscans had the rare oppo rtunity to witness a piece of th eir city's Gold Rush history.

Archaeological investigation of the hull has also shed light on a variety of subj ects including the practices of storeship use and ship breaking. The storeship herself, aside from being a spectacular sight to behold, is testimony to the resourcefulness of early San Franciscans-a trait that continues to impact the city today. t.

A llen Pastron is p resident of A rcheo-Tec, I nc., the company that excavated the remains ofthe Ge neral H arrison, and Rebecca Percey is research associate, editor, and publishing manager to D r. Pastron.

(Archeo-Tec, Inc., 5283 Broad way, Oakland CA 9 4618; 510 601 6185; web site: archeo-tec. com)

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165¡j. -

ltVBNING ROVR, l'ISBBRMBN'S WHAR.P' â&#x20AC;˘ SAN PRANClSCO, CALIFORNIA.

LateenSai[

'Ifuougfi the (jolden (jate

by Giovanni P anella

The men are very reckless, and their lateen rig are often seen beating against the wind when our pleasure yachts are glad to find an harbour.

-San Francisco Bu!Letin, 1875 Feluccasatthenew TaylorStreetwharfinSanFrancisco, ca. 1905. (From a postcard, courtesy the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, #Al2.1501 l ) ralian visirors admiring rhe thousands of traditional boars from aro und rh.e wo rl d at the Brest 2000 boar festival in France cou ld nor help bur look for a vessel carrying th e Itali an flag. The first impression was rhar there were none at Brest. T he sailin g ship Palinuro was there, bur she is of French o ri gin ; before b ecom in g the schoolship of the Marina Milirare Italiana, she was o ne of the last sailin g ships ro fis h for cod on the banks off Newfoundland.

Only afte r a day of searching did I discover a smal l lareen- rigged boar named rheNuovo Mondo. O n her mast fluttered the Ame ri can flag, because she comes from San Francisco, but she also flies the I tali an flag.

T hose rwo flags , flown roger her, signal the passage ofa bir ofMediterranean sea lore ro the New World-the migration of the lateen sai l ro the far shores of the Pacific coast of North America.

T he sro ry of that migration reveals that the lateen sail is more than just a sail. John Muir, Associate Curaror of Small Craft at the San Francisco Maritime National Hisrorical Park, has explored the hisrory of these vessels in San Francisco: T hrough the late l 800s-rhe wave began in the 1860s and ended in the l890s-successive waves ofitalian im migration brought hundreds of fishermen from the coastal vi llages near the cities of Naples and Genoa and the island of Sici ly inro San Francisco. They also built fis hing boars in the tradition of their native land, called "silenas" 1 by rhe fishermen , bur later more widely known as "San Francisco feluccas. " The seaworthiness of these small , lateenrigged vessels was a perfect match for

I

32

rhe rugged waters of San Francisco Bay and contrib uted ro the success of their skilled owners. The felucca quickly becam e the principal vessel in the fishing fleets moored along the San Francisco waterfront. They were, essentially, allpurpose fi shing vessels, working a wide variety of nets and gear, from gill nets ro crab traps, ro co mpete in virtually every fishery in the San Francisco Bay region.

The earliest recorded site of the growing fl eet of feluccas was located at the India Dock at the foot of Vallejo and Green Streets. Here, in the inside basin of a smal l rectangular pier, rhe fleet shared pier space with a varie ty oflarger vessels. With the practice of photography still in its nasce nce, there are only a few existing images of thi s multi-use wharf, and all of these were taken from far enough away ro obscure rhe derails of the fl eer tucked in behind irs sheltering piles.

Nor until afte r 1884, rhe year the fleet was moved ro the new stare-owned wharves at the foorofUnion and Greenwich Streets, are rh e familiar views of fi shermen gathered rogether on their boats mendin g nets and drying sails captured on film .2 Thus, the latee n sa il traveled with a communi ty of Italian fishermen ro the ciry of San Francisco, where the fishermen influenced rhe development of a world-renowned warerfronr, which roday has be. . . come an important rounsr arrracnon.

T he atmosp here peculiar ro rhar place at rhe end of the 1800s li ves in a quo re from Robert Louis Stevenso n's The Wrecker.

Stevenson lived for a while in San Fran-

cisco before beginning rhe voyage rhat carried him ro the South Pacific.

My delight was much in slums. "Little Italy" was a haunt of mine. There I wou ld look in at the windows of smal l eati ng-shops transported bodily from Genoa or Naples, with their macaroni , and chianti flasks , and portraits of Gari baldi , and co loured political caricatures; or (entering in) hold high debate with so me ear-ringed fisher of the bay as to th e designs of "Mr. Owsrria" and "Mr. Rooshia. "3 These fishermen built a fleet of boats similar ro those they left in Iraly, even though the Pacific Ocean was so vastly different from rh e Tyrrhenian Sea from which they came. They simply bui lt th e kind of boars their fathers used, modifying them in small ways ro make them better suited ro local conditions. These vessels were used for fishing inside San Francisco Bay, although rhey sometimes went farther, voyaging in the open sea as far as Monterey, Drake's Bay, or the Farallon Is lands. The San Francisco Chronicle, in February of 1886, reported rhar 150 boars of this type were active in rhe Bay Area.

Other elements of Mediterranean culrure were brought ro San Francisco along wirh rhe boats, among them the "bel canro" style of singing, which was used in an original way by the Italian fishermen. On the coast of Californi a, currents of cold water meet a temperate climate, and while skies are clear over inland waterways, there may be a dense fog over rhe water when you reach rhe coast. While sailing on rhe Bay, ir is nor uncommon ro find oneself in rhe midst of a sudden dense fog. When this

SE!A HISTORY I02, AUTUMN 2002

happened to the fis hing fleet, a sailor in one boat would begin a traditional son g, and the song was taken up by men in other boats throughout the fleet, all singing with the traditional vigor of the bel canto. T h e crews used this "Ariadne thread" to keep track of each other and return toge ther to port.

These men also brought with them typically Italian ways of making do. In addition to sails, the fel uccas had oars, to be used when there was no wind . San Francisco's crowded bay was crisscrossed by a variety of steamers connecting the coastal communities, and the Italian fish ermen, with their skill in making do, saw in steam ers another mode of propulsion, much less burdensome than rowing. An im portant piece of gear on a felucca was an iron hook on a length of chain. This was used to hook onto the rudder ch ain of any steam er going in the desired direction. Ferries we re particularly favo red , fo r their overhangs prevented the fe rry crew from getting at the hook. T o express their dislike of the practice the fe rry crews often threw coal at the fis hermen.

The Vessel T he term "felucca," derived from the Arabic "fulk," meaning ship, has over the las t few hundred years been applied to M edi terranean craft ranging from fishing vessels to warships, fro m the southern coas t of Spain to Egypt. Most of these vessels h ave used some fo rm of lareen rig. Ir is likely that "felucca" was first applied to the San Francisco silanes by non-Italian Westerners using this more general term.

By the 1920s, most of the feluccas at Fishermen's W harf were either converted to moto r vessels or replaced by entirely new boats. T radition was so strong that at first th e newly built motorized fishing boars had lines similar to those of the old sailing feluccas. T hese were eventually adapted to the differen t requirements of m otoring, with broader sterns, higher sh eer lines and a more hollow bow. Th e res ulting boat, though built by Italian boatwrighrs, was virtually an entirely new type and bore a new name: Monterey boar. Some of these can still be seen fishing our of the San Francisco waterfront today.

T here are to date three remaining original felucca hulls, although no ne fea ture working rigging or are actively sailed . One, a smaller-sized felucca without its rig, still floats on a mooring in the placid waters of

SEA HISTORY 102, AUTUMN 2002

A felucca scoots along the San Francisco waterfront in a stiff breeze, hatches secured, jib stowed, and the crew in full fou l-weather gear, ca. 1885. (Courtesy San Francisco M aritime N HP)

Tomal es Bay north of San Francisco, lending atmosphere to a popular oys ter restaurant there. T he other two are in the small craft collecti on at the San Francisco M ari time National Histori cal Park. One of these is a 24-foo t fel ucca hull, highly modified in the 1960s but still featuring many importa nt construction derails. T he Park's other fel ucca is more in tac t. It is an 18-foot hull, believed to date from circa 1900, and features an original deck configuration , as well as a mas t step and partner. After it was fo und and added to the collection in the early 1980s, a team from the Park used its lines and construction derails to guide the co nstruction of the Park's working replica, and the only sailing San Francisco felucca today, the Nuovo Mo ndo.

To complement the three remaining felucca hulls, we have only a few sources fo r understanding how the vessels were built.

T here are some plans by Howa rd I. C hapelle, which were generated by the San Francisco team of the Historic Ameri can M erchant M arine Survey in the 193 0s, after they measured a vessel along the San Francisco waterfront; some models at the Smithso nian Institution; and some fifty plus photographs from the period .

T he dimensions of these felu ccas varied from 18 to 36 feet in length, most being between 22 and 26 feet, with a width of 7 to 9 feet and a depth of 2 to 3 feet. T heir hulls were double-ended and featured slack bilges and low freeboard , giving the felu ccas a slender and elegant look. T he hull was decked with wide waterways and a long central hold, covered with several hatches.

A small hatch afr was reserved for th e helmsman. The mas t was raked forward and carried the la teen sail with only a single

running backs ray fo r standing rigging. The bowsprit, mounted to the right of the bow, carried a jib sail.

T he specific origin of this distinctive type of boat has been examined by Iralian maritime researchers, but they have not fo und a definiti ve source. Petro Berti reports that the variety of elements seen in the San Francisco felucca make it difficult to attribu te its design to one particular region ofi raly; it seems rather to have taken elements from different areas oflraly, with influences from Spain .

Carlo Ammatuna notes, for example, that fe luccas had a finer hull than simil ar Sicilian boats and points out other differences as well , including the forward-raked mas ts. Filippo Castro stresses that th e felucca's rigging resembled that of Spani sh boats and notes that, for example, Ses tri Levante (Ligurian) boats have a moderate fl oor rise (about 1 to 2 degrees) while generally the feluccas have a floor rise of 6 to 12 degrees. This difference can probably be attributed to the fact that the Ligurian A deck view ofthe N uovo M ondo shows the hatches covering the central hold, as well as the small one in the stern in which the helmsman stands. (Photo: Todd Bloch)

33

The crew of the felucca America take time to admire a passing tug on a rare calm San Francisco Bay day, ca 1890. (Photo: SFMNHP) boats were drawn up on the beach, while the C alifornian boats were moored in port.

In Sergio Spina's opinion "American boats are a hybrid, with general characteristics of boats from the Balearic Islands in Spain, as they are described in an important Spanish text Nuestra Vela Latina. 4 They also present some details from Liguria, while other details seem Sicilian: the thole pins of some boats recall those from the Sicilian area ofTrap ani. " To delve further into the problem of the origins of this boat, John Muir is currently researching the names of their builders, with the hopes of identifying a specific regional identity for the felucca boatwrights.

So far the list of felucca builders includes Domingo Testa, George F. Lateri, G. B. Gracchi, the brothers Caviglia, P. Demartini, and S. 0 . Pasquinucci. All were active between 1868 and 1903. If M r.

Muir can identify the regions or cities of origin for these names, he may be able to trace regional influences on the specifi c construction details of the San Francisco feluccas. In vernacular boatbuilding, it is common for builders in adj oi ning towns to adopt their own unique co nstruction features, even if the boats from each town are fundamentally th e same.

Chapelle considered the felucca so important to the maritime heritage of the United States that he put it on the cover of his American Small Sailing Craft. In that book he praised the seamanlike abilities of the Italian fishermen, writing: The reputation of th ese boats was very great, and they were said to have been very fas t and seaworthy. In the 1880s,

34

the Italian fishermen were considered remarkable for the manner in which they carried sail in the strong winds that are so commo n in and about San Francisco Bay. T he lateen rig was a very dangerous one in unskilled hands; nevertheless these boats suffered ve ry few accidents, as the crew were generally very skillful in handling the rig. 5

The Replicas In 1976, Dean Stephens, a Mendocino Coun ty boatbuilder, along with No rman deVall and W illiam Gilke rson, built a replica of a felucca as an initial project for a boatbuilding school they were working to establish. 6 T hey encountered many difficulties in collecting documentation for it but, when the work was finished, had the satisfaction of seeing the boat adopted by the Italian comm uni ty of San Francisco as a symbol of their heri tage and their role in the development of the maritime comm uni ties of the West Coast. T heMatildaD. is now part of the collection at the San Francisco Maritime Park, and fo r years the elegant boat greeted visitors at the entrance to Hyde Street Pier. Today it can be seen in the Park's small craft collection .

New understanding of the design of feluccas came with research on the original felucca hull added to the collection in rhe 198 0s. T he 22-foot Nuovo Mondo was constructed in 1986 by San Francisco boatbuilder Larry Hitchcock for the Maritime Park from the lines of the original hull and after extensive research in the Park's photographic archives.

Since its launch in 1986, the staff of the

small craft department have continued to refine the historical accuracy of the Nuovo Mondo. In 1999, the Maritime Park decided to participate in Brest 2000 and sent eight American boats, including theNuovo Mondo, in two containers to France. Expecting close scrutiny of the vessel at Brest, John Muir and a crew of vo lunteers led by boatbuilder Robert Duncan combed historic photographs to more accurately render a number of Nuovo Mondo' s construction details.

In Brest their work was amply rewarded as the elegant Nuovo Mondo was judged very favo rably for the quali ty of her construction and care. The boat sailed in parades and regattas alongside lateen-rigged boats from France and Spain, rousing great enthusiasm among Mediterranean sailors, who had not known that the lateen sail traveled as far as the Golden Gate. In exch ange, sailors from Prove n ce and Catalonia imparted some lateen-rig techniques to Mr. Muir and his crew, helping them to recapture some of the lost skills of the San Francisco Bay's fearless felucca fishermen.

Emboldened by their experience in Brest and Douarnenez, Mr. Muir and the San Francisco Maritime Park p lan to send the Nuovo Mondo overseas to La Regan a dela Vela Larina in Stintino, Sardinia, in 2003.

This is one of the largest gatherings of lateen-rigged fishing vessels in the Mediterranean and features heated races between vessels from F ran ee, Italy and Spain.

H ere, the Nuovo Mondo will hoist sail alongside its ancestors of the lateen rig, and its crew will further their unde rstanding of

SEA HISTORY 102, AUTUMN 2002

Lateen-rigged boats race at this year's Regatta dela Vela Latina in Stintino, Sardinia. (Photo: Luca Vilatta) the Mediterranean sai ling traditions that once flourished on San Francisco Bay. 1,

This article is adaptedfrom the author's "Vele latine sotto ii Golden Gate, "ftom the Italian journal Arre Na vale 11, March 2002. Dr. Panella was born in Genoa, near the sea, and became fascinated with boats and ships as a boy. He has recently published a book on a fleet ofsmall lateen-rigged vessels still sailing, the Leudi di Liguria (Genoa, Italy: Tormena, 2002), and is working on a book about the gozzo, another small lateen-rigged boat.

Sea History thanks John Muir, Associate

Curator ofSmall Craft at the San Francisco

Maritime National Historical Park, for his assistance with this article. For more information about the Nuovo Mo ndo and its travel itinerary, contact john Muir by e-mail at john_C_Muir@nps.gov.

1 T he co rrect wo rd is "silane."

2 John C. M uir, "Tides of Change: Fishermen's W harf, 1870-193 0,'' Sea Letter 58, p8.

3 Robert Lo uis Stevenson and Lloyd Osbo urne.

"Faces on the C iry Front,'' The Wrecker.

4 Francisco O ller & Vincente Garcia Delgado.

Nuestra Vela Latina (Barcelo na, 1996).

5 Howard I. C hapelle. American SmaL! Sailing Craft(NewYork, 1951), p289.

6 William G il kerso n. "Ships Such As Those: Matilda D." WoodenBoat 13, pp45-54.

The N uovo Mondo, here sailing off San Francisco, has benejitted ftom ongoing research on feluccas. The stem head, an important regional identity marker, was carved. A taller mast gets the sail higher off the deck and provides more scope for the halyards. A heavier antennae, or yard, lends confidence in heavy winds. Thole blocks, oars, and rigging components were all reworked. Finally, the N uovo Mondo donned more historically accurate colors. (Photo: SFMNHP)

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SEA HISTORY 102, AUTUMN 2002

Erie Maritime Museum Home port U.S. Brig Niagara Official Flagship of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

150 East Front St. Erie, PA 16507 814-452-27 44 www .brigniagara.org 35

SHIP NOTES, SEAPORT & MUSEUM NEWS SPUN YARN The varied career of the Regi.na Maris came to an end in Glen Cove, Long Island, New York. The wooden barkentine, built as a schooner in 1908, served as a cargo ship in the Baltic and North Atlantic, a G rand Banks fishing vessel, a yacht and a research vessel. Rebuilt as a barkentine in the 1960s, she had been the subj ect of preservation efforts in Long Island since 1991 , but extensive decay and rwo groundings left her unsalvageable; her mas ts and other items were removed for display on the wa terfront. . .. T he six-compartm ent captain's cabin ofUSS Constellation, in Baltimore, Maryland, has been resrored to its Civil War-era appearance. Plans call for the rescoration of the ship to be complete by 2004, the l 50th anniversary of her lau nch.

(USS Constellation, Pier 1, 301 East Pratt Street, Baltimore MD 21202-3134; 4 10 539- 1797; web site: www.constellatio n.org) ... The Long Island Maritime M useum is restoring the oyster sloop Priscilla of 1888 to her 1920s appearance. They hope to lau nch her in August of2003. (LIMM, PO Box 184, 86WestAvenue, WestSayville NY 11 796-0184; 631 HISTORY; e-mail: LIMaritimemuseum@aol. com; web site: www.limaritime.org) ... The four-masted hark Pommern, built by J. Reid & Co. of Greenock, Scotland, and last sailed in the

Remarkable Medieval Ship Found in Wales High drama reigned in Newport, Wales, this summer as residents banded together to save a medieval ship unearthed during the excavation for a theater and arts center. The timbers of the ship, described as a cross berween a caravel and a Viking longship, are in remarkable condition, as are its contents. Found on the site were Portuguese pottery, a stone cannonball, textiles including the hem of a medieval robe, oak barrels, and rarely found original rigging, sail and upper deck.Tree-ring dating has placed the vessel's construction in the winter of 1465-66. It is theorized that the 25-meter ocean-goi ng vessel, returning from the Iberian peninsula, put in at Newport, possibly for repairs, and never left.

Construction on the arts center was halted while archaeologists evaluated the find, but the demolition was scheduled to resume on 27 August. All involved were astonish ed at Construction excavation the public response when the city opened the reveals a medieval ship in Wales. site for public viewing on rwo days in August, when an estimated ten tho usand visitors lined up to see the ship.

In eleventh-hour nego tiations on 23 August, the Welsh Assembly pledged ÂŁ3 million-ÂŁ 1 million this year, and the remainder disbursed over the next three years-to cover enough of the costs of raising the ship to let the conservation project go forward . It will eventually be displayed in an interpretation gallery to be added underneath the groundfloor gallery and main foyer of the arts center.

(F riends of the Newport Ship, 3-4 North Street, Newport, South Wales, NP21 lJZ, UK; we b sites: www.saveo urship.org. uk, www. britarch.ac.uk/sosnewport; e-mai l: sos@ chepstow.org.uk) -SHELLEY REID

National Trust Recognizes Plight of Skipjacks

Pommern grain trade before World War II by G ustaf Erikson, is celebrating her centennial next year in Aland. (Museum Ship Pommern , Pb 5, AX-22 100 Mariehamn, Aland; 011 358 (18 ) 53 1 42 1; e- mail : pommern @mariehamn. aland .fi; we b site: www .pommern. aland .fi) . .. O ver the past year the Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia received $800,000 in grants to help preserve and restore USS Olympia. The moneys are being used to prepare the ship fo r her eventual drydocking. (ISM, Penn's Landing at 211 South Columbus (Con tinued on page 38)

36

To raise awareness of the plight of the las t commercial sailing fl eet in the United States, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named the C hesapeake Bay Skipjack Fleet to its 2002 list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. A dozen skipj acks remain in commercial use today, the remains of an oyster-dredging fleet that once numbered nearly 1000 vessels. Built berween 1886 and 1956, the skipjacks spent the autumn months dredging oysters in Chesapeake Bay. Today, the dozen wooden vessels left are at extreme risk. In 1999, a task force was appointed by Maryland's governo r to address some of the issues threatening the fleet: the need for funding to maintai n the vessels, affordable insurance, land use measures that support the maritime industry, and alternative but compatible uses for the commercial vessels, including educational programs to teach traditional Bay-craft trades and linking skip jacks to state tourism.

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum actively supports the remaining skip jacks and works to bring their cause to local and national attention. Last year, with the assistance of local and state funding, they established the Skipjack Restoration Project, training ap prentices to resco re the dwindling fleet. (NTHP , 1785 MassachusettsAve., NW, Washington D C 20036; 1 800 315-NTHP; web site: www. national trust. org/ 11 most; CBMM, Mill Street, PO Box 636, Sr. Michaels MD 21663; 4 10 745-2916; web site: www.cb mm .org)

SEA HISTORY l 02, AUTUMN 2002

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SHIP NOTES, SEAPORT & MUSEUM NEWS (Continued ftom page 36) Boulevard & Walnut Srreer, Philadelphia PA 19106-3 199; 215 925-5439; web sire: www.phil lysea pon.o rg/ hi srorics hi ps/ hisroricshipzon eupdare.hrml) ... Hospiraliry giant Delaware North Companies acquired rhree of the vessels formally owned

by American C lassic Voyages. The Delta Queen, Mississippi Queen andAmerican Queen will continue to carry passengers under rhe D elta Queen Sreamboar Company name on the inl and waterways. The fourth vessel, Columbian Queen, has been purchased by America West Sreamboar Company. (DQSC, 30 Robin Street Wharf, New Orleans LA 701 30-1890 ; 504 5860631; web site: www.deltaqueen.com) ...

The River Heritage Museum in Paducah, Kenrucky, was awarded a $25 0,000 Save America's Treasures grant from the National Park Service and a $35 0,000 TEA2 1 grant from the commonwealth of Kentucky to build interactive exhibits about the natural environment, cultural history and the maritime industry's impact and role in modern Amer ican commerce.

(RHM, 11 7 Sourh Water Street, Paducah KY 42 001 ; 270 575-9958; e-mai l: rhm@apex. n et) ... The Rhode Island Marine Archeology Project has discovered vand alism on a shipwreck that may be the Endeavour, the ship that went aro und rhe world with Capt. James Cook. The vessel is one of at least thirteen British

transports sunk off Newport in 1778. T he vandals exposed part of the wreck, piled up ballast stones, and broke off pan of rhe planking. T h ere is no way to know how many artifacts mighr have been raken.

(RIMAP, PO Box 1492, Newport RI 02840; web sire: www.rimap.org) ... The gun turret of USS Monitor has been raised from the vessel's resring place off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, recovered this season through rhe program between

Rejuvenation for the Historic Fleet in San D iego This is a red-letter yea r for the fl eet of histo ric ships at the San Diego Maritime Museum.

Two of the vessels were put in the water again, another will be hauled out for restoration, and a new vessel has joined rhe fleet.

San Diego's first enclosed auxiliary pilot boat, built in 1914, saw 82 years of service escorting vessels into and out of San Diego.

The histo ric Pilot is back in the water afrer a rhree-year, $300 ,000 restoration and wi ll sail local waters on educational voyages while maintaining her active pilot-boat status.

In honor of the centennial of the 38-foot The Pilot escorts the ship Desaix. (SDMM) gaff sloop Butcher Boy, she was put in the water after spending thirry yea rs in storage at the museum . San Diego's oldest locally builr boar, Butcher Boy rushed mear, produce and newspapers to steamers and windjammers anchored off rhe Coronado Roads and later competed in the 1905 Lipton Cup. Anorher centenarian, rhe sream ferryboar Berkeley of 1898, is sched uled fo r haul-out in January 2003. T he drydocking plan got rhe green lighr afrer rhe lasr piece of funding fell into place. The vessel is scheduled for haul-out in January 2003 in San Diego. The 280-foot, 1,883ton ferryboat's 18,000-plus square feet of sreel hull will be sandblasted and treated with a cutting edge epoxy ceramic corrosion controlling coating that will leave her hull as good as new.

The restored Pilot sails San Diego And, finally, new to the fleet is the sail training waters again. (Tom Keck) schooner Californian, rhe official tall ship of rhe state of California. The recreation of an 1847 revenue cutter has been transferred from rhe Na urical H eritage Society thanks to a gift from a local fami ly foundation. Built in 1984, she will broaden the abiliry of the San Diego Maririme Museum to reach rhe full scope oflocal maritime history and to get yo ung people out on the bay. (San Diego Maritime Museum, 1492 North H arbor Drive, San Diego CA 92 101 ; 619 234-9153; web sire: www.sdmaritime.org) Butcher Boy celebrates her centennial. (SDMM) 38

The gun turret o/USS Monitor emergesftom the deep. (The Mariners' Museum) The Mariners' Museum, rhe US Navy, and rhe Narional Oceanic and Atmospheric Admi nistration. The rurrer, alongwi rh 400 orher artifacts, is being co nserved and displayed by T h e Mariners' M useum, the future home of the USS Mo nitor Center.

(TMM, 100 Museum Drive, Newport News VA 23606 ; 800 581-7245; web site: www.mariner.org and www.moniror .noaa.gov) ... A ship in the Florida Keys National Marine Sancruary has been identified as the steamer Queen ofNassau (ex Canadian Coast G uard Ship Canada). Built in England in 1904 as a small cruiser for the Canadian Fish eries Protection Service, Canada became the first training ship for the Royal Canadian Navy and served as a navy patrol vessel in World War I before being sold for service as an inter-island passenger steamer. She sank on her way to an inspection. (Association ofU ndeiwarer Explorers web sire: www.mikey. net. aue; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration web site: www.sanctuaries .nos.noaa.gov) ... The American Folklife Center ar rhe Library of Congress is collecting oral histories as well as documents relating ro the m en and wo men who served in World W:ars I and II, the Korean War, and the Viettnam and Persian G ulf conflicts as parroJfrhe Veterans History Project created by Co ngress. Materials for volunteers who cam conducr or give interviews SEA HIS1TORY 102, AUTUMN 2002

are available from the American Folk.life Center. (VHP, AFC, LoC, 101 IndependenceAvenue, SE, Washington DC 205404615; 202 707-49 16; e-mail: vohp@loc .gov; web site: www.loc.gov/folklife/vets) ... All issues of The Mariner's Mirror, published by the Society for Nautical Research in Britain, have been produced on CD-ROM (cost£129), providing a searchable archive of more than 45, 000 pages of maritime history, 11 ,000 articles and 2,000 illustrations. (Chatham Publishing, Freepost 38, LON 6756, London WlE 5DR, UK; or61 Frith Street, London WlD 3JL, UK; 011 44 (20) 7434 4242; e-mail: emma@duckworth-publishers.co. uk) ...

A portion of the proceedings of the Sixth Maritime Heritage Conference, held 2528 October 2001 in North Carolina, can be accessed online at www.banleshipnc .com/6mhc .... Mystic Seaport's program "Westward by Sea: A Maritime Perspective on American Expansion, 1820-1890" has been added to the American Memory project at the Library of Congress and can be accessed at memory.lac.gov /ammem/award99/mymhihtml/mymhi home. html. ... The Historical Collections of the Great Lakes at Bowling Green State University received a grant from the Ohio Coas tal Management Program for the development of "Ohio Maritime History: Ports and People of Lake Erie, 18801980" leading to the creation of a database of maritime personnel and an image database of major Lake Erie ports. (HCGL, BGSU, Jerome Library, 6th Floor, Bowling Green OH 43403; 4 19 372-9612; web site: www. bgsu.edu/ colleges/library/hcgl) ... Ken Black, founder of the Shore Village Museum, and Tim Harrison of the American Lighthouse Foundation are working on a publication about US lightships and are looking for photographs of crew who served on lightships and photos and memories of life on lightships. (ALF, PO Box 889, Wells ME 04090; 207 646-0245; web site: www.lighthousefoundation.org).

Full information on these and other stories is in Sea History Gazette, Spring and Summer 2002. Tosubscribe,send$18. 75 (+$10 for foreign postage) to NMHS, PO Box 68, Peekskill NY 10566. For credit card orders, call I 800 221-NMHS (6647), xO, or sign up online at www.seahistory.org. ,t ,t ,t

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SHIP NOTES, SEAPORT & MUSEUM NEWS

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40

CALENDAR Festivals, Events, Lectures, Etc. •Maritime M useum of Monterey: 21 September-26 O cto ber 2002, Celebration of the Museum 's lOrh Anniversary ar th e Seamon Cenrer (The Sranron Cenrer, 5 Cusrom House Plaza, Monrerey CA 93940; 831 371-2608 ; web si re: www.mmmh.org/maritime.htm) • Noble Maritime Collection: 16 November 2002, Noble Auction 2002 (1000 Richmond T errace, Staten Island NY 10301 ; 7 18 447-6490; web si re: www.noblemaritime.org) - • San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park: 14 D ece mber 2002, Christmas at Sea and Old-Time Maritime Chrisrmas (Building E, Fort Mason Cemer, San Francisco CA 94 123; 415 561-6662; web sire: www.maritim e.o rg)

Broadway, 4th Floor, New Yo rk NY 1001 23946; 212 966-1933; web site: www.edwa rd ca rrergalle ry. co m) • T he Mariners' M useum: 4 May-31 D ecember 2002, "Ca prive Passage: T he Transarlamic Slave Trade and rhe Making of rhe Americas" (100 Museum Dri ve, Newport News VA 23606-3759; 800 581-7245; web sire: www.marin er.org) • T he Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport: 21 Seprem ber-3 Nove mber 2002, 23rd Annual Mysric I nrern arion al (47 G reenm an vilie Avenue, PO Box 6000, Mystic CT 06355; 860 572-5388 ; web sire: www.mysricseapo rr .org/gallery) • National M aritime M useum, London: 28 Jun e 2002-27 April 2003: "Oceans of Discovery'': Sciemific ex plorarion abo ve and beConferences nea th rh e waves (G ree nwi ch, London SElO • Bowditch Initiative: 8-10Novem ber2002, 9NF, U K; web sire: www.nmm.ac.uk) "Nathan iel Bowditch: The An and Science of • Naval U ndersea M useum: through 2002, Navigation , 1802-2002" (Dr. Dane Mor- "The Briny D ee p Discove red: Woods Hole rison, Chair, Departmenr of Hisrory, Salem O cea no grap hic Equipmem" (6 10 Dowell State College, 352 Lafayette Srreet, Salem Street, Keyport WA 98345; 360 396-4148; MA 019 70; 978 542-7134; e- mail: <lane web sire: nu m.kpr.n uwc.navy.m il) .morrison@salemstare.edu; web sire: www • New Bedford Whaling Museum: from 21 Jun e 2002, "From Seven Co m in enrs an d .nathanielbowdirch.org) • International Conference on Maritime Seven Seas," "Durch Whali ng in rhe Golden Heritage: 24-26 M arch 2003, in Malra (Co n- Age, " "British Paintings and Scrimshaw, " ference Secrerariar, Maritime H eritage 2003, "H eroes in the Ships" (18 Johnny Cake Hi ll, Wessex Insrirure of Technology, Ashurst New Bedford MA 02740-6398; 508 9970046; web sire: whalingmuseum .org) Lodge, Ashurst, Sourhampton, S040 7AA, UK; 44 238 029 3223; fax: 44 238 029 2853; • Portlan d Harbor Museum at Spring web sire: www.wessex .ac. uk/ co nferences/ Point: through Novem ber 2002, "What Ship Is This? Three Hundred Years of Ships in 2003/herirage03/) • National Maritime Museum, London: 15 Portl and Harbor" (Fort Road, South PorrFebruary 2003, Seco nd Symposium on Shi p- lan d ME 04106; 207 799-633 7; web sire: building on the Thames and Thames-Built www. portlandh arbormuseum .org) Ships (G reenwich, London, SE lO 9NF, UK; • T he Royal Navy Submarine Museum: 5 web sire: www. nmm. ac.uk) Ocrober 2002-2 Jan uary 2003, "A Golden • National Museum of the Pacifc War: 28- Jubilee": A phorographicex hibirion of Queen 29 Ocrober 2002, Symposium on "The Com- Eli zabeth II's association wirh rh e Royal Navy manders: A Study of Leadership in the Paand rh e Commonwealrh Navies (Haslar Jerry cific" (340 East Main Sn eer, PO Box 777, Road, Gosport, Hampshire P012 2AS, UK; Fredericksburg TX 78624; 830 997-4379; 011 44 (23) 9252 92 17; web sire: www web site: www.nimitz- muse um.org) .rnsubmus.co .uk) • Society for Historical Archaeology and • San Diego M aritime M useum: 4 N ovemthe Advisory Council on Underwater Arber 2001 - January 2003, "Treasures of me chaeology: 14- 19 Jan uary 2003, 2003 Con- _ Manila Galleons" (1492 North Harbor Drive, fer ence, "Trade and Indust riali za tion " in San Diego CA 9210 1; 6 19 234-9153; web Providence RI (Raymond D. Pasquari ello, sire: www.sdmaritime.org) Program Chair, The Public Archaeology Labo• South Street Seaport Museum: from 25 rato ry, Inc. , 210 LonsdaleAvenue, Pawwcker April 2002 , "Monarchs of the Sea: O cean RI 02860; 40 1 728-878 0; fax: 401 728-8784; Lin er Models and Memo rabilia" (207 From Street, New York NY 10038; 2 12 748-8600; e-mail: rpasquariello@palinc.com; web site: web sire: www.so urhsrseapo rt.org) www.sha.org) • T exas M aritime Museum: from May 2002, E xhibits "Life of rhe Modern Sailor, 1900-2000" ( 1202 • Edward Carter Gallery: 14 November-7 Navigation C ircle, Rockport TX 78382; 36 1 December 2002, "T he Golden Age of Sail Is 729- 127 1; web sire: www.rexasmaririme muse um.o rg) Now"-Phorograp hs by Michael Kahn (560

SEA HISTORY I 02, AUT UMN 2002

AMERICAN MERCHANT MARINE MUSEUM NEWS Linda Fasbach, executive director of the American Merchant Marine Museum, retired in July. She served on the staff for seven years, four of them as executive director. During her tenure, Linda made many friends for the Museum and sh e will be greatly missed. Her replacement, Dennis Fan ucchi, reported aboard the first of August. He comes from British Columbia and is an admiralty attorney. Mr. Fanucchi's daughter graduated from the US Merchant Marine Academy in 1994.

NEW GALLERIES COMPLETED: The Museum 's four new galleries, under construction for almost two years, were completed in August! The larger gallery will house the National Maritime Hall of Fame, giving it a proper home for the first time since it was established in 1982. The other three galleries-called The Sperry Navigation Wingwill house the Museum's world-class collectio n of nautical instruments. Although construction is complete, it will be several months before the exhibits are put in place and the new wing is opened.

HALL OF FAME NOM INEES: T h e following famous ships and distinguished people are nominees for possible induction this year into the National Maritime Hall of Fame: People: CAPTAIN ROBERT R. RANDALL (1 750- 1801), founderofSai lo rs' Snug Harbor "for the purpose of maintai ning and supporting aged, decrepit and worn-out sailors"; JAMES A. FARRELL (1863-1943), industrialist and CEO of US Steel who founded both Isthmian Lines and Farrell Lines; CAPTAIN SAMUEL SAMUELS (18231908), noted 19th-century sea captain.

Ships: FLYING CLOUD (l85 l), famous clipper ship and holder of a number of world records; MONTEREY(l93l), Matson Lines passenger liner with heroic service as a troop ship during World War lI;jOHN W BROWN and J EREMIAH O'BRIEN, the last remaining Liberty ships.

The final selection is made by a national committee of distinguished maritime scholars. The winners will be announced at a luncheon to be held on Saturday, 18 January 2003 in Melville Hall at the US Merchant Marine Academy.

CAPT. CHARLES M. RENICK

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41

IEWS Lusitania: An Epic Tragedy, by Diana Presto n (Walker & Co., New York NY, 2002, 544pp, illus, notes, appen, biblio, index, ISBN 0-8027-1375-0; $28hc) The Lusitania has haunted people's imaginations since the day the crack ocean liner was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-20 off the coast oflreland. Some 1200 lives were lost as the 30,000-ton ship sank in eighteen minutes on that balmy morning of 7 May 1915, including 100 neutral Americans. The liner historian John MaxtoneGraham has opined that the sinkin g did more than the loss of the Titanic three years earlier to mark the end of the 19th-century era of certain ty about continual progress in human affairs.

T he author takes a truly oceanic view of the incident, both in space and time, and thereby fully engaged the interest of this reader. She paints in the background of the leaders involved in what W inston C hurch ill was to call the World Crisis, with deft portraits of Kaiser Wilhelm , President Woodrow Wilson and others. We also fo llow the development of the submarine from the American Turtfeofl 776 onward and explore the ocean liner, largest moving object on earth, a world in itself, from immigrants in steerage to the downsrairs society of servants and the upstairs society of wealthy passengers.

At the time, the sinking of the Lusitania moved American sentiment toward war with Germany, which came less than a year later. Since then the event has attracted its share of debunkers of German brutality (the ship was a legitimate targetof war) and conspiracy theorists (Churchill exposed the ship to get the US into the war).

So Preston has her wo rk cut out to disinter the truth of the sinking, so far as it can be determined, from incrusted myth and distorting accretions of widely believed misinformation-a tas k ve ry like getting down to the true metal in treating a statue recovered from the ocean depths.

She is aided by Bob Ballard 's underwater exp loration of the wreck and other technical studies.

H er verdict on the first myth, that the ship was a legitimate target of war, is firm: by the standards of the day the Lusitania was not fair game. The author has done everything to verify the cargo carried, know42

ing that cargo manifests can be faked. There we re no guns or war materials aboard, unless one co unts a number of military passengers traveling with the civilians in peacetime luxury. But she adds the significant proviso that by today's standards, the ship was indeed a war target, both for her actual economic value as a money earner and her potential val ue as a merchant cruiser or troop transport. And the German embassy had published a wa rning that the vessel was subject to attack.

Reading Preston 's engaging and detailed account of the passengers and the ways of life they pursued, one is struck by the fantasy-island atmosphere on a ship steaming through a declared war zone. That goes for Cap tain Turn er as well , who reduced speed and closed with a headland to ch eck his pos ition- measures virtually invi ting attack if a sub were present.

On the question of C hurchill's co mplicity, Preston finds no evidence to indicate his involve ment with the ship and everything to indicate his noninvolvement, including the fac t that he was in the greatest political cris is of his life in the Dardanelles fiasco. But the Adm iralty, under C hurchill as First Lord, was lax in not taking precaurions to ass ure the safety of a luxury liner steaming through a war zone.

Presto n concludes that a verdict of murder or manslaughter isn't justified, but "a claim of contributory negligence certainly is."

Preston 's fine bur firm touch with fac ts in dispute make her histo ty -writing a fascinating quest for truth. T he heart of her book, however, lies in her acco unt of the people aboard the Lusitania on that spring day, both survivors and deceased. The author was so taken up in this quest that she was kept awake at ni ght by haunting photographs and went to Queenstown in May to feel the water that snuffed our so many lives. The wo rk is strong in its humanity, with never a false note struck.

PETER STANFORD,

offered a useful reality check. In A Frigate ofKing George, he ably describes life aboard the British frigate HMS Doris from 1807 to 1829, the year she was sold and broken up . The bulk of the book is devo ted to Doris's cruise on the So uth America n station from 182 1 to 1825, a period when the revolt of Spain 's American colonies faced the Royal Navy with significant diplomatic as well as military challenges.

Doris was built not in England but at Bombay, India, of teak, a wood suited to service in tro pi cal waters. Othe1w ise, she was a standard 36-gun frigate. Though she hunted USS Essex during the War of 18 12, she never caught her, and ended her career without any of the dramatic single-ship anions that supply the stuff of good fiction.

But the bookis not about Doris so much as the men wh o sailed her. H ere, Doris offers us much, precisely because her undramatic career was typical of Royal Navy frigates. Life at sea followed its unending routine; hands were flo gged, though in reali ty not very often; and like most ships, Doris spent m o re time in port than challenging wind and weather.

An interestin g subtext of the book is the evolution of the Royal Navy officer corps from patro nage to profess ionalism. Whi le "interest" remained vital to an officer's career, connections could no t substitute for competen ce. And, as Doris's complement of Admiral ty midshipmen attested, the navy's senior leadership was dri ving the transformation.

Vale's val uabl e and very readable book offers support for the enormously important revisionism of N . A. M. Rodger, who has put a dent in if not an end to the popular and false image of Royal Navy warships as floating H ells. By the standards of her time, life on Doris was usually pretty good, co mpared either to the merchant service or the dark Satanic mills. Applying any other standard is not histo ry, but cant.

WILLIAM S. LIN D Washingto n D C

Editor at Large

A Frigate of King George: Life and Duty on a British Man-of-War, by Brian Vale (I. B. Tauris, New York NY, 200 1, 204pp, illus, appen, biblio, index, !SB 1-86064654-9; $35 hc) With interest in Napoleonic naval novels ever o n the in crease, Brian Vale has

Nelson in the Caribbean: The Hero Emerges, 1784-1787, by Joseph F. Callo (Naval Institute Press, Annapolis MD , 2002, 256pp, illus, maps, notes, biblio, index, ISBN 1-55 75 0-206-4; $34.95hc) T his engrossing study sets the seemingly uneventful years of N elson's first squadron comma nd, in the Caribbean in SEA HISTORY 102, AUTUMN 2002

the years immediately after the American Revolution in the broad context of his earlier and later career- in which, as Admiral Callo, who is an advisor to NMHS, has pointed out in earlier works o n Nelson, this British naval hero "changed history from the decks of his ships. " In a style we have come to expect from Callo's pen, the events of these brief years of Nelson's Caribbean command are set in the context of the Royal Navy's dominance at sea and the burgeoning economic and industrial might ofBritain riding the first wave of the industrial revolution , born of British enterpri se and industry. He is a small cog in a mighty world engine.

Leading his small squadron in the 28gun frigate Boreas, Nelson imm edia tely set to work to wipe out the illicit trade of Britain's West Indian colonies with the American repub lic to the north. Th is trade, which violated Britain's restri ctive Navigation Laws, was actually essential to the island plantations, both for vital American supplies and access to the rich American market. Nelson's laser-like focus on his duty to uphold existing law, however unreaso nable, was to prove nearly fatal to his career, sin ce he was sent ashore on half-pay when his three-year tour was done, due to th e enem ies he'd made.

Another thing happened to Nelson: he got married. H is new wife wi ll not sail back to England in Nelson's fri gate, de m anding separate transport; once in England she finds smoky London intolerable. Callo reco unts Nelson's previous loves, including o ne in his previous station, in Canada, he was ready to quit the navy to be with. H e seems to do nothing by halves. Th is time he chooses more soberly but, it seems, not very happily, leaving this impetuous, passionate man wide open for Lady Hamilton when she comes along later, in the Mediterranean.

Callo helps us see Nelson wholly, and to find in th e man the emerging characteristics that made Nelson the world's most fa mous admiral. A useful chrono logy helps one fo llow the author's trail as h e tells us how those traits played out in historymaking this study of deep human val ue as well as naval interest.

PS The Nelson Touch: The Life and Legend of Horatio Nelson, by Terry Coleman (Oxford University Press, Oxford UK and New

SEA HISTORY 102, AUTUMN 2002

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REVIEWS York NY, 2002, 424pp, illus, appen, notes, biblio, index, ISBN 0-1 9-5 1474 1-3; $35hc) This carefully researched book fills in many details of Nelso n's flawed life, but hardly lives up to its tide. T he N elson touch, well-recognized in his life time, which gave Britain's Royal Navy the needed edge to overth row Napoleon's despotic empire, is to be fo und in N elso n's soa ring devotion to dury, his imagination and abiliry to inspire men beyond their norm, and his sincere love ofB ri tish freedom. Don't look fo r much app reciation of these quali ties here.

For one example, the auth or's acco unt of Nelson 's victory at the N ile gives terse credit to the "bold things in this attack which few other co mmand ers wo uld have dared," but then suggests that the risk of N elson's ships running agro und on the shoals of Aboukir Bay migh t have cost him the bat tl e, co nve ni entl y neglecting to n ote th at Foley in Goliath, the lead ship, had accurate charts. Just one ship ra n agro und.

Nelson, Foley and the rest of his captai ns knew what they we re doing-this was no gambler's ro ll of the dice. Coleman continues with a length y refuta tion of the no tion that Nelso n ordered Foley to envelop the French va n, cred iti ng this decisive step to Foley alo ne. But Foley, who adored N elson, kn ew N elson wo uld support him!

T his was the Nelso n to uch in action, which the author utterly misses . N elso n met frequently with his captains in open discuss io n, more often than any other admiral of his day. T hey knew that N elson co unted on their using their God-given wits, courage and initiative.

We see little of this challenging, open, genero us spirit that was at the heart of the N elson touch in this dour and carping presentation. As revisionist history, this wo rk may have its value in correcting an overenthusias tic view of a popular hero .

But calling this book The Nelson Touch is a PS case of deceptive packaging.

A Short History of the Civil War at Sea,

by Spencer C. T ucker (Scholarly Resources, W ilmington D E, 2002, 192pp, illus, biblio, index, ISBN 0-8420-2867-6; $60hc; ISBN 0-8420-2868-4; $ 17 .95pb) While scores of books can be found on nearly every single land engagement of the American C ivil W ar, little attenti on has been foc used on the naval and maritime as pects of the conflagration . Part of "The

44

American Crisis" series, this book picks up after the fi ring on Fort Sumter and includes derails on the creation of the U nion blockade, the first clas h of ironclads, the capture of New O rleans, th e siege of C harleston, commerce raid ing, coastal operations, and the fi nal seizure ofFort Fisher.

T ucker asserts that the U nion Navy was an integral component of the federal warfighting machine. Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles's plans fo r the blockade, projecting land forces ashore, preventi ng fo reign intervention, and protecting trade were crucial to the cause of the US . Conversely, the author is cri tical of the strategy devised by Confederate Secretary of the Navy Stephen Mallory, which focused on iro nclad construction and commerce raiding.

Too much of this book is taken up by technical specifi cati ons of sh ips instead of analysis. Fo r professional hi sro ri ans, the in frequen t use of foo tnotes and the selected bibl iography is a shortco ming. And it is to be hoped that the crucial river operations wi ll be addressed in a subsequen t volume. However, the general reader will fin d this an excellent work and the handsome ill ustrations, maps, and diagrams accentuate the understan ding of the litdeaddressed co nfl ict at sea.

SALVATORE R. MERCOGLIANO Buies Creek, No rth Carolina The Tsar' s Last Armada: The Epic Voyage to the Battle of Tsushima, by Constantin e Pleshakov (Basic Books, Perseus Boo ks Gro up, New York NY, 2002, 396pp, illus, maps, notes, biblio, ISBN 0465-0579 1-8; $30hc) In th e last years of the 19th centu ry and the first of the 20th, two naval battles determined th e course of history in the Pacifi c for the next half-centu ry. In 1898, Admi ral Dewey defeated the Spanish in Man ila Bay, acquired the Philippines, and made the U ni ted States a Pacific power. In 1905, Admi ral Togo engaged a Russian armada that had sailed halfway aro und the wo rld. T heensuingBatdeofTsushima, the fi rst defeat of a European navy by an Asian one, made Japa n a Pacific power. America and Japan were on a collision course.

Here is a fasci nating, though flawed, acco unt ofTs ushima and the voyage that preceded it, raid fro m a Russian perspectiveoften misundersrood in Ameri ca. Little has appeared in English since Richard

H ough's The Fleet That HadtoDie(l958).

Pleshakov's descriptio n of the personalities, history, and culture of th e Russian navy will contain info rmation new to many English-language readers.

T hose familiar with seafaring, however, may be put off by the lubberly language: "merchan t boat" fo r merchant ship; "priva tes" fo r sail ors or seamen; and "ironclad " for the steel-hull ed wa rships of 1905.

And there are disconcerting sim plifications: T hough she employed spies, the Bri tish Secret Service did not begin with Eliza beth I and radio, in 1905, transmitted d irs and dahs on continuous wave, hardly "reassuring talk in German. " T he author's attention to rhe faili ngs of Russian royals seems tangential to the naval story.

Yer rhe core story is com pelling. Ir is hard not to concl ude, as officers and crews did, that th e Russ ian armada was doomed before it departed, do minated by the moral fo rce of a confident and competent Ja pan.

T he campaign's grim conclusion warranted the dark Russ ian wo rld view.

Japanese eve nts are covered in E nglish in Stephen H owartl1 's Fighting Ships ofthe Rising Sun: The Drama of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1895-1945 and David C. Evans' Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology in the I mperialJapanese Navy, 18871941. U ntil a defi nitive acco unt of the Tsushima campaign using Japanese as well as Russian so urces appears, readers will fi nd Plesh akov a good place to start.

JOSEPH F. MEANY, JR. An napolis, Maryland Over Seas: US Army Maritime Operations, 1898 Through the Fall of the Philippines, by C harles D ana G ibso n with E. Kay G ibson (Ensign Press, Camden ME, 2002, 474pp, illus, appen, biblio, index, ISBN 0-9608996-6-9; $49.95 hc) Having published fo ur p revious wo rks on United States Army maritime operations during the 18th and 19th centuries, C harles Dana G ibson, with the assistance of his wife Kay, rook on the challenge of compiling a 20th-century hisrory on this topic, selecting America's capture and loss of the Philippines to bracket the narrative.

America's fo ray into imperialism posed immense ch allenges to army leaders who had to swsrain garrisons located on the fa r side of th<e Pacific. T he authors document the genessis of the Army Transportation SEA H-IISTORY 102, AUTUMN 2002

Service in 1898 with the Army Quartermaster's difficulties in chartering hulls co carry troops to C uba and the Philippines.

Delays caused by reconfiguring the chartered vessels led army leaders to set up an internally-ope rated uansport fle er. As early as the Seminole Wars, the navy was happy to pass off the troop and suppl y transport mission to the army. Eventually, however, rhe US Navy's Mi litary Sea Transport Service (today's Military Sealift Comma nd) took over th e mission in 1950.

This book is invaluable as a refere nce tool. T here are rwenty appe ndi ces covering myriad topics in addition to numero us tables, vessel lists, charts, and photogra phs in the narrative section.

D AVID F. WINKLER, PHD Naval Historical Foundation Washington, D C Warrior Queens: The Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth in World War II, by Daniel Allen Butler (S tackpol e Books, M echanicsburg PA, 2002, 224pp, illus, sources, appen, index, ISBN 0-8 11 7- 16457; $26 .95hc) Running the Gauntlet: How Three Giant Liners Carried a Million Men to War, 1942-1945, by Alister Satchell (Naval Institute Press, Annapolis MD , 200 l , 256pp, illus, biblio, index, ISBN 1-5575 0974-3; $39.95hc) Dani el Butler's well-researched , lively acco unt of the rwo British liners th at each carri ed a division ar a time (15 ,000+ m en) to liberate occupied Europe in World War II gives an authoritative view of how AngloAmerican cooperation achieved this fear.

A uth enti c anecdotes supplemented by rwenty photographs give a human face to this vital achievement, conveyed with a stron g narrati ve flow.

Alister Satchell volunteered for the Royal Australian Navy in 1940 when the German army broke loose to overrun F ranee and the Low Co untries . H e found himself ass ign ed as a cip her clerk to rhe venerable fourstacke r Aquitania-the on ly one of the lin ers to serve as transport in both wo rld wars. Markedly slower than the supership Queens, she ran with them to rush troops to threatened sectors in the Atlantic and P acific. Such liners as the Ile de France and Nieuw Amsterdam also did vital service in these runs while their homes were overrun .

Satchell catches harrowing trips at sea, SEA HISTORY I 02, AUTUMN 2002

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velopes: $13.95 (or $ 12.55 for NMHS members). All orders I add $4.00 s& h. (N YS residents add applicable sales tax.)

I Send check or money order to I NMHS, PO Box 68, Peekskill NY 10566

Or phone in your credit card order to 1800 221-NMHS (6647)

-seaside Inns Harborlight Guest House. Secluded waterfront inn , central NC coast. Features jacuzzis, fireplaces, stunning water views, gourmet breakfast in suite or deckside. Su ite photos and rates at Website: www.harborlightguesthousenc.com Tel: 1-800-624 VIEW (8439) NO lffll CARO LI NA

Old Yacht Club Inn. One block from famous East Beach, experience tum of the centu1y charm. The Inn has been lovingly restored and is furnished throughout with period pieces, class ic European & Early American antiques. www.oldyachtclubinn.com info @oldyachtclubinn.com CALIFOR NIA

To Adve rtise in Seaside Inn s

914-737-7878 Ext. 235 a dvertising @seahistory.org

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45

REVIEWS

One of Maritime History's most Famous Unsolved Mysteries

GHOST SHIP OF DIAMOND SHOALS The Mystery of the Carroll A. Deering

Bland Simpson A compelling nonfiction novel.

"There have been differing reports of [the shipwreck] ... ever since the five-masted schooner was discovered aground and abandoned on Diamond Shoals in 1921.

Bland Simpson has merged those accounts with additional in-depth research, to present in detail the fascinating story of the ghost ship of Diamond Shoals."-David Stick, author of Graveyard of the Atlantic

"A spanking good yarn."

-Janet Lembke, author of River Time 256 pp., 38 illus., $24.95 cloth THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLI NA PRESS at bookstores or 800-848-6224 w ww .uncpress .unc.edu

46

nights ashore in thriving New York and the bombed-our seaports of Britain, and the camaraderie rhar binds men whose community co uld be wiped our in minutes.

More vulnerable than rhe Queens , rheAquitania survived the war, as, formnarely for us, did Satchell, to rel! the ship's story. PS Twelve Men Down: Massachusetts Sea Rescues, by Robert H . Farson (Cape Cod Historical Publications , PO Box 281 , Yarmouth MA 02675, 2000, 246pp, illus; $36hc +$3s&h) Today's Coast G uard uses long-range aircraft, sophisticated helicopters and virtually indestructible rescue boars to reach those in peril at sea. Yer their success srill depends on the bravery of those who risk their lives to save others. A hundred years ago this same kind of men threw themselves against rhe worst the North Atlantic had to offer in small wooden boars propelled only by muscle and oar and a shared understanding that no matte r how horrendous conditions were, when a distress signal was sighted, "you just have to go."

Twelve Men Down draws its ride from a tragedy in March of 1902 during which seven members of rhe US Life-Saving Service lost their lives along with rhe five men rheywere attempting to rescue in the treacherous waters so uth of Cape Cod. Farson begins by laying our rhe history of life saving in New England and its progression from the Massachusetts Humane Society to the US Life-Saving Service, which eventually became part of the US Coast Guard.

He then recounts some of the most dramatic rescues ever conducted. The author's dry writing style, however, and choppy flow take some getting used to.

Despite shortcomings, Farson' s research and the stories themselves make the effort worthwhile. By rhe way, this book is one yo u'll want to read on dry land, or at least safely at anchor in a well protected harbor!

JERRY ROBERTS Intrepid Museum New York, New York Treasured Islands: Cruising the South Seas with Robert Louis Stevenson, by Lowell D. Holmes (Sheridan House, Dobbs Ferry NY, 2001, 304pp, illus, biblio, index, ISBN 1-57409-130- 1; $29.95hc) This book describes the final years of the famous author of Treasu re Island and

beloved poet of childhood invalids. Ir recounts th e South Pacific voyages by Stevenson, his wife Fanny, his mother Maggie, Fanny's son Lloyd , and various servants, relatives and hangers-on from 1888 onward. If the tales told by Professor Holmes were nor so carefully researched, drawing on his knowledge of South Seas anthropology and taken largely from the diaries and letters of rhe Stevenson family, they wo uld be preposterous.

Despite (or maybe because of) rhe derail that sometimes burdens the author's prose, th e book has tro uble conveying what must h ave been an extraordinary scene: the 38-yea r-o ld world-renowned author; his wife, ten years his senior, who, desp ite the author's restraint, can best be compared to Lucy van Pelt; his mother, the best ab le to endure the morion sickness rhar afflicted them all , only ten years older than her daughter-in-law; and his stepson, Lloyd, an asp iring writer himself-all crammed into the right quarters of the three vessels: rhe 93-foor schooner/yacht Casco; rhe smaller schooner-rigged Equator (still with us, in her form as a rug, awaiting resto ration in Washington Stare); and the sooty, 184-foor steam- and sai l-powe red island trader Janet Nico!L. Stevenson was frail and ill all his life.

The belief rhar he was a consumptive is challe nged by Holmes, who builds the case that he had bronchiectasis, brought on by childhood bronchitis and whooping cough.

This explains why the climate of the South Sea islands was so beneficial to Stevenson 's health , and why none of the people who lived with him contracted tuberculosis.

Stevenson fell in love with the islands he visited in the Marquesas, rhe Society Islands, rhe Tuamotus, Hawaii and, finall y, Samoa, where he built the house, Vailima, now a museum, where he died at age 44 .

He is buried at the top of the mountain that rises above the house; his grave is a place of pilgrimage for people from all over the world , but in particular for the Samoans, who adopted him as he adopted them .

WALTER]. HANDELMAN White Plains, New York Historical Atlas of Empires, by Karen Farringron (Checkmark Books, New York NY, 2002, l 92pp, illus, index, ISBN 08160-4788-X; $35 hc) In this middle-s ized work tracing the

SEA HISTORY I02, AUTUMN 2002

rise and fall of rhe empires rhar have dominared human history, excell enr graphics make clear such marrers as rhe pressure of rhe Huns, which drove rhe Germanic rribes wesrward to overrun rhe Roman Empire.

T he historical commenrary, while clear and concise, leaves one wondering a bir when rh e Crimean War, which rhwarred Imperial Russian aggression against Turkey, is described as "fU[ile." And referring to Nelson 's "gang of brorhers" (known to mosr of us as his "band of brorhers") is perhaps carrying anti-imperialism too fa r.

One could wish more on rhe sea-based Minoan and Arhenian empires; bur rhis PS remains a useful historical arias.

All the Men in the Sea: The Untold Story of One of the Greatest Rescues in History, by Michael Krieger (Free Press, New York NY, 2002 , 226pp, appen, ISBN 07432-2708-5; $25 pb) The aurhor has pursued adventure in rhe lives oflirrl e-known people in obscure locales, from rhe jungle rivers of New Guinea to rhe rramp sreamers rhar eke our a living in rhe world's backwarers. Here, he gives an hour-by-hour reporr on rhe loss of rhe pipe-laying barge DLB-269 in rhe G ulf of Mexico in 1995. Weger to know rhe rescuers, rhe rescued, and rhose who losr rheir lives. In rhis gripping srory of a hazardo us sea rescue, we follow men barding for rheir lives in roaring seas and seamen working wirh consummate skill and ulriPS mare co urage to save them .

HMS Hood: Pride of the Royal Navy, by Andrew No rman (S rackpole Books, Mechanicsburg PA, 200 1, illus, appen, biblio, index, ISBN 0-8 11 7-0789-X; $26.95 hc) This rerelling of the oft-rold rale of the splendid career and sad end of rhe Brirish barde cruiser in World War II is enlivened by firsrhand accounts and informed by considerable rechnical expertise.

PS Waves of Hate: Naval Atrocities of the Second World War, by Tony Bridgland (Naval Instirnre Press, Annapolis MD, 2002, 243pp, illus, index, ISBN 1-5575 0439-3; $32.95 hc) At sea, where rhe tradirion of rendering aid to rhe crews of sinking ships is deeply ingrained, man 's inhumani ty to man still proves to any doubrers rh at war is unmitigared hell. On occasion, as this grim, auSEA HISTORY 102, AUTUMN 2002

thentic narrarive makes clear, rhe helping hand is extended, only to be, in effecr, chopped off. Srill , amid rhe horrors, it is moving to see rhe efforrs often made, by Uboar caprains among others, to save the lives of enemy seamen.

PS

Just Published

NEW&NOTED

Exploding Steamboats, Senate Debates, and Technical Reports: The Convergence of Technology, Politics and Rhetoric in the Steamboat Bill of 1838, by R. John Brockmann (Baywood Publishing Co., Amityville NY, 2002, 156pp, illus, gloss, appen, index, TSBN 0-89503-266-X; $34.95) A Thread Across the Ocean: The Heroic StoryoftheTransatlanticCable, by John Sreele Gordon (Walker & Co., New York NY, 2002, 256pp, illus, nores, biblio, index, ISBN 0-8027- 1364-5; $26hc) The Unforgiving Coast: Maritime Disasters of the Pacific Northwest, by David H. Grover (Orego n State University Press, Corvallis OR, 2002, 224pp, illus, notes, biblio, index, ISBN 0-87071-54 1-0; $19.95pb) The White Flyers, Harvard and Yale: American Coastwise Travel, by George F. G runer (Associates of the National Maririme Museum Library, San Francisco CA, 2002, so urces, biblio, index, ISBN 1889901-26-1; $29.95hc) Lady in the Navy: A Personal Reminiscence, by Joy Bright H ancock (Naval Insrirnre Press, Annapolis MD, 2002, 304pp, illus, appen , index, ISBN 1-55750-388-0; $ 18.95pb) La Salle: A Perilous Odyssey from Canada to the GulfofMexico, by Donald Johnson (Cooper Square Press, New York NY, 2002, 282pp, illus, notes, appen, biblio, ISBN 08154-1240-1; $26.95hc) Joel White: Boatbuilder/Designer/ Sailor, by Bill Mayher and Maynard Bray, pho tographs by Benjamin Mendlowitz (NOAH Publicarions, Brooklin ME, 2002, 227pp, illus, I BN 0-9608964-0-6; $60hc) The World's Lighthouses from Ancient Times to 1820, by D. Alan Stevenson (Dover, Mineola NY, 2002, orig 1959, 31Opp, illus, ap pen, index, ISBN 0-4864 1824-3; $26.95 pb) Fast and Able: Life Stories of Great Gloucester Fishing Vessels, by Gordon W. Thomas (Commonwealth Editions, Beverly MA, 2002, orig 1952, 317pp, illus, index, ISBN 1-889833-41-X; $17.95pb) J,

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Robert Blake $69.95 ISBN 0-9674826-1-5

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47

NATIONAL MARITIME HISTORICAL SOCIETY AFTERGUARD

AMERI CAN M ARITIM E OFFI CERS

D AV ID S . FOWLER

J. ARON CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

TH E FURTHERMORE ... F UND

JAMES A. M ACDO NA LD FOUNDATION D AV ID M. M ILTON T RUST

BENEFACTORS

G ARVEY

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RICHARD T . DU M OU LI N

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N EW YORK STATE OFFI CE OF PARKS, R ECREATION AND HISTORI C PRESERVATIO,

CITY OF PEEKSK ILL

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PHIL PERSINGER

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BR ADFORD D . & STEPHANIE SMITH

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MRS. D. L. F LEISCHM ANN

K RISTINA JOll NSON

I N MEMORY OF WALTER L ORD

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R AYNER WEIR

ROBERT W EXLER

ROBERTS. Y OUNG

SEA HISTQ)RY 102, AUTUMN 2002

Join NMHS members and other sea-minded fellow travelers for a

Farewell Cruise on the QUEEN ELIZABETH 2

4-10 May 2003 New York/Bermuda/Newport RI/New York In May 1969 the exciting new QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 made her debut entrance into New York Harbor amid the fanfare of spectator boats and the welcoming plumes of spray from fireboats.

In May 2003 the QE2 will make her last scheduled cruise from New York to Bermuda before moving on to service out of the United Kingdom cruising from Southampton; it will be the close of an era-a third of a century of sailing to and from New York.

On Sunday, 4May 2003 , the QE2 will sail from New York on a sixnight cruise to Bermuda and Newport, Rhode Island, returning to New York on Saturday, 10 May. It will be her last cruise from New York to Bermuda, spending two days and a night in Bermuda and a day at Newport.

To celebrate this beloved ship, the National Maritime Historical Society, the Steamship Historical Society of America and other maritime societies will be aboard QE2 for this farewell cruise.

Specific events and itinerary are not yet finalized, but the bookings are already open, reservations are being taken, and this cruise will sell out fast. If you are interested in what will surely be a historymaking cruise aboard QE2 , we recommend that you book now.

For full information and to make reservations call Denise Bonnici at

PISA BROTHERS CRUISE SERVICE 45 Rockefeller Plaza, New York NY 10111 212-265-8420 • 1-800-SAY-PISA • fax: 212-265-8753 Email: denise @pisabrothers.com

By permission from a painting by Gordon Bauwens, © 2000. Quality art prints available on the QE2.

Sample rates are as follows: Mauretania upper/lower $840 pp Mauretani a twin inside $1102 pp Mauretania twin outside $1200 pp Caronia categories start at $1405 pp Princess Grill categories start at $2442 pp Queens Grill categories start at $3282 pp