This Day in Naval History - Oct. 05

1863 - Confederate steamer David seriously damages USS New Ironsides with a spar torpedo off Charleston, S.C.

1913 - OWL (Over Water Land Type), the Navy's first amphibian flying boat, is tested at Hammondsport, N.Y.

1957 - Minitrack, a satellite tracking net developed by the Naval Research Laboratory, becomes operational. This network, with stations from Maine to Chile, tracked the Vangard satellite.

For more information about naval history, visit the Naval Historical Center Web site at www.history.navy.mil.