This Day In Naval History: March 23

Posted by Eric Haun March 23, 2016

USS New Mexico (BB-40) during the early or middle 1920s (U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph)

1815 - The sloop-of-war USS Hornet captures the brig sloop HMS Penguin after a 22 minute battle, with neither ship aware the War of 1812 is over.

1882 - Secretary of the Navy William H. Hunt (Jan. 7, 1881 to April 16, 1882), creates the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) with General Order No. 292.

1917 - USS New Mexico (BB 40) is launched. She is the first dreadnought with turboelectric drive.

1944 - USS Tunny (SS 282) sinks the Japanese submarine I 42 off the Palau Islands.

1945 - USS Haggard (DD 555) is damaged when she rams and sinks Japanese submarine RO 41 in the Philippine Sea. Also on this date, USS Spadefish (SS 411) attacks Japanese Sasebo-to-Ishigaki convoy SAI-05 in the East China Sea about 120 miles north-northwest of Amami O Shima and sinks transport Doryu Maru.

1953 - During the Korean War, jet aircraft from USS Oriskany (CVA 34) stage a "lights out" program by attacking a water power site below the Fusen Reservoir, resulting in four cuts in the penstocks and damaging two buildings housing generators.

1965 - Navy Lt. Cmdr. John W. Young is a pilot on Gemini III, the first 2-manned spacecraft, that completes three orbits in four hours, 53 minutes at an altitude of 224 km. He is joined by Air Force Lt. Col. Virgil Grissom, command pilot.

(Source: Naval History and Heritage Command, Communication and Outreach Division)