Kitty Hawk (CVA 63) - Naval Cruise Book

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Mmawv 1'fx!fYqYL-7 'AX X X, INV. Mix? 'N-fs..1-J XLS, 5 'QW A it 1778: Ranger Z-I receives first official salute to new Stars and Stripes. After the Revolutionary War the fortunes of the Navy declined and by 1785 its last ship had been sold. Little remained except fighting traditions. When the new Federal Constitution went into effect in 1789, the War Department was charged with both the Army and the Navy, a burden consisting of only a few htmdred soldiers - and no ships or Marines. The absence of Naval strength soon proved disastrous because Barbary pirates began capturing our merchant ships and imprisoning their crews. In 1794 Congress authorized the building of six frigates to protect our interests. This was the be- ginning and keel of the' modern U.S. Navy under the Constitution. In 1798 the Navy Department was established and Benjamin Stoddert was ap- pointed the first Secretary of the Navy. Our small Navy was expandedg numerous Naval officers were appointed for active duty, and recruiting officers in the principal ports along the Atlantic coast put a drive on for seamen. During the War of 1812 the Navy was outnumbered 40 to 1 by Great Britain. Nevertheless early in the war it fought a series of frigate and sloop-of-war duels that resulted in astounding victories and gained a world reputation for the Navy. These .brilliant frigate victories went far to establish American sovereignty in inter- t' al ffairs and contributed much to the building of traditions in our Navy. na ion a This was an era when fighting slogans were coined. Iames' Lawrence's dying h ink d don't words uttered in the ill-fated CHESAPEAKE, Fight her 'till s e s s an give up the ship, became the battle cry of the Navy. Oliver Hazard Perry carried them to Lake Erie where he hoisted on his ship Inamed in honor of Lawrencel a fl n which was stitched the legend, Don't give up the slup. ag upo During the Battle of Lake Erie, Perry, with four-fifths of his crew dead or wcijunded, t t and his ship, the LAWRENCE, crippled, made his famous passage in an open oa o the NIAGARA. Using a surprise maneuver, he sailed the NIAGARA aggressively thr h the enem 's lines and within 15 miutes the battle was Wong an CXh1b1I.l0I1 oug y of extraordinary acumen and courage. Following his victory came Perry s famous dispatch: We have met the enemy and they are ours. The Navy began the transition from sail to steam during the period betwgeg ttge close of the War of 1812 and the begimiing of the Civil War. It also foun e e Naval Academy in 1844, progresse in navigational information and naval ordnance. d in trade abroad, and made a big breakthrough . .4 , r r RQ 'I . l. fb 2. g . - I 21 . ' 1 fi iii ??f'g,'Ji 'V A' M Q' I ...i .... - g Mt. .1 'jf 1: ab.. L - ' ' 'I ' , 1 t .f -s' a1l fg--..1-+:',55,g-. sf' 1 -fr' .C 'fi-ui!-'fa ' f A -df, jf.-A AY .,,e-......,1'1g,.a r ygaf,-iffstfqzi F fs J A 51- 1-vii-2421 13'-'SP 'fi '?+?+sifrf . ffl - 1.??i'.fi... fp - -1- 5Q1Q11::1.gg1,, si'-aff' I N .. 5 ' 5 T.+-T551--?':'f? :7:-Efivf ..,,,,,,. , V, -- f': ----....-.- ...sf p. .uh 14 gn-P , I ake 'Erie We have met as Qenemyland they are ours 1813: Commodore Perry on L

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200 YEARS OF SEAPOWER On 13 October 1775. Congress passed legislation which brought the Continental Navy into existence. Washington's Fleet of converted schooners in U18 f8ll Bild winter of 1775-70 captured some 35 ships from the British. This cargo went to sustain the C3uDBlllll Army. ' Unlike the Navy of today. the Continental Navy that fought Amerlca's war for inde- pendence was smell. weak and was further handicapped by canlng into existence only alter fighting had heltm. ln this makeshift force. two-thlrde of the ships were couvlted muchantmm. The American ships were pitiiully few compared with the hnntlnthflytligtheaisignofthekoyalltlavy. W from this was me of the Navy's greatest heroes. Iohn Paul Iones. There were rs. Among them were lohn Barry. Lambert Wickes. Gustavus Conytngham and lereniiah 0'Brtsn. lonas embodies all the attributes that a nation traditionally assign to a great leader. Of his many contributions to the Navy's great traditions, none stands out more omapkrnounly than his refusal to acknowledge defeat in the classic action between Il' ship the EDN HOMME RICHARD and the British frigate SERAPIS. BON HOMMB RICHARD was an old. converted merchant hull mounting about 40 guns. mly sbt ol which were 18-pounders. SERAPIS mounted 50 guns and was new and BUCIG' to EN HOMME RICHARD in maneuverahility. Upm Bring the first broadside, two of Iones' 18-pounders burst. causing the rest tn be lbanid. Several broadsides delivered at close range by SBRAPIS soon reduced EDN HOMME RICHARD to a critical state. Her hold was flooded: her heavy guns out of commission: half the crew had been killed or wounded: her rudder and rigging had been shot away: and fires were fast approaching the magazine. Al this point. the Captain of the SERAPIS called to lones. asking whether he had struck his colors. Though barely able to keep afloat, Iones thundered heck his famous answer. l have not yet begun to iight. Ch 14 February 1778, the value of warships just being on hand. or showing the flag to manifest national purpose and preserve the peace was demonstrated when lohn Paul lones. in the Continental frigate RANGER. sailed into Quiberon Bay, France. flying the new stars and stripes. RANGERS 13-gun salute to a French squadron. traditional honors for a major monarchy. was answered by a nine-gun reply raerved for sovereign republics. This signified France's recognition of American independence. not yet achieved.

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n- K , 'Y'-8 v is i-N,-Y We - I? K--Q, 3 Y 1 -414 T' -lt, .-,,.,..... J,j LJ '-' . -x lb - 1882: First battle between ironclad warships U.S.S. Monitor and G.S.S. Virginia. The Naval history of the Civil War vividly portrays the employment of sea forces against an enemy economically dependent on shipping. The Confederate States were a consolidated land power possessing many sea and river ports. affording access to world commerce which they vitally needed. War imports were denied them by an effective Union blockade. The spectacular Confederate achievements were accomplish- ed with sboestring resources which were soon expended. 'I'he most famous Naval battle of the war was significant as a preview of things to come. lt has been said that probably no naval conflict in the history of the world attracted so much attention as did the battle between the USS MONITOR and the CSS VIRGINIA lex-USS MERRIMACJ Fighting the first action of its kind in history, ironclads conclusively demonstrated the superiority of metal over wood. The futility of the long and furious cannonade. contrasted with the outstanding victories of the VIRGINIA over unarmored ships such as the CUMBERLAND and the CON- GRESS on the previous day. made the battle a significant step in the development of the warship. The climactic incident that set off the Spanish-American War was the sinking of USS MAINE. in Havana Harbor. Cubs. killing 250 officers and men. It was evident from the first that the war would be primarily naval and would be decided in favor of the nation able to establish control of the seas. Shortly after the war began. a fleet under Commodore George Dewey entered Manila Bay in the Philippines and destroyed the Spanish fleet. It was at the beginning of this battle that Dewey gave his famous order. You may fire when you are ready. Gridley. ln a bold stroke of peaceful strategy. President Theodore Roosevelt sent the Fleet on a world cruise. In late 1907. 16 battleships, with other ships, popularly known as the Great White Fleet. left Hampton Roads. Virginia. visited a number of South American ports. stopped at San Francisco and then set course for Australia and the Orient. arriving at Yokohama in October 1908. The Navy was given the most cordial reception ever accorded a visiting fleet. This dramatic expression of U.S. purpose and power impressed the world. Talk of war disappeared. A powerful Navy gave Roosevelt the opportunity of carrying out his policy of speaking softly and carrying a big stick. Most of the Navy's action in.World War l was performed by cruisers. destroyers and subchssers as they tracked down German submarines and protected convoys. ww. L-1.2 MIN- s are-1-v . 'fb 'L -: --,-,,.ff 5xv,A , -Q Nflx, ,I-f-3311-:l?ff ,Q Q 5- 1898: Commodore George Dewey destroys Spanish fleet in Manila Bay. -