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Avengers Inbound
80 years ago today: Formation of at least 17 early Grumman TBF-1 Avenger aircraft in flight over Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, and Aoba Island, Tuesday, 5 October 1943. Note that one plane, White 124,...
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The Mighty Miss headed West
80 years ago today. The much-modified New Mexico-class super-dreadnought USS Mississippi (Battleship No. 41), port view, 45 degrees of centerline while off San Francisco, California, 8 October 1943...
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Warship Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023: Sink Em All
Here at LSOZI, we take off every Wednesday for a look at the old steam/diesel navies of the 1833-1954 period and will profile a different ship each week. These ships have a life, a tale all their own,...
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Happy 248th, USN
Just living the dream since 1775…(or maybe 1798, depending on how you mark it): The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) fires its 5-inch gun during a live-fire exercise,...
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News from Pascagoula…
Ingalls has been busy in the past couple of weeks. The 10th national security cutter Calhoun (WMSL 759) was signed over to the U.S. Coast Guard last Friday. How about some great images from Ingalls on...
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Victory is Certain, or Damn the Torpedoes?
The early flight II (VLS-equipped) Ticonderoga-class cruiser USS San Jacinto (CG-56) is the third U.S. Navy warship named in honor of the decisive 1836 battle of the Texas Revolution, following in the...
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Mosquitos!
80 years ago today: PT boat No. 285 underway, 19 October 1943. Note the extensive camouflage paint scheme on the 78-foot Higgins Motor Torpedo Boat, her SO type radar set, four lightweight Mark 13...
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40th Anniversary of Beirut
This week marks the sadly almost forgotten 40th anniversary of the tragic 1983 terrorist bombing of the United States Marine Corps Barracks in Beirut, Lebanon. Of note, the 241 Americans– 220 Marines,...
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Warship Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023: The Busy Bee
Here at LSOZI, we take off every Wednesday for a look at the old steam/diesel navies of the 1833-1954 period and will profile a different ship each week. These ships have a life, a tale all their own,...
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Urgent Fury at 40: The Guns of Grenada
Without diving too much into the background, the Caribbean Island nation of Grenada had its elected government overthrown by a Marxist-Communist coup in 1979 and suspended the constitution. In just a...
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Black Dragon warming up
80 years ago today: The brand-new Iowa-class fast battleship USS New Jersey (BB-62) silhouetted against the sea and clouds, as seen from a minesweeper, 26 October 1943. She was then engaged in...
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Big O, and One Wild Airwing
70 years ago, the newly completed improved Essex-class attack carrier USS Oriskany (CVA-34) at Sasebo, Japan, on 27 October 1953. The Iowa class battlewagon USS Wisconsin (BB-64), fresh off her Korean...
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Making it Rain, Guam & Caron edition
Of the 22 U.S. Navy warships and auxiliaries tasked with supporting Operation Urgent Fury– the invasion of Grenada– some 40 years ago this week, two really stand out, the old ‘phib USS Guam (LPH-9)...
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Hail the mighty OHP at 50
A half-century ago today, a big event happened in terms of naval history. The class leader of what was probably the best type of frigate ever used by the U.S. Navy in the 20th Century, the sixth USS...
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Triple bruisers
80 years ago today: A trio of rather different U.S. Navy heavy cruisers: (listed from left to right) the sisters USS Salt Lake City (CA-25) and USS Pensacola (CA-24), along with the lead shp of her...
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Warship Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023: Mad Marcus
Here at LSOZI, we take off every Wednesday for a look at the old steam/diesel navies of the 1833-1954 period and will profile a different ship each week. These ships have a life, a tale all their own,...
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Jeep Carrier Pop Gun
80 years ago today: Testing the 5-inch/38-caliber dual-purpose gun on the newly-commissioned Casablanca-class escort carrier, USS Manila Bay (CVE 61), 3 November 1943. Note fuzed ready shells in the...
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Lady Lex Pow Wow
Some 80 years ago this month, aboard the Essex-class fleet carrier USS Lexington (CV-16) in the Pacific: A great period Kodachrome of The “Fighting Airedales” of Fighting Squadron Sixteen (VF-16)’s...
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Tragedy in Tustin
Any fan of aviation or naval history is familiar with this incredible image, that of a monstrous hangar filled with 150~ fresh and brand new F4U Corsairs and at least another 100 F6F Hellcats, plus a...
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Special Operations Forces Reference Manual availible for download
The 162-page fifth edition of the Special Operations Forces Reference Manual provides general information on U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and NATO Special Operations Forces (SOF). It...
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