- Wars, Conflicts, and Operations
- American Revolution
- War of 1812
- Civil War
- Spanish-American War
- World War I
- World War II
- Korean War
- Cuban Missile Crisis
- CIA Documents
- The NSA Collection (Documents from 1960-1963, 1969)
- State Dept. Foreign Relations of the United States 1961-1963, Volume XI: Cuban Missile Crisis and Aftermath
- JFK Library
- Navy Ships and Units Participating in the Crisis
- Enterprise (CVAN 65)
- Presidential Recordings Project at Miller Center, University of Virginia
- The Cuban Missile Crisis (YouTube)
- Admiral George W. Anderson
- Admiral Robert Dennison
- Admiral Alfred G. Ward
- Excerpt from Steven L. Rearden, Council of War: A History of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 1942-1991 (Washington: NDU Press, 2012), pages 224-243
- Bibliography
- Chronology: Excerpts from United States Naval Aviation 1910-2010 manuscript
- Cuban Missile Crisis
- Vietnam War
- Operation Allied Force
- September 11th Terrorist Attack
- Middle East Engagements
- POW MIA
- Pirate Interdiction and the U.S. Navy
- Campaign Against the West Indian Pirates
- The Bashaw of Tripoli
- Act to Protect Commerce
- Operations Against West Indian Pirates
- Navy and Marines vs. Piracy, Africa
- Suppression of Piracy on Johanna Island
- Incidental Anti-Piracy Operations, Gulf of Siam
- Fish, Family, and Profit: Piracy and the Horn of Africa
- Piracy and Horn of Africa Operations
- Rescue of Iranian Fishing Vessel from Pirates
- USS Nicholas Captures Suspected Pirates
- Combined Maritime Forces Flagship Intercepts Somali Pirates
- More Suspected Pirates Apprehended in the Gulf of Aden
- Commemorations Toolkits
- Heritage
- Uniforms
- Uniforms of the U.S. Navy 1776-1783
- Uniforms of the U.S. Navy 1797
- Uniforms of the U.S. Navy 1802
- Uniforms of the U.S. Navy 1812-1815
- Uniforms of the U.S. Navy 1815
- Uniforms of the U.S. Navy 1830-1841
- Uniforms of the U.S. Navy 1841
- Uniforms of the U.S. Navy 1852
- Uniforms of the U.S. Navy 1852-1855
- Uniforms of the U.S. Navy 1862-1863
- Uniforms of the U.S. Navy 1864
- Uniforms of the U.S. Navy 1898
- Uniforms of the U.S. Navy 1900
- Uniforms of the U.S. Navy 1905-1913
- Uniforms of the U.S. Navy 1917-1918
- Uniforms of the U.S. Navy 1918-1919
- Uniforms of the U.S. Navy 1922-1931
- Uniforms of the U.S Navy 1941
- Uniforms of the U.S. Navy 1942-1943
- Uniforms of the U.S. Navy 1943-1944
- Uniforms of the U.S. Navy 1951-1952
- Uniforms of the U.S. Navy 1961
- Uniforms of the U.S. Navy 1967
- Customs and Traditions
- Sailors' Tattoos
- Goats and the U.S. Navy
- Navy Athletics
- The Sailor’s Creed
- The Ship’s Bell
- Striking the Flag
- Unofficial Navy Certificates
- Precedence of Forces in Parades
- Passing Honors, National Anniversaries, and Solemnities
- Rocks and Shoals: Articles for the Government of the U.S. Navy
- Plank Owners
- Ship Naming
- Twenty-One Gun Salute
- Change of Command
- The Navy Hymn
- Commissioning Pennant
- Ship Launching and Commissioning
- Burial at Sea
- Crossing the Line
- Banners
- Life Aboard
- Decorations and Awards
- Speak Like a Sailor
- Famous Navy Quotations
- Origins of the Navy
- U.S. Navy History Lessons Learned
- Uniforms
- Communities
- Disasters and Phenomena
- Tragedy of USS Memphis
- Sinking of USS Indianapolis
- The Catastrophic Fire On Board USS Forrestal
- Conestoga
- Atlantis: The Legendary Island
- Bermuda Triangle: Selected Bibliography
- Flight 19
- Amelia Earhart
- Philadelphia Experiment
- U-2s, UFOs, and Operation Blue Book
- Destruction of USS Maine
- Exercise Tiger: Oral History
- Port Chicago, CA, Explosion
- Weather-Related Incidents
- The Sullivan Brothers and the Assignment of Family Members
- Organization and Administration
- Historical Leadership
- Officers List
- Office of the Secretary of the Navy
- Fleet Commanders
- District Commanders
- Bureaus
- Officers of the Continental and U.S. Navy and Marine Corps 1775-1900
- Naval Officers of the War of 1812
- Individuals Assigned to Administrative History Project
- Commander in Chief US Allied Forces Southern Europe
- Chief of Chaplains
- Chief of Naval Education and Training
- Commander in Chief US Naval Forces Europe
- Director of Naval Reserve
- Gray Eagles
- Office of Information
- Directors of Naval Intelligence
- Japan, Commander US Naval Forces
- Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs)
- Naval Electronic Systems Command Headquarters
- Office of Naval Material
- Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research Development and Acquisition)
- Commander Seventh Fleet
- Vice Chief of Naval Operations
- Ranks
- Regulations and Policy
- Personnel
- Service and Medical Records
- U.S. Navy Installations
- Washington Navy Yard, District of Columbia
- Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia
- Naval Submarine Base New London, Connecticut
- Naval Station Mayport, Florida
- Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida
- Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois
- Naval Base San Diego, California
- Naval Base Kitsap, Washington
- Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
- U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan
- Naval Support Activity Bahrain
- Naval Support Activity Naples, Italy
- Historical Leadership
- Diversity
- Exploration and Innovation
- Underwater Exploration
- Polar Exploration
- Operation High Jump
- Art Exhibit: Operation Deep Freeze I (1955-56)
- Rear Admiral Robert E. Peary
- Matthew Henson, U.S. Navy Medal of Merit
- Alcona
- Arneb
- Atule
- Caiman
- Merrick
- Porpoise II
- USS Richard E. Byrd
- Roosevelt
- Vincennes I
- Whitewood
- USS Wilkes
- The Jeannette Expedition in Arctic Waters as Described in Annual Reports of the Secretary of the Navy, 1880-1884
- Naval Aviation News - Overview of Naval Aviation in the Antarctic pg 20-25
- Naval Aviation News - Antarctic Development Squadron (VXE) 6 pg 16-19
- Naval Aviation News - Operation Deep Freeze Photos - Antarctic support pg 22-23
- Naval Aviation News - South Pole Approach pg 33
- Submarine Force Museum
- Electricity and USS Trenton
- Atmospheric Nuclear Testing: A Select Bibliography
- The World Cruise of the Great White Fleet
- The Voyage of a Lifetime
- The Ships of the Great White Fleet
- Great White Fleet Gallery
- Beginning of the Cruise
- Fleet Leadership
- Crossing the Equator
- World Cruise Experience
- At Sea
- Puerto Rico-South America-Mexico
- U.S. West Coast
- Hawaii-Australia-New Zealand
- Japan and China
- Philippines and Ceylon (Sri Lanka)
- Suez Canal-Egypt-Turkey
- Mediterranean
- End of the Cruise
- Memorabilia
- Navy Role in Space Exploration
- Notable People
- Presidents
- Chiefs of Naval Operations
- The Office
- Admiral William S. Benson
- Admiral Robert E. Coontz
- Admiral Edward W. Eberle
- Admiral Charles F. Hughes
- Admiral William V. Pratt
- Admiral William H. Standley
- Fleet Admiral William D. Leahy
- Admiral Harold R. Stark
- Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King
- Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz
- Admiral Louis E. Denfeld
- Admiral Forrest P. Sherman
- Admiral William M. Fechteler
- Admiral Robert B. Carney
- Admiral Arleigh A. Burke
- Admiral George W. Anderson Jr.
- Admiral David L. McDonald
- Admiral Thomas H. Moorer
- Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt Jr.
- Admiral James L. Holloway III
- Admiral Thomas B. Hayward
- Admiral James D. Watkins
- Admiral Carlisle A. H. Trost
- Admiral Frank B. Kelso II
- Admiral Jeremy M. Boorda
- Admiral Jay L. Johnson
- Admiral Vernon E. Clark
- Admiral Michael G. Mullen
- Admiral Gary Roughead
- Admiral Jonathan W. Greenert
- Admiral John M. Richardson
- Master Chief Petty Officers of the Navy
- MCPON Delbert D. Black
- MCPON John D. Whittet
- MCPON Robert J. Walker
- MCPON Thomas S. Crow
- MCPON Billy C. Sanders
- MCPON William H. Plackett
- MCPON Duane R. Bushey
- MCPON John Hagan
- MCPON James L. Herdt
- MCPON Terry D. Scott
- MCPON Joe R. Campa Jr.
- MCPON Rick D. West
- MCPON Michael D. Stevens
- MCPON Steven S. Giordano
- MCPON Official Photographs
- Trailblazers
- Historical Figures
- Astronauts: Chronology of Space Missions
- Secretaries of the Navy
- Benjamin Stoddert (1798 - 1801)
- Robert Smith (1801 - 1809)
- Paul Hamilton (1809 - 1812)
- William Jones (1813 - 1814)
- Benjamin W. Crowninshield (1815 - 1818)
- Smith Thompson (1819 - 1823)
- Samuel Southard (1823 - 1829)
- John Branch, Jr. (1829 - 1831)
- Levi Woodbury (1831 - 1834)
- Mahlon Dickerson (1834 - 1838)
- James K. Paulding (1838 - 1841)
- George Edmund Badger (1841)
- Abel P. Upshur (1841 - 1843)
- David Henshaw (1843 - 1844)
- Thomas W. Gilmer (1844)
- John Y. Mason (1844-1845) (1846-1849)
- George Bancroft (1845 - 1846)
- William B. Preston (1849 - 1850)
- William A. Graham (1850 - 1852)
- John P. Kennedy (1852 - 1853)
- James C. Dobbin (1853 - 1857)
- Isaac Toucey (1857 - 1861)
- Gideon Welles (1861 - 1869)
- Adolph Edward Borie (1869)
- George M. Robeson (1869 - 1877)
- Richard W. Thompson (1877 - 1880)
- Nathan Goff, Jr. (1881)
- William Henry Hunt (1881 - 1882)
- William Eaton Chandler (1882 - 1885)
- William C. Whitney (1885 - 1889)
- Benjamin F. Tracy (1889 - 1893)
- Hilary A. Herbert (1893 - 1897)
- John D. Long (1897 - 1902)
- William H. Moody (1902 - 1904)
- Paul Morton (1904 - 1905)
- Charles J. Bonaparte (1905 - 1906)
- Victor H. Metcalf (1906 - 1908)
- Truman H. Newberry (1908 - 1909)
- George von L. Meyer (1909 - 1913)
- Josephus Daniels (1913 - 1921)
- Edwin Denby (1921 - 1924)
- Charles F. Adams, III (1929 - 1933)
- Claude A. Swanson (1933 - 1939)
- Charles Edison (1940)
- William Franklin Knox (1940 - 1944)
- James Forrestal (1944 - 1947)
- John Lawrence Sullivan (1947 - 1949)
- Francis P. Matthews (1949 - 1951)
- Dan A. Kimball (1951 - 1953)
- Robert B. Anderson (1953 - 1954)
- Charles S. Thomas (1954 - 1957)
- Thomas S. Gates (1957 - 1959)
- William Birrell Franke (1959 - 1961)
- John Bowden Connally, Jr. (1961)
- Fred Korth (1962 - 1963)
- Paul B. Fay (acting) (1963)
- Paul Henry Nitze (1963 - 1967)
- Charles Fitz Baird (acting) (1967)
- Paul R. Ignatius (1967 - 1969)
- John Hubbard Chafee (1969 - 1972)
- John William Warner (1972 - 1974)
- J. William Middendorf (1974 - 1977)
- William Graham Claytor, Jr. (1977 - 1979)
- Edward Hidalgo (1979 - 1981)
- John Lehman (1981 - 1987)
- James H. Webb (1987 - 1988)
- William L. Ball (1988 - 1989)
- Henry L. Garrett III (1989 - 1992)
- Daniel Howard (acting) (1992)
- Sean Charles O'Keefe (1992 - 1993)
- ADM Frank B. Kelso, II (acting) (1993)
- John Howard Dalton (1993 - 1998)
- Richard Jeffrey Danzig (1998 - 2001)
- Robert B. Pirie, Jr. (acting) (2001)
- Gordon R. England (2001-2003) (2003-2005)
- Susan M. Livingstone (acting) (2003)
- Hansford T. Johnson (acting) (2003)
- Donald Charles Winter (2006 - 2009)
- Raymond Edwin Mabus, Jr. (2009 - 2017)
- Sean G. J. Stackley (acting) (2017)
- Richard V. Spencer (2017 - present)
- Profiles in Duty
- Medal of Honor Recipients
- Notable Ships
- Boats-Ships--Aircraft Carriers
- Boats-Ships--Amphibious Warfare Ships
- Boats-Ships--Battleship
- Boats-Ships--Cruisers
- Boats-Ships--Destroyer
- Boats-Ships--Frigate
- Boats-Ships--Littoral Combat
- Boats-Ships--Nuclear Powered
- Boats-Ships--Steamship
- Boats-Ships--U-Boat
- Cruises, Deployments, and Exercises
- Global War on Terror
- Great White Fleet
- Historical Summary
- Civil War 1861-1865
- Cold War
- Global War on Terror
- Korean Conflict 1950-1954
- Operation Desert Storm
- Operation Enduring Freedom
- Operation Iraqi Freedom
- Revolutionary War 1775-1783
- War of 1812 1812-1815
- World War I 1917-1918
- World War II 1939-1945
- Special Warfare
- Image (gif, jpg, tiff)
Surface Navy
The Surface Navy is the backbone of America’s Navy and the most capable surface force in the world. Since 13 October 1775, the men, and then later women, of the Surface Navy have deployed around the globe.
Beginning with the six original wooden-hulled, three-masted heavy frigates, of which USS Constitution remains, the surface Navy has utilized a myriad of platforms with propulsion from sails to nuclear power. During the War of 1812, ships of sail, such as frigates, brigs, sloops, and schooners, comprised the U.S. Navy’s first fleet. During the Civil War, the U.S. used primarily sail, but began to experiment with ironclads that were steam propelled. In the 1890s, the “New Navy” transitioned to the building of America’s first cruisers and battleships that used steam as the main source of power. Aircraft carriers took the lead during World War II with battleships used primarily in the bombardment of islands scheduled for amphibious landings. During the 1950s, the development of nuclear-powered ships took prominence. The Vietnam War saw the emergence of the “brown-water navy” that consisted of small gunboats to patrol rivers and waterways. The modern fleet of today consists of nuclear-powered ships and the first electric warships.
*****
Eras of the Surface Navy
Seamanship
- Navigation, Seamanship, and Signals
- Asa Curtis Personal Rules Log
- “Training Ships”
- History of Ship Bells infographic
- Return to Homeport infographic
- Nautical Terms Part 1 infographic
- Nautical Terms Part 2 infographic
- Tending the Side infographic
Anti-Aircraft Warfare
- Joseph Thomas Yavorsky
- Oral History: Sonarman 1st Class Jack Gebhardt
- Antiaircraft Action Summary: World War II
Ballistic-Missile Defense
- Navy Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) Program
- Sea-based X-Band Radar (T-SBX-1)
- Missile Defense: The Current Debate
- North Korean Ballistic Missile Threat to the United States
- “More Bang for the Buck:” U.S. Nuclear Strategy and Missile Development 1945–1965
Combat
- H-005-5 100th Anniversary of WWI: Initial U.S. Navy Combat Operations
- Mine Warfare
- Gleaves’ Convoy Formation
- Surface Lessons of Guadalcanal
- “The Landings in the Solomons”
- War Damage Reports
- Action Reports
- United States Atlantic Fleet Organization—1942
- United States Pacific Fleet Organization: 1 May 1945
- Cuban Missile Crisis
- “By Sea, Air and Land”—Chapter 3: The Years of Combat, 1965–1968
- Grenada: Operation Urgent Fury
- H-020-1: The Fog of War: USS Vincennes Tragedy—3 July 1988
- Desert Storm U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Operations
- Desert Shield/Desert Storm: Lessons Learned and Summary
- Desert Shield/Desert Storm: Beans, Bandages, Bullets—Logistics Operations
- Desert Shield/Desert Storm: The Role of the Navy
- Desert Shield/Desert Storm: “Thunder and Lightning”—The War with Iraq
Art Exhibits
- World War I
- The United States Exploring Expedition, 1838–1842
- America’s Naval Heritage: A Catalog of Early Imprints
- Amphibious Operations
- The Invasion of Normandy
- Alaska During the Pacific War
- The Vietnam Experience
- The Gulf War 1990–1991
Blogs/Articles
- Frigates, Brigs, Sloops, Schooners, and the Early Continental Navy’s Struggle for Success
- “Act to Provide a naval armament”—225th Anniversary of the Creation of the United States Navy
- The Fates of the Six Frigates Created by the Naval Act of 1794
- America’s First Black Sailors
- Stalemate: Treaty of Ghent Ends War of 1812 in a Draw
- The Story Continues: Capt. David Porter, USS Essex and the War of 1812 in the Pacific
- In Harm’s Way: Lt. Decatur Avenges Capture of The Frigate Philadelphia
- Commanding the Waves: The Legacy of Surface Warfare Officers
- Surface Warrior—Remembering Ernest Evans
- World War II Surface Warrior Dies at 95
- Surface Force in Desert Storm: USS Nicholas Leads a Distributed, Lethal Attack on Enemy Troops
- On the Surface, Conspicuous Gallantry and Intrepidity Were Hallmarks of a WWII Submariner
- Strong Crew, and Rescue, Set Sailor Standards for Initiative and Toughness
- Special Report: Surface Force Readiness Reforms
- The U.S. Navy’s Surface Force Strategy: Return to Sea Control
- Why I Love Being a U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officer
- Building and Programming the Navy’s Surface Vision
- Introductory Course for New Surface Warfare Officers
- Prepared to Defend
Additional Resources
- Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division
- Carderock Division, Naval Surface Warfare
- Evolution of Power infographic
- The World Cruise of the Great White Fleet
- U.S. Ship Force Levels: 1886–present
- Christening, Launching and Commissioning of U.S. Navy Ships
- A Century of Replenishment at Sea
- Navy Shipboard Lasers for Surface, Air, and Missile Defense
- Navy Lasers, Railgun, and Hypervelocity Projectile
- A Sampling of U.S. Naval Humanitarian Operations
- Ship Abbreviations and Symbols
- Ship Command Operations Reports
- “Forward… From the Start” The Navy & Homeland Defense: 1775–2003
- Navy Lasers, Railgun and Hypervelocity Projectile
- Record of the Chief of Naval Operation Fleet Operations Division 1940–1972
River patrol boats (PBRs) were the backbone of the River Patrol Force. With four man crews, these craft performed most of the inland water patrols in the Mekong Delta. By the end of 1970, when the South Vietnamese navy took over the River Patrol Force, there were almost 300 PBRs in use. Painting, oil on Masonite; by R.G. Smith; 1968; framed dimensions 24H X 30W. Accession #: 88-160-EV.
Footnotes
- Accessibility/Section 508 |
- Employee Login |
- FOIA |
- NHHC IG |
- Privacy |
- Webmaster |
- Navy.mil |
- Navy Recruiting |
- Careers |
- USA.gov |
- USA Jobs
- No Fear Act |
- Site Map |
- This is an official U.S. Navy web site