Wrecks of American ee Elle| GRB WV | ePIURUATI Wrecks of | American Warships James P. Delgado Watts wearyThe author would like to thank bis wife, Ann Goodbart, William S. Dudley, Robert Neyland, Paul F. Jobnston, Art Cobn, Warren Reiss, Sheli Smith, Donald G. Shomette, George Belcher, John Broadwater, William N. Still Jr, Chris Amer, Max Guerout, Richard Lawrence, Roger Smith, Daniel 7. Leniban, Larry Murphy, Larry Nordby, and Jerry Livingston. Note to readers: Definitions for words in bold can be found in the Glossary at the back of this book. p ns ©: Corbis-Bettmann: 52, 47 (Hulton-Deutsch Collection), 36 (UPD) : 12, 42, 43 Court ce Management, Dunkirk, MD: 29; Cynthia Orr: 21 (D. Switzer ake Champlain Maritime Museum: 17; Liaison Agency, Ine } ). 4, 55 Mair m: 24, nal Park Service, Submer Santa Fe, NM: 8, 40 John D. Brooks), obert Cole: 23; Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC: 15, the Confederacy, Richmond, VA.: 41 (Katherine Wetzel), Visit Franklin Watts on the Intemet at Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data r ames P. \ rican w James P. Delgado, V y . ferences and index Su mines the excavations of sunken American Navy warships from the Revolutionary Vorld War II and discusses what they tell us about life on board these vessels. SBN 6-X )-531-16486-1 (pbk.) Si ks—United States Juvenile literature. 3. l l xcavations (Archacology)—United States J tate ties Juvenile literature, (1. Warships—History. 2 slier Publishing neously in Canada f America 5 04 03 02 01 00 GROLIER t Introduction Dive, Dive! Chapter One Exploring Lost Warships Chapter Two The Beginnings of the U.S. Navy Chapter Three A Great Disaster Chapter Four The War of 1812 Chapter Pive A Cursed Ship Chapter Six The Civil War 3 Chapter Seven The Rise of the Modern Navy Chapter Eight World War Il 19 3 49 54 Glossary 57 To Find Out More 60 A Note on Sources 61 IndexBEL LcU toa plese aa a | tl? yey It was 1988, and I was standing on the dock at the USS Ar emorial at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. After ten years of diving on shipwrecks around the world, I was about to jump into the dark, oily waters that surround this famous U.S. battleship. The sinking of the Arizona on the morning of December 7, 1941, was one of the acts that pushed the United States into World War II. Since then, the Arizona had rested on the bottom, with the bodies of more than 1,000 crew members still inside Diving on the Avi was like enter: ing a tomb. Warships are not like othershipwrecks. They are reminders of bravery, fierce battles, the price of victory, and the bitterness of defeat sr most of my career as an underwater archaeologist, I have dived on lost warships. They include the USS Arizona, the U.S. brig Somers, and the ships sunk by the atomic bomb Pearl Harb at Bikini island in the Pacific Ocean. I also worked on the USS Monitor project for a year and visited nearly every historic war ship that has been preserved in a museum. I have seen battle ships, aircraft carriers, destroyers, and men-of-war by the light of day and in the darkness of the deep. I have also worked with other archaeologists who have studied warships. These scientists have studied ancient battle ships rowed by men, huge wooden warships from early battles when cannons battered ships into wrecks, and other wrecks from nearly every period of U.S. history ecause of archaeology, we know how these ships looked, how the crews lived aboard them, and how the crews died During World War II, sub- mariners went into action with the command “dive, dive!” It’s our turn now: Let's dive deep into the ocean, and into th past James P. Delgln ts 7. 3 Many American warships sank Chapter One during battle. Thisis the wbeel OSE ae ad l I R “4 Vila Ips Lae The sea covers most of the earth. Since ancient times, people have built ships to cross the ocean, fish and hunt on the ocean, and fight on the ocean. Many of these ships now lie on the bottom of the sea or in lakes and rivers. For more than 200 years, the people of the United Stat le sea as a barrier to enen I t lands They built the nation tant bDifferent from dreds of U.S. Navy ships lie on the Other Ships in floor. These war ips date from t nning of the navy. They include So eee wed with oars into battle, sailing aitenemy ships pro ships, iron-hulled steamships, sub- aport, rdepart = marines, battleships, and aircraft carri Senne eke ers. They include ships sunk in storms fter running into reefs or rocks, and be tough to survive nbs and shells and bad enemy n battle by cannonballs, © guns, torpedoes, and weather. Warships bombs. Underwater archaeologists have ‘arry weapons and people to use the discovered and stuc ed hundreds of weapons. For man} P y sunken U.S. warships around the world years only men lived ! ab Today, women are protect our freedom. Some of these members of the U.S. Navy Many warships fought in battles to ard warships. ships, such as the famous sailing ship USS Constitution (“Old Ironsides”) in Boston, Massachusetts, are preserved today as museum ships. Many more lie wrecked. Some, such as the CSS H. L Hunley and the USS Arizona, are war A replica of the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley hat rest where they sank, their ed with them underwater. st are still owned by the U.S. Navy 3 1833 03970 7002 ‘ srotected by law from being Ifered or salvaged. All of them are a. ws to the past agettle of Lexington | lace in 1775. i oY S Teer) The Beginnings of the U.S. Navy The Revolutionary War began in 1775 when British troops and colonial farmers exchanged shots in Lexington, Massachu- setts. Some Revolutionary War battles were fought on the water. Those battles marked the beginning of the U.S. Navy The oldest American warship that ar chaeolos Philadelphia. \t was one of t iboats zists have studied is the gunboatsuilt for American general Benedict Arnold in the summer 6. Arnold needed the gunboats to stop a British fleet from sailing down Lake Champlain and seizing control of the lake and the Hudson River in New York. ‘Traveling on lakes and rivers was one of the best ways to move men and equipment, and Arnold wanted to keep this travel route from the British. Arnold’s fleet of gunboats was built quickly. When it went into battle, soldiers joined the crews because there were not enough sailors. On October 1, Arnold’s fleet was pushed ba 6, Arnold and his small fleet met twenty-nine British ships. ck. Two ships—the Philadelphia the British destroyed most of Arnold's remaining ships. Because and the schooner Royal Savage—sank. The next di winter was coming, the British pulled back, and the Americans had the winter to build up their forces. Bringing up the Philadelphia In 1935, Colonel Lorenzo F. Hagglund, a New York diver and salvage engineer, discovered the wreck of the Philadelphia in $4 feet (16 meters) of water. The cold, fresh waters of Lake Champlain had preserved the ship. With no sea creatures to cat the wood and the cold acting like a refrigerator, the ship as solid after almost 150 years. Colonel Hagglund pumped out the water, put the Phila- hia on a barge, and sailed it around the lake for tourists to 14 isit. In 1961, the gunboat was given to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. The Philadelphia Discoveries Archaeologists and historians carefully studied the Phila delpbia. Because the gunboat was built without plans, no one knew what it looked like Researchers learned that it was built like a gondola, a flat-bottomed cargo boat. The Philadelphia, however, was stronger than a typical g with larger timbers to carry heavy cannons and guns. At the time of the Revolutionary War, guns were in short supply and older ones were often reused. Archaeologists dis- covered that the guns aboard the Philadelphia had been 6. between seventy-five and one hundred years old in 1 They also discovered that the navy had painted the gunboat y P § with tar, probably because they had no paint. The Philadelphia's crew sat on large benches to row the gunboat into battle. They were protected by large bundles of twigs and saplings that were tied together along the sides of the boat. These bundles were known as fascines. The fascines PhiladelphiaArtifacts from the Philadelphia The Philadelphia crew left behind many of their things, including these coins. Archaeologists call these items artifacts. Artifacts tell how the crew lived, ate, and fought. Shoes and buckles show that the men wore their own clothing instead of uniforms. Spoons and a ceramic cup show that the crew brought items from home. And gunflints, bayonets, and buckshot show that many of the sailors carried and used their ‘own weapons. Crew members made use of their weapons to exchange shots if another ship got dose. Sometimes, in an effort to seize an enemy ship, they would board the ship and fight hand to hand. 16 did not save the ship, however. A cannonball fired by a British un was found in the broken planks of the bow. ‘The Philadelphia sank about an hour after it was hit, giving the crew time to escape. In 1989, the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum built a full-size copy of the Philadelphia. They built the boat to see exactly how the Philadelphia worked on the water. In 1996, they discovered another sunken gunboat—perfectly preserved and very similar to the Philadelpbi study the wreck for several years to add to our know early American warships.British men-of-war on the open sea Chapter Three A Great Disaster Early in the Revolutionary War, the colonies prepared for war at sea. The British Royal Navy was the most powerful navy in the world. The thirteen colonies built warships and used privateers, which were vessels owned by private citizens. Arch: one of these ships in 1972. The Penobscot Expedition In 1779, the largest American naval ex- eologists discovered and excavated tionary War pedition of the Revolsailed from Boston, Massachusetts, to Penobscot Bay in Maine. Fifty-five ships carrying nearly 2,000 men headed to the area to drive British forces out. They sailed into disaster. ‘The British had only three warships on the Penobscot ; River, but six more were on their way. The Americans landed Aning the Defence and waited. When the British fleet arrived, the American troops and ships were forced to retreat. Because the British ships had blocked them, they could not sail back to sea. Most of the American ships traveled up the Penobscot River, with the British close behind. The Americans, finally trapped, set their ships on fire and sank them to avoid capture. One of the last American ships left afloat was the small brig Defence. But when the British spotted the Defence sailing into the harbor, the crew, unable to escape, set the ship on fire and rowed to shore. The Defence sank into the harbor. The Penobscot expedition was one of the worst naval defeats in American history. Five hundred men were killed and forty-two ships were lost. Although people discovered can- nons from the lost fleet, no one knew much about what the ships looked like or what life was like onboard—until 1972, when students from the Maine Maritime Academy discovered the wreck of the Defence under 25 feet (8 m) of water. From 1975 to 1981 the excavation of the Defence was carried out by college students learning to be nautical archaeologists. gists and students excavated and mapped the under- water wreck of the Defence, studied the insides of the ship, and recovered hundreds of artifacts. They also learned that the where the ship’ gunpowder was stored, had been at the back end, or stern, of the ship. Broken and burned tim- This eres sction of the bers showed that the crew had set fire to the magazine to blow Defence's hull shows ‘up and sink the Defence. the location of artifacts.“Salt Horse” Sailors hated the salted meat they were served on ships and called it “salt horse.” The archaeol ogists who excavated the salt pork in the Defence could easily understand why the sailors did not want to eat it. racologists learned about the Defence by drawing a map nderwater. ‘They used Mylar—a plastic that can be written n—taped to a clipboard. An ordinary pencil writes on Mylar, ven when it’s wet A Revolutionary War Time Capsule After making he map, the archaeologists marked the location of every artifact they found. On the map, many artifacts lying lose to one another showed where disappeared parts of the ship had been. For instance, the galley, where the crew cooked 1 r ate their meals, was located where a large brick and cop- per cookstove was found. Thousands of artifacts were brought up from the wreck. Archaeologists called it “a Revolutionary War time capsule.” They found broken barrels filled with pig and cow bones and animals parts that aren’t usually eaten—such as half a head. The barrels were originally packed with salt to dry out the meat and keep it from rotting. Sailors aboard the Defence ate this meat after it had been soaked in water to soften it. The archaeologists found wooden plates and spoons that the crew used. They also discovered wooden tags with num- bers, which at first, they thought were game pieces. Then they Jetermined that each tag belonged to a mess, which was a group of about twelve men who ate their meals together. Each f, attached a ress received a large piece of salt pork or be ‘ooden tag to it, and gave it to the ship’ cook. He boiled th the other messes’ rations in the ship’s huge stove. Oneto identifi was bo edible the meat was cooked, a mess member would take it back to the group and divide it. This system allowed the cook to serve food quickly to a large number of men. Other artifacts from the wreck included shoes, belt buck es, and clothes. None of the men wore uniforms. One small yutton from a soldier’s uniform, marked “USA,” was found. Either soldiers were aboard the ship or the but ton was a souvenir kept by one of the sailors. The archaeologists also found a clay pipe, with teeth marks on its stem Before the excavation of the Defence ended, the archaeologists completely cleared out the inside of the ship’ sunken hull, which had been filled with mud. They were able to learn how the Defence had looked and how it was built. The remains of the hull showed that the Defence was built to sail fast, but it had been quickly constructed. Some of the work was not good. The builders of the Defence may have built it knowing that as a privateer the ship would not last long. ‘The archaeologists also found that the small ship was very crowded. As many as 100 men lived aboard the Defence. Almost all of them lived in an area 25 by 20 feet (8 by 6 m) in the middle of the ship. In this area, archaeologists found the canvas hammocks, wooden chests, and personal belongings of the sailors. The work on the Defence provided some important clues about the ill-fated Penobscot expedition. In the 1990s, archae ologists began a search for more ships from this naval disaster to learn more about those times navy This well-prese leather shoe wa’ alvas ged from the mud ¢ Defence wreckThe USS Constitution fought during the War of 1812. Chapt Four The War of 1812 After the Revolutionary War, the navy was sold and its sailors were sent home. American ships appeared on every sea in order to trade with other countries. But because the United States had no navy to protect it, its ships were seized. Sailors were forced to worked on British war- ships or to become slaves of “pirates” in the Mediterranean Sea In 1794, Congress approved funds to build a new navy with new ships. One of those new ships was the frigate USS ConstitutionOld ironsides For the Constitution's 200th birthday, the USS. Navy took apart the ship and rebuilt it. By studying the pieces and parts, his- torians and archaeol- ogists learned a great deal about how the ship was built. The timbers of the hull were connected like parts of a puzzie to make a solid wall of wood. This wall of ‘oak earned the ship's nickname “Old Ironsides” when ‘enemy cannonballs - bounced off the "vessel during the War - of 1812. The ship is ‘open to the public | = The Chesapeake Flotilla Britain and the United States fought in the War of 1812. Although ships such as the Constitution did battle at sea, most. conflicts were fought close to shore or on lakes. Archaeologists of esapeake flotilla lies have discovered the wrecks of several ships from the V 1812. A group of wrecks known as the in the muddy waters of Maryland’s Patuxent River. Revolutionary War hero captain Joshua Barney com- manded the flotilla, which included small gunboats and small barges that carried guns. His job was to protect the Chesapeake Bay from the British troops. Joshua Barney's flotilla drove off atte. But the British brought er. Cornered, two British frigates in their first in more ships and chased the flotilla up the Barney ordered his men to blow up their ships. Discovering the Scorpion d the wreck of Barney’s flagship, the USS Scorpion, in 1980. They also found the remains of some of Archaeologists discov the gunboats. Using an underwater dredge inside a watertight enclosure called a cofferdam, archaeologists cleared away the mud, which had perfectly preserved the ship and its artifacts, The archaeologists found the surgical tools and medi- Amazingly bottles still had ointment in them. The oars, the benches the ome of the cines that the ship's doctor had lost. crew sat on when they rowed, weapons, a box of munitions, carpenter’ tools, clothing, shoes, and a cup with the initials of 28 the ship’ cook were found. These items give us a better look at the sea battles of War of 1812 than any history book can. Other Wrecks from the War of 1812 Archaeologists have also discovered wrecks of other warships from the War of 1812. They stud- ied the remains of the twenty-gun brig Eagle on Lake ended its days with other ships in a backwater champlain. ‘The Eagle survived the war and Where they deteriorated and sank. An examina- tion of the Eagle has shown that it was built quickly and cheaply. Shipbuilders took many shortcuts during its construction, thus making the Eagle unfit for service after the war. Archaeologists have also surveyed two com- plete warships, the Hamilton and the Scourge, which sank together in a storm on Lake Ontario in 1813. Built as trading schooners, they were armed with guns and sent out to fight during the war. The guns proved too heavy, however, and when the storm struck, the ships sank. wrecks have been visited only briefly since they lie These iin 300 feet (92 m) of water—too deep for scuba divers to work safely for long periods of time. Archacologists believe that a member of the Scorpion rew cut tobacco on this large 1803 Liberty Head copper penny found at the site. This tin-plated grog ration cup bearing the initials “CW™ belonged to the ship’s cook, Caeser Wentworth.The U.S. brig Somers served i as a floating navy school. i : Chapter Five By the end of the War of 1812, the U Many officers had made their careers in the Navy had become a growing for navy. The navy decided to train young men to become officers. It built two small, fast ships as floating schools—the Somers and the Bainbridge. The Somers became one of the most notorious ships in the history of the navy. On its second voyage, the captain and his officers decided that a nineteen-year-old officer, Philip Spencer, was plotting to kill them and seize the ship. Spencer and many sailors were arrested. After a very quick trial, Spencer and two other men were hanged.The Somers sank near the Mexican Veracruz in 154 After the mutiny, many people believed that bad luck fol- | lowed the Somers. Sailors claimed that the ghosts of the dead | men haunted the ship. The ship’ doctor committed suicide. | The first mate became a heavy drinker. The captain never commanded another ship, and the Somers was retired as a school ship. In 1846, the United States and Mexico went to war. The United States wanted lands claimed by Mexico. The Somers: sent to blockade the Mexican port of Veracruz. While} the Somers was caught in a sudden / inds blew the ship over, and it sank instantly, When the Somers went down, several warships were near- by. They launched their boats and saved many crew members, including the commander, Lieutenant Raphael Semmes. He Jater served as an officer in the Confederate navy during the Civil War. The Somers on the Ocean Floor Tn 1986, the Somers wreck was discovered in 110 feet (34 m) of water, In 1990, a team of U.S. and Mexican underwater archaeologists studied the remains of the Somers. They found the ship lying on its side. Most of the wood had been eaten by undersea worms called teredos. The ship’ ten cannons, anchors, stove, and other artifacts were found on the ocean floor. Everything lay exactly where it had been inside the ship, including a loaded cannon. Divers laid out a baseline and measured the position of everything they found on the Somers wreck. They used under- water cameras to take pictures. Other divers made sketches of wreck and took notes on Mylar. On the beach, the archae- logists used the photos, video, sketches, and notes to make a careful plan of the wreck site. Archaeologists are still studying the wreck of the Somers. Sand preserved some of the bottom of the ship, allowing archaeologists to see how the ship was built. The Somers was a clipper, a fast-sailing ship with tall masts and large sails. The bottom of the hull was so narrow that a man could stand up ™ inside it and touch both sides with his hands. In most other wa chasing a Mexican shij storm. Heavy drowning thirty-nine men. 32yeaa Cee eer a Cees ships of that time, it would take several men standin shoulder to shoulder to reach the sides. The archaeologists also found that the Somers did not carry enough weight inside the ship to keep it from rolling over in a strong wind The masts and sails were too tall and too big for the ship. Back then, the navy was putting new inventions and ships quickly to use. The navy learned from its mis- takes and used many of the lessons it learned a few years later during the Civil War.EST be a The Civil War In the 1850s, the U.S. Navy experi mented with powerful guns that fired exploding shells, an advancement over the old-fashioned solid cannonballs. Ships with steam engines began to replace sailing ships. When the Civil War began in 1861, all of these inven- tions completely changed the way wars were fought at sea. Durin, between ironclads—wooden ships cov- the Civil War, the first fi ered with armor—took place. The fight between the U.S. ironclad Monitor and the Confederate ironclad Virginia in 1862 convinced navies to replace theirs. Both the U.S. and Confederate navies built hundreds of ironclad warships. Studying the Ironclad Monitor Archaeologists have studied more Civil War wrecks than any other type of ship. They have dived on several U.S. and Confederate ironclads. One of them is the most famous iron- clad—the USS Monitor. The Monitor was the first iron-hulled warship with a steam engine and guns inside a revolving round tower, or turret. Modern warships owe much of their design to the Monitor. ‘The wreck of the Monitor lies upside down in 240 feet (73 m) of water off the North Carolina coast. Archaeologists have studied the partly broken up ship and learned many details about how it was built. They used a powerful dredge to excavate the captain's cabin. Life aboard the ship was difficult and uncomfortable. The steam engines and the sun shining on the iron hull made for hot working conditions. Artifacts from the captain’s cabin showed that life for the officers was better. They ate fancy food and used plates, silverware, and glasses. A Raider Wreck The Confederates built a small group of fast steam-powered warships called raiders to attack and sink merchant ships. These raiders carried the Civil War to the high seas and destroyed many American ships around the world. The most old wooden 38 famous raider was the CSS Alabama. Its commander was Raphael Semmes, who had served as captain of the Somers when it sank in Mexico in 1846. Archaeologists have also discovered the wreck of the raider Alabama. In 1864, the U.S. warship Kearsarge caught the Alabama in the harbor of Cherbourg in France. The Alabama sank in more than 200 feet (61 m) of water after a short, fierce fight. French archaeologists discovered the wreck in 1984. Divers have found many artifacts, including one of the ear- 39liest toilets, in the captain’s cabin. Other artifacts from the ship’s pantry and galley showed that the men aboard the raider lived well. Divers also found and raised one of the ship’s guns. One of the most modern and deadly weapons of the Civil War, it was known as a Blakely rifle. The gun was loaded, reminding the archaeologists that the Alabama sank in the middle of a battle. The Alabama was a well-built ship, modern for the time. The Submarine H. L. Hunley The Civil War also saw the first successful submarine attack on a ship. Because submarines can sneak up on other ships, many navies have since eagerly adopted the submarine. The Confederate sub H. L. Hunley sank the USS Housatonic near Charleston, South Carolina. During the Civil War, the Confederates also built under Water mines called torpedoes. These torpedoes sank the iron- clad USS Cairo and sent the ironclad USS Tecumseh to the bottom with nearly all its crew Re marine H. L. Hunley sts discovered the wreck of the sub: , the Hunley and the sea. It was never seen ently, archaeolc After sinking the Housaton disappeared into the dark nig afloat again. The discovery of the Hunley buried in the sand near the wreck of the Housatonic solved a century-old mystery Archaeologists are now making plans to raise the Hunley from the bottom. They have already learned that this early subma- rine was a carefully built and complicated piece of machinery By the end of the Civil War in 1865, the U.S. Navy had learned much about new inventions and ways of building ships and guns. Br - H 863 paintin HunleyThe USS Massachusetts, shown here in a photograph from 1904, sa U.S. Navy battleship. When the Civil War ended in 1865, Congress reduced the size of the navy. The few new ships that were built used lessons learned in the Civil War. These ships, which were made of steel and car- ried large guns, led the way to the mod- ern battleship. Archaeologists have found some wrecks from this timeOff the coast of North Carolina, archaeologists have stud- ied the remains of the iron-hulled steam warship USS Huron. Built in 1875, the Huron was 175 feet (53 m) long and was one of the last navy ships built of iron. It was also one of the last navy ships that still had sails in case the engines failed. After the Huron, the navy began building ships of steel, which is stronger than iron. During a bad storm in 1877, the Huron ran aground along a dangerous section of North Carolina coast. The heavy seas wrecked the ship and killed most of its 134 crew members. But the sea also buried sand around the ship. From time to time, winter storms strip away the sands, exposing the wreck. Archaeologists studying the Huron drew maps of the iron ip’s hull and have recovered artifacts that include a pistol. An Early Battleship Wreck In Florida, archaeologists have studied the wreck of one of the Launching Planes at Sea The U.S. Navy built many more battleships after the Massachusetts. They made them bigger and bigger, with more powerful guns. They raced to build battleships faster than other countries could. Part of the naval arms race of the early twentieth century involved learning how to use aircraft to fight at sea. In 1922, Billy Mitchell, a U.S. army general, used planes carrying bombs to sink a ship off the coast of Virginia. Mitchell's demonstration was one of many factors that per- suaded the navy to get its own planes. The navy had already started to work with airplanes and built a ship to launch planes The U.S. Navy also experimented with airships, or dirigibles. ‘These giant balloons carried planes and bombs. In the 1930s, 5 earliest battleships, the USS Massachusetts. At 350 feet the U.S. Navy built two giant dirigibles called the Akron and (107 m) long, the battleship was twice as long as the Huron and the Macon. The USS Macon was 735 feet (224 m) and sailed had a crew of 473. The USS Massachusetts entered naval ser- Me ccad of on the ova. vice in 1896 and fought in World War I. After the war, the navy used the old battleship for target practice. After more than a hundred hits, the ship was left to sink slowly into Pensacola Bay. Only one other U.S. navy ship from this time, the cruiser USS Olympia, still exists. All of the early battleships are gone. 45No ee ed NN een are Pree er oa The Macon crashed into the sea off the coast of Cali- 1 sank in 1935. In h near Monterey, California, fornia anc 1991, a robot-aided se: discovered the broken metal frame of the Macon in nearly 1,400 feet (427 m) of water Robots were used to photo- graph the underwater wreck. The disaster of the Macon helped convince the navy not to use dirigibles for fighting. Instead, aircraft carriers— ships that carried planes on their decks—replaced battle ships as the navy’s most important ships. U.S. aircraft carriers played a big part in winning World War IInna Tera ead Praag Le ata (OTT Sans t-otd orld War In the 1930s, most of the world was at war. Japan invaded China. Many coun tries in Europe were fighting Germany The United States stayed out of these wars. Some thought that war would spread to America, but most people felt safe since the wars across the ocean were a long way off hen Japan attacked the U.S. Navy base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Decem- ber 7, 1941. Japanese planes launched from aircraft carriers bombed American vessels anchored in the harbor. Many ships were sunk and thousands died. The United States declared war on Japan,and Germany declared war on the United States. During the war, the U.S. Navy grew. At the end of the war in 1945, it was the most powerful navy in the world. Hundreds of U.S. warships were lost during many World War II battles. Archaeologists have dived on some of them, including the ships at Pearl Harbor. They have used robots to explore ships lost in battle near the South Pacific island of Guadalcanal so Underwater Graves Most of the ships sunk at Pearl Harbor were raised from the bottom. But two battleships, the USS Arizona and the USS d to move and remained where frizona, 1,177 U.S. Archaeologists dived on the Utab, were too badly dar they sank. Both are war graves. On the sailors and marines were killed battleship. But they did not go inside, out of respect for the dead. The archaeologists found that many bombs hit the Arizona: Men were fighting several fires onboard with hoses when a big bomb dropped on the ship and punched through the steel deck. It exploded in an area where explosives were kept. The ship blew up in a huge ball of fire. Divers found fire hoses on the deck, where the sailors had dropped them when they died The archaeologists drew a map of the Arizona to show how the ship blew up. The steel hull and decks were torn open and bent out. It looks like a giant fist punched through the front of the ship. A huge turret, with its guns bent down, lies inside the hull. But many of the glass portholes on the side of the ship are not broken. Remotely operated vehicles have dived on the wrecks of the warships sunk at Guadalcanal, where the United States and Japan fought at sea. Most of the wrecks are in water more than 1,000 feet (305 m) deep. Using the robot cameras archaeologists have learned about how the ships sank World War II ended in August 1945 when the Unit States dropped two atomic bombs on Japan. The The Bottom of the Sea The sea battles off Guadalcanal sank so many ships that the area is called Ironbottom Sound.changed how people thought about war. Some people thought that armies and navies were no longer necessary. Navy Power In July 1946, on Bikini island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the United States tested the atomic bomb against ships, guns, and tanks. More than twenty ships were sunk, including battleships, submarines, destroyers, and an. aircraft carrier. The power of two bombs sank them all in sec- onds. Archaeologists have dived on the wrecks at Bikini and were amazed to see that the heat of the bombs had melted steel. The United States still has the world’s most powerful navy. Hundreds of U warships sail the oceans. These ships are armed with powerful new weapons, including missiles and atomic bombs. Jets fly off aircraft carriers at supersonic speeds. Submarines dive deep in the ocean and stay down for weeks. Sometimes these ships, planes, and missiles are lost. In the future, archaeologists may dive on and study them. Who knows what they will learn? Veer ee oi in the Pacific OceanGlossary archaeologist—a scientist who studies past cultures based on artifacts and other evidence left behind artifacts—the things people make that show human work baseline—the line from which all other measurements start on a map brig—a square-rigged sailing ship with two masts clipper—a fast-sailing ship with tall masts and large sails cofferdam—a watertight enclosure used to make underwater repairs of a ship dirigibles—airships that carry planes and bombs dredge—a machine for removing sand or mud excavate—to scientifically recover and study the remains of past human activity expedition—a journey for a specific purpose fascines—large bundles of twigs and saplings tied together along the sides of a boat for protection flotilla—a small fleet or group of vessels frigate—a square-rigged warship gondola—a flat-bottomed cargo boat gunboat—a flat-bottomed rowboat that had a mast and a sail and carried cannons hull—the frame or body of a ship ironclads—wooden ships covered with armor magazine—the place where a ship’s gunpowder was stored men-of-war—warships pilfer—to steal things of small value or in small amounts Pprivateers—vessels that were owned by private citizens and preyed on unarmed enemy merchant ships 5sraiders—fast steam-powered warships that attacked merchant ships salvage—to recover or save, especially from wreckage stern—the back or rear end of a ship submarines—naval ships that move and operate underwater: teredos—undersea worms turret—a warship’ revolving round tower that protects guns mounted in it To Find Out More Books Blashfield, Jean F. Blockade Runners and Ironclads: Naval Action in the Civil War. Danbury, Conn.: Franklin Watts, 1997. Carter, Alden R. Battle of the Ironclads: The Monitor and the Merrimack. Danbury, Conn.: Franklin Watts, 1993. Dolan, Edward F. The American Revolution: How We Fought the War of Independence. Brookfield, Conn.: Millbrook Press, 1995. Naden, Corinne. The U.S. Navy. Brookfield, Conn.: Mill- brook Press, 1992. Schultz, Ron. Looking Inside Sunken Treasure. Sante Fe, N. Mex.: John Muir, 1993. Stein, R. Conrad. The USS Arizona. Danbury, Conn.: Children’s Press, 1992.‘Taylor, Theodore, and W. T. Mars (illustrator). Air-Raid— Pearl Harbor! The Story of December 7, 1941. New York: Harcourt, 1991. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 1305 East West Highway Silver Spring, MD 20910 betp://wrww.nos.noaa.gov/ This website offers details about the famous ironclad Monitor. Historic Naval Ships Association of North America 4640 Hoylake Drive Virginia Beach, VA 23462 bttp:// raritime.org/bnsa-guide.btm ‘This national association represents all the warships preserved as public museums or memorials. Naval Historical Center Washington Navy Yard 805 Kidder Dreese SE Washington, DC 20374 bttp://oww.bistory.navy.mil/ This U.S. Navy center provides information about the ‘Tecumseh and the Confederate raider Alabama. South Carolina Institute of Anthropology and Archaeology 1321 Pendleton Street Columbia, SC 29208 A erww.cla.sc.edu/sciaa/bunley1.beml ‘This website has details about the H. L. Hunley. Maine State Museum 83 State House Station Augusta, ME 04333 bttp:/koww.mainemuseums.org/btm/54.htm This museum displays many artifacts from the Defence. U.S. National Park Service Cultural Resources Unit 2.0. Box 728 ita Fe, NM 87501 »:/earwrw.nps.gov/scru.btm is website has links to pages about the USS Arizona, the Utah, and the Bikini wrecks. National Museum of American History Smithsonian Institution 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW Washington, DC 20560 bttp://oww.siedu/nmab/index.btm ‘This museum displays the entire hull and artifacts of the gun- boat Philadelphia. 59A Note on Sources Like most authors, I have my own way of researching when I write a book. I usually start in the library. I also check scien- tific journals and popular magazines for related articles. ne, published by the Archaeological In- arly useful. This publication is ‘This organization has a new Archaeology ma stitute of Ameri also online at magazine just for kids called Dig! I also talked to other archaeologists who work around the world on shipwrecks and other sites. They offered hints, gave suggestions of people to speak with, and directed me to Internet sites. Most of the archaeologists I know are always’ willing to answer questions and help other researchers and students. —James P Delgada eae i Index Numbers in italics indicate illustrations. aircraft carriers, 47, 52 airships. See dirigibles. American Revolution. Revolutionary V archaeology, 7, 10, 15, 19, 21-22, 23, 33, 35, 51. See also artifacts. Arnold, Benedict, 14, 14 artifacts, 16, 38. See also archaeology. CSS Alabama, 39, 40 Defence (brig), 23, 24-25, 24, 25 Philadelphia (man-of-war), 16 USS Huron, 44 USS Scorpion, 29, 30 atomic testing, 6, 52, 52-53 Barney, Joshua, 28 baselines, 33, 35 Battle of Lexington, 12 battleships, 44 Bikini island, 6, 5 Blakely rifles, 39-40, 39 British Royal Navy, 19-20 Chesapeake flotilla, 28 Civil War, 37-38, 43 clipper ships, 33 CSS Alabama, 8, 39 CSS H. L. Hunley, 10, 10-11, 40-1, 41 CSS Vinginia, 37 Defence (bri dirigibles, 45 20-22, 21 fascines, 15-17 food, 22, 24 Guadalcanal, 51-52gunboats, 13-14 Hamilton, Thomas, 29 Ironbottom Sound, 52 ironclads, 37 Lake Champlain, 14 Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, 17 Lake Ontario, 30 lakes, 9 Maine Maritime Academy, 20 maps Defence, 21-22, 21 USS Scorpion, 29 men-of-war, 7, 16, 18 Mitchell, Billy, 45 USS Monitor (ironclad), 36, 37-38 mutiny, 32 oceans, 9-10 “Old Ironsides.” See USS Constitution. Pearl Harbor, 4-5, 5, 6-7, 48, 49-50 Penobscot expedition, 19-20, 25 Penobscot River, 20 Philadelphia (gunboat), 13-17, 15 Philadelphia I, 17 privateers, 19-20 raiders (warships), 38-39 remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), 47, 50-51, 50 Revolutionary War, 13, 15, 19-20 rivers, 9 “salt horse” (food), 22, 24 Semmes, Raphael, 33 Spencer, Philip, 31 submarines, 10, 40, 52 U.S. Navy, 13-14, 27-28, 37, 43,45, 49 USS Akron (dirgible), 45 USS Arizona, 6, 10, 48, 51 USS Arizona Memorial, 4-5, 5-6 USS Cairo, 41 USS Constitution, 10, 26, 28 USS Hamilton, 30 USS Housatonic, 40 USS Huron, 44 USS Kearsarge, 39 USS Macon, 45-47, 46-47 USS Massachusetts, 42-43, 44 USS Monitor, 6-7, 38 USS Olympia, 44 USS Scorpion, 28-30, 29 USS Scourge, 30 USS Somers (brig), 6, 30, 31-33, 32, 34-35, 35 USS Tecumseh, +1 USS Utah, 51 Veracruz, 32, 32 War of 1812, 26, 28, 30-31 warships, 10, 13, 30, 39, 50, 52 Wentworth, Caesar, 29 World War I, 44 World War II, 5, 7, 47, 48, 50James P. Delgado has worked as a park ranger, a historian, an underwater archaeol- ogist, a teacher, and a museum director. His n when he was ten, love of archaeology beg: and he went on his first dig at age fourteen. Today, he is the executive director of Vancouver Maritime Museum. James P. Delgado has written eighteen books related to history and underwater archaeology. He is also the author of the Watts Library books Native American Shipwrecks and Shipzwrecks from the Westward Movement, He currently lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.The sunken wrecks of the U.S. fighting ships have taught underwa- ter archaeologists about life onboard these vessels. Learn for yourself about the Revolutionary War gunboat Philadelphia, downed in battle on Lake Champlain; the Civil War ironclad Monitor, which lies upside down off the North Carolina coast; and the wreck of the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor—the tomb for 1,177 U.S. sailors and marines. Watts LrBrary books about underwater archaeology Ancient Shipwrecks Exploring for Shipwrecks Native American Shipwrecks Shipwrecks from the Westward Movement Shipwrecks of the Explorers US. $8.95 | || il Can. $11.95