Oct. 26, 2022

Navy and NOAA Search for U.S. Schooner Alligator near the 200th Anniversary of Its Loss

In early September 2022, Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) collaborated on a project to locate and study one of the U.S. Navy’s historic wrecks from the early 19th century, the schooner Alligator. The two week project, which took place in

Jan. 27, 2022

Once Above, Now Below: Archaeological Investigations of Two Early 1950s Naval Aircraft Wrecks off Pensacola

For northwestern Florida, naval flight training began in 1914 with the arrival of the newly formed aviation unit consisting of nine officers, twenty-three enlisted men, and seven aircraft. Under the direction of Lt. John Towers and Lt. Commander Henry C. Mustin, the unit arrived at the Pensacola Navy Yard in January aboard the battleship

Jan. 27, 2022

Once Above, Now Below: Archaeological Investigations of Two Early 1950s Naval Aircraft Wrecks off Pensacola

For northwestern Florida, naval flight training began in 1914 with the arrival of the newly formed aviation unit consisting of nine officers, twenty-three enlisted men, and seven aircraft. Under the direction of Lt. John Towers and Lt. Commander Henry C. Mustin, the unit arrived at the Pensacola Navy Yard in January aboard the battleship

Nov. 2, 2021

Bearcat in the Chesapeake: Navy’s underwater investigation of a prototype fighter aircraft

Grumman’s F8F Bearcat was lightweight fighter designed to operate from smaller naval aircraft carriers and had a higher rate of climb than its predecessor, the F6F Hellcat. Prototypes were tested starting in 1944, but they were not ready in time to see action in World War II. Noted for their speed and agility, postwar Bearcats became a significant

June 11, 2021

Perry's Revenge — A Continued Look at the Wreck of an Early 19th-Century Naval Schooner off the Coast of Rhode Island

Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) archaeologists collaborated with Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) engineers during the second half of May 2021 to continue documenting the remains of Oliver Hazard Perry's schooner Revenge, which wrecked off of Watch Hill, Rhode Island in 1811. The team, along with local site discoverers, Charles Buffum

April 26, 2021

NHHC Archaeology by Land and By Sea (and Now by Air)

Naval History and Heritage Command's Underwater Archaeology Branch (UA) collaborated with NAVAIR UX-24 last week to complete an aerial magnetometer survey over a marshy section of the Patuxent River, where it is thought remains of naval vessels from the War of 1812 are buried.

June 17, 2020

Twenty Years of Fostering Research on Naval Heritage: The NHHC Permitting Program

Caption: Blair Atcheson and George Schwarz, underwater archaeologists with NHHC, prepare a magnetometer to survey the potential USS Revenge wreck on Dec. 7, 2015. (U.S. Navy photo by Heather Brown/Released)...

Oct. 9, 2018

Perry's Revenge Revisited

Last week, the U.S. Navy returned to Rhode Island to continue the archaeological investigation of the site believed to be the remains of Oliver Hazard Perry's schooner Revenge. The 2018 fieldwork builds upon remote sensing surveys conducted in 2012 and 2015 and last year's diver documentation and cannon recovery. Research this year involved

April 11, 2018

Conservators in Action: Uncovering Secrets of the Suspected Revenge Cannon - Part II

Many have been waiting for an update from our last blog post about the ongoing efforts to conserve a cannon recovered from the suspected wreck site of the 14-gun U.S. naval schooner Revenge. Well, the wait is over! Archaeological conservators at the Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) Underwater Archaeology (UA) Branch have been carefully

Sept. 13, 2017

Surveying Sunken WWI Ship USS San Diego

"You're holding onto a $500,000 sonar head. Don't drop it."These were the words of encouragement I received from Tim Pilegard, a graduate student at the University of Delaware. At that moment, Tim and I were struggling to bolt the sonar onto the side of the R/V Joanne Daiber, University of Delaware's 46 foot research vessel.After several failed

Aug. 24, 2017

NHHC Underwater Archaeologist to Assist with Deep Sea Exploration

Dr. Robert Neyland, Naval History and Heritage Command Underwater Archaeology Branch Head, along with scientists from NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, the Ocean Exploration Trust, will provide expertise and commentary as USS Bugara is surveyed via a remotely operated vehicle dive from the Exploration Vessel (E/V) Nautilus on August

Aug. 19, 2017

Navy's Role in Finding USS Indianapolis

Editor's Note: It was announced today that the wreckage of the World War II cruiser USS Indianapolis (CA 35) was located by a team of civilian researchers led by entrepreneur and philanthropist Paul G. Allen. The search was aided by historical and archaeological support from the Naval History and Heritage Command. Just last year, NHHC uncovered

Aug. 2, 2017

Conservators in Action: Uncovering Secrets of the Suspected Revenge Cannon

It's never a dull day at the Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) Underwater Archaeology (UA) Conservation Laboratory, especially when a heavily concreted cannon from the suspected wreck site of the 14-gun naval schooner Revenge arrived on May 26, 2017. The cannon, believed to be a six-pounder, was recovered by NHHC archaeologists and divers

May 26, 2017

NHHC Recovers Cannon from possible Revenge Wreck Site

The Naval History and Heritage Command's (NHHC) Underwater Archaeology Branch (UAB) returned to Rhode Island this week in order to recover a cannon from the suspected wreck site of the 14-gun naval schooner Revenge, which struck a reef and sank off Watch Hill in 1811. Captained by then-Lt. Oliver Hazard Perry, on Jan. 9, 1811, she encountered thick

Nov. 18, 2016

NHHC Reviews U.S. Navy Wrecks in South Pacific Waters and Prepares to Bring New Life to Disturbed Artifacts

The following post is about the conservation of artifacts that were removed, without authorization from the U.S. Navy, from the wreck of USS Salute. In partnership with the government of Brunei, U.S. Navy and Royal Brunei Navy divers this week completed a dive on the ship's wreck in which they honored the service of those lost when the ship sank,

Aug. 24, 2016

Exploring Our Past and Forging Our Future: Diving on USS Independence

As I watched the video screen from the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) a half a mile below the ocean, the stern of the World War II light aircraft carrier USS Independence (CVL 22) came sharply into view. It triggered a memory of the opening scene of the film Titanic, where another vehicle comes upon the bow of that tragic vessel, evoking powerful

Aug. 22, 2016

Underwater Archaeologist Joins Salvage on Dive Training Operations

From the Field: NHHC underwater archaeologist Dr. Alexis Catsambis recently joined Mobile Diving Salvage Unit (MDSU) 2 on a dive training operations conducted on multiple U.S. Navy sunken military craft."This is an excellent opportunity for two commands with a shared interest in underwater operations to work collaboratively. MDSU-2 divers are

Aug. 4, 2016

Savage Coating: NHHC Conservators Team With USNA to Solve a History Mystery

The remains of Royal Savage, approximately 50 timbers and 1300 artifacts, were excavated in the 1930s and brought to the Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) Underwater Archaeology (UA) Branch in July 2015. Most of the Royal Savage artifacts were removed from Lake Champlain more than 80 years ago and received only minimal treatment which

Aug. 4, 2016

NHHC Surveys for Lost Naval Aircraft

From July 25 to Aug. 3, 2016, Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) underwater archaeologists conducted side-scan sonar operations in the Chesapeake Bay and Patuxent River to locate U.S. Navy aircraft lost near Naval Air Station Patuxent River (NAS Pax River) as a continuation of research started in 2015.The focus of the survey is to locate

June 17, 2016

Savage Buttons Reveal Secrets of Revolutionary War Shipwreck

When the Naval History and Heritage Command's Underwater Archaeology and Conservation Laboratory received over 1,000 artifacts from the Revolutionary War shipwreck assemblage of Royal Savage last summer, conservators recognized that a number of these artifacts were personal effects of the sailors and officers who sailed aboard the