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NEWS | May 10, 2011

This week in Navy History

By Joint Base Charleston Public Affairs

May 8, 1972 - U.S. Navy and Marine Corps aircraft mined Haiphong Harbor in North Vietnam.

May 9, 1926 - Lt. Cmdr. Richard Byrd and Chief Machinist's Mate Floyd Bennett made the first flight over the North Pole; both men received the Medal of Honor.

May 10, 1960 - The United States Navy submarine USS Triton completed a submerged circumnavigation of the world in 84 days, cruising 46,000 miles while following many of the routes taken by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan.

May 11, 1898 - Sailors and Marines from USS Marblehead cut a trans-oceanic cable near Cienfuegos, Cuba, isolating Cuba from Spain.

May 12, 1780 - During the fall of Charleston, S.C, three Continental Navy frigates, the Boston, the Providence, and the Ranger were captured and one American frigate, the Queen of France was sunk to prevent capture.

May 13, 1964 - The first all nuclear-powered task group, consisting of the USS Enterprise, USS Long Beach, and USS Bainbridge deployed to Sixth Fleet.

May 14, 1845 - The first U.S. warship visited Vietnam. While anchored in Danang for re-provisioning, Capt. John Percival, commanding USS Constitution, conducted a show of force against Vietnamese authorities in an effort to obtain the release of a French priest held prisoner by the Emperor of Annam at Hue.