[Featured image: B-29 “Superfortress” bombers in formation.]
1781: Off the coast of France, the frigate USS Alliance captures two British privateers – the brigs Mars and Minerva – off the coast of France. Alliance’s skipper, Commodore John Barry, holds the distinction of being the first commissioned officer and the first flag officer of the U.S. Navy.
Portrait of Commodore John Barry by V. Zveg. (U.S. Naval Historical Center image)
1865: After a siege lasting 292 days, Union forces under the command of Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant break through the thin Confederate lines in the Third Battle of Petersburg (Va.). 4,000 Union soldiers are killed or wounded while the Confederate defenders lose 5,000 – including the death of corps commander Gen. A.P. Hill.
Following the Union victory, the road to the capital of Richmond is left open; Gen. Robert E. Lee’s army march west while President Jefferson Davis and his government evacuate to Danville. Months of winter in the trenches have worn down Lee’s troops, while Grant’s army is gaining in strength. The Union will capture Richmond and the war is days from ending.
1944: The first B-29 bomber lands in Chakulia, India, destined to serve in the Twentieth Air Force upon its creation in three days. Initially conducting operations from bases in China, Burma, and India, the Twentieth will carry out the strategic bombing against Japanese targets.
1951: Two Grumman F9F-2B “Panthers” from Fighter Squadron 191 (VF-191) catapult from the deck of USS Princeton (CV-37) for an attack on a railroad bridge near Songjin, North Korea – marking the first time the Navy uses jet fighters in a bomber role.
A Navy F9F “Panther” from VF-111 during a Korean War bombing run.
1982: Argentina launches an amphibious invasion of the British-held Falkland Islands. Caught by surprise, the Royal Navy hastily assembles a task force and sails south. In ten weeks, the United Kingdom reclaims their territories, thanks in part to material support from the United States.
