Saturday, June 20, 1874. Life Savers

Congress established the Gold Lifesaving Medal and Silver Lifesaving Medal.  They were originally issued through the Treasury Department, which properly ran the Coast Guard before it was transferred to the Department of Homeland Security, but they may be issued to anyone.

 Joshua James, U.S. Life–Saving Station keeper, credited with saving over 500 lives during his lifetime wearing the medal and other awards.

Last prior edition:

Sunday, June 14, 1874. Calling for an Indian War.

Labels: 1870s, 1874, Indian Wars, North Dakota, The Press, War

The German Naval Attack on Orleans, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. July 21, 1918.

On this day in 1918 the large U-156 surfaced off of Orleans, Massachusetts and took shots at the tugboat Perth Amboy and the four barge it was towing, damaging the barge and sinking all four barges.  The U-boat also shelled the town with its deck guns.

The U156 was a Type 151 German submarine, the same type as this captured example on display in the UK following World War One.  These were abnormally large U-boats that had originally been designed to be merchant blockade runners.  Note the two deck guns.

During the attack, a Surfboat was launched by the United States Life Saving Service, which is now part of the Coast Guard, to rescue the sailors trapped on the tug and the barges and came under shell fire from the submarine as well.

Curtis HS.

Shortly, the Navy dispatched Curtiss HS flying boats and Curtiss Model R bombers from Naval Air Station Chatham and they attacked the submarine.

Curtis Model R dropping a torpedo.

The entire incident was the only example of a German U-boat surfacing to attack a coastal target during the war, let alone bombarding a town.  What exactly the U-boat commander had in mind isn't known, as several weeks later the submarine disappeared with all hands.  Chances are, however, that commanding a large submarine with two deck guns, he simply chose to use them, and fairly successfully at that.

Wednesday, January 20, 1915. Coast Guard and Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge established.

Congress passed the Coast Guard Act, which established the United States Coast Guard by merging United States Life-Saving Service and the United States Revenue Cutter Service.  Overall, the Coast Guard would come to absorb a large number of small maritime services.

It was modeled on the Navy, but part of the Department of the Treasury.  The 1790 date in its seal is the date the United States Revenue Marine Service had been established.

For years it was part of the Department of the Treasury during peacetime, but as wars have become smaller its oddly been the case that the country thought it needed more than than the two original armed services. There are now a total of six, of which the Coast Guard is one.  It's been transferred from the Treasury, where it really should have remained, to the Department of Homeland Security.

Bring back the War Department.

President Wilson established the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge in the State of Washington.

Last edition:

Tuesday, January 19, 1915. Air raid. Neon lights.

Labels: 1910s. 1915, Advertising, British Army, German Army, German East Africa, German Empire, Lighter than air aircraft, technology, World War One