This Day In Naval History: April 25

 

1914 - In the first use of U.S. Navy aircraft in a combat situation, Lt. j.g. P.N.L. Bellinger made a flight from USS Mississippis aviation unit at Vera Cruz, Mexico, to observe the city and make preliminary search for mines in the harbor.

 

1944 - USS Crevalle (SS 291) sinks Japanese army cargo ship Kashiwa Maru, north of Borneo and USS Guvania (SS 362) sinks Japanese army cargo ship Tetsuyo Maru, northwest of Chichi Jima.

 

1957 - USS Forrestal (CVA 59) and USS Lake Champlain (CVS 39), with accompanying destroyers, enter the Eastern Mediterranean to support King Hussein of Jordans government from a possible coup conspiracy. The planned coup failed.

 

1959 - USS Eversole (DD 789) rescues 14 Chinese Nationalist fishermen from their sinking fishing trawler in the Formosa Strait.

 

1998 - The first-in-class Impeccable (T-AGOS 23), an ocean surveillance ship designed to gather acoustic data, detect and track submarines, is launched from Pascagoula, Miss. The ship is given to Military Sealift Command to be operated by both civilian and military crew members.

 

1998 - The destroyer USS McFaul (DDG 74) is commissioned at Garden City Terminal in Savannah, Ga., before departing for her homeport of Norfolk, Va. The 24th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer is named after Chief Petty Officer Donald L. McFaul, a Navy SEAL who posthumously received the Navy Cross for attempting to save a platoon mate on Dec. 20, 1989, while serving in Panama during Operation Just Cause.

 

2009 - Destroyer USS Truxtun (DDG 103) is commissioned at Naval Weapons Station Charleston, S.C., before cruising to her homeport at Naval Station Norfolk, Va.

 

2009 - Boeings new P8-A Poseidon test jet, a 737-based submarine hunter for the Navy that will replace the P3-C Orion, flies for first flight from Renton, Va., to Boeing Field, Seattle, Wash.