This Day In Naval History: August 4
1790 - The Revenue Cutter Service is established by Congress, authorizing the construction of 10 vessels to enforce federal tariff and trade laws and prevent smuggling. The service receives its present name, U.S. Coast Guard, in 1915 under an act of Congress that merges the Revenue Cutter Service with the Life-Saving Service, thereby providing the nation with a single maritime service dedicated to saving life at sea and enforcing the nation's maritime laws.
1846 - During the Mexican-American War, Marines and Sailors led by Commodore Robert Stockton from the frigate USS Congress land to capture Santa Barbara, Calif.
1898 - During the Spanish-American War, USS Monterey (BM 6) becomes the first monitor to cross the Pacific, reaching Manila Bay, Philippines, from San Francisco, Calif.
1939 - USS Yorktown (CV 5) and USS Enterprise (CV 6) use hydraulic flush-deck catapults to launch SBC-3 and O3U-3 aircraft from flight and hangar deck catapults.
1943 - The first Navy Expert Pistol Shot Medal is awarded to a woman, Ensign Rosalie Thorne, USNR. She scores 211 out of 240 to qualify.
1943 - A radar-equipped Catalina PBY carries out predawn bombing of a submarine base and main Japanese camp area on Kiska. The Catalina also drops 92 empty beer bottles (for the disconcerting whistling effect they produce) on those targets. Also on this date, USS Finback (SS 230) sinks Japanese cargo ship Kaisho Maru in the Java Sea off the north coast of Java while USS Seadragon (SS 194) damages Japanese transport Kembu Maru east of Ponape.
(Source: Naval History and Heritage Command, Communication and Outreach Division)
