This Day in Naval History – May 24

1917 - First U.S. convoy to cross North Atlantic during World War I leaves Hampton Roads, VA

1918 - USS Olympia anchors at Kola Inlet, Murmansk, Russia, to protect refugees during Russian Revolution

1939 - First and only use of VADM Allan McCann's Rescue Chamber to rescue 33 men from sunken USS Squalus (SS-192)

1941 - Authorization of construction or acquisition of 550,000 tons of auxiliary shipping for Navy

1945 - Fast carrier task force aircraft attack airfields in southern Kyushu, Japan

1945 - 9 US ships damaged by concentrated kamikaze attack off Okinawa

1961 - USS Gurke notices signals from 12 men from Truk who were caught in a storm, drifted at sea for 2 months before being stranded on a island for 1 month. USS Southerland investigated, notified Truk, and provided provisions and supplies to repair their outrigger canoe. The men would be picked up on 7 June by the motor launch Kaselehlia.

1962 - Launch of Aurora 7 (Mercury 7), piloted by LCDR Malcolm Scott Carpenter, USN, who completed 3 orbits in 4 hours, 56 minutes at an altitude up to 166.8 statute miles at 17,549 mph. He was picked up by HSS-2 helicopters from USS Intrepid (CVS-11). The capsule was recovered by USS John R. Pierce (DD-753).

(Source: Navy News Service)