This Day In Naval History: May 18

1775 - Col. Benedict Arnold captures a British sloop at St. Johns in Quebec, Canada and renames her Enterprise, the first of many famous ships with that name.

1898 - During the Spanish-American War, boat parties from USS St. Louis and USS Wompatuck, under Capt. Caspar F. Goodrich, cut communication cables at Santiago, Cuba.

1902 - Marines and Sailors from the iron-hulled screw steamer, Ranger go ashore at Panama City, Colombia, to protect US citizen lives and property during an insurrection that results in Panamas eventual independence from Colombia on Nov. 3, 1903.

1944 - USS Wilkes (DD 441) and USS Roe (DD 418), carrying the 1st Battalion 163rd Infantry, land on Wakde, off Dutch New Guinea, securing the island and setting up airstrip for the Southwest Pacific offensive.

1951 - USS Duncan (DDR 874), Brinkley Bass (DD 887), and Leonard F. Mason (DD 852) expend 1,100 rounds of 5-inch ammunition at Wonsan, Korea, on interdiction and counter-battery fire. The ships receive heavy fire from shore batteries on Kalma Gak but are not damaged.

1969 - Apollo 10 is launched with Cmdr. John W. Young as command module pilot and Cmdr. Eugene Cernan as the lunar module pilot. The mission is a dress rehearsal for the first lunar landing.


(Source: Naval History and Heritage Command, Communication and Outreach Division)