This Day In Naval History: September 8

1858 - The sloop-of-war USS Marion captures the American slave ship Brothers off the southeast coast of Africa.

 

1923 - At Honda Point, Calif., seven destroyers are run aground due to bad weather, strong currents, and faulty navigation. Twenty-three lives are lost during the disaster.

 

1933 - Six consolidated P2Y 1 flying boats of Patrol Squadron 5, under the command of Lt. Cmdr. Herman Halland, make a record formation distance flight of 2.059 miles from Norfolk, Va. to Coco Solo, Canal Zone in 25 hours and 19 minutes.

 

1939 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaims limited national emergency and increases enlisted strength in the Navy and Marine Corps; also authorizes the recall to active duty of officer, men and nurses on the retired lists of the Navy and Marine Corps.

 

1944 - On a daring night attack, USS Spadefish (SS 411) attacks a Japanese convoy off Sakishima Gunto and sinks four Japanese vessels.

 

1954 - The United States signs the Manila Treaty forming the Southeast Asia Treaty (SEATO), which created to block further communist gains and to be a Southeast Asian version of NATO, in which the military forces of each member would be coordinated to provide for the collective defense of the members' country.

 

1958 - Lt. R. H. Tabor, wearing a Navy-developed pressure suit, completes a 72-hour simulated flight at altitudes as high as 139,000 feet. It was another step in the development of the Navy spacesuit, which NASA accepted in 1959 for use by Mercury astronauts.