May 18

Naval History – May 18

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From the Navy News Service

1775 – Benedict Arnold captures British sloop and renames her Enterprise, first of many famous ships with that name.
1798 – Appointment of Benjamin Stoddert as first Secretary of the Navy.
1969 – Launch of Apollo 10, dress rehearsal for first lunar landing mission. Navy Cmdr. John W. Young was the command module pilot and Navy Cmdr. Eugene A. Cernan was the lunar module pilot.

For more information about naval history, visit the Naval Historical Center Web site at http://www.history.navy.mil.

May 18

Daily Navy Photo: USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112)

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The future USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112), and the final ship of the original 62-ship procurement of the DDG 51 class shipbuilding program, successfully completed a combined builder's and acceptance super trial after spending four days underway in the Atlantic Ocean. Because of the maturity of the class, the Navy holds only one round of trials on each ship prior to delivery, instead of separate builder's and acceptance trials. This super trial requires less time, fuel and manpower than the typical method. During the trial, Bath Iron Works and the U.S. Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey tested the ship's weapons, communications, and propulsion systems as well as conducting several other inspections including habitability, water purification and food preparation. The new destroyer honors the late Lt. Michael P. Murphy, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions as leader of a Navy SEAL team in Afghanistan. A commissioning ceremony will be held for the ship in New York City in October. (U.S. Navy photo courtesy of General Dynamics Bath Iron Works/Released)