Naval History and Heritage Command

The Union iron screw gunboat Memphis, with acting commander Lt. P.G. Watmough, captures blockade running British steamer Ouachita at sea off Cape Roman, S.C. during the Civil War.

The keel to first electrically-driven battleship USS New Mexico (BB-40) is laid. She is commissioned May 1918, and later provides numerous off-shore bombardments during World War II in the Pacific.

Lt. Cmdr. Knefler McGinnis, Lt. j.g. James K. Averil, NAP Thomas P. Wilkerson and a crew of three fly an XP3Y-1 consolidated patrol plane from Cristobal Harbor, Canal Zone to Alameda, Calif. in 34 hours and 45 minutes and establish a new world record for Class C seaplanes of 3,281.383 miles.

USS Greenling (SS-213) sinks the Japanese army cargo ship Takusei Maru six miles off Todo Saki near the northern coast of Honshu and USS Sculpin (SS-191) sinks the Japanese army cargo ship Sumiyoshi Maru 75 miles southwest of Kavieng, New Ireland.

The 1,200-nautical-mile range Polaris A-1 fleet ballistic missile is retired from service when submarine Abraham Lincoln (SSBN-602) returns to the United States for overhaul and refitting with 2,500-nautical-mile range Polaris A-3s.

Following more than 46 years of honorable naval service, the afloat forward staging base (interim) USS Ponce (AFSB(I) 15) is decommissioned during a ceremony at Naval Station Norfolk.