The 20 Most Incredible Facts About the US Navy

As one of the world’s most formidable fighting forces, the United States Navy is rightfully feared worldwide. Even though the navy doesn’t have the most ships compared to China or Russia, there is no question the US Navy has some of the most technologically advanced ships with more firepower in a single vessel than most nations can summon with its entire naval fighting force. 

Of course, while we know the United States Navy to be impressive and formidable, there are likely plenty of facts most Americans don’t know about this military branch. For example, did you know the US Navy was officially founded as the Continental Navy in 1775 or that George Washington was the first naval commander? 

20. Weather Prediction 

• Source: The Weather Factor by David Howarth

One of the first opportunities to use a computer to predict weather patterns was during World War II. The Harvard Mark I, one of the world’s first supercomputers, helped predict weather conditions to determine the ideal timing for the US to begin its D-Day invasion of France. 

19. Potatoes Away!

• Source: Naval History and Heritage Command

During the Second World War, the USS O’Bannon repelled an attack by a Japanese submarine by throwing potatoes at the crew. Confusing the potatoes for grenades, the O’Bannon successfully repelled the attack. 

18. First Aircraft Carrier Strike

• Source: National Museum of the US Navy

The United States Navy first carried out a land-based attack from an aircraft carrier during the well-known Doolittle Raid in 1942. Launched from the USS Hornet, this mission aimed to prove that the US could strike the heart of the Japanese mainland. 

17. Mind Your P’s And Q’s

• Source: Rriveter.com

As a term, there is a good chance an authority figure has told you at least once to “Mind your P’s and Q’s.” This US Navy term was initially coined by barkeepers concerned about service members minding their “Pints” and Quarts” while keeping a running bar tab. 

16. Star Trek

Did you know the original pitch for the original Star Trek TV show was named the USS Yorktown? However, Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry renamed the now-famous spaceship for the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier after its maiden voyage in 1962. As a result, the USS Enterprise began its five-year mission to boldly go where no one had been before. 

15. TOPGUN Is Real

• Source: Mental Floss

Everything you learned in the original Tom Cruise film TOPGUN was factual, for the most part. What is true is that the TOPGUN academy was developed during the Vietnam War, when the Navy saw disappointing pilot performance in air-to-air combat against the North Vietnamese. It established the TOPGUN program, and by the end of the war, the US Navy reduced its kill-to-loss ratio by one-third. 

14. Secret Underwater Network

• Source: Wikipedia

Better known as the US Navy’s Sound Surveillance System or SOSUS, this system was also known as Project Caesar. Regardless of its nicknames, this Cold War system was classified until 1991. This oceanic surveillance program began with detecting Soviet nuclear submarines through the Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom straight and terminated around Barbados. 

13. The Seabees

• Source: United States Navy

To support the United States Navy wherever it might find itself, this military branch has its very own construction force known as the “Seabees.” This group can build roads, bridges, logistics bases, airfields, and bunkers anywhere in the world and serves under the motto “We Build, We Fight.” 

12. United States Marine Corps

• Source: Department of the Navy

A notable fact about the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps is that both military branches serve under the Department of the Navy. This has made these two branches sister services since 1834, and although the branches are independently operated, they remain under the control of the same department. 

11. Secretary of the Navy

• Source: Flags.com

US Navy ships have some truly unique names that you might think would be chosen by a committee, but the Secretary of the Navy is responsible for naming all Navy ships. In 1862, Congress established Title 13 Section 1351 of the US Code, which made the Secretary responsible for naming all naval vessels. 

10. Larget Fleet

• Source: Flags.com

While the US Navy isn’t the largest in the world in terms of the number of ships, it has 11 aircraft carriers, 15 cruisers, 74 destroyers, 25 frigates, 68 nuclear submarines, and an active-duty roster of 336,000 personnel with another 101,000 in Ready Reserve. The US is on top when you look at the size of world navies by pure tonnage. 

9. Five Cities

• Source: American Legion

One incredible fact about the origin of the US Navy is that five cities claim to be the birthplace of this military branch. Beverly, Massachusetts; Marblehead, Massachusetts; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Whitehall, New York; and Providence, Rhode Island, all claim to be the birthplace of the Navy. Unfortunately, this is unlikely to be decided as the Navy has refused to weigh in on the debate. 

8. History’s Largest Battle

• Source: History.com

History’s largest naval battle occurred during World War II, known as the Battle of Leyte Gulf. As ranked by ship tonnage, the US had 32 carriers, 12 battleships, 24 cruises, 140 destroyers, and 1,500 planes against the Japanese fleet of four aircraft carriers, nine battleships, 19 cruisers, 36 destroyers, and hundreds of planes. The US won the battle, widely considered a turning point in the war for Japan and its quest to control much of the Pacific Ocean. 

7. Precise Time

• Source: US Naval Observatory Records

Many people don’t know that the US Navy currently maintains its own time standard. Known as the US Naval Observatory Master Clock, it provides a precise time to GPS satellites and many computer networks worldwide. 

6. Navy Operations

• Source: IBVI.org

As one of the largest navies in the world, the United States Navy currently operates in every major body of water around the globe. This includes the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans, as well as the Mediterranean Sea, Persian Gulf, and Horn of Africa. 

5. USS Arizona

• Source: USS Arizona Memorial

This is going to shock some people, but the USS Arizona, which was famously sunk during the Pearl Harbor attack, was named as such four years before Arizona became a state in 1916. 

4. Submarine Service

• Source: USO.org

One fun fact about the US Navy’s submarine fleet is that anyone serving on board is doing so voluntarily. The reason it’s entirely voluntary is because of the “claustrophobic and technical nature” of working on a submarine. 

3. Outnumbered War

• Source: United States Navy

It would come as a surprise, but during the War of 1812 against the British, the US Navy only had 16 ships. Yes, just 16 ships in its fleet against the 600-strong British Navy. 

2. Six US Presidents

• Source: United States Navy

Six US presidents have served in the Navy (all in World War II) throughout US history, including every president between 1961 and 1993, except Ronald Regan, who was a Navy veteran. The presidents include John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson. 

1. Disbanded After Revolutionary War

• Source: US Navy History and Heritage Command

Did you know that the United States Navy, then known as the Continental Navy, was disbanded in 1785 to save costs? This disbandment wouldn’t last as the Navy was officially re-established in 1794 to combat piracy across the seas and protect American trade routes.

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