Bearing Straight

04/06/2026

03/19/2026

03/19/2026

Hello everyone, Jack here. As the Sales and Marketing Manager for the U.S. Naval Institute Press, I often find myself making choices for book covers - specifically the artwork and images used. But for the first time, an original piece of mine was used for a cover - on the new book, Rush to Disaster, coming this fall.

Rush to Disaster reexamines the 1963 loss of USS Thresher—the deadliest nuclear submarine disaster in history—using thousands of pages of newly declassified Naval Court of Inquiry (NCOI) records released through a landmark Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit. Written by a former nuclear commander, the book reveals how Cold War urgency, flawed assumptions, and institutional pressure combined to produce a catastrophe that reshaped submarine safety.

https://www.usni.org/press/books/rush-disaster

12/23/2025

With yesterday's announcement about the Navy's intention to build a new class of Battleships, we thought we'd look back at a discussion from earlier this year - where Jack Russell from the U.S. Naval Institute and Ryan Szimanski from Battleship New Jersey asked: What is a Battleship? Does this new class fit the description; or can a modern Battleship be whatever it wants, so long as its large and well armed?

Iowa Class Battleships

In this episode, we discuss the question - what is a Battleship? While the answer might seem obvious, its not as clear as we'd like to think. Follow us on Fa...

12/07/2025

11/29/2025

In this episode, we follow Emmons to Okinawa in spring 1945, where she and her sister ship Rodman were already dealing with numerous radar contacts and probing aircraft as Operation ICEBERG commenced. What unfolds is one of the most intense destroyer actions of the Pacific War.

This episode explores the dramatic final chapter of USS Emmons, nicknamed “Easy Money,” whose crew had already distinguished themselves on D-Day and all alon...

10/30/2025

Did you know the Corsair flew operationally into the 1970s? The last US Navy Corsairs assigned to a first-line squadron were F4U-5N night fighters with Composite Squadron 4. They served until December 1955. Reserve Navy and Marine squadrons flew Corsairs until August 1957. The French navy’s F4U-7 variant (in the photo below) flew from 1953 to 1964. In 1956, during the Suez Crisis, Corsairs flying from two French carriers bombed Egyptian airfields around Cairo.

New video detailing the Corsair is out now on our channel: https://youtu.be/dPn8fRLSHzQ

08/14/2025

In the Naval Institute archives today with Ryan Szimanski. On the table is a range table for the 18/48 gun, and a previously never before seen blueprint of the tripple 18 inch turret that could have equipped Iowa and Montana class battleships. Video coming soon!

08/06/2025

Portholes Podcast hosts, Jack Russell with U.S. Naval Institute & Ryan Szimanski of Battleship New Jersey give a sneak peak of Paul Stillwell's new book - Battleship New Jersey: The Complete History. Available Now!

07/11/2025

07/08/2025

The US Navy heavy cruiser New Orleans (CA-32) arrived at the Cockatoo Island Dockyard, Sidney, in December, 1942, with 150 ft. of her bow section missing. She had suffered this damage in the Battle of Tassafaronga, in the Guadalcanal area. A false stub bow was fitted in the dockyard so that she could be taken to an American base for permanent repairs.

Nautilus Live has found the missing bow section, watch the live-stream at the link below 👇
https://youtu.be/f26P4HKhwuI?si=PGKWjIjlR5C_eKBf

06/23/2025

LCS's rescuing the men off the sinking USS William D. Porter (DD-579) after the destroyer was hit by a Kamikaze early in June off Okinawa.

Part 4—Victory in 1945, of our "Awakening the Sleeping Giant" series is out now! 👇

https://youtu.be/_vbj6k21rb8?si=mKWqMwZYnl_fUXQv