Scuttle the Fleet artwork

Scuttle the Fleet

16 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 4 ratings

A naval history podcast where we explore the act of scuttling ships and fleets as well as amphibious landings through our 2nd podcast, Beachhead. Each episode is a look at a historical event where naval power was intentionally scuttled for strategic reasons. Also with beachhead, we look at amphibious invasions and assaults!

History scuttle scuttling naval history navy ships maritime history sinking sinking ships naval fleet scapa flow
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Episodes

Interview with Game Designer Gina Willis

October 12, 2021 13:00 - 41 minutes - 28.3 MB

I had the distinct privilege to interview Gina Willis, journalist and game designer of several games coming in 2022 including A Glorious Chance: The Naval Struggle for Lake Ontario in the War of 1812, which I cannot wait to get my hands on. We cover topics like her journalism career, diversity, solo gaming, designing war games and so much more. She was an absolute joy and I know you will love Gina's energy and stories. I very much look forward to having her back next year when some of her ga...

Interview with Edward Hagerty and Timothy Heck

July 28, 2021 13:00 - 37 minutes - 25.5 MB

I had the pleasure to interview Timothy Heck, Deputy Directing Editor of the Modern War Institute at the United States Military Academy (West Point) and co-editor of the fantastic On Contested Shores: The Evolving Role of Amphibious Operations in the History of Warfare. This must have book is a collection of papers on amphibious operations throughout history as well as the future of amphibious operations and what that holds with regards to tech, personnel, great power competition, etc. If yo...

Interview with historian and author Dr. Stephen R. Taaffe

June 10, 2021 22:00 - 24 minutes - 16.9 MB

In this episode I had the privilege to chat with Stephen R. Taaffe, professor of history at Stephen F. Austin State University. He is an outstanding author of several military history books including one I reviewed on scuttlethefleet.com entitled Commanding Lincoln's Navy: Union Naval Leadership During the Civil War. His new book, Commanding the Pacific: Marine Corps Generals in World War II  drops 15 September (hit that pre-order link below). We touch on a a few subjects like leadership, th...

Assault at Aboukir Bay 1801

May 25, 2021 14:00 - 29 minutes - 19.9 MB

Super pumped about our first interview (yay less of my voice and more of others). For the Assault on Aboukir Bay in 1801, we turn to fellow 'history enthusiast' Jon Haas as he breaks down the British operation against the French in Egypt. In this interview we cover operation prep, the amphibious assault and the ramifications historically of the assault at Aboukir for the war writ large. We also talk about what a stud Sir Ralph Abercromby was and the lengths he went to make this operation a (...

2nd Assault on Fort Fisher 1865

April 13, 2021 22:00 - 25 minutes - 17.8 MB

Huzzah! It's our first episode of Beachhead in the Scuttle the Fleet network! Today we tackle the 2nd Assault on Fort Fisher and the lessons learned from the failure of the first assault. This is a great primer into what a successful amphibious invasion looks like and what led to its success. Plus we talk about Commodores because #CommodoresAreCool We also launched our website! Check us out at scuttlethefleet.com for book reviews, after action reports from our war-games, updates on the Frenc...

Internment, Scuttling, Admiral von Reuter and Scapa Flow Part III

March 16, 2021 20:00 - 29 minutes - 20 MB

The time has come for Admiral Ludwig von Reuter (a former Commodore because #CommodoresAreCool) and the German High Seas Fleet to make some tough decisions. Do they hand over their ships or deny the enemy the privilege and give Germany one last moral history? (Spoiler Alert: they denied the enemy their ships). What happened that fateful day in June and were any ships saved?  Follow us on twitter @FleetScuttle Thx as always to Faux/Fox for the theme music.   

Thomas Tingey and the Burning of the Washington Navy Yard 1814

February 24, 2021 22:00 - 22 minutes - 15.3 MB

How about a Bonus episode! And on the Commandant of a shipyard! Done and done! Why so many !!!!! Because bonus episodes are exciting!  Join us as we take a quick break from WW1 and jump into the life of Thomas Tingey, Commandant of the Washington Navy Shipyard and one of the key pillars of the development and maintenance of the early US Navy. He also oversaw the burning of the shipyard when the British invaded Washington D.C in 1814.  During his tenure he also saw the outfitting of ships for...

Battle of Jutland and Scapa Flow Part II

February 16, 2021 21:00 - 31 minutes - 22 MB

What does the Battle of Jutland have to do with the scuttling of the High Seas Fleet at Scapa Flow? The largest naval engagement of WWI highlights some of the challenges the British faced but also the uphill battle the German Navy faced in the overall strategy of WWI that would eventually lead to internment and scuttling. The U-boat war, new technologies and the failure of the German Navy to inflict quantifiable damage to the British Fleet led to Jellicoe being unfairly viewed in naval histo...

German High Seas Fleet and Scapa Flow Part I

January 13, 2021 02:00 - 35 minutes - 24.1 MB

A new German Kaiser and his ambitious Admiral, a global sea power in Britain seen as an eventual rival, the strategic publication of Admiral Mahan, and technological breakthroughs in sub and air power along with the launching of the HMS Dreadnought lead us into WWI. Under studied in history, the naval battles of WWI provide an incredible look at national naval strategies up to the Battle of Jutland, naval power in emerging powers as a whole and the eventual scuttling of the German Imperial F...

War of the Pacific 1879-81 and the Scuttling of the Peruvian Navy

December 08, 2020 15:00 - 30 minutes - 21.2 MB

The War of the Pacific had a little bit of everything. A legendary ship conducting raiding missions and disrupting an entire navy's resources until they could find her, multiple amphibious assaults and landings, the latest in naval warfare technology and IRONCLADS (to name a few)! Oh and of course the scuttling of a fleet! Peru, Bolivia and Chile would engage in a war over *checks notes* a 10 cent tax that would elevate Chile to new heights in naval power and sink (literally) Peruvian naval ...

Yorktown and Cornwallis' Lost Fleet

November 24, 2020 00:00 - 20 minutes - 14.2 MB

We look at the Allied Forces strategic attack on General George Cornwallis' forces at Yorktown which effectively ended the War for American Independence. In trying to keep the Allied forces at bay, Cornwallis sunk his own fleet in efforts to hold off the siege and prevent those armaments from falling into enemy hands.  These ships are still being found today in the waters of the York River in Virginia to the delight of the naval history and archaeology community. Check us out on twitter @Fle...

Toulon 1942 Part II and Vichy France

November 13, 2020 03:00 - 35 minutes - 24.3 MB

Vichy France is a dark time in the history of France and the scuttling of the French Fleet at Toulon added bleakness to the French people. But the heroism of not allowing the fleet to fall into German hands by the French sailors, despite most of their fleet commanders lack of leadership, cannot be denied. They acted with bravery in the face of the enemy and history will record their actions as admirable! We explore the actions of Gabriel Auphan, Francois Darlan, and Jean de Laborde and how a...

Toulon 1942 Part I and Operation Catapult

October 14, 2020 00:00 - 16 minutes - 11.4 MB

Our first series within this series! #meta Part I of of this two part look at the scuttling of the French Fleet at Toulon looks at Operation Catapult and the British attack at Mers-el-Kebir. What led to the attack and what forces were used and why? Also this passion project was inspired by a book on this very scuttling and would be a great mini-series (next project perhaps)? Bonus: a quick epilogue to Episode 2 on Cortes. Follow us on twitter @FleetScuttle

Hernan Cortes' Expeditionary Force and the Caravel

September 22, 2020 21:00 - 23 minutes - 16.4 MB

This episode explores Hernan Cortes and what really happened to his expeditionary fleet in 1519. Did he burn his ships and what can history, his personal desires and circumstances as well as modern archaeology tell us about this act? We also look at the ship, the Caravel, that more than likely took Cortes and his forces into modern day Mexico.  Visit Nina & Pinta Caravels at ninapinta.org or @ColumbusShips to learn more about these vessels.

Scuttling of the Ochakov and the Crimean Annexation

September 09, 2020 15:00 - 30 minutes - 21.2 MB

In March 2014 Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula touching off a diplomatic, military, and human crisis that still resonates in today's global landscape. Moving swiftly to gain strategic access points throughout the theater of operations, the Black Sea Fleet scuttled the Ochakov to give itself a strategic naval edge in the Black Sea. This episode looks at that operation and the aftermath of the scuttling of the missile cruiser Ochakov. 

Scuttle the Fleet Trailer

September 09, 2020 15:00 - 47 seconds - 576 KB

Welcome to Scuttle Fleet podcast! Que es Scuttle the Fleet podcast? Enjoy this quick trailer on what you can expect and what the podcast is all about!