Eric Wertheim is a defense consultant, columnist, and author specializing in naval and maritime affairs. Frequently interviewed by the news media, he has served as a speechwriter for Pentagon officials and a consultant to private industry and the U.S. government. He has been a columnist for Proceedings magazine since 1994. He lives in the Washington D.C. area.

Articles by Eric Wertheim

Broadside view of the USS Van Valkenburgh (DD-656) at sea

USS Van Valkenburgh (DD-656)

By Eric Wertheim
December 2002
Launched on 19 December 1943, the Fletcher (DD-445)-class destroyer USS Van Valkenburgh (DD-656) was commissioned on 2 August 1944. On 27 October 1944, she transited the Panama Canal and arrived ...
Aerial port bow view of the USS Threadfin (SS-410) underway in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

USS Threadfin (SS-410)

By Eric Wertheim
October 2002
Built by the Portsmouth Navy Yard, the USS Threadfin (SS-410) was commissioned on 30 August 1944. On 25 December, the Threadfin left Hawaii for her first war patrol, arriving in ...
Port bow view of the USS Menard (APA-201) underway, circa 1954, off Point Loma, San Diego, Californi

USS Menard (APA-201)

By Eric Wertheim
August 2002
Launched on 11 October 1944, the attack transport Menard (APA-201) was commissioned on 31 October 1944. The Menard arrived in mid-March 1945 at Leyte Gulf, where she prepared for the ...
Aerial view of the USS Albany (CA-123) at sea

USS Albany (CA-123/CG-10)

By Eric Wertheim
June 2002
The heavy cruiser USS Albany (CA-123) was the fourth U.S. warship to bear the Albany name. She was built by the Bethlehem Steel Company and launched on 30 June 1945 ...
USS Whitley (AKA-91) anchored at sea

USS Whitley (AKA-91)

By Eric Wertheim
April 2002
Launched on 22 June 1944, the attack cargo ship Whitley (AKA-91) was commissioned into service on 21 September 1944. She soon sailed with cargo for Hawaii, arriving there on 27 ...
USS Monssen (DD-798) showing it's starboard bow

USS Monssen (DD-798)

By Eric Wertheim
February 2002
Commissioned on 14 February 1944, the USS Monssen (DD-798) was destined for a life of action. She began rehearsals for the Marianas campaign in May 1944 and, arriving off Saipan ...
USS Salamaua (CVE-96) underway.

USS Salamaua (CVE-96)

By Eric Wertheim
August 2001
Originally named Anguilla Bay (ACV-96), the USS Salamaua (CVE-96) was reclassified as an escort carrier on 15 July 1943, receiving the name Salamaua in November 1943 for the New Guinea ...

USS Trumpetfish (SS-425)

By Eric Wertheim
June 2001
The Balao (SS-285)-class submarine USS Trumpetfish (SS-425) was commissioned into service with the U.S. Navy on 29 January 1946. Though she missed the end of World War II by a ...

USS Somers (DD-381)

By Eric Wertheim
April 2001
The USS Somers (DD-381) was the fifth U.S. fighting ship to bear the Somers name. Launched on 13 March 1937 and commissioned on 1 December of the same year, she ...
USS Ashland (LSD-1) underway at sea.

USS Ashland (LSD-1)

By Eric Wertheim
February 2001
The dock landing ship Ashland (LSD-1) was the first of a new class of amphibious warships. Commissioned on 5 June 1943, she was sent to Pearl Harbor in August. The ...
USS Drayton (DD-366) underway off the coast of Mare Island

USS Drayton (DD-366)

By Eric Wertheim
December 2000
The second U.S. warship to bear the name Drayton was a destroyer built by Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. Commissioned on 1 September 1936, the USS Drayton (DD-366) underwent ...
A broadside view of the light cruiser USS Atlanta (CL-104) at anchor.

Atlanta (CL-104/IX-304)

By Eric Wertheim
October 2000
The fourth U.S. warship to bear the name Atlanta (CL-104) was a light cruiser launched on 6 February 1944. She arrived in Norfolk, Virginia, after completing her shake-down cruise and ...