Jamie McTrusty
LightNews LightNews
banner
jamiemctrusty.bsky.social
Jamie McTrusty
@jamiemctrusty.bsky.social
2.6K followers 54 following 4.9K posts
Posts on (mostly) Second World War aviation and naval history. See ALT text for picture credits and additional information!
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
jerijerod14.bsky.social
So who did fire the first naval shots of the First World War?

open.substack.com/pub/jerijero...
Who shot first?
Austro-Hungarian river monitors
open.substack.com
January 29, 2026 at 12:30 PM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
oisinmcgann.bsky.social
I've never understood how nobody has ever written a novel about this before, but there was a brief time when the *Irish republican movement* possessed the first fully functional submarine.

Yes, you heard that right.

A short thread . . . 1/

#SpeirGorm #JohnPhilipHolland #Submarine
The full cover, back and front, of my novel, Steel-Plate Subversive. Overall, it’s a deep blue and sea green, the colour of sea at night. On the front, the view is from above, looking down at the deck of a small, steel-grey submarine at night. The hatch in the low-profile turret is open. A bearded white man in a green woollen jumper and brown flat cap is in the open hatch, holding a Thompson submachine gun. He’s lit from below by the red light inside the submarine. The title is vertical, in orange, down the left side, and the tagline is in white, much smaller to the right: ‘Irish revolutionaries, British spies, German mercenaries, and a submarine that shouldn't exist.’ My name is in white at the bottom. The back cover shows the same submarine in the harbour of a small town at night, racing away at speed. The blurb reads: There's something out there in the water. A shaky truce has been established in Ireland's War of Independence. In 1921, as negotiations begin in London to finally free the Irish from British control, a young intelligence agent named Esther Sinclair discovers that a nightmarish weapon has gone missing in France. Akiko Regan and her cousin Liam O'Leary have made their own discovery: Akiko's father, Michael, is the leader of the mysterious rebel group known as the Selkies. Michael is an engineer who trained under the famous John Philip Holland in New Jersey. At the start of the century, Holland's designs had established the submarine fleets of five nations. But the Irishman's very first submarines were built for the Irish republican movement. The Royal Navy have no idea that a Holland vessel has heen operating in the Irish Sea. Michael had hoped to shield Akiko and Liam from the ongoing violence. Now, however, the family find themselves drawn into a crisis that threatens not just their lives but the future of their country. There’s an Arts Council of Ireland logo across from the barcode, to acknowledge funding for the writing of the book.
January 28, 2026 at 1:27 PM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
rnshiplosses.bsky.social
28 Jan 1918 // HM Submarine E.14 was lost to Turkish artillery in the Dardanelles: she was sunk by a Turkish coastal battery when damage caused by one of her own faulty torpedoes forced her to surface. 21 of her 30 crew lost their lives. (Imperial War Museum Q 13843) #RoyalNavy #WW1 #NavalHistory
Royal Navy submarine HMS E14. Imperial War Museum image: Q 13843. Description: a submarine in harbour with her bows to the left, many men on her casing and conning tower, hills in the background and other vessels visible in the distance on the left.
January 28, 2026 at 10:13 PM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
rnshiplosses.bsky.social
28 Jan 1918 // Submarine depot ship HMS Hazard (launched as a torpedo gunboat 1894, converted 1901) was accidentally rammed and sunk by hospital ship SS Western Australia in thick fog in the eastern Solent. Two of her crew lost their lives. (Imperial War Museum Q 75560) #RoyalNavy #WW1 #NavalHistory
HMS Hazard as a torpedo gunboat, early 20th century. She was later converted to the world's first dedicated submarine depot ship. Imperial War Museum image: Q 75560. Description: a warship with two funnels and two masts shown in side view, moving through calm water with her bows to the right, and a shoreline visible behind.
January 28, 2026 at 10:15 PM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
theaviation.show
Taking a moment today to remember the crew of STS-51L, seen here at breakfast before their mission #OTD 40 years ago, who would be killed 73 seconds into their flight.

Left to right: Ellison Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe, Michael J. Smith, Dick Scobee, Judith Resnik, Ron McNair, and Gregory Jarvis.
Original NASA Caption: Crew members of the STS-51L mission are seated for breakfast launch morning in the Operations and Checkout Building prior to liftoff of the space shuttle Challenger scheduled for 9:38 a.m. The launch was scheduled for Jan. 27, 1986, but was delayed 24 hours due to unacceptable cross winds. Crew members left to right are Ellison S. Onizuka, mission specialist; Sharon Christa McAuliffe, payload specialist; Michael J. Smith, pilot; Francis R. Scobee, commander; Judith A. Resnik and Dr. Ronald E. McNair, mission specialists; and Gregory D. Jarvis, payload specialist. EDITOR?S NOTE: The STS-51L crew members lost their lives in the space shuttle Challenger accident moments after launch on Jan. 28, 1986 from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Image NASA 51l-s-029
January 28, 2026 at 12:30 PM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
coldwarhost.bsky.social
OTD January 28 1964 A US Air Force T-39 Sabreliner (62-4448) jet from the 7101st Air Base Wing at Wiesbaden, West Germany, while on a training mission, strays into East German airspace. The T-39 is intercepted by two Soviet MiG-19 fighters and subsequently shot down after failing to respond
Portrait photos of each crewmember killed in the shoot down T-39 Saberliner memorial to the three killed men. A rock in the background. There is a white cross in the foreground with the three men's pictures on it
January 28, 2026 at 1:17 PM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
lydiajane13.bsky.social
Such a fascinating episode to record. Hope you enjoy it!
nmtdambusters.bsky.social NEVER MIND THE DAMBUSTERS @nmtdambusters.bsky.social · 1d
Hello! Ep 62 is out today - another belter! We talk to the fabulous Sean Feast about the Bomber Command attack on Hitler's V-Weapons at Peenemünde
www.buzzsprout.com/2327200/epis...
January 28, 2026 at 8:52 AM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
theaviation.show
Our fab Patreon supporters have access to our second interview filmed in the Flight Gallery at the Science Museum, where @rooneyvision.bsky.social tells the tale of Alcock and Brown, The Big Hop and their Vickers Vimy.

Join us here: www.patreon.com/posts/big-ho...

#aviation #avgeek #histbookchat
January 28, 2026 at 10:09 AM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
dutchspace.bsky.social
Ah crap, NASA WB-57 N927NA just made a gear-up landing at Ellington Field, crew is OK, aircraft not so much... which might be an issue for support Artemis II launch...

Source: www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4da...
January 27, 2026 at 8:01 PM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
dmdash71.bsky.social
Truth is stranger than fiction:

6 April 1945, 1:05pm local time. USS North Carolina (BB-55) is offshore of Okinawa providing fire support and AA cover. While fending off a kamikaze attack, the ship is struck by 5” fire from a friendly destroyer. (1/4) #ww2 #usnavy #navalhistory
January 27, 2026 at 2:50 AM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
theaviation.show
Taking a moment today to remember Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee, who died during the Apollo 1 plugs-out test #OTD in 1967.

This image, taken on 2nd Jan 1967, shows the Apollo 1 prime crew in front of their Apollo Saturn 204 on Launch Complex 34.

Image: NASA 7PC-0016

#NeverForgotten
Original NASA Caption: Astronauts, left to right, Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee, pose in front of Launch Complex 34 which is housing their Saturn 1 launch vehicle. The astronauts are scheduled for the Apollo Saturn 204 (Apollo 1) mission.
January 27, 2026 at 12:30 PM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
rnshiplosses.bsky.social
27 Jan 1942 // Destroyer HMS Thanet, with HMAS Vampire, attacked a Japanese convoy escort of superior force off SE Malaya. Vampire survived the engagement but Thanet was sunk. 65 of her crew survived: 42 died in the sinking or after being taken prisoner by the Japanese. #RoyalNavy #WW2 #NavalHistory
Royal Navy destroyer HMS Thanet photographed on 29 September 1933. Imperial War Museum image: Q 65747. Description: a photograph of a warship with two funnels, viewed from off her port quarter, moored with her bows to the left and buildings visible behind.
January 27, 2026 at 1:01 PM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
coldwarhost.bsky.social
OTD January 27 1961 The S-80, a Project 644 (Whiskey class, twin-cylinder variant), on patrol in the Barents Sea, dives from snorkel depth while running its diesel engines. The valve to close the snorkel intake fails, flooding the diesel engines with sea water. The crew is unable to close the valve
Soviet submarine S-80, Project 644 class (NATO name Whiskey) operating on the surface. B&W photo, view of the stern of the boat recovery ship Karpaty
January 27, 2026 at 1:11 PM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
rnshiplosses.bsky.social
27 Jan 1696 (O.S.) // 100-gun 1st-rate Royal Sovereign (launched 1637 as Sovereign of the Seas, rebuilt and renamed 1661) was accidentally burnt out while laid up in ordinary at Chatham. The cause of the fire was a candle which was left burning unattended in a cabin by one of the watchkeepers. [1/3]
Sovereign of the Seas as built in 1637, in an engraving by John Payne (Public domain: National Maritime Museum via Wikimedia Commons). She was rebuilt under the Commonwealth in 1651 and then rebuilt again in 1661 and renamed Royal Sovereign. By the time she was destroyed by fire her appearance was very different from that depicted here. Description: a side view of a large wooden three-deck sailing warship with sails set and bedecked with flags, sailing out to sea with her bows to the left and land visible behind her stern on the right.
January 27, 2026 at 12:44 PM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
danellin.bsky.social
Pages from an album of photographs taken by LAC Arthur George Standivan following the liberation of Belsen. On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, think about how this happened. Let's try to stop it happening again.
#holocaust #WW2 #HISTORY
Three photographs, one showing sign attached to a tree pointing the way to Belsen. The other two show the sign erected at the entrance, one at distance the other a close up. This sign gives a short description of the purpose of the camp. ENTRANCE BELSEN CAMP WOHLBEKANNTE CONZ – BELSEN BERGEN This is the site of THE INFAMOUS BELSEN CONCENTRATION CAMP liberated by the British on 15 April 1945. 10,000 UNBURIED DEAD WERE FOUND HERE. ANOTHER 13,000 HAVE SINCE DIED. ALL OF THEM VICTIMS OF THE GERMAN NEW ORDER IN EUROPE, AND AN EXAMPLE OF NAZI KULTUR. IBCC Digital Archive item #36430 two photographs, one with three individuals, one with four show some of the female Belsen guards and supervisors. One is marked with a cross, captioned 'Irma Grese, (hanged)'. IBCC Digital Archive item #36413 A number of bodies, one naked, the others covered by blankets. Captioned 'Victims of Belsen, who died later, 35 were dying each day'. IBCC Digital Archive item #36406
January 27, 2026 at 3:21 PM
jamiemctrusty.bsky.social
HMS Nelson (1927), sister ship to HMS Rodney, served throughout the Second World War. She operated with the Home Fleet, in the Mediterranean, off Normandy and finally in the Far East. Nelson was badly damaged on three occasions, twice by mines and once by torpedo.
📷 IWM A 28920
🧵1/10
Aerial forward view of Nelson at sea. She has three prominent triple turrets forward, with her superstructure aft. Multiple anti-aircraft positions are visible.
January 27, 2026 at 9:30 AM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
armouredcarriers.bsky.social
"It just works"
youtu.be/OIf7vLeGa70
Fairey Swordfish | Why pilots loved this "mistake" of an aircraft
YouTube video by Armoured Archivist
youtu.be
January 27, 2026 at 12:58 AM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
courageconquers.bsky.social
Now this is a story I never heard before. Yikes!

#ColdWar #USArmy #nuclearaccident
This E-4's grave is the most dangerous gravesite in the world
In what some have alleged was a murder-suicide, U.S. Army Spc. Richard McKinley moved a nuclear control rod with his bare hands.
www.wearethemighty.com
January 26, 2026 at 8:22 PM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
rnshiplosses.bsky.social
26 Jan 1932 // HM Submarine M2, built as a monitor and converted in 1925 to an experimental submarine aircraft carrier, sank with all hands (60 men) during exercises in Lyme Bay, Dorset. Her wreck was found with the aircraft hangar door open. (Image: Wikimedia Commons) #RoyalNavy #NavalHistory
Royal Navy submarine HMS M2 with her Parnell Peto seaplane. Photograph c.1930, public domain image via Wikimedia Commons. Black and white photograph of a large submarine on the surface, viewed from off the port bow, with a float-equipped biplane being lifted out of a hangar by a large crane.
January 26, 2026 at 6:29 PM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
preachypreach.bsky.social
youtu.be/vhpmXeCp6sc?... no you’ve just spent your Sunday evening watching a training film about how to spot UXBs (genuinely fascinating for illustrating how complicated the system to report and prioritise them was and also how much disruption they could cause just by being there)
U.X.B. | WW2 bomb disposal training film
YouTube video by Armoured Archivist
youtu.be
January 25, 2026 at 9:42 PM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
nuclearwar.bsky.social
💥NEW EPISODE

Harold Macmillan: Pressing the Button
Atomic Hobo: Harold Macmillan, Part 4: Pressing the Button
How would Harold Macmillan have ordered nuclear retaliation?Join us at www.patreon.com/atomichobo for ad-free listening and bonus episodes.The books and articles I used in this episode are listed b...
pod.fo
January 26, 2026 at 11:56 AM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
theaviation.show
It takes a village to go Mach 2. This is the support for Scott Crossfield's (standing at the nose of the Skyrocket) Mach 2 flight in the Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket on November 20, 1953. You have a P2B-1S dropship, a couple of F-86 Sabre chase planes and a huge team on the ground.

#avgeek #aviation
Original NASA Caption: These people and this equipment supported the flight of the NACA D-558-2 Skyrocket at the High-Speed Flight Station at South Base, Edwards AFB. Note the two Sabre chase planes, the P2B-1S launch aircraft, and the profusion of ground support equipment, including communications, tracking, maintenance, and rescue vehicles. Research pilot A. Scott Crossfield stands in front of the Skyrocket. Image: NASA E-1152 Date Created:1954-01-17
January 26, 2026 at 1:01 PM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
curatorian.bsky.social
Ah, an ele-copter.
oddthisday.bsky.social Coates is Odd This Day @oddthisday.bsky.social · 3d
In anniversary news which I can’t quite verify, it may be 39 years (possibly more) since the Indian Air Force dressed their helicopters up as elephants for Republic Day
Two b/w images of Indian Air Force helicopters – top image shows two , bottom image shows one close up. They have been hung with richly decorated textiles, complete with four hollow ‘legs’, two massive ‘ears’, a pair of ‘tusks’, and a massive ‘trunk’
January 26, 2026 at 10:07 AM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
rnshiplosses.bsky.social
25 Jan 1917 // Armed merchant cruiser HMS Laurentic (ex White Star SS Laurentic) was sunk by German mines north-west of Ireland. All 475 on board were evacuated safely but spent many hours in lifeboats, during which 354 died of exposure. (Imperial War Museum Q 50278) #RoyalNavy #WW1 #NavalHistory
White Star liner SS Laurentic in an undated photograph, port side profile view, at anchor with the shore and buildings visible in the background. She was sunk north-west of Ireland by German mines on 25 January 1917 (original caption to this photograph gives the date incorrectly as 23 January 1917) while in Royal Navy service as HMS Laurentic. Imperial War Museum image: Q 50278.
January 25, 2026 at 5:16 PM
Reposted by Jamie McTrusty
theaviation.show
Name an aircraft with no bad lines on it.

For me, the SR-71 has to be up there. This is an SR-71B at sundown at Beale AFB, with a maintainer carrying some high-tech equipment to keep this Blackbird in the air.

#avgeek #aviation #beauty

Image: NARA 6438040
This image shows an SR-71B at sundown at Beale AFB, with a maintainer carrying some high-tech equipment to keep this Blackbird in the air. The aircraft is silhouetted against a setting sun that lights up the sky in streaks of colour.
January 25, 2026 at 12:31 PM