US Navy 020627-N-0382M-001 Battenberg Cup presentation aboard ship

The Battenberg Cup is an award given annually as a symbol of operational excellence to the best ship or submarine in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

Atlantic Fleet. The cup was originally awarded as a trophy to the winner of cutter or longboat rowing competitions between crews of

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and

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

naval ships. In more recent years it has been presented to the Battle Efficiency "E" winner selected as the best all-around ship of the Fleet based on crew achievements. These include performance in competition for Atlantic Fleet Sportsmanship Award, TYCOM Sailor of the Year Award, Golden Anchor Award (for retention),

Captain Edward F. Ney Memorial Award The Captain Edward F. Ney Award for food-service excellence is given to the best US Navy galleys among those that earn a five-star rating from a Navy evaluation team. The Secretary of the Navy and the International Food Service Executives Associ ...

(for food service), and command excellence awards. Other information, such as operating schedules, commitments and unusual factors contributing to the nomination may also be considered.

History

In 1905,

Prince Louis of Battenberg Admiral of the Fleet Louis Alexander Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Milford Haven, (24 May 185411 September 1921), formerly Prince Louis Alexander of Battenberg, was a British naval officer and German prince related by marriage to the British ...

, commanding the five ships of the Royal Navy's 2nd Cruiser Squadron, visited the

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, making port visits in

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, Annapolis and

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

Shortly after his return to England, Battenberg sent the cup to Rear Admiral Robley Evans who at the time commanded the US North Atlantic Fleet. Battenberg requested the trophy become a challenge cup between enlisted men of the two navies. The challenge rules were set up for cutter racing, including a provision that British sailors could compete with their American counterparts "whenever a ship holding the cup would fall in with a British Man-O-War." Only once in 34 years of competition (in 1907 during the

Jamestown Exposition The Jamestown Exposition was one of the many world's fairs and expositions that were popular in the United States in the early part of the 20th century. Commemorating the 300th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown in the Virginia Colony, it w ...

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) and 52 challenges did the Americans lose the cup to the British. The rowing competition was discontinued due to

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

and never resumed. The cup was present at the

attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii ...

on 7 December 1941 aboard , the last ship to win the cup. It survived the sinking of the ''West Virginia'' during the attack and remained aboard as she was raised, refitted and returned to the war. The ship retained custody of the cup until her decommissioning in 1947 when the cup was displayed at several Navy commands. It was eventually placed in the Navy Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. until the competition reemerged in 1978 with new criteria. The side of the , silver-plated cup is engraved, ''"To the enlisted men of the North Atlantic Fleet from their British cousins of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron. In grateful remembrance of the many kindnesses, tokens of good fellowship and wonderful entertainments that were given to them in cordial friendship by their comrades across the sea."'' It features the crossed

ensigns An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...

of the US Navy and Royal Navy.

Winners

*2021 - *2020 - *2019 – *2018 – *2017 – *2016 – *2015 – *2014 – *2013 – *2012 – *2011 – *2010 – *2009 – *2008 – *2007 – *2006 – *2005 – *2004 – *2003 – *2002 – *2001 – *2000 – *1999 – *1998 – *1997 – *1996 – *1995 – *1994 – *1993 – *1992 – *1991 – *1988 – *1986 – *1985 – *1983 – *1982 – *1980 – *1979 – *1978 – *1978 – *1941–1977 – NO AWARD Battenberg Cup whaleboat race at Pearl Harbor in 1939

Battenberg Cup whaleboat race at Pearl Harbor in 1939

*1940 – *1939 – *1937 – *1936 – *1935 – *1934 – USS Arizona (BB-39) whaleboat crew with Battenberg Cup 1931

*1931 – *1929 – *1928 October – *1928 March – *1927 October – *1920 – *1919 – *1918 – Stillwell, ''Arizona'', 31. *1909 – *1907 – *1906 –

References

Bibliography

* Stillwell, Paul. ''Battleship Arizona; An Illustrated History''. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1991. . {{oclc, 23654474. Awards established in 1905 American awards Awards and decorations of the United States Navy 1905 establishments in the United States