# mutinies in U.S. Navy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 27, 2003, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mutinies-in-u-s-navy/177693 "2003-05-27T03:21:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Francis\_E\_Dec\_Esq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/48db29/32.png) [@Francis\_E\_Dec\_Esq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_E_Dec_Esq)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mutinies-in-u-s-navy/177693/1 "2003-05-27T03:21:16Z")
Have there been any mutinies in the U.S. Navy? I’m sure that if there were any _successful_ ones, we would have heard of them. But what about attempts? Mare Island doesn’t count. Ship mutinies only, please. ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mutinies-in-u-s-navy/177693/2 "2003-05-27T03:32:41Z")
I remember that in the introduction to Herman Wouk’s _The Caine Mutiny_, the remarkable statement is made that there has never been a mutiny aboard a U.S. Navy ship. I don’t recall any ship’s mutinies in the fifty years since that book was written. It’s not hard facts, but it is a place to start. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mutinies-in-u-s-navy/177693/3 "2003-05-27T03:51:50Z")
Here’s another interesting place to start: [http://www.usna.edu/Admissions/history/homepage.htm](http://www.usna.edu/Admissions/history/homepage.htm) ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mutinies-in-u-s-navy/177693/4 "2003-05-27T04:38:12Z")
As far as I know, the [Brig Somers](http://www.history.navy.mil/wars/somers.htm) is the only mutiny in U.S. Navy history. ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_E\_Dec\_Esq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/48db29/32.png) [@Francis\_E\_Dec\_Esq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_E_Dec_Esq)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mutinies-in-u-s-navy/177693/5 "2003-05-27T05:16:01Z")
Thanks for the links! When I was in the Navy, the topic of mutiny was taboo aboard ship. Since according to the [Uniform Code of Military Justice](http://www.constitution.org/mil/ucmj19970615.htm), the letter of the law leaves open the possibility of being executed just for _advising_ someone to mutiny. So as a bored and curious seaman, I could never ask a shipmate, “Hey, do you know if there’s ever a been a mutiny in the US Navy?” for fear of a passerby overhearing the word “mutiny” out of context. Well, actually I did ask it once, in hushed tones, and the response received was, “Holy shit, man! Don’t talk about that.” ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mutinies-in-u-s-navy/177693/6 "2003-05-27T05:20:35Z")
That kind of prohibition on requesting a factual answer to a valid query is unethical, immoral, and–most important–illegal, Francis. ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_E\_Dec\_Esq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/48db29/32.png) [@Francis\_E\_Dec\_Esq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_E_Dec_Esq)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mutinies-in-u-s-navy/177693/7 "2003-05-27T14:42:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Monty \* > \*\*That kind of prohibition on requesting a factual answer to a valid query is unethical, immoral, and–most important–illegal, Francis. \*\* It wasn’t like it was an _official_ prohibition, just an unwritten rule. Nobody _wanted_ to talk about it. Your shipmates aren’t obligated to give you the time of day if it isn’t in the course of their duties. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mutinies-in-u-s-navy/177693/8 "2003-05-27T15:09:47Z")
In other words: the story you relate is just that–a story.