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Arthur P. Fairfield

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Arthur Philip Fairfield
Fairfield while serving as Assistant Chief
of Naval Operations in 1939
Born(1877-10-29)October 29, 1877
Saco, Maine, US
DiedDecember 14, 1946(1946-12-14) (aged 69)
Bethesda, Maryland, US
Place of burial
Arlington National Cemetery
AllegianceUnited States of America
Service / branch United States Navy
Years of service1901–1945
RankVice admiral
CommandsUSS Gregory
USS McDougal
USS Chester
Cruiser Division 7, Scouting Force
Battleship Division Three
Battles / warsSpanish–American War
World War I
World War II
AwardsNavy Cross

Arthur Philip Fairfield (October 29, 1877 – December 14, 1946) was a vice admiral in the United States Navy.

Biography

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Born and raised in Saco, Maine, Fairfield was the son of Rufus Albert Fairfield and Frances Mary Patten and the great-grandson of Maine Governor John Fairfield. From 1892 to 1895, he attended the Thornton Academy.[1][2] From 1895 to 1897, Fairfield studied at Bowdoin College before entering the United States Naval Academy.[3] He served on the protected cruiser Columbia during the Spanish–American War, before graduating from the Naval Academy in 1901.

In World War I, Commander Fairfield commissioned the destroyer Gregory on 1 June 1918,[4] and while commanding the destroyer McDougal earned the award of the Navy Cross for his "prompt and efficient action in contact on September 8 with a submarine which attempted an attack upon a convoy".[5]

Commander Fairfield taught at the United States Naval Academy following World War I, where he compiled a new Naval Academy textbook Naval Ordnance in 1920 for publication in 1921.[6] He was promoted to captain in November 1923.[7]

Captain Fairfield commanded the heavy cruiser Chester from 1930–1932.[8] He then attended the senior class at the Naval War College, graduating in 1933.[9] Fairfield was promoted to rear admiral in September 1934 and given command of Cruiser Division 7, Scouting Force.[10]

In 1936, Fairfield commanded Squadron 40-T, a special temporary squadron, organized to evacuate American nationals from the Spanish Civil War areas. With the light cruiser Raleigh as his flagship Rear Admiral Fairfield sailed with the destroyers Kane and Hatfield and the Coast Guard Cutter Cayuga to Spain, and saved hundreds of Americans.[11]

In 1938–39 Fairfield served as Assistant Chief of Naval Operations,[12] and in 1939–1940, was commander of Battleship Division Three of the United States Fleet.[13]

Fairfield was promoted to vice admiral when he retired on November 1, 1941.[14] He was called back to active duty after the U.S. entered World War II the following month. He served as an advisor to the Maritime Commission, and was Chairman of the Board of Medals and Decorations, among other duties.[15]

Fairfield retired again in 1945, and died on December 14, 1946, at the Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.[1][16] He and his wife Nancy Douglas Duval (1874–1947) are buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.[17]

Namesake

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The Liberty ship, launched in June 1944 as the William Hodson, which served as the Chung Tung under Lend-Lease to the Republic of China, was renamed Arthur P. Fairfield in 1947, then Admiral Arthur P. Fairfield in 1948, while being operated by the American Pacific Steamship Company.[18][19]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Died: Fairfield, Arthur Philip". The Washington Post. December 16, 1946. p. 10. ProQuest 151825344. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  2. ^ Who Was Who in American History – The Military. Marquis Who's Who. 1975. p. 165. ISBN 978-0837932019. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  3. ^ General Catalogue of Bowdoin College and the Medical School of Maine, 1794–1912. Brunswick, Maine: The Record Press. 1912. p. 497. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  4. ^ "USS Gregory". ussgregory.com. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 12 August 2010.
  5. ^ "Military Times Hall of Valor : Awards for Arthur Philip Fairfield". militarytimes.com. Retrieved 12 August 2010.
  6. ^ Fairfield, Arthur P. (1921). Naval Ordnance. Lord Baltimore Press.
  7. ^ Register of the Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. January 1, 1933. p. 16. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  8. ^ "NavSource Online : USS Chester (CL/CA-27)". navsource.org. Retrieved 12 August 2010.
  9. ^ Register of Officers 1884–1977. The United States Naval War College. 1977. p. 45. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  10. ^ Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. July 1, 1935. p. 16. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  11. ^ "Naval History : USS Raleigh (CL-7)". historycentral.com. Retrieved 12 August 2010.
  12. ^ "Lists of Commanding Officers and Senior Officials of the US Navy : Vice Chief of Naval Operations". history.navy.mil. Retrieved 12 August 2010.
  13. ^ "Admirals, 1940". ww2pacific.com. Archived from the original on 12 August 2010. Retrieved 12 August 2010.
  14. ^ Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps (PDF). U.S. Bureau of Naval Personnel. July 1, 1945. p. 515. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  15. ^ "Hearings Regarding Gunnery Duties Before The Committee on The Merchant Marine and Fisheries, House of Representatives, April 4, 1946". usmm.org. Archived from the original on 4 August 2010. Retrieved 12 August 2010.
  16. ^ Nimitz Library
  17. ^ Burial Detail: Fairfield, Arthur P (section 2, grave 4935) – ANC Explorer
  18. ^ "Alaska Steamship Company". theshipslist.com. Archived from the original on 9 June 2008. Retrieved 12 August 2010.
  19. ^ "Mariners : Liberty Ships (C)". mariners-l.co.uk. Retrieved 12 August 2010.
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