Claude Charles Bloch (July 12, 1878 – October 4, 1967Arlington National Cemetery
/ref>) was a

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

who served as Commander, Battle Force, U.S. Fleet (COMBATFOR) from 1937 to 1938; and Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet (CINCUS) from 1938 to 1940.

Early years

Claude C. Bloch was born on July 12, 1878, in Woodbury, Kentucky, to a Jewish family. He went to Ogden College. He was appointed to the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (USNA, Navy, or Annapolis) is a United States Service academies, federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as United States Secre ...

Annapolis, Maryland Annapolis ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is the county seat of Anne Arundel County and its only incorporated city. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east ...

, in 1895 from the Third Congressional District in

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

. While he was still a cadet, Bloch served aboard

battleship A battleship is a large, heavily naval armour, armored warship with a main battery consisting of large naval gun, guns, designed to serve as a capital ship. From their advent in the late 1880s, battleships were among the largest and most form ...

during the

battle of Santiago de Cuba The Battle of Santiago de Cuba was a decisive naval engagement that occurred on July 3, 1898 between an United States, American fleet, led by William T. Sampson and Winfield Scott Schley, against a Restoration (Spain), Spanish fleet led by Pascu ...

. Bloch assisted in the rescue of Spanish sailors from the burning enemy ships and was subsequently awarded with the Specially Meritorious Service Medal. He graduated from the Naval Academy on January 28, 1899, with the rank of passed midshipman. He commanded during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and the from 1927 to 1929.

Navy Cross citation

The official U.S. Navy citation for Bloch's Navy Cross reads: :Name: Claude Charles Bloch :Service: Navy :Rank: Captain :Company: Commanding Officer :Division: U.S.S. Plattsburg :Citation: ''The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Captain Claude Charles Bloch, United States Navy, for distinguished service in the line of his profession as Commanding Officer of the U.S.S. PLATTSBURG, engaged in the important, exacting and hazardous duty of transporting and escorting troops and supplies to European ports through waters infested with enemy submarines and mines during World War I.''

World War II

He served as the Commander-in-Chief, United States Fleet from 1938 to January 6, 1940, as was customary holding the temporary grade of admiral. Following this assignment, he reverted to his permanent grade,

rear admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...

, and commanded the Fourteenth Naval District at

Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Reci ...

at the time of the attack. Shortly before the attack, he and

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

Husband E. Kimmel discussed the possibly sighting and sinking of a

submarine A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or infor ...

by the . The two ordered that another ship be sent to investigate. Bloch was cleared of any responsibility for the unpreparedness of the US forces during the attack which was blamed on Admiral Husband E. Kimmel and General Walter Short and Bloch remained as commandant until April 1942. He later served on the General Board of the Navy from 1942, retiring from the Navy later that year with the rank of admiral. He remained as chairman of the Navy Board for productions awards until the end of World War II and retired in 1946. Bloch was decorated with a

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievemen ...

for his World War II service. He died in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, on October 4, 1967, and was buried in

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia. ...

. Bloch was the highest ranking Jewish officer in the armed forces until well after World War II.

Decorations

Admiral Claude C. Bloch's ribbon bar:

References

External links

Claude C. Bloch Orders, 1904–1940 (bulk 1916–1940) MS 365
held b
Special Collection & Archives

Nimitz Library
at th
United States Naval Academy
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bloch, Claude Charles 1878 births 1967 deaths People from Butler County, Kentucky United States Navy admirals United States Naval Academy alumni Naval War College alumni American military personnel of the Spanish–American War American military personnel of the Philippine–American War United States Navy personnel of World War I Judge advocates general of the United States Navy United States Navy World War II admirals Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States) Recipients of the Legion of Merit Jewish American military personnel Burials at Arlington National Cemetery