Gottfried Blocklinger (1847-1930) was a Rear-admiral in the

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Early life and career

Blocklinger was born in

Dubuque, Iowa Dubuque (, ) is a city in Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. The population was 59,667 at the 2020 United States census. The city lies along the Mississippi River at the junction of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, a region ...

on October 23, 1847. He was admitted to the United States Naval Academy in 1863 and graduated in 1868. Notable achievements include: in 1879 as a Lieutenant, he commanded the survey of the

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, in the Amazo

Was a lieutenant on board the during the Baltimore crisis, ''Baltimore'' crisis of 1891. And was the

Executive Officer An executive officer is a person who is principally responsible for leading all or part of an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization. In many militaries and police forces, an executive officer ...

, on board the during the

Capture of Guam The Capture of Guam was a bloodless engagement between the United States and Spain during the Spanish–American War. The U.S. Navy sent a single cruiser, , to capture the island of Guam, which was under Spanish control. The Spanish garrison ...

to the United States during the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

in 1898.

Service Record

1863-69; During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

he was a midshipman at the US Naval Academy. His assignments included service on board the in summer of 1864. And served successively in the Pacific squadron on board the in 186

Enterprise, and Adams.
1868-82; Coast survey
1880 Served aboard the
1885;

hydrographic office A hydrographic office is an organization which is devoted to acquiring and publishing hydrographic information. Historically, the main tasks of hydrographic offices were the conduction of hydrographic surveys and the publication of nautical ch ...

1883-86;
1888-89; insp. 7th light-house dist., (the western coast of Florid

br/> 1890; which was assigned to the

South Atlantic Station The Commander-in-Chief South Atlantic was an operational commander of the Royal Navy from 1939. The South American area was added to his responsibilities in 1960, and the post disestablished in 1967. Immediately before the outbreak of the Sec ...

1891; Was transferred to the Yorktown during the Baltimore crisis, ''Baltimore'' crisis.
1891-93; ,
1893;

Washington Navy Yard The Washington Navy Yard (WNY) is a ceremonial and administrative center for the United States Navy, located in the federal national capital city of Washington, D.C. (federal District of Columbia). It is the oldest shore establishment / base of ...

1893-95; Executive Officer
1895-96; Mare Island Naval Shipyard California.
1897-99; Executive Officer,

1899-01; Commanding Officer ,
1901; Commanding Officer
11 May 1901 Assigned to Alert'—11 May 1901, Comdr. Gottfried Blocklinger commanded the vessel and was assigned to the Pacific Station as a training vessel for apprentice sailors. In that capacity the vessel made short cruises along the California coast
1901, ,
1902, , cruising the waters off the coasts of China, Japan, and Korea
1902, flagship of the Cruiser Squadron, U.S. Asiatic Fleet, she cruised the Philippines and the China coast.,
1903; Navy Yard, Norfolk, Virginia,
1904; Navy Yard, New York,
1904-06; Commanding Officer , At that time, the Illinois was assigned to the North Atlantic. She engaged in fleet maneuvers, gunnery and seamanship training, and ceremonial operations

In 1906, the Illinois was the first US ship to win the famous Prince Louis Battenberg Cup
1906-09; Member Naval Examining and Retiring Board

No officer below the grade of Captain can be promoted to a higher grade until recommended by the Boards.
1909; Retired to 1192 Locust St., Dubuque, Iow

Admiral Blocklinger was a companion of the District of Columbia Commandery of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. He was assigned insignia number 18,220 and was one of the last Civil War veterans to join the Order.

Promotions

Acting midshipman, 22 July 1863
Graduated United States Naval Academy, 2 June 1868
Promoted to Ensign (rank), ensign, April 19, 186

br/> Promoted to Master (naval), master, July 12, 1870
Promoted to lieutenant, April 2, 1874
Promoted to lieutenant-commander., May 21, 1895
Promoted to commander, March 3, 1899
Promoted to Captain (naval), captain., June 1, 1904
Promoted to rear-admiral, October 30, 1908
Retired, October 23, 1909

Sources and external links

*DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY—NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTE

*''Chambers's Encyclopedia. The Records Of Living Officers Of The U. S. Navy And Marine Corps'' Fourth Edition. 1890 L. R. Hamersly & Co. 1890. Pg 190-191 *''Who's Who in America'' Volume XI, 1920-1921 *''The Call'', a San Francisco newspaper, includes Blocklinger and covers the Capture of Gua

*Report of the Secretary of the Navy, November 30, 187

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blocklinger, Gottfried 1847 births 1930 deaths United States Navy rear admirals (lower half) People from Dubuque, Iowa Military personnel from Iowa