Louis Emil Denfeld (April 13, 1891 – March 28, 1972) was an

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 ...

in the

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 ...

who served as

Chief of Naval Operations The chief of naval operations (CNO) is the highest-ranking officer of the United States Navy. The position is a statutory office () held by an Admiral (United States), admiral who is a military adviser and deputy to the United States Secretary ...

from December 15, 1947, to November 1, 1949. He also held several significant surface commands during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, and after the war he served as the dual-hatted commander of

United States Pacific Command The United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) is the unified combatant command of the United States Armed Forces responsible for the Indo-Pacific, Indo-Pacific region. It is the oldest and largest of the unified combatant commands. Lead ...

and Pacific Fleet.

Life and naval career

Born in

Westborough, Massachusetts Westborough is a New England town, town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 21,567 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, in over 7,000 households. Incorporated in 1717, the town is governed under the N ...

, Denfeld graduated from 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 ...

in 1912. His Naval Academy classmates included future admirals Daniel E. Barbey, Elliot Buckmaster, Charles A. Lockwood, Charles P. Mason, Alfred E. Montgomery, DeWitt C. Ramsey, Mahlon Tisdale, Louis Wenzell, and Carleton F. Wright. He took command of the destroyer in 1919 and served aboard the submarine during 1923 and 1924. He commanded Destroyer Division 11 from 1935 to 1937. Denfeld was selected to be aide to the Chief of Naval Operations in 1939, then commanded first Destroyer Division 18, then

Destroyer Squadron 1 Destroyer Squadron ONE, also known as ''Destroyer Squadron 1'' and often abbreviated at '' DESRON ONE'' or ''DESRON 1'', is a squadron of warships of the United States Navy. It is an operational component of Carrier Strike Group One and is admini ...

from 1939 to 1941. He served as Chief of Staff to the Commander of the

United States Atlantic Fleet United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...

, Admiral Royal E. Ingersoll. For planning of safe routes for escort convoys in this capacity, Denfeld received the

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 ...

. He became head of the Atlantic Fleet Support Force in 1941, then assistant chief to the

Bureau of Navigation The Bureau of Navigation, later the Bureau of Navigation and Steamboat Inspection and finally the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation — not to be confused with the United States Navys Bureau of Navigation — was an agency of the Unite ...

in 1942. He led Battleship Division 9 in 1945, was appointed Chief of the Bureau of Personnel in 1945, and commanded

and Pacific Fleet in 1947. On February 28, 1947 Denfeld was named Military Governor of the

Marshall Islands The Marshall Islands, officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands, is an island country west of the International Date Line and north of the equator in the Micronesia region of the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. The territory consists of 29 c ...

Caroline Islands The Caroline Islands (or the Carolines) are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically, they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) in the cen ...

, and

Mariana Islands The Mariana Islands ( ; ), also simply the Marianas, are a crescent-shaped archipelago comprising the summits of fifteen longitudinally oriented, mostly dormant volcanic mountains in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, between the 12th and 21st pa ...

, replacing Admiral John H. Towers. Denfeld was appointed

on December 15, 1947. Due to his role in the " Revolt of the Admirals", he was detached from duty by the

Secretary of the Navy The Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department within the United States Department of Defense. On March 25, 2025, John Phelan was confirm ...

Francis P. Matthews on November 1, 1949, and retired in 1950. Denfeld was a candidate for

Governor of Massachusetts The governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the head of government of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The governor is the chief executive, head of the state cabinet and the commander-in-chief of the commonw ...

1950 Events January * January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed. * January 5 – 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash, Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 ...

. He lost the Republican nomination to Arthur W. Coolidge. Denfield died in

at the age of 80. He is buried at

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. ...

. Denfeld Avenue in

Kensington, Maryland Kensington is a town in Montgomery County, Maryland, Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,122 at the 2020 United States census. Greater Kensington encompasses the entire 20895 ZIP Code, ZIP code, with a population of 1 ...

, is named for him.History of Rock Creek Woods.
Retrieved 5 November 2022.

Awards and decorations

Admiral Louis E. Denfeld received many decorations during his career. Here is his ribbon bar:

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Denfeld, Louis E. 1891 births 1972 deaths American anti-communists People from Westborough, Massachusetts Military personnel from Massachusetts Chiefs of Naval Operations United States Navy admirals United States submarine commanders United States military governors United States Navy personnel of World War I United States Navy World War II admirals United States Naval Academy alumni Massachusetts Republicans High commissioners of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Legion of Merit Burials at Arlington National Cemetery 20th-century Massachusetts politicians