Robert Henry English (16 January 1888 – 21 January 1943) 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 ...

commissioned officer An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service. Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer (NCO), or a warrant officer. However, absent ...

who commanded the U.S. Navy's

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 ...

force in the Pacific Theater of Operations early in

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 ...

. English was born in Warrenton,

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, and he was a member of 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 ...

class of 1911. Early in his naval career he became a submariner. In 1917, while commanding the submarine , he received the

Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the United States Naval Service's second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is equivalent to the Army ...

for his great heroism in rescuing an officer trapped in the submarine after an explosion. After a series of important assignments, he became commanding officer of the

light cruiser A light cruiser is a type of small or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck. Prior to thi ...

, and during the Japanese attack on

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on 7 December 1941 was one of the first to bring his ship into action. On 14 May 1942, he became Commander, Submarine Force, United States Pacific Fleet (COMSUBPAC), and was so serving when killed in the crash of Pan American Flight 1104 into a mountain about southwest of Ukiah in

Mendocino County Mendocino County (; ''Mendocino'', Spanish language, Spanish for "of Antonio de Mendoza, Mendoza") is a County (United States), county located on the North Coast (California), North Coast of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United S ...

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, on 21 January 1943. In the accident, English and other Navy officers were passengers on a four-engine

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M-130

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, being flown by a

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civilian crew. The aircraftdubbed the '' Philippine Clipper'' before the U.S Navy purchased it and pressed it into service during World War IIwas destroyed in the accident; all 19 aboard were killed. For his exceptionally meritorious service in his last assignment, English was posthumously awarded the

Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a high award of a nation, state or country. Examples include: *Distinguished Service Medal (Australia) (established 1991), awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force for distinguished leadership in act ...

. The citation was: "For exceptionally meritorious service as Commander, Submarines Pacific Fleet. In that position of great responsibility, Rear Admiral English directed the operations of his command with marked skill and resourcefulness, as a result of which heavy damage was inflicted on enemy ships and shipping. His example of tenacity and devotion to duty was in large part responsible for the high degree of combat efficiency attained by his command."

Namesake

, an in commission from 1944 to 1970, was named in English's honor.

References

External links

history.navy.mil: USS ''English''
{{DEFAULTSORT:English, Robert Henry 1888 births 1943 deaths Accidental deaths in California United States Navy personnel of World War I United States Navy World War II admirals Attack on Pearl Harbor Battle of Midway People from Warrenton, Georgia Military personnel from Georgia (U.S. state) Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States) United States Navy rear admirals (upper half) United States Naval Academy alumni United States submarine commanders Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1943 Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in the United States Burials at Arlington National Cemetery United States Navy personnel killed in World War II