William S. Pye
Encyclopedia
Vice Admiral William Satterlee Pye, United States Navy
, (June 9, 1880 – May 4, 1959) was an Admiral
in the U.S. Navy
who served in World Wars I
and II
. His last active-duty appointment was as President of the Naval War College
, 1942-1945. His awards included the Navy Cross
for his service in World War I.
, on 9 June 1880. Entering the United States Naval Academy
in 1897, he graduated in 1901 and was commissioned an Ensign
in June 1903. From 1901 through 1915, he served in several ships, among them five battleship
s and an armored cruiser
, and was also assigned to the staffs of the Naval Academy
and Naval War College
. In 1915-1916 he placed the new destroyer USS Jacob Jones
(DD-61) into commission, commanding her until early 1917, when he joined the staff of the Atlantic Fleet
's Commander in Chief. He served in that position through the First World War, receiving the Navy Cross
for "for exceptionally distinguished and valuable service on the staff of the commander in chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet
, in addition to excellent performance of his routine staff duties in preparing a series of orders for the conduct of battleship and fleet, based upon the best thought and experience of the United States fleet and British fleet during the late war.".
during 1919-1921, and was Executive Officer
of the battleship
Pennsylvania
in 1922-1923. After briefly commanding a destroyer
squadron, he returned to Washington, D.C.
, for further Navy Department service that lasted into 1927. In the next five years, he commanded the minelayer
USS Oglala
(CM-4), had more Navy Department duty and was head of the U.S. Naval Mission to Peru. Captain
Pye was Commanding Officer
of the battleship USS Nevada
(BB-36) in 1932-1933.
Promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral
, Pye served as Chief of Staff to Commander Scouting Force, attended the Naval War College
, had further Navy Department service, and was Commander Destroyers in both the Scouting Force and Battle Force. With the temporary rank of Vice Admiral
, he was Commander Battleships, Battle Force in 1940 and Commander Battle Force in 1941.
on 7 December 1941 and the subsequent relief of Admiral Husband E. Kimmel
, Vice Admiral Pye was Acting Commander in Chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet from 17 December until 31 December 1941. His major action in this position was to send a relief force built around the USS Saratoga
to the aid of Wake Island
. In a controversial decision, Pye recalled the relief force on December 22 after reports of additional landings on the island-for fear of losses. After relinquishing command of the Pacific Fleet to Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Pye became the commander of Task Force One, comprising the remaining operational battleships in the Pacific fleet, based in San Francisco. Pye ordered this force to sortie to patrol the West Coast during the Battle of Midway
, as a precaution against a possible Japanese attack in that area. His fears proved unfounded and Task Force One remained on training and patrol duties between Hawaii and the West Coast until Pye was relieved in October 1942. After Wake Island and Midway, he never commanded operating forces again. Vice Admiral
Pye then became President
of the Naval War College
and simultaneously commanded the Naval Operating Base, Newport, Rhode Island
. Though he officially retired in July 1944, he remained on as War College President until relieved of active duty in December 1945. Vice Admiral William S. Pye died at Bethesda
, Maryland
, on 4 May 1959. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery
.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, (June 9, 1880 – May 4, 1959) was an Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
in the U.S. Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
who served in World Wars I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. His last active-duty appointment was as President of the Naval War College
President of the Naval War College
The President of the Naval War College is a flag officer in the United States Navy. The President's House is his official residence.Since the Korean War, all presidents of the Naval War College have been vice admirals or rear admirals.-Presidents:...
, 1942-1945. His awards included the Navy Cross
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
for his service in World War I.
Career through World War I
Pye was born in Minneapolis, MinnesotaMinnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, on 9 June 1880. Entering the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
in 1897, he graduated in 1901 and was commissioned an Ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
in June 1903. From 1901 through 1915, he served in several ships, among them five battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
s and an armored cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
, and was also assigned to the staffs of the Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
and Naval War College
Naval War College
The Naval War College is an education and research institution of the United States Navy that specializes in developing ideas for naval warfare and passing them along to officers of the Navy. The college is located on the grounds of Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island...
. In 1915-1916 he placed the new destroyer USS Jacob Jones
USS Jacob Jones (DD-61)
USS Jacob Jones The United States Navy's hull classification system—in which Jacob Jones would have been designated DD-61—was not implemented until July 1920...
(DD-61) into commission, commanding her until early 1917, when he joined the staff of the Atlantic Fleet
U.S. Atlantic Fleet
The United States Fleet Forces Command is an Atlantic Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources that are under the operational control of the United States Northern Command...
's Commander in Chief. He served in that position through the First World War, receiving the Navy Cross
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
for "for exceptionally distinguished and valuable service on the staff of the commander in chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet
United States Fleet Forces Command
The United States Fleet Forces Command is an Atlantic Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources that are under the operational control of the United States Northern Command...
, in addition to excellent performance of his routine staff duties in preparing a series of orders for the conduct of battleship and fleet, based upon the best thought and experience of the United States fleet and British fleet during the late war.".
Interwar years
Pye was on duty with the Office of the Chief of Naval OperationsChief of Naval Operations
The Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...
during 1919-1921, and was Executive Officer
Executive officer
An executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:...
of the battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
in 1922-1923. After briefly commanding a destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
squadron, he returned to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, for further Navy Department service that lasted into 1927. In the next five years, he commanded the minelayer
Minelayer
Minelaying is the act of deploying explosive mines. Historically this has been carried out by ships, submarines and aircraft. Additionally, since World War I the term minelayer refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines...
USS Oglala
USS Oglala (CM-4)
USS Oglala was a minelayer in the United States Navy. Commissioned as Massachusetts, she was renamed Shawmut a month later, and in 1928 was renamed for the Oglala, a sub-tribe of the Lakota, residing in the Black Hills of South Dakota.She was originally built as Eastern Steamship Company's SS...
(CM-4), had more Navy Department duty and was head of the U.S. Naval Mission to Peru. Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
Pye was Commanding Officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of the battleship USS Nevada
USS Nevada (BB-36)
USS Nevada , the second United States Navy ship to be named after the 36th state, was the lead ship of the two Nevada-class battleships; her sister ship was...
(BB-36) in 1932-1933.
Promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
, Pye served as Chief of Staff to Commander Scouting Force, attended the Naval War College
Naval War College
The Naval War College is an education and research institution of the United States Navy that specializes in developing ideas for naval warfare and passing them along to officers of the Navy. The college is located on the grounds of Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island...
, had further Navy Department service, and was Commander Destroyers in both the Scouting Force and Battle Force. With the temporary rank of Vice Admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
, he was Commander Battleships, Battle Force in 1940 and Commander Battle Force in 1941.
World War II and post-war years
Following the Japanese attack on Pearl HarborPearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
on 7 December 1941 and the subsequent relief of Admiral Husband E. Kimmel
Husband E. Kimmel
Husband Edward Kimmel was a four-star admiral in the United States Navy. He served as Commander-in-chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet at the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Because of the attack, he was removed from office and was reduced to his permanent two-star rank of rear admiral...
, Vice Admiral Pye was Acting Commander in Chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet from 17 December until 31 December 1941. His major action in this position was to send a relief force built around the USS Saratoga
USS Saratoga (CV-3)
USS Saratoga was the second aircraft carrier of the United States Navy and the fifth ship to bear her name. She was commissioned one month earlier than her sister and class leader, , which is the third actually commissioned after and Saratoga...
to the aid of Wake Island
Wake Island
Wake Island is a coral atoll having a coastline of in the North Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu west to Guam east. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior...
. In a controversial decision, Pye recalled the relief force on December 22 after reports of additional landings on the island-for fear of losses. After relinquishing command of the Pacific Fleet to Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Pye became the commander of Task Force One, comprising the remaining operational battleships in the Pacific fleet, based in San Francisco. Pye ordered this force to sortie to patrol the West Coast during the Battle of Midway
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...
, as a precaution against a possible Japanese attack in that area. His fears proved unfounded and Task Force One remained on training and patrol duties between Hawaii and the West Coast until Pye was relieved in October 1942. After Wake Island and Midway, he never commanded operating forces again. Vice Admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
Pye then became President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of the Naval War College
Naval War College
The Naval War College is an education and research institution of the United States Navy that specializes in developing ideas for naval warfare and passing them along to officers of the Navy. The college is located on the grounds of Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island...
and simultaneously commanded the Naval Operating Base, Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
. Though he officially retired in July 1944, he remained on as War College President until relieved of active duty in December 1945. Vice Admiral William S. Pye died at Bethesda
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, on 4 May 1959. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
.