Harold R. Stark
Harold Rainsford Stark (born November 12, 1880 in Wilkes-Barre , Pennsylvania , † August 21, 1972 in Washington, DC ) was an admiral in the United States Navy and the eighth Chief of Naval Operations .
Life
Stark was admitted to the United States Naval Academy in 1899 , graduating in 1903. From 1907 to 1909 he served on board the battleship Minnesota , with which he took part in the circumnavigation of the Great White Fleet . Then Stark was used on torpedo boats and destroyers . In 1917 he commanded the Asian torpedo flotilla, which was moved from the Philippines to the Mediterranean to take part in the First World War . From November 1917 to January 1919 he served with the rank of Commander in the staff of the Commander, US Naval Forces, who was responsible for the US fleet in European waters.
After the First World War, Stark was transferred to the battleships North Dakota and West Virginia as Executive Officer , then he attended Naval War College . The first command from Stark was the Nitro ammunition transporter . In the late 1920s he was promoted to captain and served in various staffs until the mid-1930s, and he was also given command of West Virginia . From 1934 to 1937 Stark was head of the Bureau of Ordnance, then commander of Cruiser Division Three and commander of the cruisers of the fleet.
Promoted to Admiral, Stark was named Chief of Naval Operations in August 1939. In this position he oversaw the armament of the US fleet in the following years. In 1940 he wrote the Plan Dog Memorandum , in which the call for a Germany First strategy was made for the first time . During the Second World War , Stark was replaced as CNO by Admiral Ernest J. King in March 1942 and went to England, where he became Commander in Chief of the United States Naval Forces Europe . He was instrumental in planning the operations in the Atlantic . In October 1943 he became Commander of the 12th Fleet and oversaw the involvement of the US Navy in Operation Overlord in June 1944.
From August 1945 until retirement from active service in April 1946, he served in Washington, DC , where he also settled after his retirement. Admiral Harold R. Stark died on August 21, 1972.
Awards
Selection of decorations, sorted based on the Order of Precedence of the Military Awards:
The US Navy named the frigate USS Stark (FFG-31) in his honor.
Web links
- Biography at the Naval Historical Center
- Newspaper article about Harold R. Stark in the 20th century press kit of the ZBW - Leibniz Information Center for Economics .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Stark, Harold R. |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Stark, Harold Rainsford (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | United States Navy Admiral and Eighth Chief of Naval Operations |
| DATE OF BIRTH | November 12, 1880 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Wilkes-Barre , Pennsylvania |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 21, 1972 |
| Place of death | Washington, DC |