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Naval Historical Center #NH 49967
Known by the unlikely nickname of “Betty”, Stark
was Chief of
Naval Operations, the highest position in the United States Navy, at the
start of the Pacific War. Like many high-ranking
officers, Stark was a Roosevelt
protégé who was appointed to his post
over many more senior officers. He was an Anglophile who
faithfully carried
out Roosevelt’s policy of confrontation with the German
U-boats in the Atlantic.
Stark was one of the chief proponents of the "Germany First" strategy, as
outlined in his Plan Dog memorandum of November 1940 to Secretary of the Navy Knox. Described by Symonds (2011) as "one of the most consequential documents ever submitted to the government by a naval officer", this recommended postponing Plan Orange in the event of war with the Axis, and instead adopting a defensive posture in the Pacific while devoting the nations' chief energies to defeating Germany.
Tainted by the disaster at Pearl Harbor, Stark was reassigned as naval commander of the European Theater of Operations, where his British connections were put to good use.
Stark was a workaholic and intellectual rather
than an aggressive combat commander in the mold of his successor, King. Some of his colleagues
believed he was the right leader
for preparing the Navy for a global war, but the Secretary of War,
Stimson, considered him a timid and ineffective advisor to the
President.
| 1880-11-12
|
Born at Wilkes-Barre,
Pennsylvania |
|
| 1903 |
Midshipman
|
Graduates from Naval Academy,
standing 30th in a class of 50. Assigned to Hartford. |
| 1905-2-2 |
Ensign |
|
| 1907 |
BB Minnesota |
|
| 1914 |
Commander, DD Patterson |
|
| 1917 |
Commander, Torpedo Flotilla, Asiatic Fleet |
|
| 1917-11 |
Commander
|
Staff, Naval Forces in European
Waters |
| 1924 |
Commander, AE Nitro |
|
| 1925 |
Inspector of Ordnance, Naval
Proving Grounds, Cahlgree, Virginia |
|
| 1928 |
Staff, Destroyers, Battle Fleet |
|
| 1930 |
Aide to the Secretary of the Navy |
|
| 1933 |
Captain |
Commander, West
Virginia |
| 1934-11 |
Rear
admiral |
Chief, Bureau of Ordnance |
| 1937-9 |
Commander, Cruiser Division 3 |
|
| 1938-7 |
Vice
admiral |
Commander, Cruisers, Battle Force |
| 1939-8-1 |
Admiral |
Chief of Naval Operations |
| 1942-4-30 |
Commander, Navy Forces, Europe |
|
| 1943-3-15 |
Commander, 12 Fleet |
|
| 1945-4-15 |
Testifies before Pearl Harbor investigative
boards; held partially responsible for the disaster |
|
| 1945-4-30 |
Commander, Naval Forces,
European Theater |
|
| 1946-4 |
Retires |
|
| 1972-8-20 |
Dies at Washington, D.C. |
References
Arlington National Cemetery Website (accessed 2008-1-31)
Naval
Historical Center (accessed 2008-1-31)
Pettibone (2006)
The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia © 2007-2009, 2012 by Kent G. Budge. Index
