Albert W. Grant
Encyclopedia
Albert Weston Grant was an admiral
of the United States Navy
during World War I
.
, with his pioneer family and won a competitive appointment to the United States Naval Academy
, from which he graduated on June 20, 1877. Following service in Pensacola, Lackawanna
, Alliance
, Passaic
, and Iroquois, he served ashore at the Norfolk Navy Yard, received torpedo
training, and served briefly at the Naval War College
.
Duty in Trenton
, Richmond
, Saratoga
, and Yorktown preceded his return to Norfolk to supervise major repairs to Pensacola which entailed pioneer work in applying electricity to warships and then reported to Concord
. On May 9, 1893, his commission as a lieutenant
reached him while he was serving in that gunboat
. A tour in cruiser
San Francisco
ended in the summer of 1894 when Grant was ordered back to the Naval Academy for duty as an instructor. Detached some three years later, he returned to sea in Helena
and served off the coast of Cuba
in Massachusetts
during the Spanish-American War
.
Transferred to Machias
on September 8, 1898, Grant was serving in her when promoted to lieutenant commander
on July 1, 1900, a month before orders sent him back to the Academy for two more years as an instructor. Three years of service in the Far East followed — as executive officer of Oregon
and then as commanding officer of that battleship
— before he returned to Annapolis where he was promoted to commander and placed in charge of the Seamanship Department. During this assignment, he prepared a study of naval tactics, The School of the Ship, which became a standard textbook.
On July 22, 1907, Grant reported to the Naval War College for instruction and, upon completing the course in the autumn, assumed command of Arethusa
and took that fuel ship around Cape Horn
to the Pacific. Detached on the last day of March 1908, he embarked in Connecticut
as chief of staff
to the Commander of the Atlantic Fleet
. During that tour of duty, he was promoted to captain on July 1, 1909. He relinquished his post as chief of staff on October 26, 1909, but remained in Connecticut as her commanding officer.
Grant became commandant of the Philadelphia Navy Yard on March 21, 1910 and simultaneously took command of the 4th Naval District. Two years later, he became head of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. Command of the new battleship Texas
came in 1913 and command of Submarine
Flotilla, Atlantic Fleet, followed two years later.
In the summer of 1917 — some three months after the United States entered World War I
— Grant took over Battleship Force 1, Atlantic Fleet, with additional duty in command of Squadron 2 and Division 4. This position gave him the rank of vice admiral
. December 1918 brought him command of the Atlantic Fleet. The following spring, he became commandant of the Washington Navy Yard
and superintendent of the Naval Gun Factory.
Retired on April 6, 1920, Vice Admiral Grant died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
on September 30, 1930.
USS Albert W. Grant
(DD-649) was named in honor of Admiral Grant, sponsored by his granddaughter, Miss Nell Preston Grant.
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"...
of the United States 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...
during World War 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...
.
Biography
Grant was born on April 14, 1856 at East Benton, Maine. He grew up at Stevens Point, WisconsinStevens Point, Wisconsin
Stevens Point is the county seat of Portage County, Wisconsin, United States. Located in the central part of the state, it is the largest city in the county, with a population of 24,551 at the 2000 census...
, with his pioneer family and won a competitive appointment to 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...
, from which he graduated on June 20, 1877. Following service in Pensacola, Lackawanna
USS Lackawanna (1862)
The first USS Lackawanna was a screw sloop-of-war in the Union Navy during the American Civil War.Lackawanna was launched by the New York Navy Yard on 9 August 1862; sponsored by Ms. Imogen Page Cooper; and commissioned on 8 January 1863, Captain John B. Marchand in command...
, Alliance
USS Alliance (1877)
The second USS Alliance was a screw gunboat that was in service from 1877-1911 with the United States Navy.Laid down as Huron, a screw gunboat of the third rate, in 1873 at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Alliance was launched on 8 March 1875. She was sponsored by Miss Eulalie Boush, whose father, Naval...
, Passaic
USS Passaic (1862)
- External links :***...
, and Iroquois, he served ashore at the Norfolk Navy Yard, received torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
training, and served briefly at 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...
.
Duty in Trenton
USS Trenton (1876)
|...
, Richmond
USS Richmond (1860)
The USS Richmond was a wooden steam sloop in the United States Navy during the American Civil War.-Service in the Caribbean :Richmond was launched on 26 January 1860 by the Norfolk Navy Yard; sponsored by a Miss Robb. Richmond, commanded by Captain D. N. Ingraham, departed Norfolk, Virginia 13...
, Saratoga
USS Saratoga (1842)
USS Saratoga, a sloop-of-war, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the Battle of Saratoga of the American Revolutionary War. Her keel was laid down in the summer of 1841 by the Portsmouth Navy Yard...
, and Yorktown preceded his return to Norfolk to supervise major repairs to Pensacola which entailed pioneer work in applying electricity to warships and then reported to Concord
USS Concord (PG-3)
USS Concord was a member of the of steel-hulled, twin-screw gunboats in the United States Navy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She was the second U.S. Navy ship named in honor of the town of Concord, Massachusetts, site of the Battle of Concord in the American Revolutionary War.The...
. On May 9, 1893, his commission as a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
reached him while he was serving in that gunboat
Gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...
. A tour in 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...
San Francisco
USS San Francisco (C-5)
The first USS San Francisco was a steel protected cruiser in the United States Navy. She was later named Tahoe and then Yosemite....
ended in the summer of 1894 when Grant was ordered back to the Naval Academy for duty as an instructor. Detached some three years later, he returned to sea in Helena
USS Helena (PG-9)
USS Helena was a gunboat of the United States Navy that participated in the Spanish-American War and was later stationed in the Far East for many years....
and served off the coast of Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
in Massachusetts
USS Massachusetts (BB-2)
USS Massachusetts was an and the second United States Navy ship comparable to foreign battleships of the time. Authorized in 1890 and commissioned six years later, she was a small battleship, though with heavy armor and ordnance. The ship class also pioneered the use of an intermediate battery...
during the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
.
Transferred to Machias
USS Machias (PG-5)
The first USS Machias , a schooner-rigged gunboat, was laid down in February 1891 by Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine. She was launched on 8 December 1891. She was sponsored by Miss Ethel Hyde, daughter of President Hyde of Bath Iron Works and commissioned at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine, 20...
on September 8, 1898, Grant was serving in her when promoted to lieutenant commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
on July 1, 1900, a month before orders sent him back to the Academy for two more years as an instructor. Three years of service in the Far East followed — as executive officer of Oregon
USS Oregon (BB-3)
USS Oregon was a pre-Dreadnought of the United States Navy. Her construction was authorized on 30 June 1890, and the contract to build her was awarded to Union Iron Works of San Francisco, California on 19 November 1890. Her keel was laid exactly one year later...
and then as commanding officer of that 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...
— before he returned to Annapolis where he was promoted to commander and placed in charge of the Seamanship Department. During this assignment, he prepared a study of naval tactics, The School of the Ship, which became a standard textbook.
On July 22, 1907, Grant reported to the Naval War College for instruction and, upon completing the course in the autumn, assumed command of Arethusa
USS Arethusa (AO-7)
USS Arethusa was a steam tanker in the United States Navy.-Spanish-American War:Arethusa was built in 1893 at Stockton, England, by Craig, Taylor & Company as Lucilene, was purchased by the Navy on 12 August 1898 to support the Fleet during the Spanish-American War and was commissioned at the...
and took that fuel ship around Cape Horn
Cape Horn
Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...
to the Pacific. Detached on the last day of March 1908, he embarked in Connecticut
USS Connecticut (BB-18)
USS Connecticut , the fourth United States Navy ship to be named after the state of Connecticut, was the lead ship of her class of six. Her keel was laid on 10 March 1903; launched on 29 September 1904, Connecticut was commissioned on 29 September 1906 as the most advanced ship in the U.S...
as chief of staff
Chief of Staff
The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
to the Commander 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...
. During that tour of duty, he was promoted to captain on July 1, 1909. He relinquished his post as chief of staff on October 26, 1909, but remained in Connecticut as her commanding officer.
Grant became commandant of the Philadelphia Navy Yard on March 21, 1910 and simultaneously took command of the 4th Naval District. Two years later, he became head of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. Command of the new battleship Texas
USS Texas (BB-35)
USS Texas , the second ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the U.S. state of Texas, is a . The ship was launched on 18 May 1912 and commissioned on 12 March 1914....
came in 1913 and command of Submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
Flotilla, Atlantic Fleet, followed two years later.
In the summer of 1917 — some three months after the United States entered World War 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...
— Grant took over Battleship Force 1, Atlantic Fleet, with additional duty in command of Squadron 2 and Division 4. This position gave him the rank of vice admiral
Vice admiral (United States)
In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, and the United States Maritime Service, vice admiral is a three-star flag officer, with the pay grade of...
. December 1918 brought him command of the Atlantic Fleet. The following spring, he became commandant of the Washington Navy Yard
Washington Navy Yard
The Washington Navy Yard is the former shipyard and ordnance plant of the United States Navy in Southeast Washington, D.C. It is the oldest shore establishment of the U.S. Navy...
and superintendent of the Naval Gun Factory.
Retired on April 6, 1920, Vice Admiral Grant died in Philadelphia, 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...
on September 30, 1930.
Namesake
In 1943, the destroyerDestroyer
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...
USS Albert W. Grant
USS Albert W. Grant (DD-649)
USS Albert W. Grant was a Fletcher-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the only ship named for Vice Admiral Albert W. Grant , an admiral during World War I.Albert W...
(DD-649) was named in honor of Admiral Grant, sponsored by his granddaughter, Miss Nell Preston Grant.