Frank H. Brumby
Encyclopedia
Frank Hardeman Brumby was a four-star admiral in the United States Navy
who commanded the Battle Force of the United States Fleet
from 1934 to 1935.
to Belle Hardeman Brumby and former Confederate States Army
officer John Wallis Brumby, he was appointed from the state
of Georgia
to the United States Naval Academy
in 1891. Graduating 3rd of 45 in the class of 1895, he served the required two years of sea duty as a passed midshipman before being commissioned ensign on July 1, 1897.
During the Spanish-American War
, he was a junior officer aboard the armored cruiser New York
, flagship of Rear Admiral William T. Sampson
's squadron at the Battle of Santiago de Cuba
, and later served during the Philippine Insurrection
.
His first command was the protected cruiser Cincinnati
, which he received shortly before the United States
' entry into World War I
, during which he was promoted to the temporary rank of captain. After the war, he commanded the battleship Kansas
from 1920 to 1921 and the battleship New Mexico
from 1924 to 1926, before being promoted to rear admiral
and assigned as Commander Control Force, United States Fleet
and Commander Submarine Divisions, Control Force.
On December 17, 1927, the United States Coast Guard
destroyer Paulding accidentally rammed and sank the Control Force submarine S-4
off Provincetown, Massachusetts
. Brumby took charge of the rescue effort, assisted by Captain Ernest J. King, who had recently commanded the salvage operation for the sunken submarine S-51. As the weather worsened, the submarine tender Falcon
attempted to attach air hoses to the sunken submarine to force it to the surface by filling its ballast tanks, or at least supply air to the six surviving crewmen, but to no avail. Finally, Brumby had to order Falcon into Provincetown Harbor to ride out the winter storm, which lasted days. The trapped crewmen died of suffocation.
Newspaper reporters flocked to Provincetown to cover the disaster as it unfolded. Brumby was swamped by letters and telegrams, all of which he answered conscientiously, although some were so abusive that King advised him to ignore them. Months later, King still refused to shake hands with a particular reporter; told of King's snub, Brumby exclaimed, "Why, King, if I had known it was that son-of-a-bitch, I would not have shaken hands with him either."
To investigate the sinking and failed rescue operation, the Navy convened a court of inquiry presided over by Rear Admiral Richard H. Jackson
. Under questioning, Brumby appeared to be technically uninformed about the details of the rescue operation: "I just can't be positive about such things. I just can't remember. Ask the technical people...I am not familiar with the details of the construction of submarines, but those who were there thought the steps being taken were the proper ones...Well, I don't really know. I can't answer that question. My impression is the divers did all they could do. As to details I can't tell you. You'll have to ask the technical men."
The court concluded that while the rescue plans Brumby approved and supervised "were logical, intelligent, and were diligently executed with good judgment and the greatest possible expedition," Brumby himself had demonstrated he was unfit to command the Control Force and should be removed. "He had not the familiarity with the essential details of construction of submarines and the knowledge of rescue vessels, and the knowledge of the actual work being carried on by his subordinates necessary to direct intelligently the important operations of which he was in charge."
Professing puzzlement that the court could praise the rescue operation but condemn its commander, Secretary of the Navy
Curtis D. Wilbur
rejected its recommendation to remove Brumby and asked that the court reconsider Brumby's performance in more detail. Brumby redescribed his actions and Wilbur found them to be entirely "commendable," concluding that Brumby had properly consulted his technical experts and followed their consensus. Furthermore, Wilbur felt that Brumby's exemplary 31-year service record outshone whatever "errors or oversight or failures" could be inferred from his testimony.
After completing his normal tour as commander of the Control Force on November 6, 1928, Brumby served as president of the Board of Inspection and Survey
from November 1928 to June 1929 and as commandant of the Norfolk Naval Shipyard
from May 31, 1930 to September 28, 1932, before returning to sea as commander of Battleship Division 1, Battle Force, United States Fleet
.
In May 1933, he was selected to succeed Vice Admiral Frank Hodges Clark as Commander Scouting Force, United States Fleet (COMSCTGFOR), and was advanced to the temporary rank of vice admiral
for the duration of his tour, which lasted from May 20, 1933 to June 14, 1934. The highlight of his tour was Exercise M, a phase of the annual fleet maneuvers that studied control of the Caribbean Sea
. Brumby commanded the Grey Fleet, assigned to defend against an amphibious assault by the Blue force commanded by Admiral Joseph M. Reeves
, whose objective was to take one or all of Ponce
, San Juan
, Culebra
and St. Thomas
, and who finally succeeded in landing Marines on Culebra on the fifth and last day of the exercise.
In 1934, Reeves was elevated to Commander in Chief, United States Fleet (CINCUS), and Brumby succeeded him as Commander Battle Force, United States Fleet (COMBATFOR) with the temporary rank of admiral on June 15, 1934. Fleet commands rotated every year and it was common for COMBATFOR to be promoted to CINCUS, as Reeves had been, but when Brumby's year as COMBATFOR was up, Reeves was reappointed to a second year as CINCUS, so Brumby relinquished command of the Battle Force to Admiral Harris Laning
on April 1, 1935 and returned to shore in his permanent rank of rear admiral.
His last assignment was as commandant of the Fifth Naval District and the Naval Operating Base at Norfolk, which he commanded from April 8, 1935 to September 30, 1938 before retiring on October 1, 1938 after forty-five years of service. He was advanced to the rank of admiral on the retired list on June 16, 1942 by new legislation that allowed officers to retire in the highest active-duty rank in which they had served.
. He died at the age of 75 at the Norfolk Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia
after a two-week illness attributed to complications following an operation.
He married the former Isabelle Truxtun on June 4, 1907, and they had two children, Isabelle Truxtun Brumby Fitzgerald and Navy officer Frank Hardeman Brumby, Jr. An uncle, Lieutenant Thomas Mason Brumby, was flag lieutenant to Rear Admiral George Dewey
during the Spanish-American War
.
, launched in 1963 and co-sponsored by two granddaughters. The Brumby Bowl, the annual golf championship tournament of the Norfolk Naval Shipyard Golf Association, is also named for him, as the shipyard commandant when the tournament began in 1931.
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 commanded the Battle Force of the United States Fleet
United States Fleet
The United States Fleet was an organization in the United States Navy from 1922 until after World War II. The abbreviation CINCUS, pronounced "sink us", was used for Commander-in-Chief, United States Fleet. This title was disposed of and officially replaced by COMINCH in December 1941 . This...
from 1934 to 1935.
Early career
Born in Athens, GeorgiaAthens, Georgia
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
to Belle Hardeman Brumby and former Confederate States Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
officer John Wallis Brumby, he was appointed from the state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
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...
in 1891. Graduating 3rd of 45 in the class of 1895, he served the required two years of sea duty as a passed midshipman before being commissioned ensign on July 1, 1897.
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...
, he was a junior officer aboard the armored cruiser New York
USS New York (ACR-2)
USS New York was a United States Navy armored cruiser. The fourth Navy ship to be named in honor of the state of New York, she was later renamed Saratoga and then Rochester ....
, flagship of Rear Admiral William T. Sampson
William T. Sampson
William Thomas Sampson was a United States Navy rear admiral known for his victory in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba during the Spanish-American War.-Biography:...
's squadron at the Battle of Santiago de Cuba
Battle of Santiago de Cuba
The Battle of Santiago de Cuba, fought between Spain and the United States on 3 July 1898, was the largest naval engagement of the Spanish-American War and resulted in the destruction of the Spanish Navy's Caribbean Squadron.-Spanish Fleet:...
, and later served during the Philippine Insurrection
Philippine-American War
The Philippine–American War, also known as the Philippine War of Independence or the Philippine Insurrection , was an armed conflict between a group of Filipino revolutionaries and the United States which arose from the struggle of the First Philippine Republic to gain independence following...
.
His first command was the protected cruiser Cincinnati
USS Cincinnati (C-7)
USS Cincinnati was a protected cruiser of the United States Navy and was launched on 10 November 1892 by New York Navy Yard; sponsored by Miss S. Mosby; and commissioned on 16 June 1894, Captain Henry Glass in command...
, which he received shortly before the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
' entry into 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...
, during which he was promoted to the temporary rank of captain. After the war, he commanded the battleship Kansas
USS Kansas (BB-21)
USS Kansas was a US commissioned in 1907 and decommissioned in 1921. She was the second ship of the United States Navy named in honor of Kansas.-Pre-World War I:...
from 1920 to 1921 and the battleship New Mexico
USS New Mexico (BB-40)
USS New Mexico was a battleship in service with the United States Navy from 1918 to 1946. She was the lead ship of a class of three battleships. New Mexico was extensively modernized between 1931 and 1933 and saw service during World War II both in the Atlantic and Pacific theatres. After her...
from 1924 to 1926, before being promoted to rear admiral
Rear admiral (United States)
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. The uniformed services of the United States are unique in having two grades of rear admirals.- Rear admiral :...
and assigned as Commander Control Force, United States Fleet
United States Fleet
The United States Fleet was an organization in the United States Navy from 1922 until after World War II. The abbreviation CINCUS, pronounced "sink us", was used for Commander-in-Chief, United States Fleet. This title was disposed of and officially replaced by COMINCH in December 1941 . This...
and Commander Submarine Divisions, Control Force.
S-4 court of inquiry
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
destroyer Paulding accidentally rammed and sank the Control Force submarine S-4
USS S-4 (SS-109)
USS S-4 was an S-class submarine of the United States Navy. In 1927, she was sunk by being accidentally rammed by a Coast Guard destroyer with the loss of all hands but was raised and restored to service until stricken in 1936.-Building:...
off Provincetown, Massachusetts
Provincetown, Massachusetts
Provincetown is a New England town located at the extreme tip of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,431 at the 2000 census, with an estimated 2007 population of 3,174...
. Brumby took charge of the rescue effort, assisted by Captain Ernest J. King, who had recently commanded the salvage operation for the sunken submarine S-51. As the weather worsened, the submarine tender Falcon
USS Falcon (AM-28)
The third USS Falcon, was in the United States Navy. She later became a submarine rescue ship.Falcon was launched 7 September 1918 by Gas Engine and Power Co., and C. L. Seabury Co., Morris Heights, New York; sponsored by Mrs. W. J. Parslow; and commissioned 12 November 1918, Lieutenant B. E....
attempted to attach air hoses to the sunken submarine to force it to the surface by filling its ballast tanks, or at least supply air to the six surviving crewmen, but to no avail. Finally, Brumby had to order Falcon into Provincetown Harbor to ride out the winter storm, which lasted days. The trapped crewmen died of suffocation.
Newspaper reporters flocked to Provincetown to cover the disaster as it unfolded. Brumby was swamped by letters and telegrams, all of which he answered conscientiously, although some were so abusive that King advised him to ignore them. Months later, King still refused to shake hands with a particular reporter; told of King's snub, Brumby exclaimed, "Why, King, if I had known it was that son-of-a-bitch, I would not have shaken hands with him either."
To investigate the sinking and failed rescue operation, the Navy convened a court of inquiry presided over by Rear Admiral Richard H. Jackson
Richard H. Jackson
Richard Harrison Jackson was a four-star admiral in the United States Navy. Originally cashiered from the Navy for poor grades at the U.S. Naval Academy, he was commissioned ensign by special act of Congress for his heroism during the 1889 Apia cyclone...
. Under questioning, Brumby appeared to be technically uninformed about the details of the rescue operation: "I just can't be positive about such things. I just can't remember. Ask the technical people...I am not familiar with the details of the construction of submarines, but those who were there thought the steps being taken were the proper ones...Well, I don't really know. I can't answer that question. My impression is the divers did all they could do. As to details I can't tell you. You'll have to ask the technical men."
The court concluded that while the rescue plans Brumby approved and supervised "were logical, intelligent, and were diligently executed with good judgment and the greatest possible expedition," Brumby himself had demonstrated he was unfit to command the Control Force and should be removed. "He had not the familiarity with the essential details of construction of submarines and the knowledge of rescue vessels, and the knowledge of the actual work being carried on by his subordinates necessary to direct intelligently the important operations of which he was in charge."
Professing puzzlement that the court could praise the rescue operation but condemn its commander, Secretary of the Navy
United States Secretary of the Navy
The Secretary of the Navy of the United States of America is the head of the Department of the Navy, a component organization of the Department of Defense...
Curtis D. Wilbur
Curtis D. Wilbur
Curtis Dwight Wilbur was born in Iowa. He was appointed to the United States Naval Academy in 1884. Shortly after graduation, Curtis Wilbur resigned his commission, a common practice at the time, and moved to Riverside, California. He was admitted to the California bar in 1890 and served as Los...
rejected its recommendation to remove Brumby and asked that the court reconsider Brumby's performance in more detail. Brumby redescribed his actions and Wilbur found them to be entirely "commendable," concluding that Brumby had properly consulted his technical experts and followed their consensus. Furthermore, Wilbur felt that Brumby's exemplary 31-year service record outshone whatever "errors or oversight or failures" could be inferred from his testimony.
Fleet command
Board of Inspection and Survey
The Board of Inspection and Survey is a U.S. Navy organization whose purpose is to inspect and assess material condition of Naval vessels.The Board is currently headquartered at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Virginia.- INSURV teams :...
from November 1928 to June 1929 and as commandant of the Norfolk Naval Shipyard
Norfolk Naval Shipyard
The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling, and repairing the Navy's ships. It's the oldest and largest industrial facility that belongs to the U.S. Navy as well as the most...
from May 31, 1930 to September 28, 1932, before returning to sea as commander of Battleship Division 1, Battle Force, United States Fleet
United States Fleet
The United States Fleet was an organization in the United States Navy from 1922 until after World War II. The abbreviation CINCUS, pronounced "sink us", was used for Commander-in-Chief, United States Fleet. This title was disposed of and officially replaced by COMINCH in December 1941 . This...
.
In May 1933, he was selected to succeed Vice Admiral Frank Hodges Clark as Commander Scouting Force, United States Fleet (COMSCTGFOR), and was advanced to the temporary 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...
for the duration of his tour, which lasted from May 20, 1933 to June 14, 1934. The highlight of his tour was Exercise M, a phase of the annual fleet maneuvers that studied control of the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
. Brumby commanded the Grey Fleet, assigned to defend against an amphibious assault by the Blue force commanded by Admiral Joseph M. Reeves
Joseph M. Reeves
Joseph Mason "Bull" Reeves was an admiral in the United States Navy, who was an early and important supporter of U.S. Naval Aviation...
, whose objective was to take one or all of Ponce
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
, San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
, Culebra
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Isla Culebra is an island-municipality of Puerto Rico originally called Isla Pasaje and Isla de San Ildefonso. It is located approximately east of the Puerto Rican mainland, west of St. Thomas and north of Vieques. Culebra is spread over 5 wards and Culebra Pueblo...
and St. Thomas
Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Saint Thomas is an island in the Caribbean Sea and with the islands of Saint John, Saint Croix, and Water Island a county and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands , an unincorporated territory of the United States. Located on the island is the territorial capital and port of...
, and who finally succeeded in landing Marines on Culebra on the fifth and last day of the exercise.
In 1934, Reeves was elevated to Commander in Chief, United States Fleet (CINCUS), and Brumby succeeded him as Commander Battle Force, United States Fleet (COMBATFOR) with the temporary rank of admiral on June 15, 1934. Fleet commands rotated every year and it was common for COMBATFOR to be promoted to CINCUS, as Reeves had been, but when Brumby's year as COMBATFOR was up, Reeves was reappointed to a second year as CINCUS, so Brumby relinquished command of the Battle Force to Admiral Harris Laning
Harris Laning
Harris Laning, born October 18, 1873 in Petersburg, Illinois, graduated from the United States Naval Academy on June 7, 1895. He served in the Philippines during the Philippine insurrection, and served as captain of the U.S. rifle team which won the Gold Medal in Stockholm, Sweden, at the 1912...
on April 1, 1935 and returned to shore in his permanent rank of rear admiral.
His last assignment was as commandant of the Fifth Naval District and the Naval Operating Base at Norfolk, which he commanded from April 8, 1935 to September 30, 1938 before retiring on October 1, 1938 after forty-five years of service. He was advanced to the rank of admiral on the retired list on June 16, 1942 by new legislation that allowed officers to retire in the highest active-duty rank in which they had served.
Personal life
In retirement, he resided in Norfolk, VirginiaNorfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
. He died at the age of 75 at the Norfolk Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia
Portsmouth, Virginia
Portsmouth is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the city had a total population of 95,535.The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard, is a historic and active U.S...
after a two-week illness attributed to complications following an operation.
He married the former Isabelle Truxtun on June 4, 1907, and they had two children, Isabelle Truxtun Brumby Fitzgerald and Navy officer Frank Hardeman Brumby, Jr. An uncle, Lieutenant Thomas Mason Brumby, was flag lieutenant to Rear Admiral George Dewey
George Dewey
George Dewey was an admiral of the United States Navy. He is best known for his victory at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War...
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...
.
Namesake and honors
He is the namesake of the destroyer escort BrumbyUSS Brumby (FF-1044)
USS Brumby was a Garcia-class destroyer escort in the US Navy. She was named after Admiral Frank H. Brumby....
, launched in 1963 and co-sponsored by two granddaughters. The Brumby Bowl, the annual golf championship tournament of the Norfolk Naval Shipyard Golf Association, is also named for him, as the shipyard commandant when the tournament began in 1931.