Herbert F. Leary

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Herbert Fairfax Leary
Occupation of Cuba
World War I
World War II
Awards
Richard P. Leary
(father)

Herbert Fairfax Leary (May 31, 1885 – December 3, 1957) was a highly decorated officer in the

decoration awarded for valor in combat.[1]

Leary remained in the Navy following the war and held many important assignments, including command of cruiser

ANZAC Force based in Australia. Due to disputes with General Douglas MacArthur, Leary was ordered back to the United States and served as commander, Eastern Sea Frontier in New York City until the end of the war.[2]

Although he retired from the Navy in early 1946, Leary remained active and served as president of the

New York Maritime Academy from 1946 to 1951 during the period of the academy's transformation into the New York State Maritime College.[3][4]

Early career

Herbert F. Leary was born on May 31, 1885, in

Richard P. Leary and his wife Mary. He attended public schools in Washington, D.C., and later studied at the École cantonale d'art de Lausanne, Switzerland, before received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, in May 1901. His father died in December that year, just seven months after young Herbert entered the academy.[5][4]

While at the academy, he was active in fencing and baseball teams and reached the rank of cadet lieutenant. Among his classmates were several future World War II admirals including: Harold G. Bowen Sr., Arthur B. Cook, Wilhelm L. Friedell, William R. Furlong, Stanford C. Hooper, Royal E. Ingersoll, Byron McCandless, John H. Newton, Chester W. Nimitz, Harry E. Shoemaker, John M. Smeallie, John W. Wilcox Jr. and Walter B. Woodson.[6]

Leary graduated with distinction on January 31, 1905, with

Portsmouth Navy Yard, New Hampshire, during the Russo-Japanese Peace Conference. Leary subsequently rejoined the Kentucky and participated in the naval operations with the North Atlantic Squadron.[5][4]

He was transferred to the battleship

Atlantic Fleet, Rear Admiral Charles H. Davis.[4]

In November 1907, Leary was transferred to the battleship

12-inch turret gun. While aboard the Minnesota, he took part in the cruise around the world with the Battle Fleet and following return to the United States, he participated in the fleet exercise at Magdalena Bay and his turret made the record score for that type of gun.[5][4]

Leary was ordered to Washington, D.C., in March 1909 and entered the postgraduate instruction in

Navy Department and then at Naval Proving Ground, Indian Head, Maryland. He was promoted to lieutenant on January 31, 1910, and completed the instruction in April in that year, when he joined newly commissioned battleship USS North Dakota.[4]

In July 1910, Leary was ordered to Bath Iron Works at Bath, Maine, where the destroyer USS Trippe was under construction. The Trippe was commissioned in March 1911 and participated in the trials at Virginia Capes. Leary was appointed commanding officer of the destroyer USS Lamson in early 1912 and transferred to command of destroyer USS Preston in May that year.[4][7][8]

Leary remained in command of Preston until December 1912, when he was transferred to the Bureau of Ordnance under Rear Admiral Joseph Strauss for duty as a member of the Joint Army and Navy Board on Gun Forgings. He spent three years in that capacity and joined the battleship USS Florida in September 1915. Leary served as gunnery officer under Captain Hilary P. Jones. While in this capacity, he was promoted to lieutenant commander on August 29, 1916.[4]

World War I

Following the United States entry into World War I, Leary was detached from Florida in June 1917 and embarked for France. Upon his arrival to Paris, he was appointed liaison officer with the French Fleet aboard French battleship Bretagne and remained there until September that year, when he was ordered to the staff of commander, U.S. Naval Forces in Europe under Admiral William Sims. Leary was then appointed liaison officer on the staff of British Commander-in-Chief, Grand Fleet under Admiral David Beatty. He took part in the cruise aboard cruiser HMS Furious in the North Sea and returned to the United States in October 1917.[5][4]

Leary was attached to the staff of commander, Battle Force, ONE,

force gunnery officer with additional duty as a member of the board to consider the use of gas in naval warfare. While in this capacity, he was promoted to commander on February 1, 1918. Leary was appointed gunnery officer on the staff of Battleship Division Nine under Rear Admiral Hugh Rodman, operating in European waters with the British Grand Fleet.[4]

For his World War I service, Leary was decorated with the

decoration awarded for valor in combat. He also received the Legion of Honour in the Grade of Chevalier by the Government of France.[1][4]

Interwar period

Leary (second row, third from left) as Gunnery officer on the staff of United States Fleet under Admiral Hilary P. Jones (front row, second from left) in early 1923.

Following the Armistice, Leary was appointed a member of a special technical board to report upon the condition of the surrender of German submarines at

British Admiralty.[4]

In January 1919, he successively commanded steam yachts

Atlantic Fleet.[4]

Leary was transferred to the Bureau of Ordnance in Washington, D.C., where Chief of the Bureau, Rear Admiral Ralph Earle, appointed him aide to Vice Admiral Charbonnier, Inspector General of Ordnance in the French Navy, who was also head of the French Naval Ordnance Mission. Leary accompanied him on visits to all ordnance establishments, civilian, Army and Navy, in the United States.[4]

Leary as commanding officer of cruiser USS Portland in early 1933.

In May 1922, Leary was detached from the Bureau of Ordnance and attached to the recently commissioned battleship USS Maryland, where he assumed duty as fleet gunnery officer on the staff of United States Fleet under his old superior, now Admiral Hilary P. Jones. Leary served in this capacity until June 1923, when he was appointed executive officer of the battleship USS New York. While aboard New York, he participated in the patrol cruises with the United States Pacific Fleet until May 1924, when he was ordered to London, England, for duty as Assistant Naval Attaché with additional duty in Paris, Rome, Berlin and the Hague. While in this capacity, Leary served as technical advisor with the American delegation at the conference on the control of trade in arms, munitions and implements of war at the League of Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, in April 1925.[4]

He returned to the United States in June 1926 and joined the staff of Commander Destroyer Squadrons,

Frank H. Schofield until October 1928. While in this capacity, Leary was promoted to captain on June 2, 1927.[4][9]

Leary subsequently served as naval inspector of ordnance at the

Quincy Shipyard, Massachusetts, for duty in connection with fitting out of new heavy cruiser USS Portland.[5][4]

The Portland was commissioned by the end of February 1933 and Leary served as her commanding officer during the first cruise along the east coast of the United States. In April that year, Portland was tasked with the coordination of

Battle Force under Rear Admiral Edward C. Kalbfus. He served until March 1935, when he was ordered to Washington, D.C., for duty in the Division of Fleet Training within the Office of the Naval Operations.[10][4]

Leary served as deputy director to Rear Admiral

Battle Force under Vice Admiral Claude C. Bloch. Following the promotion of Bloch to the capacity of Commander-in-Chief, United States Fleet, Leary accompanied him to the new command.[4][11]

Upon promotion to the rank of

Battle Force with additional duty as commander, Cruiser Divisions 9.[5][4][12]

World War II

Southwest Pacific

At the time of the Japanese

Walter S. Anderson and Robert A. Theobald. Leary had six cruisers under his command, all anchored at Ford Island, where they suffered only minor damage.[2][5]

New York Fleet Review
on 27 October 1945.

Leary was promoted to the temporary rank of

Singapore and Rabaul.[2][13][4][14]

He established his headquarters in

South West Pacific Area under General Douglas MacArthur on April 22, 1942, and Leary was appointed commander, Southwest Pacific Force. However his tenure was short-lived due to a complicated relationship with General MacArthur. Leary reported directly to the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Ernest J. King, in Washington, D.C., and then to General MacArthur, who subsequently replaced Leary with Rear Admiral Arthur S. Carpender by the end of September 1942. For his service in Southwest Pacific area, Leary was decorated with the Silver Star and also was made Honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire.[1][2][5][4][15]

Leary was subsequently ordered to Hawaii, where he assumed duty as Commander, Battleships, Pacific. While in this capacity, his main responsibility was the training of the battleship crews, maintenance of the ships and to provide combat ready naval forces to the operational commanders within the Pacific Fleet. He also assisted in the establishment of the naval base on Fiji. Leary was succeeded by Vice Admiral Willis A. Lee on April 16, 1943, and ordered back to the United States. For his service in that capacity, Leary received the Legion of Merit.[1][2][5][4]

Later service

Following his return stateside, Leary reverted to his permanent rank of

Norfolk Navy Yard, Virginia. While in this capacity, he was responsible for the naval installations and defense of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and North Carolina. However, his tenure was short-lived and Leary was promoted again to vice admiral on November 1, 1943, and assumed duty as commander, Eastern Sea Frontier. He was now responsible for providing escorts for convoys within his frontier; the frontier was responsible for sea-air rescue, harbor defense, shipping lane patrol, minesweeping, and air operations.[4]

At the end of the war, Leary accepted surrender of two German

Sixteenth Fleet, an inactive reserve of 1,000 combatant ships. Leary retired from the Navy on June 1, 1946, after 41 years on active duty and received his second Legion of Merit for his service at Norfolk.[1][2][16][17][18][5][4][19]

Postwar life and death

Upon the retirement from the Navy, Leary was ordered to

New York Maritime Academy. During his presidency, the New York Marine Academy's three-year course was expanded into a four-year degree-granting maritime college. The name of the academy was changed to the New York State Maritime College in 1949 and Leary was involved in the obtaining of a new suitable training ship, former attack cargo ship of the U.S. Navy, USS Hydrus.[3][5][4]

Leary resigned as president of the New York State Maritime College on June 1, 1951, upon reaching the age 66 and settled in Jamestown, Rhode Island, where he was active in golf and tennis and the Episcopal Church. He was also a member of the Chevy Chase Country Club, New York Yacht Club and Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. Vice Admiral Herbert F. Leary died following a long illness on December 3, 1957, aged 72, in Naval Hospital in Newport, Rhode Island.[5][4]

He was buried with full military honors at United States Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Maryland. Leary was married to Marion Barnes and they had two sons: Herbert Fairfax Jr. and Neville Carlyle.[4]

Decorations

Vice admiral Leary's ribbon bar:[1][4]

Gold star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
1st
Row 		Navy Cross Silver Star
2nd
Row 		Legion of Merit with one 5⁄16" Gold Star Cuban Pacification Medal World War I Victory Medal with Overseas Clasp
3rd
Row 		American Defense Service Medal with Fleet Clasp Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal with two 3/16 inch service stars American Campaign Medal
4th
Row
World War II Victory Medal
 Honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire (Great Britain) Chevalier of the Legion of Honour (France)

See also

  • ANZAC Force
Military offices
Preceded by
Thomas T. Craven
 President of the
New York State Maritime College

June 1, 1946 - June 1, 1951 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Commander, Eastern Sea Frontier
November 1, 1943 - January 16, 1946 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Commandant,
Fifth Naval District

June 1, 1943 - November 1, 1943 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Walter S. Anderson
 Commander, Battleships, Pacific
September 28, 1942 - April 16, 1943 		Succeeded by

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Valor awards for Herbert F. Leary". valor.militarytimes.com. Militarytimes. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia - Herbert F. Leary". pwencycl.kgbudge.com. The Pacific War Encyclopedia. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  3. ^ a b "Admiral Leary to retired on June 1 as State Maritime College Head; The New York Times, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1950, page 32". timesmachine.nytimes.com. New York Times Websites. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac The National Cyclopaedie of American Biography, Volume XLIII - Herbert F. Leary, page 253. Hathi Trust Digital Library. 1893. Retrieved June 19, 2018 – via babel.hathitrust.org.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "HERBERT F. LEARY RETIRED ADMIRAL - Ex-Chief of the Eastern Sea Frontier Dies - Headed State Maritime College; The New York Times, December 4, 1957, page 39". timesmachine.nytimes.com. New York Times Websites. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  6. ^ "Lucky Bag - USNA Class of 1905". United States Naval Academy. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  7. ^ "USS LAMSON (DD-18) - Commanding Officers". navsource.org. NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive Websites. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  8. ^ "USS PRESTON (DD-19) - Commanding Officers". navsource.org. NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive Websites. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  9. ^ "SHORE DUTY LOOMS FOR CAPT. LEARY - San Pedro News Pilot, Volume I, Number 20, 30 March 1928; page ONE". cdnc.ucr.edu. Retrieved 2016-08-27.
  10. ^ "USS PORTLAND (CA 33) - Commanding Officers". navsource.org. NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive Websites. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  11. ^ "Battle Force Staff Chief Ordered to Capital Post - San Pedro News Pilot, Volume 9, Number 322, 16 March 1937; page THREE". cdnc.ucr.edu. Retrieved 2016-08-27.
  12. ^ "Admiral Lauds Recognition of Stronger Atlantic Fleet Need - San Pedro News Pilot, Volume 13, Number 280, 25 January 1941; page TWO". cdnc.ucr.edu. Retrieved 2016-08-27.
  13. ^ "U.S. Officer named ANZAC Commander; The New York Times, SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1942, page 16". timesmachine.nytimes.com. New York Times Websites. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  14. ^ "U. S. Naval Units Reach New Zealand - San Pedro News Pilot, Volume 14, Number 291, 10 February 1942; page ONE". cdnc.ucr.edu. Retrieved 2016-08-27.
  15. ^ "SHIFTS MADE IN COMMAND PACIFICAREA Vice Admiral Halsey Has Full Leadership Of Solomons Battle - Madera Tribune, Volume L, Number 201, 24 October 1942; page ONE". cdnc.ucr.edu. Retrieved 2016-08-27.
  16. ^ "Fifth Naval District - Naval History and Heritage Command". history.navy.mil. Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  17. ^ "Vice Admiral Leary Made Commander of Eastern Frontier; The New York Times, FRIDAY, October 15, 1943, page 21". timesmachine.nytimes.com. New York Times Websites. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  18. ^ "Takes over Norfolk Navy Area; The New York Times, TUESDAY, JUNE 1, 1943, page 6". timesmachine.nytimes.com. New York Times Websites. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  19. ^ "Three German Subs Surrender - Madera Tribune, Volume LIII, Number 65, 15 May 1945; page SIX". cdnc.ucr.edu. Retrieved 2016-08-27.
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