Robert P. Briscoe
Encyclopedia
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...
. He commanded two ships, a destroyer squadron, and an amphibious group during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He later served as Commander-in-Chief, Allied Forces Southern Europe, from 1956 to 1959. He was a native of Centreville, Mississippi
Centreville, Mississippi
Centreville is a town in Amite and Wilkinson Counties in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The population was 1,680 at the 2000 census. It is part of the McComb, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
.
World War I and between the wars
Admiral Briscoe graduated from the United States Naval AcademyUnited States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
in June 1918. 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...
he served on the battleship USS Alabama (BB-8)
USS Alabama (BB-8)
USS Alabama was an pre-dreadnought style battleship in the United States Navy. She was the second ship to carry her name.Alabama was laid down on 1 December 1896 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by the William Cramp and Sons Ship and Engine Building Company. She was launched on 18 May 1898...
of the U.S. 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...
and on the destroyer USS Roe (DD-24)
USS Roe (DD-24)
USS Roe was a in the United States Navy during World War I, and later in the United States Coast Guard designated CG-18. She was the first ship named for Francis Asbury Roe....
, operating from Brest, France
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
. At the end of hostilities, he made the first postwar Midshipmen cruise in the USS Kearsarge (BB-5)
USS Kearsarge (BB-5)
USS Kearsarge , the lead ship of her class of battleships, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named, by act of Congress, in honor of the famous American Civil War sloop-of-war . Her keel was laid down by the Newport News Shipbuilding Company of Newport News, Virginia on 30 June...
and in 1919 returned to destroyer duty as Engineer Officer of the USS Humphreys (DD-236)
USS Humphreys (DD-236)
USS Humphreys was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Joshua Humphreys, a pioneer US shipbuilder....
, stationed in Near East waters at Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
. During the Turko-Greek fighting in 1920-1921, he commanded a naval landing force at Derindge, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
.
After further destroyer duty in the USS Flusser (DD-289)
USS Flusser (DD-289)
The third USS Flusser was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy following World War I. She was named for Charles W. Flusser.-History:...
and USS Henderson (AP-1)
USS Henderson (AP-1)
The first USS Henderson was a transport in the United States Navy during World War I and World War II. In 1943, she was converted to a hospital ship and commissioned as USS Bountiful ....
, and recruiting duty at Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
, he served as Senior Assistant Engineer of the battleship USS West Virginia (BB-48)
USS West Virginia (BB-48)
USS West Virginia , a , was the second ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 35th state.Her keel was laid down on 12 April 1920 by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company of Newport News, Virginia. She was launched on 17 November 1921 sponsored by Miss Alice Wright Mann,...
from 1926 to 1929, then returned to the Naval Academy as an instructor in Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
. From 1931 to 1933 he was on China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
Station, assigned first as Executive Officer of the USS Edsall (DD-219)
USS Edsall (DD-219)
USS Edsall , named for Seaman Norman Eckley Edsall , was a Clemson-class destroyer of the United States Navy....
, on Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
patrol during the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese occupation of Woosung and Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
, and later as Communication Officer of the USS Houston (CA-30)
USS Houston (CA-30)
USS Houston , nicknamed the "Galloping Ghost of the Java Coast", was a Northampton-class heavy cruiser of the United States Navy...
, flagship of the Commander in Chief, Asiatic Fleet. He again returned to the Naval Academy in June 1934, and for three years served as head of the Department of Chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
.
Sea duty as navigator of the battleship Mississippi (BB-41)
USS Mississippi (BB-41)
USS Mississippi , a , was the third ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 20th state, and the second battleship to carry the name. Commissioned in 1917, too late to serve in World War I, she served extensively in the Pacific in World War II, for which she earned eight battle stars...
preceded a tour during the pre-war period as Assistant Director of the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and Navy Department Liaison Officer with the National Defense Research Committee. He has been identified as one of the pioneers of modern electronics development in the Navy.
World War II
In May 1942, he assumed command of the USS Prometheus (AR-3)USS Prometheus (AR-3)
USS Prometheus was a repair ship that served the United States Navy during World War I and World War II. Named for Prometheus who, in Greek mythology, stole a spark from heaven and gave it as a gift of fire to newly-created mankind, she was originally laid down as a collier on 18 October 1907 at...
, a recommissioned World War I repair ship. Under his command, she joined the U.S. 3rd Fleet at Noumea
Nouméa
Nouméa is the capital city of the French territory of New Caledonia. It is situated on a peninsula in the south of New Caledonia's main island, Grande Terre, and is home to the majority of the island's European, Polynesian , Indonesian, and Vietnamese populations, as well as many Melanesians,...
, New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
, where he was detached to command Destroyer Squadron 5 and operated as escort commander for Task Forces 67, 68 and 70. In the intervening periods when the battleships and cruisers were not at sea, Admiral Briscoe operated Commander Task Group 675 (Cactus Striking Force) in Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
waters.
He was transferred to command of the USS Denver (CL-58)
USS Denver (CL-58)
USS Denver was a Cleveland-class light cruiser. Denver launched on 4 April 1942 by New York Shipbuilding Corp., Camden, N.J.; sponsored by Miss L. J. Stapleton, daughter of the Mayor of Denver; and commissioned on 15 October 1942, Captain Robert Carney in command...
in July 1943 and was in command during the Northern Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
campaign. During a thirty six hour battle with Japanese naval forces, his ship assisted in the sinking of five enemy warships, damaging four others and routing the enemy's surface forces. His ship's guns had barely fired their last salvo when she was attacked by sixty-seven dive bomber
Dive bomber
A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target reduces the distance the bomb has to fall, which is the primary factor in determining the accuracy of the drop...
s. Under his command, the ship downed seventeen enemy planes and thwarted the raid. He sailed the cruiser to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
after she suffered severe battle damage off Rabaul
Rabaul
Rabaul is a township in East New Britain province, Papua New Guinea. The town was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province until it was destroyed in 1994 by falling ash of a volcanic eruption. During the eruption, ash was sent thousands of metres into the air and the...
in November 1943.
In February 1944, he joined the staff of the Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet, in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, as head of New Developments, and with his promotion to flag rank in April 1945, assumed command of Amphibious Group 14. Victory over Japan Day
Victory over Japan Day
Victory over Japan Day is a name chosen for the day on which the Surrender of Japan occurred, effectively ending World War II, and subsequent anniversaries of that event...
found him in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, working on plans for the invasion of the Japanese homeland.
Post-war
In September 1945, he took command of the Operational Development Force, Atlantic Fleet with headquarters at 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....
. After two years there, and a tour of duty as Assistant Chief of Naval Operations
Chief of Naval Operations
The Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...
(Readiness), he became Commander Amphibious Force, Atlantic Fleet, on November 1, 1950.
Ordered in January 1952 to command the U.S. 7th Fleet in Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n waters, he retained this command until designated Commander Naval Forces, Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
, in June of that year. During this tenure, he recommended an amphibious feint to draw North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
n combatants from their dug-in front line positions to cover potential landing zones. This resulted in a significant shift of troop concentrations by enemy forces over a period of three months.
Two years later, he reported as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, for Fleet Operations and Readiness, and on 2 July 1956, became Commander in Chief, Allied Forces, Southern Europe.
Decorations and awards
Navy CrossNavy CrossThe Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
for actions in the Northern Solomon Islands campaign.
Navy Distinguished Service MedalDistinguished Service Medal (United States)The Distinguished Service Medal is the highest non-valorous military and civilian decoration of the United States military which is issued for exceptionally meritorious service to the government of the United States in either a senior government service position or as a senior officer of the United...
in his capacity as CinC of Allied Forces, Southern Europe from July 2, 1956 to December 31, 1958.
Legion of MeritLegion of MeritThe Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
with Gold Star.
Civilian life
On 1 January 1959, he was transferred to the Retired List of the United States Navy. He died on 14 October 1968 in Liberty, MississippiLiberty, Mississippi
Liberty is a town in Amite County, Mississippi, United States. It is part of the McComb, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 633 at the 2000 census...
. He was buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
.
Namesake
USS Briscoe (DD-977)USS Briscoe (DD-977)
USS Briscoe , named for Rear Admiral Robert Pearce Briscoe USN, was a built by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Division of Litton Industries at Pascagoula, Mississippi. She was laid down 21 July 1975, launched 28 December 1976 and commissioned 3 June 1978. The ship operated out of Norfolk, Virginia...
, a Spruance class destroyer
Spruance class destroyer
The Spruance-class destroyer was developed by the United States to replace a large number of World War II-built Allen M. Sumner- and Gearing-class destroyers, and was the primary destroyer built for the U.S. Navy during the 1970s....
, was named in his honor.
External links
- USS Briscoe (DD-977) website circa 2001 archived at http://web.archive.org/web/20010610042616/www.briscoe.navy.mil/adm.htm