William V Pratt (DLG 13) - Naval Cruise Book

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DMIR L WILLIAM V. PR TT If Admiral William Veazie Pratt was born in Belfast, Me., on 28 February 1869. He was graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy at Md. in 1889. He served at sea during the Philippine Insurrection, the Boxer Re- bellion and the Spanish-American War. He attended the Naval War College, Newport, R.I. from 1911 until 1913, when he was ordered as Aide to Commander Torpedo Flotilla, Atlantic Fleet. ln that assignment he commanded USS BIRMINGHAM, In November of 1915 he was ordered to the Panama Canal Zone, and upon comple- tion of that tour the following year, he reported to the Army War College for in- struction. When the United States entered World War l in 1917, Admiral Pratt was assigned as Deputy Chief of Naval Opera- tions, winning distinction for his planning of convoy routes. After the war he accom- panied President Wilson to France andlater served as adviser to the U.S. Commission at the Washington Naval Conference on limitations of armaments in 1921 and the London Naval Conference on disarmament in 1930. He served as President of the Naval War College, Commander-in-Chief of the Battle Fleet and Commander-in-Chief of the United States Fleet, with the rank of Full Admiral, In 1930 he became Chief of Naval Opera- tzions, the post he held until his first re- tirement in 1933. Upon request from pres- ident Roosevelt, Admiral Pratt agreed to remain on active duty for eight more months. Roosevelt again called Admiral Prattto ac- tive duty eight years later, in the months preceding Pearl Harbor, to work out asys- tem of carrier protection for Atlantic con- voys menaced by U-boats. In late 1941, at the age of 72, Admiral Pratt retired again. Admiral Pratt joined the staff of NEWS- WEEK Magazine as an analyst on naval affairs. Throughout the war and for some time thereafter he contributed to-aweekly column, War Tides , in which he analyzed the sea strategy of the Allied and Axis Powers. This column was one of the features best liked by NEWSWEEK readers. On 25 November 1957, at the age of 88, Admiral Pratt retired for the final time, his death bringing to a close a distin- guished life of public service. Admiral Pratt's medals included the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Navy Dis- tinguished Service Medal and the Legion of Honor of France.