Harley H. Christy

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Vice Admiral Harley Hannibal Christy (18 September 1870 – 4 June 1950) served in the United States Navy during the Spanish-American War and World War I.

Christy was born in Circleville, Ohio. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1891, and served in a variety of warship and educational assignments during the next two decades, including command of two small gunboats in 1902. He was commanding officer of the cruisers Chester (CS-1), Brooklyn (ACR-3), Salem (CS-3), battleship Kearsarge (BB-5) and cruiser Minneapolis (C-13) in 1912-17. In 1917 Captain Christy took command of the armored cruiser San Diego (ACR-6) and was with her when she was sunk, possibly by a German submarine in July 1918. He then became captain of the battleship Wyoming (BB-32) during wartime North Sea operations with the British Grand Fleet.

Captain Christy commanded the Naval Air Station at Pensacola, Florida and the battleship California (BB-44) from 1919 to 1924, when he was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral. He subsequently held several flag commands ashore and afloat, as well as serving at the Naval War College and with the General Board and other Navy boards in Washington, D.C.

Rear Admiral Christy retired from active duty in October 1934. In January 1950 he was advanced to the rank of Vice Admiral on the Retired List in honor of his combat awards.

Vice Admiral Harley H. Christy died on 4 June 1950.

This article includes information collected from the Naval Historical Center, which, as a US government publication, is in the public domain.