William Carlton Watts

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rear Admiral W. C. Watts, attended the U.S. Naval Academy from 1894-1898 and graduated at age 18, ranking number 2 in his class. He served on active duty for 44 years, retiring reluctantly in 1942 due to his poor health.

He served in the Spanish-American War, World War I, and World War II.

He commanded the light cruiser U.S.S. Albany from 1918-1921 and was awarded the Navy Cross for convoy escort duty during World War I. Other important duties included first navigator of the Battleship New York (c.1914); judge advocate of the Navy (1916-1917); senior U.S. Naval Officer of the International Force stationed in Vladivostok, Siberia (1919-1920) during the Russian Revolution; U.S. Naval Attaché, London (1925-1927); Commander, Portsmouth, New Hampshire Naval Base; Commander, Battleship Colorado (later sunk at Pearl Harbor; December 7, 1941); Commander Mine Force, Pacific Fleet; and Commander Great Lakes Naval Training Station.

His navy decorations (medals) are as follows: • Navy Cross: 1918 (second highest medal for valor) • Spanish-American War Campaign Medal: 1898 • Mexican Campaign Medal: 1917 • World War I Victory Medal (with Escort Bar): 1918 • American Campaign Medal: 1939-1942 • World War II Victory Medal: 1945 • Czechoslovakia Military War Medal: 1921

"On 5 July, ALBANY received orders to report to New York for convoy duty. She was assigned duties as flagship for Squadron 6, Patrol Force, Atlantic Fleet. As such, she carried the flag of Rear Admiral William C. Watts. For the duration of World War I, the cruiser escorted convoys of merchant ships, cargomen, and troop transports back and forth across the Atlantic. Between July 1917 and the end of the war on 11 November 1918, she shepherded 11 such convoys safely between the United States and Europe. I n 1919, ALBANY was once more assigned to the Asiatic Fleet. At that time, the Russian Civil War between Bolshevik and non-Bolshevik (a diverse group made up of people whose only common ground was opposition to the Bolsheviks) factions. Various Allied powers sent military contingents to several Russian ports. The United States landed troops at Vladivostok in Siberia, possibly to check Japanese pretensions in that area and to secure that port as an exit for the Czech Legion then transiting the Trans-Siberian railway. In 1919 and early 1920, ALBANY did several tours of duty at Vladivostok in support of American troops ashore. She also sent armed landing parties ashore on several occasions in further support of those troops and to evacuate sick and wounded men.

American troops were withdrawn in the spring of 1920, and ALBANY resumed normal peacetime duty with the Asiatic Fleet. That service included the usual summers in Chinese waters alternated with winters in the Philippines. Reclassified PG-36 on 17 July 1920, ALBANY was again reclassified light cruiser CL-23 on 8 August 1921"