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Thomas Withers, Jr. (28 May 1886 – 25 Jun 1953), was a rear admiral in the United States Navy.
Thomas Withers, Jr. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | May 28, 1886 Roseland, Virginia |
| Died | June 25, 1953 (aged 67)[1] Coronado, California |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Branch |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1906-1946 |
| Rank |  Rear Admiral |
| Commands | USS E-1 (SS-24) Submarine Division 4 Submarine Division 95 USS California (BB-44) COMSUBPAC Portsmouth Naval Shipyard |
| Battles / wars | World War I World War II |
| Alma mater | United States Naval Academy |
| Spouse(s) | Helen Fuller[1] |
Withers graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1906. He later became qualified in and commanded submarines. At the beginning of World War II in December 1941, he was Commander, Submarine Force, United States Pacific Fleet. In this role he championed the reliability and efficacy of the Mark 14 torpedo, at a time when submarine commanding officers were widely reporting that the torpedo's magnetic detonator proved ineffective in combat. Not long afterward, he was reassigned to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, in 1942, where he served for the remainder of the war.[2]
Withers retired from the Navy in 1946 as a rear admiral with forty years of naval service. He died in Coronado, California, in 1953 and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Adm. Thomas Withers Dies, Headed Torpedo Station". Newport, Rhode Island. Newport Daily News. 9 Jul 1953. p. 2. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
- ^ "Thomas Withers Jr". U.S. Naval Institute. Retrieved 2019-12-22.
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