Albert G. Winterhalter

Infobox Military Person
name=Albert G. Winterhalter
born= birth date|1856|10|5
died= death date and age|1920|6|5|1856|10|5


caption=Admiral Albert G. Winterhalter
nickname=
placeofbirth= Detroit, Michigan
placeofdeath=
placeofburial= Arlington National Cemetery
allegiance= United States of America
branch= United States Navy
serviceyears=1873-19??
rank= Admiral
unit=
commands=United States Asiatic Fleet
battles=
awards=
relations=
laterwork=

Albert Gustav Winterhalter (October 5, 1856 - June 5, 1920) was an admiral in the United States Navy. He was commander in chief of the U.S. Asiatic Fleet from 1915 to 1917.

Biography

Born in Detroit, Michigan, Winterhalter was appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy from the First Congressional District of Michigan, graduating in 1877.

In 1898, as flag lieutenant to Rear Admiral J.M. Miller, Commander in Chief Pacific Station, Winterhalter personally arranged the hoisting of the American flag at the ceremonies attending the transfer of sovereignty of the Hawaiian Islands to the United States. He assumed command of the gunboat "Elcano" in 1902 and of the gunboat "Paducah" in 1905. As Aid for Material in 1914-1915, he was a principal assistant to the Secretary of the Navy and an ex-officio voting member of the General Board of the Navy. He took command of the U.S. Asiatic Fleet on July 11, 1915 and ranked as a full admiral for the duration of his tour, reverting to his permanent rank of rear admiral upon relinquishing command in 1917.

Winterhalter spent much of his career in scientific posts. He was assigned to the U.S. Naval Observatory from January 1885 to November 1889, during which time he served as the United States delegate to the International Astrophotographic Congress at Paris, France, and visited the principal observatories of Europe. His report on the tour was published in 1889. He was also responsible for the Naval Observatory Exhibit at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. He was Hydrographer of the Navy from May 1908 to January 1910.

In 1916, Winterhalter conducted experiments aboard USS "Washington" (ACR-11) to evaluate acoustic ranging techniques. He sailed "Washington" on different courses relative to a lightship that was transmitting radio waves and air- and water-mediated sound waves, and found that submarine sound waves were a more reliable guide than air-mediated sound. This was the first attempt to determine distance using acoustics, and a similar technique was later used for hydrographic surveys.

Winterhalter lost an eye to an archery accident the same year he graduated from the Academy. He could speak or read eleven languages by the time he was appointed to command the Asiatic Fleet. While stationed in San Francisco in 1896, he married Broadway actress Helen Dauvray, with whom he is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Dates of rank

*Cadet Midshipman - September 24, 1873
*Midshipman - June 18, 1877
*Ensign - July 10, 1880
*Lieutenant (junior grade) - December 14, 1886
*Lieutenant - June 30, 1892
*Lieutenant-Commander - unknown
*Commander - July 1, 1905
*Captain - unknown
*Rear Admiral - unknown
*Admiral - July 11, 1915

ee also

References

*citation
title = The War Chiefs of the Navy
journal = The World's Work: A History of Our Time
volume = 30
date = August 1915
url = http://books.google.com/books?id=N69E9klDugUC&pg=PA418&dq=site:www.history.navy.mil+walter+cowles+captain#PPP9,M1

*citation
first = Lewis R. |last = Hamersly
title = The Records of Living Officers of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, fifth edition
place = Philadelphia
publisher = L.R. Hamersly & Co.
year = 1894
url = http://books.google.com/books?id=_qoLAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA211&dq=%22thomas+benton+howard%22#PPA211,M1

*citation
first = Dean R. |last = Heaton
title = Four Stars: The Super Stars of United States Military History
place = Baltimore
publisher = Gateway Press
year = 1995

*citation
first = Linwood S. |last = Howeth
title = History of Communications-Electronics in the United States Navy
year = 1963
chapter = Chapter XXVI: Development of Underwater Sound and Detection Equipment
page = 297-312
url = http://earlyradiohistory.us/1963hw26.htm
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/e2/elcano.htm USS "Elcano"]
* [http://broadway.cas.sc.edu/index.php?action=showPerformer&id=33 Helen Dauvray]

Persondata
NAME= Winterhalter, Albert G.
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