Arthur P. Fairfield
{{Short description|United States Navy admiral (1877–1946)}}
{{Infobox military person
| name = Arthur Philip Fairfield
| image = Arthur P. Fairfield.jpg
| caption = Fairfield while serving as Assistant Chief
of Naval Operations in 1939
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1877|10|29}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1946|12|14|1877|10|29}}
| placeofburial_label = Place of burial
| placeofburial = Arlington National Cemetery
| birth_place = Saco, Maine, US
| death_place = Bethesda, Maryland, US
| placeofburial_coordinates =
| nickname =
|allegiance= United States of America
|branch={{Naval|United States|navy-1864}}
| serviceyears = 1901–1945
| rank = Vice admiral
| unit =
| commands = {{USS|Gregory|DD-82|6}}
{{USS|McDougal|DD-54|6}}
{{USS|Chester|CA-27|6}}
Cruiser Division 7, Scouting Force
Battleship Division Three
| battles = Spanish–American War
World War I
World War II
| awards = Navy Cross
| relations =
| laterwork =
}}
Arthur Philip Fairfield (October 29, 1877 – December 14, 1946) was a vice admiral in the United States Navy.
Biography
Born and raised in Saco, Maine, Fairfield was the son of Rufus Albert Fairfield and Frances Mary Patten and the great-grandson of Maine Governor John Fairfield. From 1892 to 1895, he attended the Thornton Academy.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rjQOAQAAMAAJ&q=Fairfield+Arthur+Philip+Saco |title=Who Was Who in American History – The Military |date=1975 |page=165 |publisher=Marquis Who's Who |isbn=978-0837932019 |access-date=3 August 2023}} From 1895 to 1897, Fairfield studied at Bowdoin College before entering the United States Naval Academy.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v8RBAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA497 |title=General Catalogue of Bowdoin College and the Medical School of Maine, 1794–1912 |date=1912 |page=497 |publisher=The Record Press |location=Brunswick, Maine |access-date=2 August 2023}} He served on the protected cruiser {{USS|Columbia|C-12|2}} during the Spanish–American War, before graduating from the Naval Academy in 1901.
In World War I, Commander Fairfield commissioned the destroyer {{USS|Gregory|DD-82|2}} on 1 June 1918,{{Cite web
|url=http://ussgregory.com/FirstGregorys.html
|title=USS Gregory
|work=ussgregory.com
|accessdate=12 August 2010
|url-status=dead
|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717180552/http://ussgregory.com/FirstGregorys.html
|archivedate=17 July 2011
}} and while commanding the destroyer {{USS|McDougal|DD-54|2}} earned the award of the Navy Cross for his "prompt and efficient action in contact on September 8 with a submarine which attempted an attack upon a convoy".{{Cite web
|url= http://militarytimes.com/citations-medals-awards/recipient.php?recipientid=9393
|title=Military Times Hall of Valor : Awards for Arthur Philip Fairfield
|work=militarytimes.com
|accessdate=12 August 2010
}}
Commander Fairfield taught at the United States Naval Academy following World War I, where he compiled a new Naval Academy textbook Naval Ordnance in 1920 for publication in 1921.{{cite book| title=Naval Ordnance |author=Fairfield, Arthur P.|publisher=Lord Baltimore Press |year=1921}} He was promoted to captain in November 1923.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z_1EAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA16 |title=Register of the Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps |date=January 1, 1933 |page=16 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |location=Washington, D.C. |access-date=3 August 2023}}
Captain Fairfield commanded the heavy cruiser {{USS|Chester|CA-27|2}} from 1930–1932.{{Cite web
|url= http://www.navsource.net/archives/04/027/04027.htm
|title= NavSource Online : USS Chester (CL/CA-27)
|website=NavSource
|accessdate=12 August 2010
}} He then attended the senior class at the Naval War College, graduating in 1933.{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/RG19RegisterofOfficers18841977/page/n51/mode/1up |title=Register of Officers 1884–1977 |date=1977 |page=45 |publisher=The United States Naval War College |access-date=2 August 2023}} Fairfield was promoted to rear admiral in September 1934 and given command of Cruiser Division 7, Scouting Force.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pfgeAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA16 |title=Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps |date=July 1, 1935 |page=16 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |location=Washington, D.C. |access-date=3 August 2023}}
In 1936, Fairfield commanded Squadron 40-T, a special temporary squadron, organized to evacuate American nationals from the Spanish Civil War areas. With the light cruiser {{USS|Raleigh|CL-7|2}} as his flagship Rear Admiral Fairfield sailed with the destroyers {{USS|Kane|DD-235|2}} and {{USS|Hatfield|DD-231|2}} and the Coast Guard Cutter Cayuga to Spain, and saved hundreds of Americans.{{Cite web
|url= http://www.historycentral.com/navy/cruiser/Raliegh2.html
|title=Naval History : USS Raleigh (CL-7)
|work=historycentral.com
|accessdate=12 August 2010
}}
In 1938–39 Fairfield served as Assistant Chief of Naval Operations,{{Cite web
|url= http://www.history.navy.mil/library/guides/rosters/vice%20chief%20naval%20operations.htm
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080624024121/http://www.history.navy.mil/library/guides/rosters/vice%20chief%20naval%20operations.htm
|url-status= dead
|archive-date= June 24, 2008
|title=Lists of Commanding Officers and Senior Officials of the US Navy : Vice Chief of Naval Operations
|work=history.navy.mil
|accessdate=12 August 2010
}} and in 1939–1940, was commander of Battleship Division Three of the United States Fleet.{{Cite web
|url= http://www.ww2pacific.com/adm1940.html
|title=Admirals, 1940
|work=ww2pacific.com
|accessdate=12 August 2010
| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20100812133359/http://www.ww2pacific.com/adm1940.html| archivedate= 12 August 2010 | url-status= live}}
Fairfield was promoted to vice admiral when he retired on November 1, 1941.{{cite book |url=https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/AMH/USN/Naval_Registers/1945.pdf |title=Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps |date=July 1, 1945 |page=515 |publisher=U.S. Bureau of Naval Personnel |accessdate=17 August 2020}} He was called back to active duty after the U.S. entered World War II the following month. He served as an advisor to the Maritime Commission, and was Chairman of the Board of Medals and Decorations, among other duties.{{Cite web
|url= http://www.usmm.org/gunduty.html
|title=Hearings Regarding Gunnery Duties Before The Committee on The Merchant Marine and Fisheries, House of Representatives, April 4, 1946
|work=usmm.org
|accessdate=12 August 2010
| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20100804054818/http://www.usmm.org/gunduty.html| archivedate= 4 August 2010 | url-status= live}}
Fairfield retired again in 1945, and died on December 14, 1946, at the Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.{{cite news |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/151825344 |title=Died: Fairfield, Arthur Philip |date=December 16, 1946 |page=10 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=2 August 2023|id={{ProQuest|151825344}} }}[https://www.usna.edu/Library/sca/man-findingaids/view.php?f=MS_363 Nimitz Library] He and his wife Nancy Douglas Duval (1874–1947) are buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.[https://ancexplorer.army.mil/publicwmv/#/arlington-national/search/results/1/CglmYWlyZmllbGQSBmFydGh1cg--/ Burial Detail: Fairfield, Arthur P (section 2, grave 4935)] – ANC Explorer
Namesake
The Liberty ship, launched in June 1944 as the William Hodson, which served as the Chung Tung under Lend-Lease to the Republic of China, was renamed Arthur P. Fairfield in 1947, then Admiral Arthur P. Fairfield in 1948, while being operated by the American Pacific Steamship Company.{{Cite web
|url=http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/alaska.htm
|title=Alaska Steamship Company
|work=theshipslist.com
|accessdate=12 August 2010
|url-status=dead
|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080609000222/http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/alaska.htm
|archivedate=9 June 2008
|url= http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/LibShipsC.html
|title=Mariners : Liberty Ships (C)
|work=mariners-l.co.uk
|accessdate=12 August 2010
}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Portal|Biography}}
- [http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/apfairfield.htm Arthur P. Fairfield] at ArlingtonCemetery.net, an unofficial website
- [https://www.usna.edu/Library/sca/man-findingaids/MS_363.EAD.xml Arthur Philip Fairfield Letters, 1917–1932 (bulk 1925–1932) MS 363] held by Special Collection & Archives, Nimitz Library at the United States Naval Academy
{{Navy Midshipmen athletic director navbox}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fairfield, Arthur P.}}
Category:People from Saco, Maine
Category:Bowdoin College alumni
Category:Military personnel from Maine
Category:American military personnel of the Spanish–American War
Category:United States Naval Academy alumni
Category:Navy Midshipmen athletic directors
Category:United States Navy personnel of World War I
Category:Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States)
Category:United States Naval Academy faculty
Category:Naval War College alumni
Category:United States Navy World War II admirals