Difference between revisions of "William Wordsworth Fisher"
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==Early Life & Career== | ==Early Life & Career== | ||
+ | Sub-Lieutenant Fisher was appointed to the {{UK-Hawke|f=t}} on 13 January, 1896.<ref>"Naval & Military Intelligence". ''The Times''. Tuesday, 14 January, 1896 Issue '''34786''', col A, p. 10.</ref> | ||
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As {{LieutGRN}} in [[H.M.S. King Edward VII (1903)|''King Edward VII'']], as enterpising naval persons were fairly required to do, Fisher exploited a gap in the rules of a pre-war prize firing to have all his light gun crews use the same single, slavishly perfected and tweaked gun mount. It sported a super-sized telescope and the results were astounding: crew after crew was hitting 19 out of 20 rounds on a 10-foot square target at over a thousand yards. The winning performance inspired rule changes for the coming year's competition.<ref>Usborne. p. 4.</ref> | As {{LieutGRN}} in [[H.M.S. King Edward VII (1903)|''King Edward VII'']], as enterpising naval persons were fairly required to do, Fisher exploited a gap in the rules of a pre-war prize firing to have all his light gun crews use the same single, slavishly perfected and tweaked gun mount. It sported a super-sized telescope and the results were astounding: crew after crew was hitting 19 out of 20 rounds on a 10-foot square target at over a thousand yards. The winning performance inspired rule changes for the coming year's competition.<ref>Usborne. p. 4.</ref> | ||
Revision as of 20:01, 27 April 2014
Admiral SIR William Wordsworth Fisher, G.C.B., G.C.V.O., Royal Navy (26 March, 1875 – 24 June, 1937) was an officer of the Royal Navy during the First World War.
Early Life & Career
Sub-Lieutenant Fisher was appointed to the {{safesubst:{{safesubst:#ifeq:|eq|p1|p2}}|{{safesubst:{{safesubst:#ifeq:{{#pos:t|c}}|Edgar Class first class protected cruiser |p1|p2}}||}}|{{safesubst:{{safesubst:#switch:{{safesubst:#if:{{#pos:t|c}}|p1|p2}}|p1=p1|p2={{safesubst:#ifeq:|error|{{safesubst:#ifeq:||p2|p3}}|p2}}|if/errmsg}}|Edgar Class first class protected cruiser ||{{#pos:t|c}}|}}}}{{safesubst:{{safesubst:#ifeq:|eq|p1|p2}}|{{safesubst:{{safesubst:#ifeq:{{#pos:t|t}}|first class protected cruiser |p1|p2}}||}}|{{safesubst:{{safesubst:#switch:{{safesubst:#if:{{#pos:t|t}}|p1|p2}}|p1=p1|p2={{safesubst:#ifeq:|error|{{safesubst:#ifeq:||p2|p3}}|p2}}|if/errmsg}}|first class protected cruiser ||{{#pos:t|t}}|}}}}[[{{#if:H.M.S.|H.M.S. Hawke (1891)|Hawke (1891)}}|{{safesubst:{{safesubst:#ifeq:|eq|p1|p2}}|{{safesubst:{{safesubst:#ifeq:{{#pos:t|p}}|H.M.S. |p1|p2}}||}}|{{safesubst:{{safesubst:#switch:{{safesubst:#if:{{#pos:t|p}}|p1|p2}}|p1=p1|p2={{safesubst:#ifeq:|error|{{safesubst:#ifeq:||p2|p3}}|p2}}|if/errmsg}}|H.M.S. ||{{#pos:t|p}}|}}}}Hawke]] on 13 January, 1896.<ref>"Naval & Military Intelligence". The Times. Tuesday, 14 January, 1896 Issue 34786, col A, p. 10.</ref>
As Template:LieutGRN in King Edward VII, as enterpising naval persons were fairly required to do, Fisher exploited a gap in the rules of a pre-war prize firing to have all his light gun crews use the same single, slavishly perfected and tweaked gun mount. It sported a super-sized telescope and the results were astounding: crew after crew was hitting 19 out of 20 rounds on a 10-foot square target at over a thousand yards. The winning performance inspired rule changes for the coming year's competition.<ref>Usborne. p. 4.</ref>
Fisher was promoted to the rank of Captain on 1 July, 1912.<ref>The London Gazette: no. 28623. p. 4748. 2 July, 1912.</ref>
He was appointed to command the dreadnought St. Vincent on 10 December, 1912.<ref>The Navy List (December, 1914). p. 379.</ref>
Great War
He was appointed an Additional Member of the Third Class, or Companion, in the Military Division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (C.B.) on 1 January, 1918.<ref>The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 30451. p. 80. 1 January, 1918.</ref>
He commanded St. Vincent at the Battle of Jutland, operating with the Grand Fleet's First Battle Squadron. He reported firing 96 seemingly accurate shells by director without suffering damage.
Post-War
Fisher was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 1 November, 1922, vice Green.<ref>The London Gazette: no. 32764. p. 7873. 7 November, 1922.</ref>
He was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral on 15 January, 1928, vice Crooke.<ref>The London Gazette: no. 33349. p. 440. 20 January, 1928.</ref>
On the occasion of the King's birthday he was appointed an Ordinary Member of the Second Class, or Knight Commander, in the Military Division of the Order of the Bath (K.C.B.) on 3 June, 1929.<ref>The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 33501. p. 3667. 3 June, 1929.</ref>
Assessment
Marder wrote of Fisher:
But for his death when C.-in-C., Portsmouth, he would probably have succeeded Chatfield and become, no doubt, one of the great First Sea Lords in British naval history.<ref>Marder. From the Dreadnought to Scapa Flow. II. p. 16.</ref>
Footnotes
<references/>
Bibliography
- "Admiral Sir William Fisher" (Obituaries). The Times. Saturday, 26 June, 1937. Issue 47721, col C, pg. 16.
- "Ecclesiastical News" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Friday, 27 September, 1946. Issue 50567, col B, pg. 13.
- "Obituary" (Obituaries). The Times. Tuesday, 2 February, 1962. Issue 56235, col E, pg. 14.
- James, Admiral Sir William Milbourne, Royal Navy (1943). Admiral Sir William Fisher. London: Macmillan & Co. Ltd.
- {{#if:|<ref>From the Dreadnought to Scapa Flow. Volume II. .</ref>|Marder, Arthur Jacob (1965). From the Dreadnought to Scapa Flow, The Royal Navy in the Fisher Era, 1904-1919: The War Years : To the Eve of Jutland.. Volume II. London: Oxford University Press.}}
- {{#if:|<ref>Blast and Counter-Blast. .</ref>|Usborne, C. V. (1935). Blast and Counter-Blast. London: John Murray.}}
Papers
- Papers in the possession of the National Maritime Museum. For a detailed list see Fisher Papers at the National Maritime Museum.
- Papers in the possession of Churchill College, Cambridge.
Service Records
- The National Archives. {{#if:D8120945|ADM 196/141.|196/141.| |+}} ADM 196/141.}}
- The National Archives. {{#if:D8115662|ADM 196/89.|196/89.| |+}} ADM 196/89.}}
- The National Archives. {{#if:D7576585|ADM 196/44.|196/44.| |+}} ADM 196/44.}}
See Also
Naval Appointments | ||
Preceded by Sir John Donald Kelly |
Fourth Sea Lord 1927 – 1928 |
Succeeded by Sir Vernon Haggard |
{{safesubst:{{safesubst:#ifeq:|eq|p1|p2}}|{{safesubst:{{safesubst:#ifeq:1875||p1|p2}}||}}|{{safesubst:{{safesubst:#switch:{{safesubst:#if:1875|p1|p2}}|p1=p1|p2={{safesubst:#ifeq:|error|{{safesubst:#ifeq:+|-|p2|p3}}|p2}}|if/errmsg}}|||1875|}}}} {{safesubst:{{safesubst:#ifeq:|eq|p1|p2}}|{{safesubst:{{safesubst:#ifeq:1937||p1|p2}}||}}|{{safesubst:{{safesubst:#switch:{{safesubst:#if:1937|p1|p2}}|p1=p1|p2={{safesubst:#ifeq:|error|{{safesubst:#ifeq:+|-|p2|p3}}|p2}}|if/errmsg}}|||1937|}}}} Template:CatAdmiral