Rear Admiral Barry Kennedy Atkins (August 2, 1911 – November 15, 2005) was an officer of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

best known for his achievements as a destroyer captain in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Atkins graduated from the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

in 1932, and was commissioned as a career naval officer.His early Naval career included assignment to the USS Tennessee, 1932-33; assignment to the USS New Mexico, 1933-36; assignment to the USS Mahan, 1936-38; assignment to the USS Cuyama, 1938-39; developing techniques for refueling at sea; assignment to the U.S. Naval Academy, 1939-41. Then LCDR Atkins was assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadrons Training Center, Melville, Rhode Island, August, 1942; designation as commander of PT Squadron 8; PT boat operations around New Guinea, 1943-44. Following this assignment he commanded the destroyer '' USS Melvin'' in the

Pacific Theater The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

, and received the

Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps' second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is eq ...

for "extraordinary heroism" for action during the

Battle of Surigao Strait The Battle of Leyte Gulf ( fil, Labanan sa golpo ng Leyte, lit=Battle of Leyte gulf; ) was the largest naval battle of World War II and by some criteria the largest naval battle in history, with over 200,000 naval personnel involved. It was fou ...

in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. On October 25, 1944, the ''Melvin'' fired a

torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, su ...

at the Japanese

battleship A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of large caliber guns. It dominated naval warfare in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The term ''battleship'' came into use in the late 1880s to describe a type of ...

'' Fusō'', setting off a chain reaction of explosions that sank the ship; according to Jack Green, spokesman at the

Naval Historical Center The Naval History and Heritage Command, formerly the Naval Historical Center, is an Echelon II command responsible for the preservation, analysis, and dissemination of U.S. naval history and heritage located at the historic Washington Navy Yard. ...

, "the ''Melvin'' probably was the only destroyer to sink a battleship in World War II." Atkins also served on the USS ''Parrott'', USS ''Tennessee'', and the , among other ships, and was decorated with the

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an e ...

Bronze Star The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

, and other medals. He retired in October 1959. Admiral Atkins died on November 15, 2005, at age 94. He was buried at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

, in

Arlington, Virginia Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county is ...

, on January 30, 2006. There has been pressure from crewmen of the ''Melvin'' to have a ship named after Atkins; the only official response has been that, as one prominent and highly decorated officer among many, he is eligible for the honor but not guaranteed it.

References

External links

*
Portrait of a Shipmate
– short biography of RDML Atkins {{DEFAULTSORT:Atkins, Barry K. 1911 births 2005 deaths United States Navy personnel of World War II Burials at Arlington National Cemetery Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States) United States Naval Academy alumni United States Navy rear admirals (upper half) Recipients of the Silver Star