Vice Admiral Charles Adams Blakely (1 October 1879 – 12 September 1950) was an officer in 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 ...

during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and the interwar period.

Biography

Born on October 1, 1879, at

Williamsburg, Kentucky Williamsburg is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Whitley County, on the southeastern border of Kentucky, United States. The population was 5,245 at the 2010 census. Developed along the Cumberland River, the city was founded in 18 ...

, Blakely graduated from Williamsburg Academy in 1897 and, in the summer of 1898, served with the 2d Kentucky Volunteer Infantry during the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (cloc ...

. Appointed a

naval cadet Officer Cadet is a rank held by military cadets during their training to become commissioned officers. In the United Kingdom, the rank is also used by members of University Royal Naval Units, University Officer Training Corps and University A ...

in September 1899, Blakely graduated from the

Naval Academy A naval academy provides education for prospective naval officers. See also * Military academy A military academy or service academy is an educational institution which prepares candidates for service in the officer corps. It normally pro ...

on February 2, 1903, and, after serving two years at sea as a passed naval cadet, was commissioned ensign in 1905 to date from February 3.

Career in surface ships

Between 1903 and 1907, he served successively in the frigate , ''Baltimore'' (Cruiser No. 3), ''Cleveland'' (Cruiser No. 19), ''Denver'' (Cruiser No. 14), and the yacht . Command of ''Thornton'' (Torpedo Boat No. 33) and ''Macdonough'' (Torpedo-boat Destroyer No. 9) followed. In December 1910, he became officer in charge of the machinist school at the

Charleston Navy Yard Charleston Naval Shipyard (formerly known as the Charleston Navy Yard) was a U.S. Navy ship building and repair facility located along the west bank of the Cooper River, in North Charleston, South Carolina and part of Naval Base Charleston. H ...

. Between June 1911 and October 1914, Blakely commanded the Reserve Torpedo Flotillas and the

protected cruiser Protected cruisers, a type of naval cruiser of the late-19th century, gained their description because an armoured deck offered protection for vital machine-spaces from fragments caused by shells exploding above them. Protected cruisers re ...

. From October 1914 to September 1916, he served ashore at the New York Navy Yard. At the end of that assignment, he assumed command of ''Rowan'' (Destroyer No. 64). During

, Blakely commanded ''O'Brien'' (Destroyer No. 51), serving in the waters surrounding the

British Isles The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, ...

. At the end of the war, he went to

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

where he served in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. In December 1920, Blakely became the engineering officer on the staff of the Commander, Destroyer Squadrons, Atlantic Fleet. He concluded that assignment in October 1922 and moved to duty as inspector of ordnance at the Naval Ammunition Depot, Lake Denmark, New Jersey. In 1925, he began a year as commanding officer of the battleship . Leaving that billet in August 1926, Blakely embarked upon a two-year tour of duty commanding the Destroyer Squadron, Asiatic Fleet. In July 1928, he returned to the United States to take up duty in the

Bureau of Navigation The Bureau of Navigation, later the Bureau of Navigation and Steamboat Inspection and finally the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation — not to be confused with the United States Navys Bureau of Navigation — was an agency of the United ...

as president of the Naval Reserve Inspection Board.

Belated aviation career

Blakely remained at the Bureau of Navigation for more than three years. He was relieved in December 1931 and, in January 1932, reported for duty at the

Naval Air Station Pensacola Naval Air Station Pensacola or NAS Pensacola (formerly NAS/KNAS until changed circa 1970 to allow Nassau International Airport, now Lynden Pindling International Airport, to have IATA code NAS), "The Cradle of Naval Aviation", is a United State ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, as a student. Upon completion of the observer course in May 1932, he was designated an aviation observer. During that same month, Blakely assumed command of the aircraft carrier , a unit of the Battle Force based on the west coast. In June 1934, he relinquished command of the aircraft carrier and proceeded to

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, and northeast of New Yor ...

, where he spent the next 12 months completing the senior course at the

Naval War College The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associ ...

. Blakely returned to Pensacola in June 1935 to take additional flight training. On March 10, 1936, at the age of 54, he received his designation as a naval aviator. Two months later, he became commanding officer of the Pensacola facility. Rear Admiral Blakely was detached from duty at Pensacola late in the summer of 1937. In August of that year, he became Commander, Carrier Division 2, and presided over that organization until the end of the year, ultimately flying his flag in . In January 1938, he fleeted up to Commander Aircraft,

Scouting Force The Scouting Fleet was created in 1922 as part of a major, post-World War I reorganization of the United States Navy. The Atlantic and Pacific fleets, which comprised a significant portion of the ships in the United States Navy, were combined into ...

, a post he held for the next 18 months. In June 1939, Blakely moved back to the west coast assuming concurrent command of Aircraft, Battle Force, and of CarDiv 2 with the rank of Vice Admiral. Once again he wore his flag in ''Yorktown''. Blakely's last active assignment was Commandant, 11th Naval District, with additional duty as the Commanding Officer, Naval Operating Base, San Diego.

Retirement and passing

Ill health brought his relief from active duty on December 9, 1941, and, on October 1, 1942, his transfer to the retired list. He died in San Diego on 12 September 1950.

Namesake

USS ''Blakely'' (DE-1072/FF-1072) was named in honor of both him and Capt.

Johnston Blakeley Johnston Blakeley also spelled Johnston Blakely (October 1781 – October 1814) was an officer in the United States Navy during the Quasi-War with France and the War of 1812. He is considered to be one of the most successful American naval offic ...

. Unfortunately Admiral Blakely claimed to be a nephew of Johnston Blakeley. However, Johnston Blakeley had no siblings who survived to adulthood. Therefore, it is not possible for anyone to be a nephew or grandnephew of Johnston Blakeley.

Attribution

: {{DEFAULTSORT:Blakely, Charles Adams 1879 births 1950 deaths People from Whitley County, Kentucky United States Navy vice admirals United States Naval Academy alumni Naval War College alumni United States Navy personnel of World War I United States Navy World War II admirals Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal Military personnel from Kentucky 19th-century American naval officers American military personnel of the Spanish–American War