Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

Julián Irízar (

Capilla del Señor Capilla del Señor (Chapel of the Lord), is a city located in the northern part of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It is the administrative seat of Exaltación de la Cruz Partido; which is bounded by the Zárate, Campana, Pilar, Luján, San ...

Buenos Aires Province Buenos Aires (), officially the Buenos Aires Province (''Provincia de Buenos Aires'' ), is the largest and most populous Argentine province. It takes its name from the city of Buenos Aires, the capital of the country, which used to be part of th ...

, January 7, 1869 – March 17, 1935) was an officer of the

Argentine Navy The Argentine Navy (ARA; es, Armada de la República Argentina). This forms the basis for the navy's ship prefix "ARA". is the navy of Argentina. It is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, together with the ...

. He became a key figure in the modernization of the navy's fleet, the commander of the First Division of the Navy and later Naval Center President, but his most memorable action was as commander of the corvette '' Uruguay'' in the 1903 rescue of the Swedish Antarctic Expedition led by Otto Nordenskjöld, whose ship, the ''

Antarctic The Antarctic ( or , American English also or ; commonly ) is a polar region around Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica, the Kerguelen Plateau and other ...

'' was destroyed by ice. At the time of the rescue he held the rank ''Capitán de Corbeta'' (Lieutenant Commander). (See ARA ''Uruguay'' for more information.)

Early career

Irízar entered the Naval Academy on March 11, 1884. In 1898 he was part of the commission to monitor construction of the frigate ARA ''Presidente Sarmiento'' in England. When in 1899 that ship embarked on its first voyage of circumnavigation, he was an officer of the staff of the ship. Becoming a specialist in explosives, he then took postings as naval attaché at the diplomatic missions in Britain and Germany, and as purchasing agent for the Navy for ammunition and artillery materials.

Later career

Irizar was promoted to ''Capitán de Fragata'' (Commander) following the rescue of the Swedish Expedition. *He led the Argentine delegation to the Naval Commission in Europe after World War I. Upon returning was promoted to admiral (U.S.A equivalent Commodore) and appointed to head Naval Division I. *In 1923 he was posted to the supervision of the modernization of battleships ARA ''Moreno'' and ''

ARA Rivadavia ARA ''Rivadavia'' () was an Argentine battleship built during the South American dreadnought race. Named after the first Argentine president, Bernardino Rivadavia,Whitley, ''Battleships'', 19. it was the lead ship of its class. was ''Rivadavi ...

'' in the United States. *In 1926 he was promoted to vice admiral and in 1932 appointed the National Maritime Prefect. *Since April 16 of 1931 and for two years he chaired the Naval Center. He retired on January 8 of 1932, and died four years later.

Tributes

*An icebreaker of the Argentine Navy is named ARA ''Almirante Irízar'' in his honor. * Jean-Baptiste Charcot dubbed "''Islands Argentinas''" one archipelago next to Graham Land, near the Palmer Archipelago, one of which is called ''Irízar Island'' and another ''Uruguay Island'', after his ship. *

Cape Irizar Lamplugh Island () is an ice-capped island, long, lying north of Whitmer Peninsula, along the coast of Victoria Land, Antarctica. This feature was first sighted by the British National Antarctic Expedition, 1901–04, led by Robert Falcon Sc ...

on Lamplugh Island in Antarctica is named after him.

Images

File:Capitan Julien Irizard Postcard Clip.jpg, Julián Irízar as ARA ''Capitán de Corbeta'' (Lieutenant Commander) ''ca.'' 1903 File:Buque Museo Fragata Presidente Sarmiento.jpg, Frigate ''Presidente Sarmiento'', upon which he served as staff officer File:Corbeta Uruguay (A.R.A.).jpg, Corvette ''Uruguay'', his most famous command File: Recoleta 146.jpg, His grave at ''La Recoleta'' Cemetery

External links

Imágenes y Biografía de Julián IrízarGoogle translation of above
{{DEFAULTSORT:Irizar, Julian 1869 births 1935 deaths People from Buenos Aires Province Burials at La Recoleta Cemetery Argentine Navy admirals