This Military Service Page was created/owned by
Timothy Gant (Tim), MM1
to remember
Johnson, Alfred Wilkinson, VADM USN(Ret).
If you knew or served with this Sailor and have additional information or photos to support this Page, please leave a message for the Page Administrator(s) HERE.
Contact Info
Home Town Philadelphia, PA
Last Address Washington, DC
Date of Passing Dec 05, 1963
Location of Interment Arlington National Cemetery (VLM) - Arlington, Virginia
Wall/Plot Coordinates 2 1030-1
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
Alfred Johnson attended the US Naval Academy from 1895 until 1899, although his education was interrupted for a few months as he served aboard USS Massachusetts (BB-2) during the Spanish- American War. After completing his formal academy studies, he served in the Navy until his first retirement on 1 December 1940. He was recalled to active duty on 1 January 1942 and served until his second retirement on 13 August 1945.
Foreign medals awarded:
Order of St Michael and St George- Great Britain
Medal of Merit - Nicaragua - 1930
Order of the Bath, Companion - Great Britain
Order of the Liberator, Grand Official - Venezuela
Order of the Aztec Eagle - Mexico
Other Comments:
Navy Distinguished Service Medal
Awarded for Actions During World War I
Service: Navy
Division: U.S.S. Conyngham
General Orders: Authority: Navy Book of Distinguished Service (Stringer)
Citation: The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Distinguished Service Medal to Captain Alfred Wilkinson Johnson, United States Navy, for exceptionally meritorious service in a duty of great responsibility as Commanding Officer of the U.S.S. CONYNGHAM, engaged in the important, exacting, and hazardous duty of patrolling the waters infested with enemy submarines and mines, in escorting and protecting vitally important convoys of troops and supplies through these waters, and in offensive and defensive action, vigorously and unremittingly prosecuted, against all forms of enemy naval activity; and especially for an attack upon an enemy submarine on 19 October 1917, during which attack the CONYNGHAM was directly over the submarine and dropped a depth bomb which is believed to have destroyed the submarine.
Legion of Merit
Awarded for Actions During World War II
Service: Navy
Rank: Vice Admiral
General Orders: Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin No. 351 (June 1946)
Citation: Synopsis: Vice Admiral Alfred Wilkinson Johnson, United States Navy, was awarded the Legion of Merit for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States as Naval delegate to the Inter-American Defense Board, with temporary additional duties as Naval member on Joint Mexican-U.S. Defense Commission, and Senior Naval Member of the Permanent Joint Board on Defense, Canada-U.S., from 30 March 1942 to August 1945.
Virginia Class Battleship: Displacement 14,948 Tons, Dimensions, 441' 3" (oa) x 76' 3" x 26' (Max) Armament 4 x 12"/40 8 x 8"/40, 12 x 6"/50 12 x 3"/50, 4 21" tt. Armor, 11" Belt, 12" Turrets, 3" Decks, 9" Conning Tower. Machinery, 19,000 IHP; 2 vertical, inverted, triple expansion engines, 2 screws. Speed, 19 Knots, Crew 812.
The following analysis is by historian Chuck Haberlein, formerly of the Naval Historical Center:
According to "Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775-1990" (by Stephen S. Roberts & K. Jack Bauer), three of the BB-13 class had their names changed on 7 March 1901 (before any of them were laid down). Battleship # 13 was originally named New Jersey. Battleship # 14 was originally to be Pennsylvania, and Battleship # 16 was to be Virginia. After the renaming, Virginia and New Jersey had swapped places, Nebraska (originally intended for Armored Cruiser # 4) swapped ships with Pennsylvania. Again, according to that book: "The construction of the first two ships (ie BBs 13 & 14) was delayed because of Congressional limitations on the price that could be paid for armor plate and because of lengthy debates within the navy on the arrangement of the guns" (presumably the superposed 8"/12" turrets). (my comments are in parentheses). Same book's Armored Cruiser # 4 class entry states: "The refusal of manufacturers to sell armor within the price limits set by Congress delayed the ships' construction." Both classes (BB-13 & ACR-4) were originally authorized in Fiscal Year 1900, but the first of them were not laid down until 7 August 1901 (Pennsylvania, as Armored Cruiser # 4) and 31 August 1901 (Georgia, as Battleship # 15). It looks to me like there may have been some political log rolling involved in the renaming. PERHAPS (this is purely a guess) some Pennsylvania politicos wanted "their" name on a ship ASAP, so it was given to the first available keel. Then again, maybe builder location had something to do with it. Cramp built Armored Cruiser # 4, while none of the Virginia class battleships were built in Pennsylvania.
Operational and Building Data: Laid down by Moran Brothers, Shipbuilding, Seattle WA., July 4 1902. Launched October 7 1904. Commissioned July 1 1907. Decommissioned July 2 1920. Stricken July 12 1922.
Fate: Sold November 30 1923 and broken up for scrap.