This Military Service Page was created/owned by
Kent Weekly (SS/DSV) (DBF), EMCS
to remember
Sims, William Sowden, ADM USN(Ret).
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Contact Info
Last Address Boston, MA
Date of Passing Sep 28, 1936
Location of Interment Arlington National Cemetery (VLM) - Arlington, Virginia
Admiral William S. Sims, commander of U.S. naval forces in European waters during World War I, remarked:
‘The average man suffers very severely from the pain of a new idea….It is my belief that the future will show that the fleet that has 20 airplane carriers instead of 16 battleships and 4 airplanes will inevitably knock the other fleet out.’
Other Comments:
He refused to accept the Distinguished Service Medal because he objected to the Navy’s policy of awarding medals to undeserving officers.
Promoted to Admiral in 1930 while retired
Foreign Awards: Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michael and St. George (Great Britain),
Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor (France),
Grand Cordon, Order of the Rising Sun (Japan),
Grand Cordon, Order of Leopold (Belgium),
Grand Officer of the Crown of Italy
Miantonomoh Class Monitor: Displacement 4,084 Tons, Dimensions, 261 x 59 x 15 feet/79.52 x 18 x 4.52 meters). Armament 1 dual "12/35", 1 dual "10/30", 6 6-pound. Armor, Harvey & NS: 5-13 inch belt, 11.5-13 inch barbettes, 7.5-8 inch turrets, 10 inch CT. Machinery, VTE engines, 4 boilers, 2 shafts, 5,250 hp. Speed, 11 Knots. Crew, 190 (218 wartime).
Operational and Building Data: Built by Union Iron Works, San Francisco. Laid down 20 December 1889, launched 28 April 1891, commissioned 13 February 1893. Operated along the west coast, then sent to the Philippines for Spanish-American War service, 1898. Reboilered at Hong Kong, 1900. Served on China Station, primarily at Shanghai, 1900-1903. Decommissioned to reserve in the Philippines 15 December 1904. Recommissioned to commissioned reserve 28 September 1907; decommissioned to reserve 7 May 1908 but was again placed in commissioned reserve. Recommissioned to full commission 9 November 1911 and served on China Station through 1913. Decommissioned to reserve 11 February 1913; recommissioned for WWI service mid-1914 but remained mostly inactive. Towed to Pearl Harbor 1917 and served as station ship and submarine tender at Pearl Harbor until decommissioned for disposal 27 August 1921.
Fate: Designation BM 6 assigned 17 July 1920. Sold 25 February 1922; towed to California and scrapped.
