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Home Town Batesville (Panola County)
Last Address LEIGH, RICHARD HENRY ADMIRAL US NAVY RETIRED VETERAN SERVICE DATES: 1891-1934 DATE OF DEATH: 02/04/1946 DATE OF INTERMENT: 03/27/1946 BURIED AT: SECTION 4 SITE 3055 SS ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY Died in Long Beach, CA 1946
Date of Passing Feb 04, 1946
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Last Known Activity:
Battle Streamers : Spanish-American War 1898 • China Relief/Boxer Rebellion • The Great War (WWI)
Leigh, Richard H.
Richard Henry Leigh (1870-1946), of Batesville, Admiral of the U.S. Navy and Commander in Chief of the U.S. Fleet from 1932-1934. Admiral Leigh served as Chief of Staff to Admiral Sims during World War I, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Fleet, Chief of the Bureau of Navigation of the Navy Department, Commander of Battle Force, U.S. Fleet, and Commander in Chief until his retirement for physical disability in 1934. He served as a delegate to the Disarmament Conference at Geneva in 1933 and at London in 1934.
Other Comments:
Graduated from the US. Naval Academy 1891
Ensign, United States Navy, 1891
Vice Admiral 1930
Admiral 1931
RICHARD HENRY LEIGH
ADMIRAL US NAVY RETIRED
VETERAN SERVICE DATES: 1891-1934
DATE OF BIRTH: 08/12/1870
DATE OF DEATH: 02/04/1946
BURIED NEXT TO HIS WIFE
MINNIE (BARKSDALE) LEIGH
DATE OF BIRTH: 09/27/1871
DATE OF DEATH: 02/09/1966
BURIED AT: SECTION 4 SITE 3055 SS ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY .
On Dec 7th she was docked at Pearl Harbor: Battleship Row; forward of the Maryland and Oklahoma
Fate: The California was struck by two torpedoes and one bomb. The first torpedo hit at 8:05 a.m.; the second came moments later. With a gaping hole in the ship, it started capsizing. Despite efforts to bail water from the ship, it sank to the harbor bottom after three days of progressive flooding.
Crew: 2,200
Deceased: 105
The ship was raised via cofferdams, moved to the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard on April, 1942, with repairs to her cage mainmast and all six 14" forward guns were removed to facilitate her refloating. It took until January, 1944 for the ship's total reconstruction but it was a match for most of the newer US battleships in all but it's main guns (still 14").
An after view of the USS California.
January, 1945, the USS California was hit by a Japanese kamikaze where 44 of her crew died and 155 injured. Battle repairs were made to keep her battle-worthy and on station. She stayed on station until the end of the month and returned to Puget Sound for repairs. She was back on station for the landings at Okinawa and from there until the Japanese surrender in mid-August.
Of historical interest is that after the official end of WWII, the USS California was still on duty and after different assignments in Philippines and other areas in SE Asia, she returned to the US on Dec 7, 1945 - exactly 4 years to the day of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Chain of Command Admiral Richard Henry Leigh, was Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet from 15 September 1931 to 11 August 1932. His pennant flew above his flagship California (BB-44) during his tenure.