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Home Town Newark, New Jersey
Last Address Rear Admiral Charles E. Vreeland died in Atlantic City, New Jersey after a brief retirement marked by illness.
Date of Passing Sep 27, 1916
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Charles Edward Vreeland
COMMANDED THE USS KANSAS BB-21 WITH THE GREAT WHITE FLEET 1907-1909
Charles E. Vreeland (March 10, 1852 - September 27, 1916) was an officer of the United States Navy who reached the rank of rear admiral.
Naval career
Vreeland was further promoted to master and then lieutenant after successive tours of duty on board the screw steamer USS Alert, the gunboat USS Ashuelot and the sloop-of-war USS Ticonderoga. He was then assigned to the Nautical Almanac Office of the US Naval Observatory in November 1881 after a brief period ashore awaiting orders. In March 1884, Lt. Vreeland began a three-year tour at sea aboard the sloop-of-war USS Hartford, after which he was assigned for two years at the Bureau of Navigation. He was then assigned briefly (from July to September 1889) with the Office of Naval Intelligence and reported to the Coast Survey late in October, a posting he took until the spring of 1893, when Vreeland was assigned a series of tours as naval attaché — first in Rome, Vienna and finally in Berlin.
After returning home in late 1896, Lt. Vreeland was posted to the battleship USS Massachusetts in mid-January 1897, and served aboard her until he was transferred to the gunboat USS Helena at the end of June, whereupon he served through most of the Spanish-American War on blockade duty off the port of Manzanillo until the end of July 1898, even though he was named executive officer of the cruiser USS Dolphin in April of that year. He did not actually assume those duties until August 24. He was detached from the Dolphin to serve aboard the USS Olympia on November 6 that same year, but was ordered to the USS Concord instead on December 30 due to change in orders. Vreeland was promoted to lieutenant commander, and served aboard various vessels in the Asiatic Squadron. He returned home on board the hospital ship USS Solace in March 1900. From April 1900 to before August 1902 he was a member of the Board of Inspection and Survey, during which time he was promoted to full commander in mid-August 1901. After his duty in the Board, he supervised the fitting out of the new monitor USS Arkansas (later renamed the Ozark) and assumed command upon her commissioning on October 28 of that year.
Two years later, Vreeland relinquished command of the Ozark and served on shore a series of special assignments for the Department of the Navy for the next few years, during which he received his promotion to captain on April 13, 1906. After finishing his on-shore assignments in Washington, D.C. on April 17, 1907, Capt. Vreeland went to New York Ship in Camden, New Jersey the next day to commission the new Connecticut-class battleship USS Kansas. He commanded the battleship for the next two years, which was an auspicious time, for the Kansas was picked to be part of the "Great White Fleet" that sailed around the world. Soon after the Fleet returned to Hampton Roads on February 22, 1909 he gave up his command of the Kansas and returned home to await orders. On May 10, he succeeded Capt. Raymond P. Rodgers as Chief Intelligence Officer, the head of the Office of Naval Intelligence until December 8, when he was succeeded by Capt. Templin M. Potts.
As his promotion to rear admiral was becoming imminent, he broke his flag in the USS Virginia as Commander, 4th Division, Atlantic Fleet. On December 27, he became Rear Admiral Charles Vreeland.
On April 19, 1911 he reported ashore for further duty in Washington. In the newly devised aide system for managing the Navy, Vreeland became one of the four principal advisors of the Secretary of the Navy, George von Lengerke Meyer. As Aide for Inspections, he reached the pinnacle of naval command. During his tenure, he represented the Navy at the coronation of George V of the United Kingdom, as well as heading the so-called "Vreeland Board" which reinvestigated the sinking of the USS Maine in 1898, the controversial report of which — now widely regarded as erroneous — concluded that an external explosion sank the Maine.
On December 12, Rear Admiral Vreeland ended his tour of duty as Aide for Inspections and succeeded Rear Adm. Richard Wainwright as the second Aide for Operations. While in that position, Vreeland struggled to improve the defenses in the Philippine Islands, agitated for increased naval construction, particularly of battle cruisers, and supported the development of US naval aviation. It was also during his tenure that naval avaiation found a permanent home in Pensacola, Florida. On February 11, 1903 he was succeeded by Bradley A. Fiske as Aide for Operations, and Vreeland finished out his naval career as member of both the General and Joint Boards. He retired on March 10, 1914.
Rear Admiral Charles E. Vreeland died in Atlantic City, New Jersey after a brief retirement marked by illness.
Namesake
The Knox-class frigate USS Vreeland (FF-1068) was named after him.
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 renamings, 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 renamings. 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 Newport News, Shipbuilding, Newport News VA., May 21 1902. Launched April 5 1904. Commissioned May 7 1906. Decommissioned August 13 1920. Stricken July 12 1922. Transferred to War Department, August 6 1923.
Fate: Sunk as target by Army Air Corps off Diamond Shoals, North Carolina, September 5 1923.
Other Memories Two years later, Vreeland left his first command, Arkansas, and served ashore over the next two and one-half years, performing various special duties for the Navy Department. Initially, he was a member of and recorder for the board studying proposed changes to the New York Navy Yard. He was next assigned special duty in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy. While assigned to the Navy Department in Washington, Vreeland received his promotion to captain to date from 13 April 1906. Capt. Vreeland concluded that latest assignment in Washington on 17 April 1907 and, the following day, placed Kansas (Battleship No. 21) in commission at Camden, N.J. He commanded the new battleship for the next two years - a very auspicious time for it coincided with the cruise of the "Great White Fleet" around the world. Soon after the Fleet returned to Hampton Roads in February 1909, he relinquished command of Kansas and returned home to await orders. On 10 May, Capt. Vreeland took over command of the Office of Naval Intelligence. That duty lasted until 8 December 1909 when, with his selection for promotion to rear admiral imminent, he broke his flag in Virginia (Battleship No. 13) as Commander, 4th Division, Atlantic Fleet. Nineteen days later, on the 27th, he became Rear Admiral Vreeland.