19 Facts About Aubrey Fitch

Aubrey Wray Fitch was an admiral of the United States Navy during World War II.

Aubrey Fitch served as superintendent of the United States Naval Academy.

Aubrey Fitch entered the US Naval Academy in the summer of 1902 and graduated on February 12,1906.

Aubrey Fitch then served afloat on Rainbow and Concord before receiving instruction in torpedoes at the Naval Torpedo Station, Newport, Rhode Island, in the school conducted on board the old cruiser Montgomery.

From August 1920, Aubrey Fitch commanded a division of fast minelayers, while commanding in turn Luce and Mahan.

Detached from Mahan in December 1922, Aubrey Fitch served at Rio de Janeiro until March 1927 as a member of the United States mission to Brazil before reporting back to the Navy Department for a brief tour of duty in Washington, DC Going to sea as executive officer of Nevada in May 1927, Aubrey Fitch assumed command of Arctic in November of that year.

Aubrey Fitch reported for aviation instruction at the Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, in June 1929 and there won his wings as a naval aviator on February 4,1930.

Subsequently, attending the Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island, from June 1937 to May 1938, Aubrey Fitch completed the senior course there before assuming command of NAS Pensacola, in June 1938.

Rear Admiral Aubrey Fitch relieved Vice Admiral Wilson Brown on April 3,1942, breaking his flag in Lexington, his former command.

Aubrey Fitch again broke his flag in his former flagship, Saratoga, but the task group formed around that ship arrived too late to take part in the pivotal Battle of Midway.

On September 20,1942, six weeks after the first American amphibious operation of the war got underway at Guadalcanal, Aubrey Fitch assumed command of Aircraft, South Pacific Force.

Aubrey Fitch's planes protected Allied shipping, providing vital air cover that strongly assisted the Allies in challenging, and ultimately defeating, the Japanese in the Solomons.

Later, Aubrey Fitch oversaw the early experiments in conducting night bombing utilizing radar and encouraged the use of specially modified aircraft to obtain photographic intelligence.

Aubrey Fitch returned to Washington in the summer of 1944 and became the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations.

The first aviator to head the Naval Academy, Aubrey Fitch was instrumental in establishing the Department of Aeronautics, authorized by the Navy on November 28,1945.

Subsequent to heading the academy, Aubrey Fitch served briefly in the Office of the Undersecretary of the Navy before becoming the senior member of the Naval Clemency and Prison Inspection Board in March 1947.

Aubrey Fitch was so serving when he retired from the Navy and was relieved of all active duty on July 1,1947.

Admiral Aubrey Fitch died due to a heart ailment combined with a bout with pneumonia in Newcastle, Maine, his adopted state, on May 22,1978, shortly before his 95th birthday.

Aubrey Fitch was portrayed by Mitchell Ryan in the television version of the 1976 film Midway.