Admiral of the Fleet Sir James Fownes Somerville, GCB GBE DSO, (17 July 1882 – 19 March 1949) was one of the most famous British Admirals during World War II. Admiral of the Fleet is a supreme naval position that has existed in historical navies and still exists in several modern-day navies. ... Military Badge of the Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. ... Commanders Badge of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions, in decreasing order of seniority: Knight or Dame Grand... Source: Veterans Affairs Canada The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and other formerly Commonwealth countries, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat. ... July 17 is the 198th day (199th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 167 days remaining. ... 1882 (MDCCCLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... March 19 is the 78th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (79th in leap years). ... 1949 (MCMXLIX) is a common year starting on Saturday. ... Admiral is a word from the Arabic term Amir-al-bahr (commander of the sea). ... Combatants Allies: Poland, British Commonwealth, France/Free France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, and others Casualties Military dead:17 million Civilian dead:33 million Total dead:50 million Military dead:8 million Civilian dead:4 million Total dead:12 million World War II...

The son of a New Zealand sheep farmer, James Fownes Somerville was born in Weybridge, Surrey. He joined the Royal Navy as a cadet in 1898, and achieved the rank of lieutenant by 1904. Somerville became the Navy's leading radio specialist and served at Gallipoli during World War I, where he earned the Distinguished Service Order for his efforts. Weybridge is a large city in the Slough district of Moscow in Russia . ... Surrey is a county in southern England, part of the South East England region and one of the Home Counties. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the senior service of the British armed services, being the oldest of its three branches. ... Cadet refers to a person or people who are junior in some way. ... 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... A Lieutenant is a military, paramilitary or police officer. ... 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Combatants United Kingdom France India Australia New Zealand Newfoundland Ottoman Empire Commanders Sir Ian Hamilton Otto Liman von Sanders Strength 5 divisions (initial) 14 divisions (final) 6 divisions (initial) 14 divisions (final) Casualties 252,000 (205,000 British, 47,000 French) dead 97,000 wounded 145,000+ sick 253,000... ‹ The template below has been proposed for deletion. ... Source: Veterans Affairs Canada The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and other formerly Commonwealth countries, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat. ...

Somerville stayed in the service after the war, and in 1921 he was promoted to captain. Somerville served as Director of the Admiralty's Signal Department from 1925 to 1927, and as a Naval Instructor at the Imperial Defence College from 1929–1931. He was promoted to commodore in 1932 and to rear admiral in 1933. 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Captain is both a nautical term and a rank in various uniformed organizations. ... Old Admiralty House, Whitehall, London, Thomas Ripley, architect, 1723-26, was not admired by his contemporaries and earned him some scathing couplets from Alexander Pope The Admiralty was historically the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. ... 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) is an internationally-renowned institution and component of the United Kingdoms National Defence Academy. ... 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ... Commodore has several meanings: Commodore International is a computer company Commodore 64 and Amiga were home computers Commodore (rank) is a naval rank Commodore (yacht club) is the senior officer of a yacht club The Holden Commodore is a type of car The Opel Commodore is a type of car... 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will take you to a full 1932 calendar). ... The term Rear Admiral originated from the days of Naval Sailing Squadrons, and can trace its origins to the British Royal Navy. ... 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Somerville commanded the Mediterranean Fleet destroyer flotillas from 1936 to 1938, and during the Spanish Civil War helped protect Majorca from the Republicans. From 1938 to 1939 he served in the East Indies before being forced to retire in 1939 for medical reasons (it was thought, incorrectly, that he had tuberculosis). 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Spanish Civil War (July 18th 1936–April 1st 1939) was a conflict in which the elected Second Spanish Republic and political left-wing groups fought against a right-wing nationalist putsch led by General Francisco Franco, who eventually succeeded in ousting the Republican government and establishing a personal dictatorship. ... Majorca (Mallorca in Catalan and Spanish, sometimes also encountered in English),: from Latin insula maior, later Maiorica, (major island) is one of the Balearic Islands (Catalan: Illes Balears, Spanish: Islas Baleares), which are located in the Mediterranean Sea and are a part of Spain. ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Tuberculosis (commonly shortened to TB) is an infection caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which most commonly affects the lungs (pulmonary TB) but can also affect the central nervous system (meningitis), lymphatic system, circulatory system (Miliary tuberculosis), genitourinary system, bones and joints. ...

However, he was recalled to duty on special service to the Admiralty later that year with the start of World War II, and for the next year performed important work on naval radar development. In May, 1940, Somerville served under Admiral Bertram Ramsay, helping organize the evacuation of Dunkirk. Old Admiralty House, Whitehall, London, Thomas Ripley, architect, 1723-26, was not admired by his contemporaries and earned him some scathing couplets from Alexander Pope The Admiralty was historically the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... Categories: People stubs | 1883 births | 1945 deaths | Royal Navy admirals | Royal Navy officers | British World War II people ... Evacuation at Dunkirk, June 1940. ...

His next major assignment was as naval commander of the newly-formed Force H based in Gibraltar. After Henri-Philippe Pétain signed an armistice with Germany on 22 June 1940, Winston Churchill gave Somerville the task of neutralizing the main element of the French fleet, at Mers-el-Kébir in North Africa, attacking and destroying it if all other options failed. Churchill wrote to him: Force H was a British naval squadron during World War II. It was formed in 1940 to replace French naval power in the western Mediterranean that had been removed by the French armistice with Nazi Germany. ... Philippe Pétain Marshal Henri Philippe Benoni Omer Joseph Pétain (24 April 1856 – 23 July 1951), generally known as Philippe Pétain or Marshal Pétain, was a French soldier and Head of State of Vichy France, from 1940 to 1944. ... June 22 is the 173rd day of the year (174th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 192 days remaining. ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... The Rt Hon. ... Mers-el-Kébir is a port town in northwestern Algeria, located by the Mediterranean Sea near Oran, in the Oran Province. ...

You are charged with one of the most disagreeable tasks that a British Admiral has ever been faced with, but we have complete confidence in you and rely on you to carry it out relentlessly.

Although privately he felt that his orders to attack if all other avenues failed were a mistake, Somerville went on to carry out his orders, and eventually attacked the French fleet, inflicting severe damage (although he admitted privately to his wife that he had not been quite as aggressive in the destruction as he could have been). Combatants United Kingdom France Commanders James Somerville Marcel-Bruno Gensoul Strength 3 battleships, 1 carrier, 2 cruisers, 11 destroyers 4 battleships, 6 destroyers, 1 seaplane tender Casualties — 1 battleship sunk 2 battleships damaged 1,297 killed The Destruction of the French Fleet at Mers-el-Kebir, French North Africa (now...

At the head of Force H, on 9 February 1941 Somerville organized a bombardment raid on Genoa, and also played an important role in the pursuit and sinking of the Bismarck on 26 May 1941. He was also involved in the protection of a number of imporant convoys to Malta and Egypt. He received the KBE in 1941 for his successes with Force H. February 9 is the 40th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film) 1941 (MCMXLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1941 calendar). ... Location within Italy Christopher Columbus monument in Piazza Aquaverde Genoa (Italian Genova, Genoese Zena, French Gênes, German Genua, Spanish Génova, Galician Xénova) is a city and a seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria. ... The German battleship Bismarck is probably the most famous warship of the Second World War. ... May 26 is the 146th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (147th in leap years). ... For the movie, see 1941 (film) 1941 (MCMXLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1941 calendar). ... A convoy is a group of vehicles or ships traveling together for mutual support. ... Commanders Badge of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions, in decreasing order of seniority: Knight or Dame Grand... For the movie, see 1941 (film) 1941 (MCMXLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1941 calendar). ...

Sommerville became commander of the British Eastern Fleet in March 1942, replacing Admiral Sir Geoffrey Layton. He was based at Ceylon (Sri Lanka) in the Indian Ocean until the Japanese advance forced him to shift the bulk of his fleet to the Addu Atoll in Maldives. Following the sinking of half the Eastern Fleet during Admiral Chuichi Nagumo's successful Indian Ocean Raid in April, he attempted to intercept the Japanese fleet, but failed. Thereafter he retreated to Kilindini, Kenya. In 1944, with re-inforcements, he was able to go on the offensive in a series of strikes in the Japanese-occupied Dutch East Indies. The British Eastern Fleet (also known as the East Indies Fleet) was a fleet of the Royal Navy during World War II. It operated in the Indian Ocean and was based in Trincomalee in Ceylon. ... This article is about the year. ... Admiral Sir Geoffrey Layton, GBE KCB KCMG DSO, (20 April 1884 - 4 September 1964), was a British Naval Officer. ... Addu or Seenu Atoll is the southernmost atoll of the Republic of Maldives. ... Chuichi Nagumo Chuichi Nagumo (南雲 忠一, Nagumo Chūichi March 25, 1887 - July 6, 1944) was an admiral of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... The Indian Ocean raid was a naval sortie by the Fast Carrier Strike Force of the Imperial Japanese Navy from 31 March to 10 April 1942 against Allied shipping and bases in the Indian Ocean. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ...

Sommerville was replaced as commander of the Eastern Fleet by Admiral Bruce Fraser in August, 1944. Two months later was placed in charge of the British Admiralty Delegation in Washington D.C., from 1944 to December, 1945, where he managed (to the surprise of almost everyone) to get on very well with the notoriously abrasive and anti-British Admiral Ernest King, Commander in Chief of the United States Navy. Bruce Fraser, Baron Fraser of North Cape (February 5, 1888–February 12, 1981) was a senior British admiral during World War II. He was Commander-in-Chief of the Home Fleet during the later stages of the naval war in Europe, and during that period he commanded the fleet that... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ... Ernest King Fleet Admiral Ernest Joseph King (November 23, 1878 - June 25, 1956) was Commander in Chief, United States Fleet and Chief of Naval Operations (COMINCH-CNO) during World War II. As such, he was in charge of all the United States Navys operations, planning, and administration and was...

He was promoted to Admiral of the Fleet in May, 1945, and retired from the service following the war. He was made Lord Lieutenant of Somerset in August, 1946, and lived in the family seat of Dinder House, Somerset, where he died on 19 March, 1949. Admiral of the Fleet is a supreme naval position that has existed in historical navies and still exists in several modern-day navies. ... This is an incomplete list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Somerset. ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ...

Further reading

• Donald MacIntyre, Fighting Admiral: The Life of Admiral of the Fleet Sir James Somerville (Evans Brothers, London, 1961)

• James Somerville, The Somerville Papers: Selections from the Private and Official Correspondence of Admiral of the Fleet Sir James Somerville, GCB, GBE, DSO (Navy Records Society, London, 1996)