page_title: Wilder D. Baker
section_title: Early career
hierarchical_section_title: Wilder D. Baker / Early career
caption_attribution_description: English: Midshipman Wilder D. Baker at the United States Naval Academy 1910-1914.
context_page_description: Wilder DuPuy Baker was a highly decorated officer in the United States Navy with the rank of Vice admiral. A Naval Academy graduate, Baker commanded submarines and destroyers in his early career and rose to the Flag rank following the United States entry into World War II. He subsequently commanded Task Force 94 during the first surface bombardment of the Japanese home islands and led the first offensive operations into the Sea of Okhotsk. Baker was decorated with a Navy Cross for this actions.
  He later served as Commander Service Force, Atlantic Fleet and completed his career as Commandant, Eleventh Naval District with additional duty as Commander, Naval Base San Diego and Commander Southern California Sector, Western Sea Frontier in August 1952.
context_section_description: Wilder DuPuy Baker was born on July 22, 1890, in Topeka, Kansas, as a son of local newspaperman, Isaac Newcomb Baker, and grandson of Topeka editor Floyd Perry Baker. Following graduation from Eastern High School in Bay City, Michigan in summer 1910, Baker received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. During his time at the Academy, he was active in the soccer team and was nicknamed "Bake".
  Among his classmates were many future admirals during World War II, including John H. Brown Jr., William K. Harrill, Joseph R. Redman, Robert W. Cary Jr., John B. W. Waller, Carleton F. Bryant, Richard L. Conolly, Oliver Kessing, Frank L. Lowe, Edward L. Cochrane, Ralph O. Davis and Edward Ellsberg.
  Baker graduated with Bachelor of Science degree on June 5, 1914 and was commissioned Ensign on that date. Upon the graduation, he consecutively served aboard USS Florida, USS Jason and USS North Carolina and took part in the operations in the Syrian waters.
  In June 1915, Baker returned to the United States and after a brief service aboard gunboat USS Dubuque, he entered the submarine instruction at the Submarine School in New London, Connecticut. He completed the instruction aboard the submarine tender USS Fulton and subsequently assumed duty in connection with fitting out of the submarine USS F-1. Baker was transferred to submarine USS L-11 in October 1917 and embarked for European waters two months later.
  Baker participated in the submarine patrols in Irish Waters and was promoted consecutively to lieutenant junior grade and Lieutenant during his World War I service. He returned to the United States in February 1919 and assumed command of submarine USS L-3, which he operated along the East Coast, performing experiments and developing submarine warfare tactics.
  In March 1920, Baker assumed duty as Engineer and Repair Officer of Submarine Division 5 and remained in that assignment until July 1922, when he assumed command of newly commissioned submarine USS S-11 at Portsmouth Navy Yard. He commanded his submarine to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; Coco Solo, Panama Canal Zone; Saint Thomas, United States Virgin Islands, and Trinidad and returned to the United States in May 1924.
  Baker then served for a year at Portsmouth Navy Yard, before he returned to sea for duty as Executive officer of destroyer USS Marcus in October 1925. He took part in the patrol cruises with the Pacific Fleet and was appointed commanding officer of destroyer USS Kidder in August 1926. Baker spent two years in this capacity and was transferred to the Division of Fleet Training in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations under Admiral Charles F. Hughes.
  In July 1930, Baker was attached to the battleship USS Wyoming and served as Gunnery officer of that ship until May 1933. He was subsequently ordered to the Naval War College at Newport, Rhode Island and completed junior course in May 1934. Baker then served for more a year with the General Board of the Navy in Washington, D.C., before he was ordered to London, England for duty as Assistant Naval Attaché at the American Embassy there in October 1935. During his time in this capacity, Baker took part in the observation tour in Africa during Second Italo-Ethiopian War.
  Following his return stateside in March 1936, Baker assumed duty as Aide and Flag Secretary to the Commander, Special Service Squadron under Rear admiral Yancey S. Williams. He remained in that assignment until August that year, when he was appointed Commander, Destroyer Division 7, and from June 1937 to May 1938, Baker commanded Destroyer Division 22.
  Baker was detached from sea duty in May 1938 and appointed Professor of Naval Science and Tactics at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. He served there until June 1940, when he returned to sea as Commander, Destroyer Squadron 31, which participated in the escort convoy duties in the Atlantic Ocean. One of the ships under his command was destroyer USS Reuben James, which was the first U.S. Navy ship sunk by hostile action.
caption: Baker as Midshipman while at the Naval Academy.
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