Evening star., 1935-02-20
HIGH COMMANDS
IN NAVAL SHIFTS
Asiatic Fleet to Be in Charge
of Murfin, With Full
Admiral Rank.

Important changes in high COM
niands afloat, to become effective
during the coming Summer, were an.
nounced today by Secretary Swan
son.
A new four-star admiral will be
created when Rear Admiral Orin G
! Murfin, now commander of Battle.
ship Division 3 Of the Battle Force
becomes commander n-chief of the
Asiatic Fleet. He served in Wash.
ington recently as judge advocate gen.
eral.
In his new post he will relieve
Admiral Frank B. Upham, who will
step down from the rank of a full
admiral to his permanent grade oi
rear admiral. No orders for another
assignment have yet been issued tt
Admiral Upham, who served In
Washington from 1880 to 1888 a.
chief of the Bureau of Navigation.
Secretary Swanson is expected te
issue a list Of changes among high.
ranking naval officers ashore that will
shift a number Of seniors, including
Admiral Upham.
Under todays announcement, the
new commander Of the Battle Force
will be Admiral Harris Laning, now
commanding the cruisers of the
Scouting Force, with the rank of vice
admiral. Admiral Laning. who will
| assume the rank of full admiral, will
relieve Admiral Frank H. Brumby, fol
whom no new orders have been is.
sued and who will revert to his per.
manent rank Of rear admiral.
Hepburn Replaces Campbell.
The new commander of the Scout.
ing Force will be Admiral Arthur j
| Hepburn, who now commands the
destroyers of the Battle Force. HI
| will relieve Vice Admiral Edward H
Campbell, who will relinquish his
grade of vice admiral, reverting t(
his permanent rank of rear admiral
A few years ago Admiral Campbell
served in Washington as Judge advo-
cate general.
Rear Admiral George T. Pettengill
commander Of the Base Force, will be
relieved by Rear Admiral Wat T. Clu-
verius, now commandant of the ctr
Naval District and commanding the
| Naval Training Station at Great
Lakes, III.
Vice admiral Thomas r. Craven
commanding Battleship Divisions ol
the Battle Force. will be relieved by
Rear Admiral William D. Leahy, chie1
of the Bureau of Navigation Upor
assuming command of the BattleshiI
Division, Admiral Leahy will beccms
vice admiral Vice Admiral Craven
will revert to his permanent rank oi
| rear admiral.
Andrews Considered for Post.
Secretary Swanson revealed at hi.
press conference today that he ha!
under consideration as the new chic
Of the Bureau Of Navigation Rear Ad.
miral Adolphus Andrews, now chiei
of staff to the commander in chiet
Of the United States Fleet, aboard The
Pennsylvania.
At one time Admiral Andrews wa.
in command of the then presidential
! yacht Mayhower. ,s it5@
Taking over command Of the de.
stroyers Of the Battle Force will bl
Rear Admiral Clark H. Woodward
now a member of the General Board
He is one of the outstanding orator.
in the service and a former newspape
man. Admiral Woodward will relieve
Admiral Hepburn.
Rear Admiral Adolphus E. Watson
commanding the destroyers of The
Scouting Force, will be relieved by
Rear Admiral Sinclair Cannon, COM
mander of mine craft of the Battle
Force No orders for Admiral Watson
have been issued.
Former Embassy Attache.
Admiral Upham from 1921 to 1924
was naval attache at the American
Embassy in Paris and he held a SINH.
lar post concurrently to Madrid.
Admiral Murfin's World War serv-
| ice brought him in charge of the
United States mine bases in Scotland
for which he was given the Dis.
tinguished Service Medal for his part
| in laying the northern mine barragt
to cope with German submarines. Ir
| 1926 he was in Washington in the
Omce of Naval Operations and from
1927 to 1928 he served as assistant
chief in the Bureau of Navigation
He served here as Judge Advocate
General from August, 1881, to June
1884. Admiral Murf1n is president Of
| the court of inquiry investigating the
Macon disaster.
During the Spanish American Wal
Admiral Brumby served aboard the
New York, flagship of Rear Admiral
william T. Sampson. He served ir
Washington in September, 1921, COM
mencing duty as captain Of the
Washington Navy Yard. After com.
manding the battleship New Mexico
he returned to Washington in No.
vember. 1928, and became president
of the Board of Inspection and Sur
vey at the Navy Department. Vice
Admiral Laning was in Washington
in 1916 when attached to the Office
of Naval Operations and later during
the war was in the Bureau of Navi-
cation. For that service, IN charge
Of the detail of officers of the Navy
and later as assistant chief of the
Bureau of Navigation, he was award
ed the Navy Cross. In June, 1880
he became president of the Naval
War College.
Vice Admiral Campbell was awarded
the Navy Cross for his World Wal
service as commanding officer Of the
Charleston, engaged in escorting anc
transporting troops to Europe. Ir
June, 1924, he came here as assistant
chief of the Bureau Of Navigation
In April, 1925, he was appointed Judge
advocate general of the Navy, serving
In that capacity for four years.
Admiral Hepburn during the Worle
War served at the submarine base
New London, Conn, and then weni
to London, England, for service ir
conjunction with submarine chaSers
The Distinguished Service Media