Evening star., 1946-09-25
Navy 5huff|es 8 Posts
AS Five Admird|s
Prepare 10 Retire
BY the Associoted Press

A shuttle of eight high command
Navy posts and several retirements
effective within the next few
months" was announced last night
by Secretary of the Navy Forrestal
The shifts involve:
Vice Admiral w. H. P. Blandy
commander of the Bikini atom bomb
tests, who will take over command
of the 9th Fleet in December.
Admiral John H. Towers. COM
mander in chief of the Pacific Fleet
who will retire next February.
Vice Admiral Louis E. Denfeld
chief of naval personnel, who will
succeed Admiral Towers.
Vice Admiral William M. Flech-
teller, former assistant commander
of battleships and cruisers. Atlantic
Fleet, who will take Admiral Den
fields old job.
Vice Admiral Edward L. Cochrane
chief of the Bureau of Ships, who
in November will become chief OF
the Material Division, post previ-
ouSly held by Admiral Ben Moreell
who announced his retirement last
week.
Vice Admiral Earl w. Mills
deputy chief of the Bureau of Ships
who will move up to fill AdmiraI
Cochrane's position.
Admiral Fitch to Retire.
Vice Admiral Aubrey w. Fitch
superintendent of the Annapolis
Naval Academy, who will retire in
January and be succeeded by Rear
Admiral James L. Holloway, jr., now
assistant chief of naval personnel.
Vice Admiral Harold G. Bowen
chief of naval research, who will re-
tire in November and be succeeded
by Commodore Paul F. Lee, now
head OF the ship-technical branch
Bureau of Ships.
Rear Admiral Luis De Florez. Ad-
miral Bowen's deputy, who will re.
tire October l.
Vice Admiral Arthur S. Carpenter
director of public relations, who will
retire in November and be succeeded
by Rear Admiral Felix L. johnson
now assistant chief of naval person.
mel.
1t was considered likely in Navy
circles that Vice Admiral Denfelc
will be promoted to admiral on tax
ing Admiral Towers job and that
Rear Admiral Holloway will be
raised to vice admiral and Commo.
dore Lee to rear admiral.
Mentioned for Top Post.
Admiral Denfeld has been men.
toned frequently for the top jot
in the Navy, chief of naval opera.
tions, now filled by Admiral Chester
w. Nimitz. Some Navy officers re.
garded Admiral Denfeld's assign.
ment to the Pacific as preliminar,
tour of sea duty, grooming him t.
take over from Admiral Nimitz a
the end of next year.
Admiral Blandy's appointment
raised considerable speculation a
the Navy Department also. TIL,
9th Fleet, his new command, il
at present paper force, having n,
ships. A Navy spokesman explained
that it is task fleet under tn,
Atlantic Fleet commander, Admira
Marc A. Mitscher, and expand,
and contracts according to the as
signments he gives it.
Admiral Mitscher himself com.
manded the 9th Fleet, which
then consisted of one carrier, fol
four months this year before tax
ing over command of the Atlantic
Fleet. In view of Admiral Blandy
successful carrying out of twt
atomic bomb tests in the Pacific
this summer it was speculated thai
his appointment to the 9th Flee
was an interim one, pending an.
other big assignment.
Admiral Towers, who was borr
in Rome, Ga, is pioneer nava
aviator. He started flying in 1911.
and in 1919 got the Navy Cross fo
trying transatlantic crossing ir
| the seaplane NC-3 He failed b1lt