Evening star., 1955-03-28
Admiral Lowry Dies;
Led Forces Invading
Southern France

Southern France
Vice Admiral Frank j. Lowry,
Ct, who commanded Navy task
forces in the invasions of Italy
and Southern France, died Sat-
urday of heart attack in VAL
lejo, Calf. He was stricken at
his country home near Napa.
Calf.
Admiral Lowry was commander
at Mare Island and chairman OF
the Western Area Subcommittee
of the Committee on Facilities
and Services when he retired
from the Navy in 1850.
Admiral Lowry was born in
Cresco, Iowa. and was 1911
Naval Academy graduate. While
midshipman he was on the
class track and baseball teams.
AS a first classman he won the
bantamweight wrestling cham
pionship.
Switch Saved Him
| Early in his naval career he
served on the West Virginia,
California. Alert. Raleigh, Pitts
burgh and Maine. A quirk of
| fate kept him safe one day in
1915 when the submarine F-4,
| to which he was assigned, sank
during maneuvers off Honolulu.
He had exchanged duty with an
other officer for that day.
In the l920s he was COM
mander of the Pensacola when
she was struck by two typhoons,
one of them splitting the main
deck amidships.
+ Later he was navigator on the
New York and professor of naval
science and tactics, Naval Re-
serve Officers Training Corps
Unit at the University of Cali
! fornia. He commanded the Hale
and was executive officer of the
Tuscaloosa before he came to
Washington in 1888 for a two
year tour in the officer person.
mel division.
Admiral Lowry was in CON-
mand of the Minneapolis in the
Hawaiian area after Pearl Har-
Dor and when the heavy cruiser
was part of the screen for the
carriers Lexington and York
; town in New Guinea and in the
battle of the Coral Sea.
Won Navy Cross
In the latter battle he received
the Navy Cross for his ."skillful
direction" of the Minneapolis.
He directed the rescue of some
800 men when the Lexington
was sunk in 1912.
He commanded the Mime
apoliS also during screening for
the carrier Hornet in the battle
of Midway and accompanied the
Hornet and the carrier Enter
prise pursuing the japanese
force.
After serving as commander
of the Naval Training Station
in Great Lakes he returned to
sea in 1943 as commander of
the Moroccan Sea Frontier
Forces. For this duty and for
commanding task force dur
ing the invasion of Italy he re-
ceived the Legion of Merit.
| Admiral Lowry was COM
mander of American landing
craft and bases in Northwest
African waters and of the 9th
Amphibious forces when he par
ticipated in the Anzio landings
| in 1914.
Beaches Named
In the Southern France in
yasion he commanded the force
in the attack on the beaches in
the Pampelone and Cavalaire
Bays. For these operations he
received a sold star in lieu of
a second Legion of Merit, and
the Distinguished Service Medal.
After commanding an amphib-
ious group in the Pacific Fleet,
the admiral went to the European
theater as head of the Naval
Section. General Board, United
States Forces.
He returned to Washington in
1916 as commander of the Rear
Echelon. Joint Task Force |, and
then was in the Office of the chief
of naval operations at the Navy
Department for year.
He had been a member of the
Army and Navy Club here as well
as Columbia Country Club. Sur
vivors include his wife, Julia.
|. Services will be held Wednes-
day at Mare Island.