Bradley A . Fiske Rear Admiral Bradley Allen Fiske ( 13 June 1854 - 6 April 1942 ) was an officer in the United States Navy who was noted as a technical innovator . During his long career , Fiske invented more than a hundred and thirty electrical and mechanical devices , with both Naval and civilian uses , and wrote extensively on technical and professional issues ; The New Yorker called him " one of the notable naval inventors of all time . " One of the earliest to understand the revolutionary possibilities of naval aviation , he wrote a number of books of important effect in gaining a wider understanding of the modern Navy by the public . For inventing the rangefinder , he was awarded the Elliott Cresson Medal of The Franklin Institute in 1891 . Early life and career . Fiske was born in Lyons , New York on 13 June 1854 . He was appointed to the United States Naval Academy from the State of Ohio in 1870 , graduating four years later and receiving his commission as an Ensign in July 1875 . His early service years included duty as an officer on board the steam sloops - of - war and , both on the Pacific Station , and the paddle steamer in the Atlantic . He also received instruction in the then - young field of torpedo warfare . Promoted to Master in 1881 and Lieutenant in 1887 , during much of that decade he had training ship duty in and , served in the South Atlantic Squadron on the steam sloop , and was twice assigned to the Bureau of Ordnance in Washington , D . C . As one of the Navy ' s most technically astute officers , in 1886 - 1888 he supervised the installation of ordnance on , one of the first of the Navy ' s modern steel warships . In 1888 - 1890 he was involved in the trials of the , whose large caliber compressed - air guns were then considered a promising experiment , and was in charge of installing electric lighting in the new cruiser . Spanish - American War and afterward . During the rest of the 1890s , Lieutenant Fiske was mainly employed at the Bureau of Ordnance and at sea , where he was an officer of the cruiser , and the gunboats and . While serving in the latter , he took part in the Battle of Manila Bay on 1 May 1898 . Following the Spanish - American War , Fiske continued his service in Philippine waters on board the monitor . Command assignments . During the years between the Spanish - American War and World War I , Fiske advanced rapidly in rank : to Lieutenant Commander in 1899 , Commander in 1903 , and Captain in 1907 . He held many responsible positions on shore and at sea , serving as an Inspector of Ordnance , Executive Officer of and the battleship , Commanding Officer of the monitor and cruisers and , had recruiting duty , served as Captain of the Yard at the Philadelphia Navy Yard , attended the Naval War College and was a member of the Navy ' s General Board ( 1911 ) and the Army - Navy Joint Board , among other assignments . Flag assignments . Bradley Fiske became a Rear Admiral in August 1911 , subsequently commanding three different divisions of the Atlantic Fleet as well as serving as the Secretary of the Navy ' s Aide for Inspections . In February 1913 he was appointed Aide for Operations , a post that later became that of Chief of Naval Operations . As Aide for Operations , Fiske forcefully advocated the creation of a Naval general staff and the elevation of the nation ' s preparedness for war . On November 9 , 1914 , Fiske sent a memorandum to then Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels that the U . S . Navy was not organized for warfare : " If this country avoids war during the next five years it will be accomplished only by a happy combination of high diplomatic skill and rare good fortune , " the memo said , stating the Navy was short 19 , 600 men from its stated table or organization . Though individual ships were well - maintained and controlled , naval administration was lacking . Fiske resigned as Aide for Operations on April 1 , 1915 , and was replaced by Admiral William Shepherd Benson as the first Chief of Naval Operations . Naval innovations . In the late 19th century , ships ' guns were equipped only with open sights . Fiske , then a lieutenant on a gunboat , developed the idea of augmenting his ship ' s guns with a telescopic sight to improve accuracy . By 1890 , he had taken out the first of several patents on his telescopic sights , which in time would be developed into the modern range finder . In 1910 , while considering the problem of defending the Philippine islands , Fiske conceived of the idea of equipping aircraft with lightweight torpedoes . Fiske worked out the mechanics of carrying and releasing an aerial torpedo from a bomber , and defined tactics that included a night - time approach so that the target ship would be less able to defend itself . Airplanes large enough to suit his purpose were not available until 1912 , at which point Fiske was able to implement his design . Fiske reported in 1915 that , using this method , enemy fleets could be attacked within their own harbors , and remarked that he had invented not just a new weapon but an entirely new method of warfare . Retirement and later years . Following a year at the Naval War College , Rear Admiral Fiske was retired upon reaching the age of 62 in June 1916 . His professional activities continued into the mid - 1920s , however , with service as President of the U . S . Naval Institute and several sessions of temporary duty with the Navy Department . In 1924 , Rear Admiral Bradley A . Fiske was quoted in the New York Times stating that " the Japanese and the Americans have taken attitudes that are irreconcilable [ regarding the Immigration Act ] and such attitudes have usually preceded wars . . . We are prepared for war if it does come . " Among Fiske ' s improvements were an improved stadimeter , helm - angle indicator , engine - room telegraphs , speed and direction indicators , a turret range finder , a gun director system , and steering telegraphs . Rear Admiral Bradley A . Fiske died in New York City on 6 April 1942 , aged 87 . Namesake . The Navy has named two warships , , 1943 – 1944 , and , 1945 – 1980 , in his honor . See also . Percy Scott ( contemporary innovator for the Royal Navy )