caption serviceyears branch commands death_place death_date birth_place allegiance awards battles birth_date placeofburial rank image article_title name
robert english prior to his promotion to rear admiral 1911-1943 united states navy uss helena '' -lrb- cl-50 -rrb- commander , submarines , united '' states pacific fleet o-4 '' -lrb- ss-65 -rrb- uss '' near ukiah , california 21 january 1943 warrenton , georgia united states of america 1908 distinguished service medal navy cross world war i world war ii 16 january 1888 arlington national cemetery 20px rear admiral robert henry english.jpg robert henry english
 robert henry english
robert henry english

robert henry english -lrb- january 16 , 1888 -- january 21 , 1943 -rrb- was a united states navy commissioned officer who commanded the u.s. navy 's submarine force in the pacific ocean early in world war ii .
english was born in warrenton , georgia , and he was a member of the united states naval academy class of 1911 .
early in his naval career he became a submariner .
in 1917 , while commanding submarine uss `` o-4 '' -lrb- ss-65 -rrb- , he won the navy cross for his great heroism in rescuing an officer trapped in submarine uss `` o-5 '' -lrb- ss-66 -rrb- after an explosion .
after a series of important assignments , he became commanding officer of light cruiser uss `` helena '' -lrb- cl-50 -rrb- , and during the japanese attack on pearl harbor in hawaii on december 7 , 1941 was one of the first to bring his ship into action .
on may 14 , 1942 , he became commander , submarines , united states pacific fleet -lrb- comsubpac -rrb- -rrb- , and was so serving when killed in the crash of pan american flight 1104 into a mountain about sw of the city of ukiah in mendocino county , california on january 21 , 1943 .
in the accident , english and other navy officers were passengers on a four-engine martin m-130 flying boat , being flown by a pan american world airways civilian crew .
the aircraft -- dubbed the `` philippine clipper '' before it had been purchased by the navy and pressed into service for the war -- was destroyed in the accident ; all 19 aboard were killed .
for his exceptionally meritorious service in his last assignment , rear admiral english was posthumously awarded the distinguished service medal .
