Charles Preston Nelson

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Rear Admiral (ret) Charles Preston Nelson (5 February, 1877 – 16 November, 1935) served in the United States Navy. He was the son of Captain (ret) Thomas Nelson.

Life & Career

Nelson was born in Maryland but was appointed to the Naval Academy from Massachusetts, graduating with the Class of 1898. He was promoted to the rank of Ensign on 4 April, 1900.[1]

Nelson became one of the Navy's first submarine experts, with at least one newspaper referring to him as the "navy's submarine hero" in 1905.[2] His early submarine commands included Porpoise, Shark, and Plunger at various times between 1903 and 1906. While in command of Plunger in 1905 he brought President Theodore Roosevelt on a dive, an experience the Commander-in-Chief described as "bully".[3][4] In between submarine commands he briefly commanded torpedo boat Winslow and torpedo boat Dahlgren. While in command of Winslow he was involved in a collision and lost 3 numbers in rank after a subsequent court-martial, a sentence that was reversed by President Roosevelt in late 1905.[5][6][7]

Nelson was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant (Junior Grade) on 4 April, 1903, to the rank of Lieutenant on 13 September, 1904, and to the rank of Lieutenant Commander on 9 January, 1911.[8][9] He was appointed the first commanding officer of destroyer Mayrant from 1911 to 1912.[10] From 1913 to 1915 he commanded destroyer Parker. While deploying to Vera Cruz, Mexico, in 1914, he took part in what was claimed to be the first underway rearming of US Navy ships during a rendezvous with tugs near the Norfolk Navy Yard.[11][12][13]

Nelson was promoted to the rank of Commander on 29 August, 1916.[14]

World War I and Later Career

During World War I, Nelson was promoted to the temporary rank of Captain on 1 July, 1918.[15] He assumed command of collier Leonidas, then serving as a tender to submarine chasers, in January 1918 and remained in command into early 1921. Submarine chasers under his command took part in a naval attack on Durazzo in October 1918 for which he was later decorated.[16][17][18]

Nelson was promoted to the permanent rank of Captain on 3 June, 1921.[19] He was appointed the first commanding officer of light cruiser Cincinnati in 1924. However, his career was derailed when the ship grounded while entering a harbor in Chile. Though the damage was minor, after the subsequent court-martial he was relieved of command and lost ten numbers in rank. This time, there would be no Presidential pardon to save him.[20][21]

He remained on active duty in mundane shore assignments until being placed on the Retired List due to ineligibility for promotion on 30 June, 1933. Advanced in rank to Rear Admiral on the Retired List due to combat decorations, Nelson lived in Philadelphia until his death a little more than two years later.[22][23]


See Also

Bibliography

Service Records

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Frank L. Pinney 		Captain of U.S.S. Dahlgren
17 Mar, 1903[24] – after 1 Jul, 1903 		Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
New Command 		Captain of U.S.S. Porpoise
19 Sep, 1903 		Succeeded by
Lloyd S. Shapley
Preceded by
New Command 		Captain of U.S.S. Shark
19 Sep, 1903 		Succeeded by
Paul B. Dungan
Preceded by
Ralph N. Marble, Jr. 		Captain of U.S.S. Winslow
Dec, 1903[25] – after 1 Jan, 1904 		Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
? 		Captain of U.S.S. Plunger
Aug, 1905[26] – Oct, 1905[27] 		Succeeded by
George C. Pegram
Preceded by
Lloyd S. Shapley 		Captain of U.S.S. Porpoise
before 1 Jan, 1906[28] – after 1 Jan, 1907[29] 		Succeeded by
Kenneth Whiting
Preceded by
New Command 		Captain of U.S.S. Mayrant
12 Jul, 1911[30] – 18 Oct, 1912 		Succeeded by
Charles S. Joyce
Preceded by
New Command 		Captain of U.S.S. Parker
30 Dec, 1913[31] – 18 Mar, 1915 		Succeeded by
Ward K. Wortman
Preceded by
Owen Hill 		Captain of U.S.S. Leonidas
7 Jan, 1918[32] – after 25 Feb, 1921[33] 		Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
New Command 		Captain of U.S.S. Cincinnati
1 Jan, 1924 – 20 Sep, 1924[34][Inference] 		Succeeded by
Charles E. Courtney

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Register of Officers, 1901. pp. 38-39..
  2. ↑ Kansas City Times 3 February, 1905 p. 9.
  3. ↑ Fall River Globe 12 November, 1903 p. 6.
  4. ↑ New York Times 26 August, 1905 p. 1.
  5. ↑ Register of Officers, 1904. pp 38, 189.
  6. ↑ New York Times 20 November, 1905 p. 4.
  7. ↑ New York Times 23 December, 1903 p. 5.
  8. ↑ Register of Officers, 1905. pp. 36-37.
  9. ↑ Register of Officers, 1912. pp. 24-25.
  10. ↑ Register of Officers, 1912. p. 24.
  11. ↑ Register of Officers, 1914. p. 22.
  12. ↑ Register of Officers, 1916. p. 20.
  13. ↑ St. Louis Post-Dispatch 24 April, 1914 p. 22.
  14. ↑ Register of Officers, 1917. pp. 18-19.
  15. ↑ Register of Officers, 1919. p. 18.
  16. ↑ Register of Officers, 1919. pp. 18-19.
  17. ↑ Register of Officers, 1922. pp. 14-15.
  18. ↑ Atlanta Constitution 12 January, 1919 p. 1.
  19. ↑ Register of Officers, 1922. p. 14.
  20. ↑ Register of Officers, 1924. pp. 14-15.
  21. ↑ Brooklyn Standard Union 27 September, 1924 p. 2.
  22. ↑ Register of Officers, 1935. p. 398.
  23. ↑ Register of Officers, 1936. p. 520.
  24. ↑ "The Navy Gazette". Army and Navy Register. 21 March, 1903. Vol. XXXIII, No. 1,213, p. 21.
  25. ↑ Register of Officers, 1904. pp. 38, 189.
  26. ↑ Evening Star (Washington, DC) 3 August, 1905 p. 3.
  27. ↑ Baltimore Sun 13 October, 1905 p. 7.
  28. ↑ Register of Officers, 1906. p. 32.
  29. ↑ Register of Officers, 1907. p. 30.
  30. ↑ Register of Officers, 1912. p. 24.
  31. ↑ Register of Officers, 1914. p. 22.
  32. ↑ Register of Officers, 1920. pp. 14-15.
  33. ↑ Evening Star (Washington, DC) 25 February, 1921 p. 17.
  34. ↑ Register of Officers, 1925. pp. 14-15.

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