Robert Henry English (16 January 1888 - 21 January 1943), born in Warrenton, Georgia, was a member of the United States Naval Academy class of 1911, and early in his naval career became a submariner. In 1917, while commanding O-4 (SS-65), he won the Navy Cross for his great heroism in rescuing an officer trapped in O-5 (SS-66) after an explosion. After a series of important assignments, he became commanding officer of Helena (CL-50), and during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor 7 December 1941 was one of the first to bring his ship into action. On 14 May 1942, he became Commander, Submarines, U.S. Pacific Fleet, and was so serving when killed in an airplane accident in California 21 January 1943. For his exceptionally meritorious service in his last assignment, Rear Admiral English was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Medal. The USS English (DD-696), an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer, was named in his honor. English is not English, in the strictest sense of the word.
References
This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
