BLOCH, CLAUDE

BLOCH, CLAUDE (1878–1967), U.S. admiral; commander in chief of the United States Fleet. Born in Woodbury, Kentucky, Bloch entered the U.S. Naval Academy in 1895. He served in the Spanish-American war and was decorated for saving Spaniards from burning ships. In 1900, he fought in the Chinese expedition to suppress the Boxer Rebellion. During World War I Bloch was commander of the USS Plattsburg and in 1918 was appointed assistant chief of the Bureau of Ordnance. He was promoted to rear admiral in 1923 and in 1927 he commanded the battleship California. After serving as commandant of the Washington Navy Yard, he was promoted to commander of the battle force with the rank of admiral. In 1938, Bloch was made commander in chief of the United States Fleet. Bloch commanded the shore installations of the 14th Naval District, Hawaii, when Pearl Harbor was attacked, but played no significant role in the events of that day. Retired because of age in 1942, he was retained on active duty as a member of the General Board until 1946. -BIBLIOGRAPHY: E. Rubin; 140 Jewish Marshals, Generals and Admirals (1952). (Mordechai Kaplan)