USS PRINGLE DD-477

Joel Roberts Poinsett Pringle was born in Georgetown, S.C., on 4 February 1873 to Dominick Lynch and Caroline (Lowndes) Pringle. In his youth, he attended the Porter Military Academy in Charleston, S.C. He received his appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy from the 20th Congressional District of Illinois on 6 September 1888. After his graduation on 27 May 1892, Pringle reported to the protected cruiser Boston on 23 June for duty in the Hawaiian Islands. On 26 April 1893, he transferred to the steam sloop-of-war Mohican, which spent the summer patrolling the Bering Sea. Pringle reported to Monterey (Monitor No. 6), operating along the West Coast out of Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, Calif., on 27 May 1894. Promoted to ensign on 1 July, Pringle joined the stores and receiving ship Vermont in New York City in mid-August. Four months later, he joined Minneapolis (Cruiser No. 13) in the North Atlantic Squadron and later the European Squadron.

On 19 July 1897, Pringle transferred to Columbia (Cruiser No. 12), which at that time was in reserve at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. After seeing brief duty in the training ship Enterprise in early 1898, he returned to Columbia on 15 March for the cruiser’s recommissioning for the Spanish-American War. During Pringle’s service as the cruiser’s watch and division officer, Columbia patrolled the Atlantic and West Indies and transported troops to Puerto Rico. In September Pringle spent two weeks with auxiliary cruiser Yankee before returning to Enterprise on 1 October for a year’s service. On 25 January 1899, Pringle married Cordelia Phythian, daughter of Como. Robert L. Phythian, in Annapolis. Mrs. Pringle gave birth to their only child, also named Cordelia, on 3 January 1900.

Advancing in rank to lieutenant (j.g.) on 3 March 1899, Pringle next reported to the Naval Academy on 4 October. He spent two weeks with second class battleship Texas in June 1900 before reporting to Monongahela in the Atlantic Training Squadron on the 29th of that month. During his three-year tenure in the screw sloop of war, Pringle was commissioned lieutenant on 11 December 1900. Beginning on 15 July 1903, Pringle served a second, longer tour at the Naval Academy. He joined screw sloop of war Hartford, then in use as a training and cruise ship for midshipmen, as watch and division officer on 23 May 1905. Four months later, he was assigned to West Virginia (Armored Cruiser No. 5).

Pringle reported to Maine (Battleship No. 10) as her ordnance officer on 12 January 1906. In July, he received an interim appointment as lieutenant commander, which became permanent on 2 January 1907, retroactive to 1 July. Pringle served as Maine’s navigator from 1 August until he detached from the ship on 9 May 1908. Returning to the Naval Academy the first week of June for another two-year appointment, he then in May 1910 was appointed as aide to the commander of the Naval Academy Practice Squadron in the Academy’s summer training ship Massachusetts (Battleship No. 2) until Iowa (Battleship No. 4) arrived at Annapolis. After returning from the midshipmen summer cruise to Europe, Pringle detached from Iowa and briefly returned to Massachusetts as navigator before reporting to the Fore River Steam Boat Co. at Quincy, Mass., on 11 October to supervise the fitting out of the new destroyer Perkins (Destroyer No. 26).

Assuming command of Perkins upon her commissioning on 18 November 1910, Pringle later also assumed additional duty with the Ninth Division Atlantic Torpedo Fleet. He remained with Perkins until 6 October 1911, taking over as executive officer of battleship Nebraska (Battleship No. 14) the following day. Pringle attained the rank of commander on 1 July 1912. Upon the arrival of the newly-recommissioned battleship Illinois (Battleship No. 7) at Boston in early November, Pringle briefly served as executive officer of that ship until mid-December, when he returned to Nebraska to resume the executive role there. Following a brief leave period, Pringle once again reported for duty at the Naval Academy on 5 July 1913. On 15 June 1916, he took command of the destroyer tender Dixie and assumed the additional role of commander of Flotilla Two, Destroyer Force, Atlantic Fleet on 27 November.

After adhering to a policy of neutrality for more than two years while the Great War raged in Europe, the United States finally entered the conflict in April 1917. On 20 June, Pringle assumed command of Melville (Destroyer Tender No. 2), based at Queenstown [Cobh], Ireland. The destroyer tender served as the flagship for Vice Adm. William S. Sims, Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, who was often away attending to duties in London. Pringle, as senior officer present at Queenstown, frequently served as Sims’ proxy, and after his temporary promotion to captain on 31 August, Pringle assumed additional duty on 29 October as Sims’ chief of staff. Taking an exceptional approach to command issues for the combined forces at Queenstown, Adm. Lewis Bayly, the British Royal Navy’s Commander in Chief for the Coast of Ireland, also appointed Pringle as his chief of staff to promote the smooth joint operation of the British and American ships under his command. The arrangement worked well and continued through the war’s conclusion.

Pringle’s rank of captain became permanent on 1 July 1918. He detached from Melville on 4 January 1919 while continuing on in his dual chief of staff roles, now operating from flagship Corsair (S. P. 159). In March 1919, he briefly took on additional duty at the U.S. Naval Headquarters in London for the demobilization of Base 6 before returning to the United States in late April. For his “exceptionally meritorious service in a duty of great responsibility” during the war, Pringle received the Distinguished Service Medal. The British government additionally awarded him the Order of Companion of St. Michael and St. George.

Following a month at home, Pringle next completed the year-long course of study at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, R.I. After his graduation in May 1920, he once again joined the staff of Rear Adm. William S. Sims, then serving as president of that institution. On 10 June 1921, Pringle assumed command of the battleship Idaho (BB-42), a position he held for two years, after which time he returned to the Naval War College as its chief of staff. On 5 October 1925, Pringle became chief of staff for Commander, Battleship Divisions, Battle Fleet, and on 4 September 1926 he assumed the role of Chief of Staff, Battle Fleet.

On 7 December 1926, Pringle advanced to the rank of rear admiral. In September 1927, he commenced a three-year term as president of the U.S. Naval War College. Towards the end of his tenure in early 1930, Pringle additionally served as Assistant to Naval Advisors to the American Representation at the London Naval Conference in London, England, where over a period of three months, representatives from the United States, Great Britain, France, Italy, and Japan negotiated limitations on the capacities of their fleets based on tonnage. Then on 3 June 1930, Pringle took command of Battleship Division Three, Battle Fleet (changed to Battle Force in 1931).