USS BULLARD DD-660

WILLIAM HANNUM GRUBB BULLARD

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, June 2015

William Hannum Grubb Bullard, born in Medea, Pennsylvania, on 6 December 1866, was appointed a midshipman from the 6th District of Pennsylvania on 28 September 1882. Graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, on 9 June 1886, Midshipman Bullard reported to his first ship, Atlanta (Protected Cruiser) on 12 July, just one week before that steel warship commissioned. Bullard then saw service along the east coast of the United States as the cruiser, one of the first warships of the “New Navy” of the 1880s, operated with the North Atlantic Squadron. On 23 June 1888, he transferred to Coast Survey Steamer Gedney and, after taking the exam at the Naval Academy that summer, was commissioned ensign from 1 July.

Detached from Gedney on 15 August 1890, Bullard reported to Philadelphia (Protected Cruiser No. 4) on the 27th, where he served as watch and division officer. Detached from the warship on 1 September 1892, he received an electrical course at the Naval Academy between 5 September and 29 October before reporting for duty at the Bureau of Equipment on 1 November 1892. Over the next three years, Bullard gave instruction at the Naval Academy, and served in gunboat Bancroft and screw sloop-of-war Lancaster, reporting to the latter on 5 March 1896. He was commissioned lieutenant, junior grade, from 5 September 1896.

Bullard then served in Columbia (Cruiser No. 12) and training ship Monongahela, and was commissioned lieutenant from 3 March 1899. Bullard then travelled to the Asiatic Station and reported for duty in gunboat Princeton on 4 August 1900. After service as navigation officer he detached 20 October 1902 for transit back to the United States for temporary duty at the Naval Academy the following year. During this time he wrote an electrical engineering handbook, Naval Electrician’s Text and Handbook, which was published in 1904.

Reporting to training ship Severn as executive officer on 2 May 1904, Bullard served in the bark for three months as that ship decommissioned. After another tour at the Naval Academy, Bullard then reported to Galveston (Cruiser No. 17) on 15 February 1905, then at the Navy Yard, Norfolk, Virginia. While enroute, Bullard was commissioned lieutenant commander from 1 January 1905. Detached from Galveston on 20 May 1905, Bullard served in Maine (Battleship No. 10) as navigator and then as executive officer. On 1 August 1907, Bullard reported to the Naval Academy for duty as an instructor. He was commissioned commander from 1 February 1909.

Starting on 14 May 1909, Bullard commanded Chicago (Protected Cruiser) during decommissioning, detaching on 24 August when that warship went into reserve. After briefly commanding Iowa (Battleship No. 4) during summer battle practice during the summer of 1910, Bullard received his first permanent command on 21 August 1911 when he reported to San Francisco (Cruiser No. 5), then at Norfolk. He was commissioned captain from 1 July 1912.

Following the Naval Review at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in October, Bullard reported to the Navy Department for duty as Superintendent, Naval Radio Service, Radio Station, Arlington, Virginia, on 14 November 1912. The following spring, he assisted the Department of Commerce during an International Conference on radio use to promote safety at sea. On 20 December 1915, Bullard represented the Navy Department at a conference to write regulations and instructions for the operations of the Coast Guard. Four days later he took on the responsibilities of a delegate to the Second Pan American Scientific Congress in Washington, DC, with his focus the use of radio.

Detached as Superintendent of the Radio Service on 24 June 1916, Bullard took command of battleship Arkansas (Battleship No. 33) on 7 July, then in the New York Navy Yard for overhaul. Following the declaration of war on the Central Powers on 6 April 1917, Arkansas carried out patrol duty along the east coast as part of Battleship Division 7 and trained gun crews for duty in armed merchantmen. In July 1918, the battleship sailed to Rosyth, Scotland, to relieve Delaware (Battleship No. 28), where she operated in the 6th Battle Squadron as part of the British Grand Fleet. Shortly after arrival, Bullard was detached 31 August for duty at the U.S. Naval Base at Malta. He received a wartime promotion to rear admiral on 1 July 1918.

He then served as Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Eastern Mediterranean between 3 November 1918 and 5 January 1919, helping put into effect the surrender of the Austro-Hungarian Fleet in the Adriatic Sea. Bullard then travelled to Paris, France, for a Naval Radio Conference at the Inter-Allied Commission meeting site. Returning to New York in Liner Olympic in March 1919, he reported for duty as Director of Naval Communications, Navy Department, Washington, DC, on 7 April. Two of his significant accomplishments that summer was to prevent the sale “to foreign interests” of the patent rights to a radio-oriented alternator and to encourage the establishment of the future Radio Corporation of America. He was commissioned, regular, rear admiral from 20 October 1919.

Detached from communications duty on 11 July 1921, Admiral Bullard travelled to Manila, Philippine Islands, via San Francisco to assume command of the Yangtze Patrol Force, Asiatic Fleet, on 12 October of that year. He travelled to Peking, China, in November for special duty in connection with his command, and visited the upper Yangtze River in May 1922 to investigate how to improve radio communications among the station gunboats. Detached from the Yangtze Patrol Force on 26 July 1922, Admiral Bullard proceeded home to Washington, DC, at his own expense, arriving home via commercial transportation on 25 September.

Admiral Bullard was relieved from all active duty and placed on the retired list on 30 September 1922. He then served as chairman of the Federal Radio Commission until his death in Washington, DC, on 24 November 1927.

On 30 December 1941, Admiral Harold R. Stark, then Chief of Naval Operations, wrote a memorandum to Chief, Bureau of Navigation, recommending that a destroyer be named “in honor of the memory of Rear Admiral W. H. G. Bullard.” In the memorandum Admiral Stark noted “Admiral Bullard’s well-known contributions to the naval and national communications set-up are historical, and, in addition, his service record was outstanding.”