Montgomery M. Taylor

Template:Short description Template:Infobox military person Montgomery Meigs Taylor (13 October 1869 – 21 October 1952) was an admiral in the United States Navy. He served in the Navy from 1890 to 1933, fought in the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish–American War in 1898, and later commanded the Control Fleet and the Scouting Fleet. He served as commander-in-chief of the United States Asiatic Fleet from 1931 to 1933.

Early life

Taylor was born on October 13, 1869, in Washington, D.C., to Joseph Hancock and Mary Meigs Taylor.<ref name="NatBio">"Meigs, Montgomery Taylor", in The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography, p. 533.</ref> He was born in the house of his grandfather, Montgomery C. Meigs, Quartermaster General of the United States Army during the American Civil War, for whom he was also named.<ref name="Rentfrow" /> His grand-uncle was President Zachary Taylor.<ref name="NYTimesObit">"Admiral M. Taylor Dies of Stroke." New York Times. October 22, 1952.</ref> His brother was John R. M. Taylor, an officer in the United States Army during the Philippine–American War.<ref name="Boston" />

Taylor grew up in Washington, D.C., where he attended public school.<ref name="WaPoObit">"Adm. Taylor Dies; Served With Dewey." Washington Post. October 22, 1952.</ref>

Naval career

Early assignments

File:RADM George Dewey and officers aboard USS Olympia - Manila Habor Philippines - circa 20 May-1 June 1898.jpg

Rear Admiral George Dewey and officers and staff of Olympia while at anchor in Manila Bay. Taylor is standing at far left.

Taylor was appointed in 1886 to the United States Naval Academy, where he was an outstanding halfback on the first football team the school fielded.<ref name="NYTimesObit" /><ref name="Boston">"Quick Thinking Won Taylor Asiatic Post." Daily Boston Globe. February 1, 1932, p. 5.</ref> He graduated in 1890, and was to have trained aboard the armed steamer Template:USS, but she was wrecked before he could join her. He spent the next two years aboard the screw sloop Template:USS, the screw sloop Template:USS, and finally the protected cruiser Template:USS.<ref name="Rentfrow" /> He was appointed an ensign in 1892, and his first assignment was aboard the protected cruiser Template:USS.<ref name="NatBio" /> He also served short stints aboard the screw sloops Template:USS and Template:USS and the steamer Template:USS.<ref name="Rentfrow" />

Taylor was next assigned to the gunboat Template:USS. He traveled to Shanghai, China, via commercial steamer and joined the ship in the summer of 1900. Yorktown was ordered back to the United States on 10 September 1900. Taylor disembarked at Nagasaki, Japan, and joined the protected cruiser Template:USS, Admiral George Dewey's flagship, in September 1897.<ref name="Rentfrow" />

During the Spanish–American War of 1898, Taylor served as a battery commander aboard Olympia<ref name="Rentfrow">Rentfrow, Frank H. "Admiral Taylor Served on Dewey's Ship at Manila Bay." Washington Post. April 7, 1935.</ref><ref>Meigs, p. 308.</ref> and took part in the Battle of Manila Bay on 1 May 1898.<ref name="NYTimesObit" /> Taylor received a promotion to lieutenant after Olympia returned to the United States in 1899.<ref name="Rentfrow" />

Taylor was assigned to the full-rigged ship USS Chesapeake in November 1899 for the ship's sea trials, but after a month was ordered to leave the ship and proceed to Washington, D.C., for coursework in modern armament. In February 1900, he successfully applied for sea duty in the Pacific.<ref name="Rentfrow" /> Over the next few years, Taylor served on several ships:

• Commanding officer, Template:USS from March 1900 to 1902 during the Philippine–American War.<ref>Register of the Commissioned and Warrant Officers..., 1902, p. 28, accessed 2013-01-20.</ref>
• Commanding officer, gunboat Template:USS, from 1903 to 1905.<ref name="NatBio" />
• Commanding officer, tender Template:USS<ref name="Rentfrow" />
• Commanding officer, 2nd Torpedo Flotilla, United States Atlantic Fleet, from 1905 to 1906.<ref name="NatBio" />
• Commanding officer, receiving ship Template:USS, from 1906 to 1908.<ref name="NatBio" />
• Executive officer, scout cruiser Template:USS, from 1908 to 1909.<ref name="NatBio" />
• Executive officer, protected cruiser Template:USS, from 1909 to 1910.<ref name="NatBio" />
• Commanding officer, gunboat Template:USS, from 1910 to 1911.<ref name="NatBio" />

Talor was promoted to lieutenant commander on 1 July 1905 and to commander on 4 March 1911.<ref name="Rentfrow" />

Rise in the ranks

File:LTC Montgomery Meig Taylor and crew aboard USS Buffalo - Alaska - 1914.jpg

Lt. Commander Taylor (far left) aboard USS Buffalo during its Alaska expedition in 1914.

After 21 years at sea, Taylor received his first land assignment. He was appointed aide to the commandant of the Brooklyn Navy Yard in Brooklyn, New York, in 1911, and served there until 1913. He was given command of the auxiliary cruiser Template:USS in 1913, serving until 1915.<ref name="WhoWho">"Taylor, Montgomery Meigs", in Who Was Who in American History, the Military, p. 577.</ref> Buffalo cruised through the Caribbean Sea and along the west coast of Central America before being ordered to Alaska. While in port at Kodiak, Alaska, Taylor learned that World War I had broken out in Europe in 1914.<ref name="Rentfrow" />

From 1915 to 1916, Taylor attended the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island,<ref name="NatBio" /> with orders to report to the armored cruiser Template:USS to serve as her commanding officer in the event of a national emergency.<ref>"Roster of Officers Aids Preparedness." New York Times. February 27, 1916.</ref> After graduating in 1916, he was promoted to captain on 16 August 1916<ref name="Rentfrow" /> and given command of the battleship Template:USS.<ref name="NatBio" />

After the United States entered World War I in 1917, Taylor was assigned duties in the Office of Naval Operations at the United States Department of the Navy.<ref name="Journal">"Adm. Montgomery Meigs Taylor, USN-Ret." Army, Navy, Air Force Journal. 90:245 (November 1, 1952).</ref> He took command of the battleship Template:USS in 1918. Florida operated in cooperation with the British Grand Fleet during the war, and Taylor received the Navy Distinguished Service Medal for this service.<ref name="NYTimesObit" /><ref name="Boston" />

Taylor was assigned to the staff of the Naval War College from 1919<ref>General Register of the Navy and Marine Corps of the United States, 1920, p. 12, accessed 2013-01-20.</ref> to 1921. In June 1922<ref name="Captain">Register of the Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and of the Marine Corps to January 1, 1922, 1922, p. 12–13, accessed 2013-01-20.</ref> he became commander of the 15th Naval District and of the Naval Operating Base at Coco Solo in the Panama Canal Zone.<ref name="NYTimesObit" />

Taylor returned to the United States in 1923 and was appointed a member of the Naval Examining and Retiring Board in the Department of the Navy.<ref name="Journal" /> In June 1923,<ref>"Scout Fleet Head Ordered to Hawaii." New York Times. April 18, 1923.</ref> he was appointed commander of the Control Fleet, a unit consisting of submarines, destroyers, and Marine Corps units designed to control sea lanes after they had been cleared of enemy forces by the Navy Battle Fleet.<ref>Felker, p. 98; Nofi, p. 110.</ref>

Admiralty

Taylor was promoted to rear admiral on 1 October 1922.<ref name="Rentfrow" /> He was director of fleet training from 1925 to 1927,<ref name="NatBio" /> and afterward commanded the 3rd Battleship Division of the Battle Fleet,<ref name="Journal" /> with the battleship Template:USS as his flagship.<ref name="Reynolds75" /> During fleet exercises in August 1927, he received an informal reprimand from his superior, Admiral Henry A. Wiley, (Commander-in-Chief, United States Fleet), for launching planes from aircraft carriers after confronting an enemy rather than using his ships' superior speed to escape.<ref>Felker, p. 50.</ref> In September 1927, Taylor made Joseph J. Clark (later an admiral himself who played a significant role in the Battle of the Philippine Sea in June 1944) his division chief of staff.<ref name="Reynolds75">Reynolds, p. 75.</ref>

Taylor was given command of the Scouting Fleet on 30 March 1926.<ref>"De Steiguer Is Made Naval Chief Here." New York Times. March 31, 1928.</ref> The Scouting Fleet, based in the Atlantic Ocean, was an operational step down for Taylor. Although it contained two divisions of battleships, these were some of the Navy's oldest battleships, and the Scouting Fleet primarily consisted of cruiser and destroyer divisions. The old aircraft carrier Template:USS was also attached to the Scouting Fleet for aircraft training purposes. Taylor's job was to train the Scouting Fleet for scouting missions.<ref>Coletta, p. 637.</ref> He was promoted to vice admiral in the summer of 1928.<ref name="Rentfrow" />

Taylor's command of the Scouting Fleet ended on March 8, 1929. He was succeeded by Rear Admiral William Carey Cole. Taylor was named chief of the War Plans Division of the Office of Naval Operations.<ref>"Pratt to Succeed to Fleet Command." New York Times. March 9, 1929.</ref> Although energetic, deeply interested in Asia and the Pacific region, and a student of blockades and invasions, Taylor contributed little to war planning in these crucial years. According to naval historian Edward S. Miller, Taylor believed that Japan (a rising naval power in the Pacific) "deserved" American friendship, and that Japanese attempts to control Manchuria were a positive development.<ref>Miller, p. 137.</ref> Naval historian Robert Love agrees, noting that Taylor deeply distrusted the Chinese and believed the Nationalist Government unwilling to defend its own territory.<ref>Love, p. 577.</ref> During this period, Taylor became good friends with Japanese Admiral Kichisaburo Nomura.<ref>Jordan, p. 91.</ref> While serving in the War Plans office, Taylor was appointed to the navy board assigned with selecting officers for promotion to admiral, commander, and captain.<ref>"Selection Board Named." New York Times. March 22, 1929.</ref> He also was appointed to the board of inquiry into comments made by Major General Smedley Butler (USMC) about an alleged crime committed by Benito Mussolini.<ref>"Butler 'Forgotten', Mussolini Cables." New York Times. January 31, 1931; Folliard, Edward T. "Six Admirals and Retired Major General to Hear Case." Washington Post. January 31, 1931.</ref> Butler retired before the board finished its work.

Command of the Asiatic Fleet

File:ADM Montgomery M Taylor and US Asiatic Fleet Staff - Shanghai China - 1932.jpg

Admiral Taylor (front row, center) and the U.S. Asiatic Fleet staff aboard USS Rochester in Shanghai, China, in 1932.

Taylor was promoted to admiral and appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Asiatic Fleet (CICAF) on April 2, 1931.<ref>"Schofield Assigned to Command Fleet." New York Times. April 3, 1931; "Naval Officer Is to Take Admiral Chase's Place in September." Washington Post. April 3, 1931.</ref> His command became effective September 1, 1931.<ref name="Kehn">Kehn, p. 40.</ref><ref>"Taylor Takes Command of U.S. Asiatic Fleet." Washington Post. September 2, 1931.</ref> He won the position based on a reputation for quick thinking and making decisions without waiting for approval by superiors.<ref name="Boston" /> His chief of staff was Captain Frank Jack Fletcher (a future admiral who would successfully lead fleets in the Battle of the Coral Sea and Battle of Midway).<ref>Lundstrom, p. 4.</ref> Admiral Taylor believed that the role of the United States Navy in the Far East was "sitting tight" and not getting involved.<ref name="Kehn" /> He openly counseled American non-intervention in the Japanese invasion of Manchuria (which began on September 19, 1931)<ref>Howarth, pp. 351-352.</ref> and believed that Japan could not be convinced to give up her war-won possessions on the mainland without coercion.<ref>Stein, p. 32.</ref> Nonetheless, he acted decisively to ensure that the United States was positioned to intervene if necessary. The Asiatic Fleet was based in Manila in the Philippines. After the Mukden Incident, Taylor dispatched four fast destroyers to Shanghai without orders. He then ordered (again without approval from superiors) a troop of U.S. Marines to board his remaining ships so that the Asiatic Fleet had a ground force to use as well. As he prepared to sail, only then did U.S. Fleet Admiral William V. Pratt order him to proceed to Shanghai.<ref name="Boston" /><ref>"8 Warships Poised for Shanghai Dash." Washington Post. January 30, 1932; "3 Destroyers Quit Manila for China." Washington Post. February 1, 1932; "Chief of U.S. Asiatic Fleet Once Again Uses Initiative." Washington Post. February 1, 1932.</ref>

Taylor's tenure as commander-in-chief of the Asiatic Fleet was a tumultuous one. On February 24, 1932, Taylor helped Italy and China avoid an international incident. An artillery shell from the mainland hit the Italian Navy ship Libia, leading the Italians to threaten retaliation. Taylor convinced the Italians that, in the absence of any intentional shelling, they should consider the matter closed. His advice was taken, and Admiral Pratt publicly praised him for his quick thinking.<ref>"Sino-Italian Incident Averted." New York Times. February 25, 1932.</ref> On March 5, 1932, Taylor joined a joint British, French, and Italian committee sponsored by the League of Nations to investigate the war between China and Japan.<ref>"League War Inquiry Is Joined By Taylor." New York Times. March 6, 1932; Horan, Harold J.T. "U.S. to Cooperate in Shanghai Peace." Washington Post. March 6, 1932.</ref> The Asiatic Fleet returned to Manila in late March 1932.<ref>"15 U.S. Craft Ordered Back From Shanghai." Washington Post. March 21, 1932.</ref> In May 1933, Taylor ordered the Asiatic Fleet to make a goodwill tour of Japan.<ref>"Navy Good-Will Trip to Japan Is Planned." New York Times. May 17, 1933.</ref> He was cordially received by Emperor Hirohito.<ref>"Japanese Emperor Receives Chief of Our Asiatic Fleet." New York Times. June 5, 1933.</ref>

Admiral Taylor became nationally known for his tact and diplomacy in dealing with the Japanese.<ref name="WaPoObit" /> Nonetheless, he stepped down as CINCAF on August 18, 1933. His successor was Admiral Frank B. Upham.<ref>"Standley Chosen to be Navy Chief." New York Times. April 25, 1933.</ref>

Retirement and death

File:Montgomery Meigs Taylor grave - Arlington National Cemetery - 2013-01-18.jpg

Grave of Montgomery M. Taylor in Arlington National Cemetery.

Montgomery M. Taylor retired from the U.S. Navy due to age restrictions on November 1, 1933.<ref name="NYTimesObit" /><ref>"Hoover Approves Naval Promotions." New York Times. ?New York Times. December 13, 1932.</ref><ref>Unsourced Internet sources often claim that Taylor retired on November 1, 1936. However, 1933 appears to be the correct date. See: "Play Golf for Navy Fund." New York Times. November 19, 1933; Tolley, p. 318; Braisted, p. 351; Nofi, p. 397; Nicholson, p. 4, accessed 2013-01-20; "Acquisition Notes," p. 207.</ref>

Retirement did not end Taylor's public service, however. He was appointed to serve on the United States Maritime Commission on September 26, 1936,<ref>"Taylor Will Serve On Marine Board." Washington Post. September 27, 1936.</ref> replacing Admiral Harry G. Hamlet.<ref>"The Nation." New York Times. September 27, 1936.</ref> He remained on the commission until 1938, and then resigned. Thomas M. Woodward was appointed to fulfill the remainder of Taylor's term, which was due to end on September 26, 1939.<ref>"Ex-SEC Chief Named to Head Maritime Unit." Washington Post. March 10, 1937; The American Year Book, p. 524.</ref>

Taylor never married. After a lengthy illness,<ref name="WaPoObit" /> he died at Bethesda Naval Medical Center of a stroke on October 21, 1952.<ref name="NYTimesObit" /> He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Awards and decorations

His awards and medals included the Dewey Medal, Spanish Campaign Medal, Philippine Campaign Medal, World War I Victory Medal, and the Navy Distinguished Service Medal.

He was a member of the Aztec Club of 1847 by right of his relationship to Major General Zachary Taylor.

Bibliography

• "Acquisition Notes." Information Bulletin. Library of Congress. July 6, 1953.
• The American Year Book. New York: T. Nelson & Sons, 1938.
• Braisted, William Reynolds. Diplomats in Blue: U.S. Naval Officers in China, 1922–1933. Gainesville, Fla.: University Press of Florida, 2009.
• Coletta, Paolo Enrico. American Secretaries of the Navy. Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press, 1980.
• Felker, Craig C. Testing American Sea Power: U.S. Navy Strategic Exercises, 1923–1940. College Station, Tex.: Texas A & M University Press, 2007.
• General Register of the Navy and Marine Corps of the United States. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, January 1, 1920. Accessed 2013-01-20.
• Howarth, Stephen. To Shining Sea: A History of the United States Navy, 1775–1998. Norman, Okla.: University of Oklahoma Press, 1999.
• Jordan, Donald A. China's Trial By Fire: The Shanghai War of 1932. Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan Press, 2001.
• Kehn, Donald M. A Blue Sea of Blood: Deciphering the Mysterious Fate of the USS Edsall. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Publishers Group, 2008.
• Lundstrom, John B. Black Shoe Carrier Admiral: Frank Jack Fletcher at Coral Sea, Midway, and Guadalcanal. Annapolis, md.: Naval Institute Press, 2006.
• Love, Robert William. History of the U.S. Navy. Harrisburg, Penn.: Stackpole Books, 1992.
• Meigs, Benjamin. Record of the Descendants of Vincent Meigs. Baltimore, Md.: J.S. Bridges & Co., 1901.
• Miller, Edward S. War Plan Orange: The U.S. Strategy to Defeat Japan, 1897–1945. Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press, 1991.
• Nicholson, Ruth S. Montgomery Meigs Taylor Papers: A Finding Aid to the Papers in the Naval Historical Foundation Collection in the Library of Congress. Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C., 2011. Accessed 2013-01-20.
• Nofi, Albert A. To Train the Fleet for War: The U.S. Navy Fleet Problems, 1923–1940. Naval War College Historical Monograph Series, No. 18. Newport, R.I.: Naval War College, 2010.
• Register of the Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and of the Marine Corps to January 1, 1902. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1902. Accessed 2013-01-20.
• Register of the Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and of the Marine Corps to January 1, 1922. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1922. Accessed 2013-01-20.
• Reynolds, Clark G. On the Warpath in the Pacific: Admiral Jocko Clark and the Fast Carriers. Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press, 2005.
• Stein, Harold. American Civil-Military Decisions: A Book of Case Studies. Birmingham, Ala.: University of Alabama Press, 1963.
• "Taylor, Montgomery Meigs." In The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. James Terry White, Raymond D. McGill, and H.A. Harvey, eds. New York: J.T. White & Co., 1958.
• "Taylor, Montgomery Meigs." In Who Was Who in American History, the Military. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who, 1975.
• Tolley, Kemp. Yangtze Patrol: The U.S. Navy in China. Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press, 1971.

External links

• Meigs Family papers Template:Webarchive at Hagley Museum and Library. This collection includes some papers of Mary Meigs Taylor, Montgomery's mother.