Smith, Edward Hanson "Iceberg"

Date of birth:: October 29th, 1889 (Vineyard Haven/Massachusetts, United States)
Date of death:: October 29th, 1961 (Quissett/Massachusetts, United States)
Nationality:: American

Biography

Edward Hanson Smith was born on October 29th, 1889 as the son to Edward J. Smith and Sarah Elizabeth (Pease) Smith. After attending both the Vineyard Haven High School and New Bedford High School, he studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. On May 4th, 1910, he entered the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service School of Instruction, which was later to be known as the U. S. Coast Guard Academy, graduating on May 17th, 1913. After his graduation, Edward Hanson Smith served aboard several U.S. Coast Guard Cutters.

During the First World War he served as Navigator on the Cutter USCGC Manning with the Atlantic Patrol Force and ended the war as Navigator on the Cutter USCGC Antigone with the Newport News Division Transport Force.

In november 1919 he was assigned to the USCGC Seneca with the International Ice Patrol and from 1920 onwards was detailed as the ships Scientific Observer and Navigator, This started his longtime career in research in the Arctic and the field of Oceanography. He continued his duties with Ice Patrol until August 1924, combining is with a study at the Harvard University. In 1924 he received a Master at Harvard for his work with Ice Patrol. The U.S. Coast guard send him the years after that, first to the Bergen School of Meteorology and later the British Meteorological Office in London. Between 1924 and 1926 he also resumed his Ice Patrol duties and continued his research at Harvard. Then between January 1928 and June 1936 he was assigned to Coomanding duties on various vessels within the Destroyer Force in the Coast Guard.
In October 1938, Edward Hanson Smith was appointed to Commanding Officer of the Cutter "Chelan" and operated as Commander, International Ice Patrol during the Ice season of 1939 and 1940.

On June 1940, Smith was assigned as commanding officer of the Cutter "Northland" and served as Commander of the Greenland Patrol. In november 1943, Edward Hanson was appointed as Commander, Task Force 24, U. S. Atlantic Fleet, where he served until the end ofthe war.

In August 1945, then a Rear Admiral, Smith became Commander, Third Coast Guard District, later Commander, Eastern Area and also became Captain-of- the-Port of New York. He also served with the Staff of Applied Physics Laboratory of the John Hopkins University and as Project Leader, Weapons System Evaluation Group, Office of the Secretary of Defense. His New York assignment ended with his retirement on June 30th, 1950.
Smith then accepted the job as Director of the internationally famous Oceanographic Institution at Woods Hole, Massachusetts until 1956. In the meantime he was appointed to the Naval Research Advisory Committee, Department of the Navy, on February 15th, 1953.

Edward Hanson Smith was married to Isabel B. Smith and passed away on October 29th, 1961. His remains were cremated on November 1st, 1961 and his ashes were buried at Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, on November 2nd, 1961.

Promotions:
May 4th, 1910: Cadet;
May 17th, 1913: Ensign;
June 7th, 1913: Third Lieutenant;
June 7th, 1918: Lieutenant (junior grade);
January 12th, 1923: Lieutenant;
April 21st, 1924: Lieutenant Commander;
October 1st, 1934: Commander;
December 1st, 1941: Captain;
June 30th, 1942: Acting Rear Admiral;
January 1st, 1948: Rear Admiral.

Career:
?: Vineyard Haven High School, Massachusetts;
?: New Bedford High School, Massachusetts;
?: Massachusetts Institute of Technology;
May 4th, 1910: U.S. Revenue Cutter Service School of Instruction;
?: Cutter Junior Engineering Officer, USRC Seminole, Wilmington, North Carolina;
February 1915: USCGC Acushnet;
November 1915: USCGC Apache;
January 1916: USCGC Seminole;
August 4th, 1917: Navigator USCGC Manning, Atlantic Patrol Force;
January 1919: Navigator USCGC Tallapoosa;
? - November 1919: Navigator USS Antigone, Newport News Division Transport Force;
November 1919: USCGC Seneca, International Ice Patrol;
August 1924: Bergen School of Meteorology;
August 1925: British Meteorological Institute;
? - 1924: Harvard University;
1928: Commanding Officer, USCGC Marion;
?: Commanding Officer U.S.S. Henley;
?: Commanding Officer U.S.S. Downes;
?: Commanding Officer U.S.S. Shaw;
?: Commanding Officer U.S.S. Tucker;
?: Commanding Officer U.S.S. George E. Badger;
July 24th, 1931 - August 1st, 1931: Graf Zeppelin;
October 1938: Commanding Officer, U.S.S. Chelan;
1939 - 1940: Commander, International Ice Patrol;
June 1940: Commanding Officer, U.S.S. Northland;
? - November 1943: Commander, Greenland Patrol;
November 1943: Commander, Task Force 24, U.S. Atlantic Fleet;
August 1945: Commander, Third Coast Guard District, New York City;
1945 - 1961: Board of Trustees, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution;
May 1946: Commander, Eastern Area;
?: Captain, Port of New York;
1946 - 1949: Staff, Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University;
1949: Project Leader, Weapons System Evaluation Group, Department of Defense;
June 30th, 1950: Retirement;
July 1st, 1950 - 1956: Director Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

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Distinguished Service Medal - Navy/USMC

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Rear Admiral
Unit:: U.S. Navy

Citation:
"For exceptionally meritorious service to the Government of the United States in a duty of great responsibility as Commander of the Greenland Patrol and later as Commander of a Task Force in the Atlantic Fleet from December 1941 to November 1944. During the critical years of 1942 and 1943, Rear Admiral Smith planned, built,
organized and efficiently administered the naval bases and stations in Greenland and in the Arctic for the support of the Army in those areas and the Naval control ofthe North Atlantic. Under extremely difficult conditions, the forces of his command successfully operated patrol and escorts, maintained a system of weather stations and provided full logistic and tactical support for the Army. As Commander of a Task Force in these strategie waters, he skiIlfully
directed vital weather, patrol and escort services which were of inestimable assistance in conneetion with the ferrying of aircraft and the operation of transport planes to and from the European theaters of war and effectively protected valuable convoys. In all his negotiations and contacts, Rear Admiral Smith distinguished himself by his splendid diplomacy, soundjudgment and intelligent planning and consistently maintained excellent relations with other United States forces and those ofthe Allied Nations. His superior tactical knowledge and steadfast devotion to duty throughout these important years were in keeping with the highest traditions ofthe United States Naval Service."

Smith was the first Coast Guards serviceman to be awarded the Navy Distinguished Service Medal.