Chief of BuEng
In 1931, Robinson was commissioned chief of the Bureau of Engineering (BuEng) with the rank of rear admiral, succeeding Rear Admiral Harry E. Yarnell. During this first of two nonconsecutive terms as the chief Navy engineer, Robinson helped stimulate the development of submarine electric propulsion. At the time, lightweight, high-speed engines were still in the experimental phase and no existing engine was suitable for submarine electric drive. Procuring such an engine was a venture requiring a level of risk and capital investment that was considered prohibitive for a private company. Rather than wait for the private sector to catch up to the Navy's requirements, Robinson launched an innovative bureau-sponsored competition that successfully drew private diesel contractors into the submarine propulsion market.
He was relieved as chief of BuEng on May 29, 1935 by Rear Admiral Harold G. Bowen and became inspector of naval materiel at the General Electric Company in Schenectady, New York. He was senior member of the Navy Compensation Board in 1938. In September 1939 he was appointed for a second term as chief of BuEng and put in charge of the shipbuilding program as coordinator of shipbuilding.
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