World War I and Interwar Years
In May 1918, Lieutenant junior grade Chandler sailed in Conner to Brest, France, his destroyer's base during the last six months of World War I. After the Armistice, his service in European waters included a brief term as the temporary commanding officer of Conner.
Chandler returned home in April and, in the following month, reported to the shipyard of the William Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding Co. to help outfit the destroyer Chandler (DD-206), named in honor of his late grandfather, former Secretary of the Navy William E. Chandler. After her commissioning in September, he served in that ship until December 1920, when he was detached to return to the United States.
On 2 January 1921, he reported for duty at the Naval Postgraduate School at Annapolis, Maryland, and began a 29-month series of ordnance-related studies.
On 1 June 1923, he completed training duty and, after a brief leave of absence, reported to Newport News, Virginia, on 4 July for duty in conjunction with the outfitting of West Virginia (BB-48). The battleship went into commission on 1 December, and Chandler served in her until 16 January 1925 when he transferred to Colorado (BB-45).
In June 1926, newly-promoted Lt. Comdr. Chandler came ashore once more for a two-year assignment at the Naval Mine Depot, Yorktown, Virginia. A nine-month tour of duty as gunnery officer in the light cruiser Trenton (CL-11) followed. He reported on board General Alava (AG-5) on 24 April 1929 but was detached only two days later to assume command of Pope (DD-225).
In October 1930, he began another series of shore assignments, reporting initially to the Bureau of Ordnance and then to the Army Industrial College before rounding out duty ashore with a brief tour in the office of the Chief of Naval Operations.
On 30 May 1932, Chandler resumed sea duty as gunnery officer on the staff of the Commander Destroyers Battle Force. On 2 February 1934, he assumed command of Buchanan (DD-131). Between August 1935 and June 1938, he served three successive tours as assistant naval attaché: first at Paris, then at Madrid, and finally at Lisbon.
He arrived in Camden, New Jersey, in June 1938 to help fit out Nashville (CL-43); and he served as her executive officer until July 1940. Next, he returned to Washington, D.C. for a 15-month assignment in the office of the Chief of Naval Operations. Near the end of that tour of duty, he was promoted to captain on 18 July 1941.
Read more about this topic: Theodore E. Chandler
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