William P. Cronan

Who was William P. Cronan?

William Pigott Cronan was a United States Navy Captain who served as the 19th Naval Governor of Guam. During his tenure in the Navy, he became decorated, commanded a number of ships, and came to be known as "the most popular man in the Navy". He participated in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba during the Spanish–American War. In 1903, he gained some attention for his participation in the rescue of a Venezuelan fisherman off the coast of La Guaira under bad conditions. Both the Venezuelan government and navy command praised him for the way he carried out the operation. He became a national news story in 1907 while serving aboard the USS Connecticut during a training operation. When a gun nearly exploded because of leaking powder; he shoved his hand into the gun's breechblock, preventing the explosion and losing two of his fingers in the process.

He served as the first commanding officer of the USS Monaghan in 1911. He would later command the Atlantic Fleet Torpedo Flotilla Fifth Fleet from the flagship USS Jouett. During World War I, he first commanded the USS Supply and captured German Corvette Captain Adalbert Zuckschwerdt off the coast of Guam. He also commanded the U.S.S.