Walter McLean

Who was Walter McLean?

Rear Admiral Walter L. McLean was the American commander of the Norfolk Naval Shipyard from November 25, 1915 until February 4, 1918. Under his command, the Shipyard was the holding area for various German vessels which had put into port during World War I, and stayed in a somewhat limbo status—the United States had not entered the war and so could not commandeer the ships, but then neither could the ships be allowed to depart and resume attacks on Allied shipping. The course of action was therefore to keep the foreign ships and their crews as "guests" of the United States for years.