Denfeld, Louis

Denfeld, Louis

(1891–1972) naval officer; born in Westboro, Mass. He served as a lieutenant in World War I. During World War II he was the assistant chief of the Bureau of Navigation, was promoted to rear admiral, and commanded Battleship Division 9 in the Pacific. Chief of naval operations (1947–49), he was removed because of his vigorous defense of naval independence during the process of unifying the armed forces.