British naval commander. He trained at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth. During World War 2, he led a daring rescue of 300 British seamen held on board the German supply ship Altmark (1940), and played a leading role in the destruction of the German battleship Bismarck (1941). As commander of the 15th Cruiser Squadron in the Mediterranean fleet, he distinguished himself with his skilful handling of escort forces in the hazardous convoy operations for the relief of Malta (19412). He later became Fifth Sea Lord (1946) and Admiral of the Fleet.
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Philip Vian (1894-1968) GCB KBE DSO was a British naval officer best known for the incident early in 1940 when a force under his command released captured British merchant sailors from the German supply ship Altmark in Jøssingfjord, Norway.
He joined the Navy as an officer cadet in May 1907.
After a period in a cruiser patrolling in East African waters he received an appointment to Morning Star, a Yarrow-built modern destroyer.
On returning to the UK he was given an appointment to Thunderer then serving as a cadet training ship, followed by two appointments to battleships in the Mediterranean Fleet, followed by Kent then flagship of the China Station.
After a shore appointment he was given command of Active in the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla (part of the Mediterranean Fleet).
He was posted Captain in 1934 and expected to spend some time on half-pay.
Return to the UK at the end of that crisis was disturbed by the start of the Spanish Civil War, his ships being involved in the initial evacuation of British citizens from the war zone.
His next appointment was as Flag-Captain to Rear-Admiral Lionel Wells in Arethusa.
Early in 1940 he moved again, this time to command of the 4th destroyer flotilla, the famous Tribal class destroyers.
In 1941 Vian commaded the destroyer flotilla which played an important role in the hunt for the German battleship Bismarck.
From late 1941 onwards Vian served in the Mediterranean, in particular leading cruiser squadrons and other naval forces based in Malta and Alexandria, which caused great losses to Italian merchant shipping, ensured the supply of Malta and fight a number of successful engagements with the Italian Navy.
By September 1943, he commanded Force V, a flotilla of escort aircraft carriers providing air support for the Allied landings at Salerno, Italy.
In 1944, Vian was the commander of the main British naval force supporting the D-Day landings in Normandy.
In 1945 he was the commander in charge of air operations of the British Pacific Fleet - Force 57, providing air support for the American invasion of Okinawa (Operation Iceberg).
After the war he became Fifth Sea Lord (1946) and Admiral of the Fleet.
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