Fife graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1918
and served in both World War I and World War II in submarines
and surface combatants.
Prior to the
Second World War, he served aboard USS S-3 (SS-107) and USS
R-22 (SS-99), and was commanding officer of USS N-7 (SS-59),
USS R-19 (SS-96) and USS R-18 (SS-95).[1] In addition to his
service on submarines, he also served on the battleship USS
Idaho (BB-24) and the destroyers USS Leary (DD-158) and
USS Hatfield (DD-231) from 1923 until May 1935.
When the U.
S. entered World War II, Admiral Fife was Chief of Staff of
Submarine Squadron 20 in the Philippines (part of the Asiatic
Fleet under Admiral T. C. Hart). After the squadron was dissolved
into Submarines, Asiatic Fleet, he served as Chief of Staff
to Admiral Hart until May 1942. About this time he and Captain
J. E. Wilkes, his former squadron commander, were instrumental
in identifying several deficiencies of the submarine force,
especially the difficulties with the Mark 14 torpedo and the
Hooven-Owens-Rentschler diesel engine. Fife would later conduct
some of the experiments that isolated the Mark 14 torpedo's
defective components in cooperation with Rear Admiral Charles
A. Lockwood, then Commander, Submarines, Southwest Pacific.
In late 1942
he served with General MacArthur as the representative of Admiral
A. S. Carpender during the Buna campaign. Following this he
commanded the submarines of Task Force 42 (later Task Force
72) in Brisbane, Australia, where he meticulously planned and
directed his submarines' missions. In 1944 Admiral Fife transferred
to the staff of Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet (COMINCH) Admiral
Ernest J. King in Washington, D.C. as a war planner.
Admiral Fife
was awarded the Navy Distinguished Service Medal for meritorious
service as the Chief of Staff to Commander Submarines, Asiatic
Fleet, the Air Medal (by the Army), and a Gold Star in lieu
of a second Distinguished Service Medal for action in the Pacific
area.
At the close
of 1944 he returned to Australia as Commander, Submarines, Seventh
Fleet; Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Fremantle, Western Australia;
and Commander Task Force 71. As a result, he was awarded a Gold
Star in lieu of a third Distinguished Service Medal.
From April
1947 until 1950, he commanded the Submarine Force, Atlantic
Fleet (COMSUBLANT). This assignment was followed by duty as
Assistant Chief, and Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Operations).
His final assignment before retirement was as U. S. Naval Commander
in Chief, Mediterranean, under Admiral Mountbatten, Royal Navy.
Fife retired from the Navy in August 1955, and was promoted
upon retirement to full admiral.
In retirement
he served as the Director of Mystic Seaport museum in Stonington,
Connecticut. During his tenure at Mystic Seaport he oversaw
a great expansion of the museum's exhibits and the refloating
of the historic whaling ship Charles W. Morgan.
He died in
1975 in Stonington, Connecticut and was buried in Arlington
National Cemetery.
