Definition of william sowden sims in English English dictionary
born Oct. 15, 1858, Port Hope, Ont., Can. died Sept. 28, 1936, Boston, Mass., U.S. U.S. naval officer. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and later wrote a navigation textbook that became widely used. As naval attaché to U.S. embassies in Paris and St. Petersburg, he observed the superiority of foreign navies. As inspector of naval target practice (1902-09), he revolutionized U.S. naval gunnery. In World War I he commanded the U.S. fleet in Europe and helped develop the convoy system to protect Allied ships from German submarine attack. He was president of the Naval War College (1917-18, 1919-22)