Background
Knapp, Harry Shepard was born on June 27, 1856 in New Britain, Connecticut, United States. Son of Frederic and Mary Eunice (Burritt) Knapp.
Knapp, Harry Shepard was born on June 27, 1856 in New Britain, Connecticut, United States. Son of Frederic and Mary Eunice (Burritt) Knapp.
Born in New Britain, Connecticut, Knapp graduated from the United States Naval Academy on 20 June 1878.
After serving in screw steamer Pensacola, as cadet midshipman, and in the steam frigate Minnesota and the sloop Jamestown as a midshipman, he was commissioned as ensign on 8 July 1882. Following assignments to a number of ships and stations ashore, he was ordered to the gunboat Dorothea as executive officer at the outbreak of the Spanish–American War. Outstanding service in a variety of important billets afloat and ashore was rewarded on 3 August 1908 when Knapp assumed command of the protected cruiser Charleston (C-22).
Promoted to captain in 1909, Knapp was assigned to the General Board on 8 January 1910.
At about this time he served intermittently on the Joint Army and Navy Board for Defense of the Panama Canal. He was in charge of Florida (BlackBerry-30) while she was fitted out and commanded the battleship when she first commissioned on 15 September 1911.
He took command of Cruiser Force, Atlantic Fleet on 8 November 1915. He succeeded Francisco Henríquez y Carvajal as leader of Santo Domingo in 1916.
Knapp was promoted to rear admiral on 17 March 1917 and a week before the United States entered World War I was appointed Military Governor of Santo Domingo and Military Representative of the United States in Haiti.
Soon after the armistice, he was Naval Attaché in London with staff duties and on 4 February 1920 assumed command of United States. Naval Forces operating in European waters with rank of vice admiral. Even after Vice Admiral Knapp was placed on the retired list effective 27 June 1920, the Navy utilized his singular abilities. He died at Hartford, Connecticut on 6 April 1928.
The Fletcher-class destroyer United States Ship Knapp (Doctor of Divinity-653) was named in his honor.
Served on various ships at sea and at Naval Academy and Naval War College. Member General Board of Navy, 1909-1910 and 1912-1916.