Naval History and Heritage Command
The Navy Department Library
Fifth Naval District
The boundaries of the Fifth Naval District, to be headquartered at the Norfolk Navy Yard in Norfolk, Virginia, were established on 7 May 1903 in accordance with General Order No. 128, signed by Acting Secretary of the Navy Charles H. Darling. Until late 1915 no personnel were assigned to the district staff. In 1945 the district was headquartered at the Naval Operating Base at Norfolk and consisted of the following geographic areas: Maryland less Anne Arundel, Prince Georges, Montgomery, St. Mary's, Calvert, and Charles Counties; West Virginia; Virginia less Arlington, Fairfax, Stafford, King George, Prince William, and Westmoreland Counties; and the Counties of Currituck, Camden, Pasquotank, Gates, Perquimans, Chowan, Tyrrell, Washington, Hyde, Beaufort, Pamlico, Craven, Jones, Carteret, Onslow, and Dare in North Carolina; also the Diamond Shoal Lightship. The Fifth Naval District was disestablished on 30 September 1980.
| 1915-1918 | RADM Walter McLean | 25 November 1915 | |
| 1918-1921 | RADM Augustus F. Fechteler | 5 February 1918 | |
| 1921-1923 | RADM Hugh Rodman | 2 July 1921 | |
| 1923-1925 | RADM Roger Welles | 31 August 1923 | |
| 1925-1928 | RADM Robert E. Coontz | 30 November 1925 | |
| 1928-1931 | RADM Guy H. Burrage | 15 September 1928 | |
| 1931-1932 | RADM William D. MacDougall | 10 July 1931 | |
| 1932-1935 | RADM Arthur L. Willard | 9 July 1932 | |
| 1935-1935 | RADM Arthur S. Smith | ||
| 1935-1937 | RADM Frank H. Brumby | 8 April 1935 | |
| 1937-1943 | RADM Manley H. Simons | 22 November 1937 | |
| 1943 | RADM H. Fairfax Leary | 1 June 1943 | |
| 1943-45 | RADM David M. LeBreton | 30 October 1945 | |
| 1945-1948 | RADM Walden L. Ainsworth | 20 August 1945 | |
| 1948-1953 | RADM Ralph O. Davis | 30 November 1948 | |
| 1953-1957 | RADM Ingolf N. Kiland | 26 January 1953 | |
| 1960-1961 | RADM William O. Burch, Jr. | 24 December 1960 | |
| 1961-1963 | RADM Wallis F. Petersen | 11 September 1961 | |
| 1963-1966 | RADM Edmund B. Taylor | 12 November 1963 | |
| 1966-1968 | RADM Reynold D. Hogle | June 1966 | |
| 1968-1970 | RADM James C. Dempsey | May 1968 | |
| 1970-1973 | RADM James O. Cobb | September 1970 | |
| 1973-1975 | RADM Roy G. Anderson | January 1973 | |
| 1975-1976 | RADM Richard E. Rumble | February 1975 | |
| 1976-1978 | RADM William H. Ellis | April 1976 | |
| 1978-1979 | RADM Richard E. Nicholson | August 1978 | |
| 1979-1980 | RADM James H. Scott | August 1979 |
Notes: RADM = Rear Admiral.
The administrative records of the Fifth Naval District are located in Record Group (RG) 181.2.4 at the National Archives and Records Administration’s Mid Atlantic Region Archives Facility (Center City Philadelphia) at 900 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107-4292 (entrance on Chestnut Street, between 9th and 10th Streets), telephone 215-606-0100.
An unpublished 7-volume administrative history of the Fifth Naval District during World War II, known as “World War II Naval Administrative History # 112,” is located in the Navy Department Library. It is unavailable for loan and must be consulted in the library. Photocopying of this manuscript is generally prohibited; the use of digital cameras by researchers is encouraged. Permission to photocopy a limited number of pages may be granted by the reference staff, contingent upon the physical state of the item. Any photocopying of this manuscript shall be done under the close supervision of the reference staff. The use of personal scanners by non-library staff personnel must be approved by the reference staff on a document-by-document basis (Reference: Naval Historical Center Instruction [NAVHISTCENTINST] 5070.1C.). When requesting the administrative history, please specify its number. For example: "I'd like to examine World War Two Admin. History #112."
