Captain George R. Clark, the commandant of the 14th Naval District, played a decisive role in the handling of the German gunboat Geier when her crew attempted to sabotage the vessel in February 1917. Amid rising tensions, Captain Clark boarded the burning Geier and negotiated her surrender to U.S. authorities, thereby preventing further destruction and securing the ship for the U.S. Navy. His calm and authoritative leadership helped defuse a potentially explosive situation in Honolulu harbor and protected both territorial assets and international diplomatic protocols.
Captain George R. Clark, the commandant of the 14th Naval District, played a decisive role in the handling of the German gunboat Geier when her crew attempted to sabotage the vessel in February 1917. Amid rising tensions, Captain Clark boarded the burning Geier and negotiated her surrender to U.S. authorities, thereby preventing further destruction and securing the ship for the U.S. Navy. His calm and authoritative leadership helped defuse a potentially explosive situation in Honolulu harbor and protected both territorial assets and international diplomatic protocols.
