John Ommanney Hopkins

Admiral Sir John Ommanney Hopkins (13 July 1834 – 30 July 1916) was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be commander-in-chief, Mediterranean Fleet.

Naval career Hopkins joined the Royal Navy in 1848. Promoted to captain in 1867, he commanded successively HMS Liverpool, HMS Narcissus, HMS Royal Adelaide and HMS Temeraire.

Promoted to vice admiral in 1891, Hopkins was appointed commander-in-chief, North American and West Indies Station later that year before being made Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet in 1897 during which tour he hosted a visit to Malta by the Kaisar Wilhelm II. He was a supporter of improvements in gunnery and at this time experimented with a new type of salvo firing. He retired as a full admiral in 1899

In 1903 he served on the Royal Commission responsible for examining the conduct of the Second Boer War. Hopkins predicted the threat from Zeppelins as the threat of World War I approached and lobbied for investment in aerial defence. He died in 1916.