Lieutenant Commander William Clifford Barnes, who has held an assistant professorship in the Department of Naval Sciences and Tacties during the past year at the University, left yesterday to become navigating officer of the U. S. S. California, fleet flagship, now in Pacific waters.

He will be succeeded by Commander Wiltse, who has been transferred to Harvard from Admiral Hough's staff on the Yangtse River patrol in China.

Commander Barnes new assignment is considered one of the "prize assignments" of the Navy. He came to Harvard from the Naval War College at Newport, Rhode Island. Previous to that, he was on the cruiser Raleigh.

While Commander Barnes was at the Naval War College, Admiral W. S. Pratt was president. Recently, Admiral Pratt was given command of the battle fleet, now on the Pacific, and shortly afterwards, Commander Barnes received orders to proceed to the West Coast to take a post as navigation officer under Admiral Pratt. He left yesterday for San Pedro, California.