Twining was born in Boscobel, Wisconsin, on 17 January 1869, the son of Nathan Crook Twining Sr. (1834–1924) and his second wife, Mary Jane Rennie. He was raised, in part, by his father's third wife, Margaret E. "Maggie" Rockwell (1849–1919) of Batavia, Kane County, Illinois.
As the capability of aircraft to bombard warships was grower ever more likely, in 1911 Twining developed the U.S. Navy's first anti-aircraft cannon. The prototype was a 1-pounder. It was not placed in production, but provided the conceptual basis for the upscale 3 inch anti-aircraft cannon mounted on most U.S. warships during World War I.[2]
During World War I, he served as Chief of Staff for Admiral William Sims, Commander of Naval Forces in European waters. He was also a member of the Allied War Council.
Rear Admiral Twining retired early in 1923 due to ill health.[3] He died on July 4, 1924, in Nantucket, Massachusetts.[4]
^"Twining Quits Naval Berth". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, CA. January 13, 1923. p. 28. Retrieved April 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. Rear Admiral Nathan Crook Twining, chief-of-staff of the Pacific Fleet under Amiral [sic] Hugh Rodman and one of the most brilliant officers in the service, has been ordered home and relieved of all active duty by recent naval orders.
^"Twining". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History & Heritage Command. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
