WASHINGTON, Dec. 29 (Xinhuanet) -- U.S. Acting Deputy Defense Secretary and Navy Secretary Gordon England gave up his navy post Thursday, clearing the way for Donald Winter as the new civilian navy chief.

    Winter will be sworn in as Navy Secretary next week.

    England's confirmation as Deputy Defense Secretary, the Pentagon's second-highest position, was blocked in the U.S. Senate.

    However, U.S. media said U.S. President George W. Bush will eventually bypass the Senate and install England as Pentagon's No.2 figure within the next few months using what is known as a recess appointment.

    Bush signed an order Wednesday, outlining a new line of succession in Pentagon, which puts England to be Defense SecretaryDonald H. Rumsfeld's immediate successor if something happens to the latter.

    Meanwhile, Winter, a former corporate vice president of defensecontractor Northrop Grumman Mission Systems, has been in an unusual limbo.

    He was confirmed as Navy Secretary by the Senate last month, but wasn't sworn in.

    Since England has now stepped down, that ceremony will take place next Tuesday.

    For months, the U.S. Senate has prevented the Bush administration from filling key Pentagon positions with its loyalists.

    But the White House managed to reach its goal step by step withlegal maneuvering. Enditem