He presided over US Forces in the Pacific during two decisive Allied victories: the Battle of Midway in 1942 and the 1944 Battle of the Philippines Sea. Nagumo ordered his planes rearmed on their return. Then it was back to Pebble Beach. On the afternoon of June 4, 24 American dive bombersincluding 10 refugees from Yorktownscored four hits on Hiryu. A number of torpedo squadrons from the airfields and carriers launch attacks on the Japanese carriers but score no hits and almost all planes involved were shot down. Determining that New Mexico was not too badly damaged to remain on station Spruance kept her as his flagship for the rest of the campaign. It was his job to protect the landing force.[8]. With the island's fall, Spruance immediately moved forward with Operation Iceberg. His achievements were well-known, but the man himself was a mystery. 1, and he commanded her until 1914. Akagi was lashed by bombs, which exploded torpedoes that were being loaded onto her planes, and the crew abandoned ship. His squadron successfully ambushed and sank 3 Japanese Aircraft Carriers, Lieutenant in command of the USS Hornet air group. This saw Allied forces move against Okinawa in the Ryukyu Islands. transmitted as a message) to Rear Admirals Frank Jack Fletcher and Raymond Spruance on the eve of the battle of Midway To quote a U S Navy website, "Nimitz clearly . Historian Samuel Eliot Morison believed he was one of the greatest fighting and thinking admirals in American naval history. Yamato class battleship that served as the Japanese Combined Fleet's Flagship, housing Admiral Yamamoto. In 1939 he was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral. At Midway, dive bombers from the Enterprise crippled sank four larger carriers of the Imperial Japanese Navy. He was modest and candid about himself. He enjoyed hot chocolate and would make it for himself every morning. However, an invasion was rendered unnecessary when the atomic bomb was used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. That same year he received a new assignment: assistant machinery inspector at the Newport News, Va., dry dock, where the battleship Pennsylvania was being outfitted. Leaving, he assumed command of USS Mississippi. He never smoked, and drank little. Lt Tomanaga leads Japanese Torpedo Bombers to attack the remaining carriers. Though Spruance had not led a carrier force in the past, Nimitz agreed as the rear admiral would be aided by Halsey's staff, including the gifted Captain Miles Browning. Admiral Spruance no.__!t to seek and destroy the Imperial Japanese Navy in a "decisive battle." Rather, Spruance chose to place highest priority on covering and defending the United States (U.S.) amphibious forces that were in the initial phase of the invasion of Salpan. They find and score 3 hits on the USS Yorktown, but also sustain heavy losses. Recently promoted to rear admiral, Spruance was assigned to command a division of cruisers in the Pacific under Admiral Nimitz in 1941. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. The setback in the Japanese timetable to encircle the Pacific gave the U.S. industrial machine time to crank up war production, and ultimately, to turn the advantage on Japan in the production of ships, planes, guns, and all the other matriel of war. Spruance also held several engineering . The heavily fortified islands, former British possessions, were of strategic value because of their good landing strips and naval base. The Fifth Fleet commanders citation read: Responsible for the operation of a vast and complicated organization which included more than 500,000 men of the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, 318 combatant vessels and 1,139 auxiliary vessels, [he] directed the forces under his command with daring, courage and aggressiveness. Enterprise dive bombers critically damaged two Japanese carriers including Nagumo's flagship Akagi; while the Yorktown air group, launched after Fletcher was confident that all Japanese carriers were accounted for, crippled the Soryu. They were hurled back decisively, and the losses353 enemy planes downed, 21 U.S. aircraft lostamazed the Americans. Yorktown and Task Force 17 were under the command of Rear Adm. Frank Jack Fletcher. World War II: Fleet Admiral William Halsey Jr. World War II Pacific: The Japanese Advance Stopped, M.S., Information and Library Science, Drexel University, B.A., History and Political Science, Pennsylvania State University. Aboard the battleship Yamato, Admiral Yamamoto received word that the U.S. fleet was at Midwaynot Pearl Harbor as he had thought. The gallant carrier was crippled but nearly succeeded in reaching safety before torpedoes from Japanese submarine I-68 finally sank her three days later. Midway bought the United States valuable time until the new Essex-class fleet carriers became available at the end of the year. He also commanded Task Force 16 at the Battle of Midway, comprising the carriers Enterprise and Hornet. Admiral Spruance explained the U.S. victory at Midway in the following way. Summing up his appraisal of this outstanding sailor, Morison noted: Spruance in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, overriding Mitscher the carrier expert in letting the enemy planes come at him instead of going in search of them, won the second most decisive battle of the Pacific war. He was fond of symphonic music, and his tastes were generally simple. He was the grandfather of legendary theatre director Anne Bogart. History is who we are and why we are the way we are.. Spruance himself directed a task group of battleships, cruisers and destroyers that left the main body to go after Japanese ships that were fleeing Truk, sinking the light cruiser Katori and destroyer Maikaze. They met practically no opposition because most of the Zeros were still close to the water, not having had time to climb and counterattack. His chance would come. Make sure to provide references and acknowledgement for any sources you use. The Indiana War Memorial in Indianapolis has a meeting room named for Spruance as well as displays honoring his career and that of the USS Indianapolis. For about 20 minutes, fighters, dive bombers and torpedo bombers pounded the island, carefully avoiding damaging the runways because the Japanese hoped to eventually use them. Before the Battle of the Coral Sea on 7-8 May 1942, the Imperial Navy of Japan had swept aside all of its enemies from the Pacific and Indian oceans. So he changed course northeastward, avoiding the first wave of dive bombers launched against him from Spruances carriers. No detail was too small to bring these American prisoners home. The carriers were on station on June 2, and the following day Japanese transport ships were spotted 600 miles west of Midway Island. It Didnt End Well. On 13 May 1945, Admiral Raymond Spruance put pen to paper and described the second kamikaze attack he experienced at Okinawa. "[16] Both Fletcher and Nimitz recommended Spruance for the Distinguished Service Medal for his role in the battle. Admiral Halsey was given command of the Third Fleet, and later that year Task Force 58 was transferred to Halseys fleet. Halsey was aggressive and a risk taker. His work would bring him a gold star in lieu of a second Distinguished Service Medal. At Midway, Spruances force inflicted on the Imperial Japanese Navy its worst setback in 350 years. The Battle of Midway was a turning point in the Pacific War. Admiral Spruance explained the U.S. victory at Midway in the following way. [25], Spruance was President of the Naval War College from February 1946 until he retired from the Navy in July 1948. This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. In fact, Spruance had a knack for getting along with difficult people, including his friend Admiral Kelly Turner, the hotheaded commander of 5th Fleet's amphibious force. For his actions, Spruance received the Distinguished Service Medal and, later that month, Nimitz named him as his Chief of Staff and Aide. On June 4, Spruance and Fletcher engaged four Japanese carriers at the Battle of Midway. Japanese aircraft carrier squadron under the command of Chuichi Nagumo in command of aircraft carriers Akagi, Kaga, Soryu, and Hiryu. The battle would open in the mist-shrouded Aleutians with airstrikes against Dutch Harbor on June 3, followed by landings at three points on June 6. This gave rise to the description of Spruance as "an Admiral's admiral". Why was Chester W Nimitz important? Fletcher quickly ordered his dive bombers to strike, which fatally damaged the fourth Japanese carrier; it was scuttled the next day. He envied no one, rivaled no man, won the respect of almost everyone with whom he came in contact, and went ahead in his quiet way, winning victories for his country.When we come to the admirals who commanded at sea, and who directed a great battle, there was no one to equal Spruance. "Foreward for Midway." US Naval Institute Proceedings 81, no. The Saipan campaign began with air attacks on June 10, 1944. The Iwo Jima and Okinawa actions lasted from January to May 1945, and in August the Japanese surrendered. World War II: Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher, World War II: Battle of the Philippine Sea. When I look at myself objectively, he wrote in retirement, I think that what success I may have achieved through life is largely due to the fact that I am a good judge of men. He was survived by his wife and a daughter, Mrs. Gerald S. Bogart of Newport, R.I. His only son, Navy Captain Edward D. Spruance, who served for 30 years, was killed in a car accident in Marin County, Calif., in May 1969. King said to him "Spruance, you did a damn fine job there. Once theBattle of the Philippine Sea came to an end, Spruance returned to Pearl Harbour to help plan other landings in the future. Raymond A. Spruance. Spruances performance at Midway so impressed Admiral Nimitz that he made him his chief of staff. [7], Spruance ran a quiet bridge, without chit-chat; he demanded that orders be given concisely and clearly. Capturing and occupying Midway was the brainchild-plan of commander-in-chief of the Combined Fleet, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. Meanwhile, his search planes found no sign of any American warships. "Well, pick it up and put it back," was Spruance's measured response.[8]. Navy.[4]. Japanese naval force tasked with the invasion of the Aleutian Islands under Vice Admiral Kakuta with aircraft carriers Junyo and Ryuho. Spruance's rise to fame . Most historians consider Midway the turning point of the Pacific War.[1]. Spruance was an active man who thought nothing of walking eight or 10 miles a day. With Okinawa's fall in June, Spruance rotated back to Pearl Harbor to begin planning the invasion of Japan. Lieutenant aboard the Hiryu who led and was killed during the first Japanese counterattack after the sinking of 3 Japanese aircraft carriers. He loved to show them to visitors. The Turning Point in the Pacific. He was appointed as Ambassador to the Philippines by President Harry S. Truman, and served there from 1952 to 1955. To the Aleutians, the Japanese dispatched an invasion task force of three transports carrying 2,400 troops, supported by two heavy cruisers, a two-carrier support force and a covering group of four battleships. Clarence McClusky, swooped from 19,000 feet onto Nagumos ships. Landing troops on Saipan on June 15, he defeated Vice Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa at the Battle of the Philippine Sea a few days later. >The fleet units shielding the Marianas invasion forces were also under Spruances command. The Americans lost 74 carrier planes; the Japanese 80. It was a cool, clear day. Naval Academy in 1906,[5] and received further, hands-on education in electrical engineering a few years later. Nimitz had no battleships left after the Pearl Harbor attack, and after the Battle of the Coral Sea there were only two flattops ready for action, Enterprise and Hornet. The U.S. casualties were 199 planes, 128 flight personnel and damage to four warships. At 10.26am on 4 June 1942 the course of World War Two in the Pacific changed utterly. After Midway, although the Japanese still held a temporary advantage in vessels and planes, the U.S. Navy and the nation gained confidence and, most critically, time. His tour of sea duty ended in 1921, and he spent the next three years with the Navy Departments Bureau of Engineering and the Doctrine of Aircraft board. serious damage on the islands installations. 7 reviews. This was said to be the first time that a four-star admiral took part in a sea action aboard one of the ships engaged. She went down with Admiral Yamaguchi, an outstanding flag officer who, it was said, would have been Yamamotos successor had he lived. As part of this reorganization, the force became known as the Fifth Fleet when Spruance was in charge and the Third Fleet when Halsey was in command. Launched the planes that were responsible for the sinking of nearly all 4 Japanese Carriers at Midway. It was the only aircraft carrier in the presence of Midway Island to survive the dive bomber attack and launched two and a half waves of planes against the United States Navy. At the crucial Battle of Midway, your daring and skilled leadership routed the enemy in the full tide of his advance and established the pattern of air-sea warfare which was to lead to his eventual capitulation. Promoted to captain the following year, he departed to take the position of Chief of Staff and Aide to Commander Destroyers, Scouting Fleet in May 1933. [2] He emerged from the war as one of the greater admirals in American naval history. "When I look at myself objectively," he wrote in retirement, "I think that what success I may have achieved through life is largely due to the fact that I am a good judge of men. While one was at sea, the other would be planning their next operation. There are submarines, there are mini-submarines, and then there are human torpedoes. 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