The defeat effectively destroyed the Japanese Navy's air arm. Admiral Raymond Spruance on the balcony of the U.S. Embassy, Manila, while serving as U.S. With it he intended to significantly expand the Imperial Japanese Navy's outer defense perimeter across the central Pacific; and, he believed, this very powerful stroke against Midway would so severely threaten Hawaii and Pearl Harbor that the U.S. government would be induced to sue for peace. Admiral Spruances last campaigns were the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, and he was awarded the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism. Admiral Yamamoto had hoped to fight a classic-style sea battle with battleships, but Spruance had proved that the aircraft carrier was now emerging as the capital ship of naval combat forces. Yet because of his modest, retiring nature, Spruance was never a popular hero in the manner of Admirals Nimitz, William F. Halsey and Marc A. Mitscher. Most of Nagumo's attack planes had just returned from the first strike on Midway and were immobilized on the carrier hangers, while his combat air patrol cover planes were engaged with battling torpedo bombers from Hornet. A number of strategic and tactical errors contributed to the Japanese defeat: Yamamotos virtual isolation on the bridge of Yamato and his failure to maintain an overall grip on the strategic situation; a loss of nerve on the part of Nagumo; tradition that led Yamaguchi and other enemy commanders to go down with their ships instead of trying to recover the initiative; insufficient reconnaissance against the U.S. carriers; a lack of high-altitude fighter cover; inadequate fire precautions aboard the ships; and the launching of airstrikes from all four fleet carriers at the same time, so that there was a critical period when the Japanese carrier force had little defensive capability. By that time, he was said to be an expert on the many engines, instruments and guns that go into a battleship. I can thank heredity for a sound constitution, and myself for taking care of that constitution." On April 1, Spruance began the Battle of Okinawa. The Iwo Jima and Okinawa actions lasted from January to May 1945, and in August the Japanese surrendered. The other U.S. flattop, Yorktown, escaped with one bomb hit. . As the war progressed, Spruance became one of two primary fleet commanders, the other being Admiral William "Bull" Halsey, employed by Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. Before Midway, a small and fractional U.S. Navy faced an overwhelmingly larger and battle-hardened Japanese Combined Fleet. Four days after the invasion, all immediate objectives had been taken, and by February 8, 1944, all organized resistance had ceased. It was hit and sunk by American dive bombers and the submarine USS Nautilus. Yet because of his modest, retiring nature, Spruance was never a popular hero in the manner of Admirals Nimitz, William F. Halsey and Marc A. Mitscher. Admiral Raymond Spruance served in US Navy during World War Two. Fewer than two days before launch from Pearl Harbor, Nimitz's commander of the fleet carrier force, Admiral Halsey, was hospitalized with severe shingles;[10] Halsey immediately recommended Admiral Spruance to Nimitz as his replacement with Admiral Fletcher receiving overall command. [3] After the war, Spruance was appointed President of the Naval War College, and later served as American ambassador to the Philippines. He commanded U.S. naval forces during two of the most significant naval battles that took place in the Pacific Theatre: the Battle of Midway and the Battle of the Philippine Sea. President Franklin D. Roosevelt nominated Spruance for promotion to full admiral on February 10, 1944, and he was approved. But due to a printing error on the executive calendar of nominations, Spruance was officially promoted only to his former rank of vice admiral. In 1916 he aided in the fitting out of the battleship Pennsylvania and he served on board her from her commissioning in June 1916 until November 1917. Following the campaign, Spruance turned the fleet over to Halsey and began planning operations to capture Iwo Jima. The slow-moving Devastators were easy targets for the Japanese gunners and Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero fighters, and all 15 were shot down. Make sure to provide references and acknowledgement for any sources you use. The young, ambitious officer was then assigned to Bainbridge, U.S. destroyer No. The attack fails to destroy any airfields or major targets. "[16] Both Fletcher and Nimitz recommended Spruance for the Distinguished Service Medal for his role in the battle. Besides his family, he loved the companionship of his pet schnauzer, Peter. Naval Academy in 1906 and from the Naval War College in 1927 where he taught for a few years. About his intellect he was equally unpretentious: "Some people believe that when I am quiet that I am thinking some deep and important thoughts, when the fact is that I am thinking of nothing at all. 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. Admiral Yamamoto commanded the combined invasion fleet from aboard his flagship Yamato. Thus the Americans knew the Japanese planned to move toward Midway. 1155 (August 1946): 144-157. So he changed course northeastward, avoiding the first wave of dive bombers launched against him from Spruances carriers. During the operation, the Fifth Fleet burned up 630 million gallons of fuelmore than the entire Pacific Fleet used in 1943. As the island-hopping campaign began, MacArthur continued his . Spruance is depicted as the controversial victor of Midway by G. D. Spradlin in the 1988 TV miniseries War and Remembrance. 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. During the last year of World War I he was assigned as Assistant Engineer Officer of the New York Naval Shipyard, and carried out temporary duty in London, England and Edinburgh, Scotland. Meanwhile, his search planes found no sign of any American warships. In the seven-week campaign, 55 Japanese ships were sunk, five probably sunk and 74 damaged. The Japanese felt that they had won the encounter. It Didnt End Well. Richmond Kelly Turner and Harry W. Hill and Marine Generals Holland M. Smith and Julian C. Smith. Leaving, he assumed command of USS Mississippi. The Battle of Midway infused the U.S. Pacific Navy with confidence. After these victories, Spruance went back to Pearl Harbour to assist with planning Japans invasion. At that time, Admiral Nimitz instituted a unique arrangement in which the command of the vessels which made up the "Big Blue Fleet" alternated between Admiral William Halsey Jr., at which time it was identified as the Third Fleet and Task Force 38, and Admiral Spruance, when it became the Fifth Fleet and Task Force 58. Spruance served as executive officer of USS Mississippi from October 1929 to June 1931. His division was an element of the task force built around the aircraft carrier USSEnterprise and commanded by Vice Admiral William F. Halsey, Jr. In August 1943, Spruance, now a vice admiral, returned to sea as Commander Central Pacific Force. The main auditorium of the U.S. The defenders fought fiercely but were unable to inflict any damage on the U.S. vessels. Spruance expressed his personal feelings on this matter as follows: So far as my getting five star rank is concerned, if I could have got it along with Bill Halsey, that would have been fine; but, if I had received it instead of Bill Halsey, I would have been very unhappy over it. Locating the Japanese carriers as they were rearming and refueling their aircraft, American bombers inflicted massive damage and sank three. Falling ill with shingles, Halsey recommended that Spruance lead Task Force 16, centered on the carriers USS Enterprise (CV-6) and USS Hornet (CV-8), in his stead. 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. With the end of the war, Spruance aided in returning American troops home before moving through a succession of engineering postings and destroyer commands. Hickman, Kennedy. Kennedy Hickman is a historian, museum director, and curator who specializes in military and naval history. Admiral Raymond A. Spruance, U.S. Navy, April 1955 . Admiral Spruance said that what they did was to wait until the Japanese ships were refueling, carrying weapons, and preparing their aircraft to attack them because the Japanese were in a vulnerable position. At Midway, dive bombers from the Enterprise crippled sank four larger carriers of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Yamato class battleship that served as the Japanese Combined Fleet's Flagship, housing Admiral Yamamoto. He was a diligent, neat and gentle boy. On December 30, 1914, Spruance married Margaret Vance Dean, the daughter of an Indianapolis businessman. Serving in Manila, Spruance remained abroad until resigning his post in 1955. [7], He commanded the Percival during the sea trials off the California coast and during the patrol cruises with the Destroyer Force, Pacific Fleet until May 1922, when he was ordered to Washington, D.C., for duty in the Bureau of Engineering under Rear Admiral John K. Robison. Besides his family, he loved the companionship of his pet schnauzer, Peter. The Coral Sea fight was virtually a warm-up for the Battle of Midway, regarded later as the turning point of the war in the Pacific. He was the united states navy fleet admiral in the some of the The battle of Midway was one of the most decisive battle in th Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku, Japanese fleet commander, chose to i The Japanese lost 19 ships sunk, seven probably sunk and more than 200 aircraft destroyed, and their installations were bombed and strafed. Lieutenant Commander Maxwell Leslies VB-3 from Yorktown attacked the carrier Soryu. He shifted his flag to the old battleship USSNew Mexico of the shore bombardment force after Indianapolis was struck by a Kamikaze off Okinawa. 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. It was interesting work, but I wouldnt want to do it for a living. Born on 3 July 1886, Spruance graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1906. On October 16, 1946, the former Secretary of War, Robert P. Patterson, presented the Army Distinguished Service Medal to Admiral Spruance, with citation as follows: Admiral Raymond A. Spruance, U.S. Navy, as Task Force Commander during the capture of the Marshall and Marianas Islands, rendered exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services from January to June 1944. Biographies, 20th century collection, Navy Department Library. During World War II, he was commander in the . Some people asked why he did not take take advantage of the chaotic scene to attack all of Japans air carriers. By shortly after 9 a.m., planes from Yorktown were also on their way. He died on 13 December 1969 at the age of 83. Raymond Ames Spruance (July 3, 1886 - December 13, 1969) was a United States Navy admiral in World War II. He was responsible for leading the 5th Fleet into the pivotal Battle of the Philippines Sea, nicknamed the 'Great Marianas Turkey Shoot' because a total of 365 Japanese planes were brought down. Spruance succeeded Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz as Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean Areas in November 1945, a few months after the end of the war. Spruance's first duty assignment was aboard the battleship USSIowa, an 11,400 ton veteran of the SpanishAmerican War. [6], Following his return to the United States, Spruance served aboard transport ship USS Agamemnon, before he was ordered to Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine, for duty in connection with fitting out of destroyer USS Aaron Ward in March 1919. Historian Morison later described Spruances performance at Midway as superb. Then U.S. dive bombers from Spruance's Enterprise flew to Nagumo's fleet of four carriers which, fatefully, were without air cover. Spruance graduated from the U.S. How can these and the knowledge they provide be used to spread His Word? Naval Academy, graduating in 1906. The Americans lost only 17 planes and no ships. Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island, is named Spruance Hall. Shortly after the Midway battle, Spruance became chief of staff to Admiral Nimitz, and in September 1942 was appointed as Deputy Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet. With World War I raging, he became Assistant Engineer Officer of the New York Navy Yard. Since US intelligence had reported the possibility that the Kido Butai would be operating in two separate task forces, that meant that Fletcher only knew the location of half of the carrier force. After Rome fell, the bishop of Constantinople became the most pow (. >On March 29, 1944, Admiral Spruance took tactical command of a three-pronged assault against the Palau Islands, 550 miles east of the Philippines, and against Yap Island and Ulithi Atoll in the western Carolines. [25], Spruance was President of the Naval War College from February 1946 until he retired from the Navy in July 1948. Landing troops on Saipan on June 15, he defeated Vice Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa at the Battle of the Philippine Sea a few days later. Meanwhile, the Japanese attack on the Aleutian Islands had been carried out as planned on June 3. Fit into his 70s, Spruance spent most of his retirement days wearing old khakis and work shoes and working in his garden and greenhouse; he loved to show them to visitors. Admiral Ernest J. 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 . He was drafted on short notice for his date with destiny. He readied himself at Stevens Preparatory School in Hoboken, N.J., and entered Annapolis in July 1903 at age 17. The three-day operation was the most extensive ever undertaken by carriers. Admiral William L. Calhoun saw him as a cold-blooded fighting fool. Spruance received the Navy Cross for his actions at Iwo Jima and Okinawa.[23]. He graduated from the U.S. 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. 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.

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