Unites States Rear Admiral in command of Task Force 16 on the USS Enterprise. This approach of bypassing Japanese strong points, such as Truk, was applied on a large scale as the Allies devised their strategy for moving across the central Pacific. Word of the sacrifice of VT-8 stunned the United States, and Churchill was reported to have wept when he heard about it. Naval Academy in 1906 and from the Naval War College in 1927 where he taught for a few years. Born on 3 July 1886, Spruance graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1906. Spruance was an active man who thought nothing of walking eight or 10 miles a day. Following the campaign, Spruance turned the fleet over to Halsey and began planning operations to capture Iwo Jima. Admiral Chester W. Nimitz called him a fine man, a sterling character, and a great leader, and said, nothing you can say about him would be praise enough. His torpedo bombershaving switched to bombs for the attack on Midwaywere away, and most of his protective fighters were out on patrol. From 1952 to 1955 Spruance served as the American ambassador to Philippines. The sole survivor of the squadrons 30 officers and men was Ensign George H. Gay, Jr., who spent several hours floating in the water, watching the battle. After Rome fell, the bishop of Constantinople became the most pow He was commissioned an ensign in 1908, and during a tour of shore duty he took a postgraduate course in electrical engineering in Schenectady, N.Y. Japanese fleet in charge of landing army units on Midway. northwestward of Midway. 31, 2021, thoughtco.com/admiral-raymond-spruance-2360511. Raymond Ames Spruance (July 3, 1886 December 13, 1969) was a United States Navy admiral during World War II. He also held several engineering, intelligence, staff and Naval War College positions up to the 1940s. In this position, he traveled to London and Edinburgh. So he changed course northeastward, avoiding the first wave of dive bombers launched against him from Spruances carriers. The correct answer to this open question is the following. I am lazy, and I never have done things myself that I could get someone to do for me. However, an invasion was rendered unnecessary when the atomic bomb was used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. United States airbase targeted by the Japanese in preparation to invade Hawaii. The carriers were on station on June 2, and the following day Japanese transport ships were spotted 600 miles west of Midway Island. By that time, he was said to be an expert on the many engines, instruments and guns that go into a battleship. While both Fletcher and Spruance were rear admirals, Fletcher was senior and nominally in overall command. Japanese Admiral and a pioneer in aircraft carrier warfare. By shortly after 9 a.m., planes from Yorktown were also on their way. Before Midway, a small and fractional U.S. Navy faced an overwhelmingly larger and battle-hardened Japanese Combined Fleet. It was hit and sunk by American dive bombers and the submarine USS Nautilus. "World War II: Admiral Raymond Spruance." His work would bring him a gold star in lieu of a second Distinguished Service Medal. 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. [7], Spruance ran a quiet bridge, without chit-chat; he demanded that orders be given concisely and clearly. That same month, he directed Operation Hailstone which saw American carrier aircraft repeatedly strike the Japanese base at Truk. He remained in the position only briefly as he accepted a posting as President of the Naval War College on February 1, 1946. No detail was too small to bring these American prisoners home. The fourth was a choice between Halsey and Spruance, and after much deliberation, eventually Halsey was appointed in December 1945. Admiral Ernest J. Aircraft carrier that served as the flagship of Task Force 17 and Admiral Fletcher. The Japanese intercepted this and soon started sending messages that "AF was short on water. Provide at least two examples.Certain lessons in New Testament Survey, as well as outside sources, may be of help to you as you write your report. 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. Armed with this information, Fletcher ordered Spruance to launch a strike at the Japanese with Enterprise and Hornet while holding Yorktown in reserve in case the other Japanese carriers were discovered. He was drafted on short notice for his date with destiny. The surviving carrier, Hiry, gave the Japanese some brief respite by sending strikes that again damaged Yorktown. On 13 May 1945, Admiral Raymond Spruance put pen to paper and described the second kamikaze attack he experienced at Okinawa. Then U.S. dive bombers from Spruance's Enterprise flew to Nagumo's fleet of four carriers which, fatefully, were without air cover. Only 17 of the islands 4,690 Japanese defenders survived to become prisoners. 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. Japanese propagandists pointed to their success in the Aleutians to offset the defeat at Midway, but actually the Aleutians were of little strategic value. He was dragged out of his flagship Akagi before it sank against his will. Subscribe to receive our weekly newsletter with top stories from master historians. Having attained the rank of commander, Spruance attended the Senior Course at the Naval War College in July 1926. In the seven-week campaign, 55 Japanese ships were sunk, five probably sunk and 74 damaged. During the operation, the Fifth Fleet burned up 630 million gallons of fuelmore than the entire Pacific Fleet used in 1943. Lieutenant in command of the USS Yorktown air group. The three-day operation was the most extensive ever undertaken by carriers. On 6 December 1941 Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japanese bombers and America was swept into World War Two. 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. They would draw them north to deal with a Japanese invasion in the bleak Aleutian Islands, and then strike at unprotected Midway. He is responsible for the Japanese battle plan to attack Midway and the Aleutian Islands. 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. Spruance was calculating and cautious. He was fond of symphonic music, and his tastes were generally simple. Admiral Raymond Spruance served in US Navy during World War Two. He has appeared on The History Channel as a featured expert. Although some historians and many newsmen have written many words about Admiral Raymond A. Spruance, U.S. Navy and his brilliant career in the Pacific in World War II, the complete story of this reserved and self-effacing man . It was hit and shortly after destroyed by American dive bombers. 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. On February 26, 1940, Spruance reported as commandant of the 10th Naval District with headquarters at Naval Station Isla Grande in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Four years later, President Harry S. Truman appointed him as Ambassador to the Republic of the Philippines. At 0530 June 4, a scout plane from Midway sighted the Kido Butai, however the scout only reported sighting "Two carriers and battleships", and giving course and speed. Admiral Yamamoto commanded the combined invasion fleet from aboard his flagship Yamato. 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 Spruance served as executive officer of USS Mississippi from October 1929 to June 1931. As the island-hopping campaign began, MacArthur continued his . 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[24]. In May 1914, Spruance received a posting as Assistant to the Inspector of Machinery at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company. 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. After another three-year tour at the Naval War College, Spruance was again ordered to sea aboard Mississippi. The slow-moving Devastators were easy targets for the Japanese gunners and Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero fighters, and all 15 were shot down. In 1964 an Ohio woman took up the challenge that had led to Amelia Earharts disappearance. Spruance commanded US naval forces during two of the most significant naval battles that took place in the Pacific theater, the Battle of Midway and the Battle of the Philippine Sea. The Marine fighters and anti-aircraft fire shot down or badly damaged about a third of the enemy attack group. [28], His achievements in the navy were well known, but himself much less. Spruance, Raymond A. He was decorated with Order of Leopold and Croix de guerre with Palm by the Government of Belgium for his service for the Allied cause.[26]. His classmates included Arthur L. Bristol, William L. Calhoun, William A. Glassford, Charles C. Hartigan, Aubrey W. Fitch, Frank J. Fletcher, Robert L. Ghormley, Isaac C. Kidd, John S. McCain Sr., Leigh Noyes, Ferdinand L. Reichmuth, John H. Towers, Russell Willson, and Thomas Withers. The Japanese had been battered for weeks by aerial bombardment, and knew the invasion was imminent. He enjoyed hot chocolate and would make it for himself every morning. 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. >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. 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. Analyzing Information How does Admiral Spruance explain the U.S. victory The small Marine Corps garrison scrambled its handful of Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat and Brewster F2A-3 Buffalo fighters, but they were too weak and slow to deter the Japanese. Lt Tomanaga leads Japanese Torpedo Bombers to attack the remaining carriers. It was June 4, Admiral Raymond A. Spruance and Admira Fletcher had to engage four Japanese ships in the Battle of Midway. Yamato class battleship that served as the Japanese Combined Fleet's Flagship, housing Admiral Yamamoto. But the American commander, who could be daring and resourceful when necessary, could also exhibit shrewd caution when his experienced mind sensed an ambush. In the first months of World War II in the Pacific, Spruance commanded the four heavy cruisers and support ships of Cruiser Division Five from his flagship, the heavy cruiser USSNorthampton. This was in July 1938, and this time he was the battleships commander. This time we were right because the enemy did what we expected him to do. He never did things the same way twice. This saw Allied forces move against Okinawa in the Ryukyu Islands. During World War II, he was commander in the . Two minutes later, 37 dive bombers from Enterprise, led by Lt. Cmdr. How did Paul's education 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. "World War II: Admiral Raymond Spruance." In June 1942 the United States and Japan fought for control of Midway Island in the South Pacific. In 1939 he was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral. In the opening weeks of the conflict, Spruance's cruisers served under Vice Admiral William "Bull" Halsey and took part in raids against the Gilbert and Marshall Islands before striking Wake Island. Early on, Halsey had led his task force on hit-and-run raids against the Japanese in the western Pacific: striking the Gilbert and Marshall islands in February 1942, Wake Island in March, and projecting the air power of the Doolittle Raid against the Japanese homeland in April. In the course of a two-hour interview, he stood or walked about all the timenot restlessly, but slowly and deliberately. Moving forward in mid-1944, Spruance embarked on a campaign in the Marianas Islands. But several hours laternear the end of daylight hoursa U.S. scout plane located Hiry again. Raised in Indianapolis, IN, he attended school locally and graduated from Shortridge High School. With the island's fall, Spruance immediately moved forward with Operation Iceberg. When not in command of the fleet the admirals, and their staffs, were based at Pearl Harbor and planned future operations. Hickman, Kennedy. Morisons text refers to Spruance, victor at Midway. Finishing the course, he completed a tour in the Office of Naval Intelligence before being posted to USS Mississippi (BB-41) in October 1929 as executive officer. 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. 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. Kennedy Hickman is a historian, museum director, and curator who specializes in military and naval history. Two years later, he aided in the fitting out of USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) then under construction in the yard. 1, and he commanded her until 1914. The following year, the new admiral was ordered to the Pacific. 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. His next assignment was command of the destroyer Aaron Ward, and then USS Perceval. 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. Raymond Ames Spruance as Ambassador to the Republic of the Philippines Admiral Raymond A. Spruance, Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher, Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz and Vice Admiral Willis A. Lee - 1945 The Japanese expected no American ships in the Midway area until after the landing there, and they hoped that the Pacific Fleet would dash northward as soon as it received word of the opening strikes in the Aleutians. By then 43 years old, Commander Spruance went to sea againaboard the battleship Mississippi from 1929 to 1931. At Midway, dive bombers from the Enterprise crippled sank four larger carriers of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Spruance also held several engineering . Fit and spare in his 70s, Spruance spent most of his retirement days wearing old khakis and work shoes and working in his garden and greenhouse. Some people asked why he did not take take advantage of the chaotic scene to attack all of Japans air carriers. Spruance was about to face the sternest test in his long, distinguished career. A total of 1,132 enemy planes were put out of action. 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. With their 233 planes and crews at the ready, the three U.S. flattops were stationed well north of Midway, out of sight of enemy reconnaissance planes. society in the 1950s? Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat fighters, Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless dive bombers and Douglas TBD-1 Devastator torpedo bombers thundered off the flight decks and rose to search for the enemy carriers. 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. With the end of the war, Spruance aided in returning American troops home before moving through a succession of engineering postings and destroyer commands. He was fond of symphonic music, and his tastes were generally simple. While screening the American invasion of Saipan in June 1944, Spruance defeated the Japanese fleet in the Battle of the Philippine Sea. It was bombed by dive bombers from the Enterprise and as scuttled shortly after Nagumo was forced by his staff to evacuate. I was shanghaied ashore in November of the next year to take over as electrical superintendent at the New York Navy Yard, said Spruance. The Turning Point in the Pacific. Yorktown and Task Force 17 were under the command of Rear Adm. Frank Jack Fletcher. serious damage on the islands installations. Spruance's achievements were acknowledged by the unique distinction of a special act of Congress awarding him Admiral's full pay for life. [25], Spruance was President of the Naval War College from February 1946 until he retired from the Navy in July 1948. He decided to launch the planes from Enterprise and Hornet when they were about 175 miles from the enemys calculated position instead of postponing takeoff for another two hours in order to diminish the distance. C. American Dream [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. Admiral Spruance commanded with deadly precision, reported an observer. 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. On June 14, while Mitscher led a diversionary attack on the Bonin Islands 800 miles to the north, U.S. Marines and infantrymen stormed ashore. This occurred at the same time that Admiral Turner's forces were attacking Eniwetok Atoll in the Marshalls, about 700 miles to the east. In the footnote Morison says, Admiral Spruance, in commenting on the first draft of this volume, requested that I delete victor at and substitute who commanded a carrier task force at, butI have let it stand. 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. Once theBattle of the Philippine Sea came to an end, Spruance returned to Pearl Harbour to help plan other landings in the future. He began attendance at the Naval War College in 1926, and graduated in 1927. He suggested Spruance replace him as commander of the Fleet carrier force, despite the fact that Spruce had little experience with carriers. He commanded the battleship USS Mississippi from April 1938 to December 1939, when he was promoted to rear admiral. HistoryNet.com contains daily features, photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines. [2] He emerged from the war as one of the greater admirals in American naval history. Overseeing the Battle of Tarawa in November 1943, he guided Allied forces as they advanced through the Gilbert Islands. Though this gamble paid off, Enterprise air squadrons would pay a heavy price, flying in piece-meal and mostly without fighter escort. [32] Wouk writes in his book that "Spruance escaped [the Japanese fleet admiral] Yamamoto's terrible trap by acting on perfect military instinct. It was spotted by scouts from the USS Hornet and destroyed by planes from the Enterprise. After these victories, Spruance went back to Pearl Harbour to assist with planning Japans invasion. Japanese submarine I-168 torpedoes and torpedoes a damaged US aircraft carrier and its escorting destroyer. 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. Then he returned to the Naval War College as a staff member. "Admiral Raymond Spruance". Bombs destroyed the bridge of Kaga and set her ablaze from stem to stern. The Japanese felt that they had won the encounter. ThoughtCo, Jul. At Midway, Spruance's force inflicted on the Imperial Japanese Navy its worst setback in 350 years. Yet the decision is hailed by the series's narrator as instrumental in sealing the American victory. . However, Spruances fleet was also charged with guarding the amphibious landings at Saipan and Tinian. The defenders fought fiercely but were unable to inflict any damage on the U.S. vessels. The U.S. Navy intercept force centered on the three carriers Enterprise, Hornet, and Yorktown, and their air-attack squadrons. The Americans lost 74 carrier planes; the Japanese 80. A bust of Spruance is in the lobby. [27], Spruance was an active man who thought nothing of walking eight or 10 miles a day. Not till many months later did American intelligence ferret out the facts."[33]. 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. He was then 55. Fletcher quickly ordered his dive bombers to strike, which fatally damaged the fourth Japanese carrier; it was scuttled the next day. [7], Spruance served in Washington until early 1924, when he was ordered to the headquarters, Commander Naval Force in Europe. erful leader. The gallant carrier was crippled but nearly succeeded in reaching safety before torpedoes from Japanese submarine I-68 finally sank her three days later. By 1939, at the age of 53, Spruance had spent 18 years at sea. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/admiral-raymond-spruance-2360511. Spruance's rise to fame . United States bombers sank three Japanese ships. Answer: 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. The Japanese were trying to tow Soryu to safety when she was torpedoed and sunk by the U.S. submarine Nautilus. 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