Spruances fleet had prevented the Japanese from reinforcing the Saipan garrison. Japanese supporting aircraft carrier in Aleutian islands campaign. Raymond A. Spruance was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on 3 July 1886. He shifted his flag to the old battleship USSNew Mexico of the shore bombardment force after Indianapolis was struck by a Kamikaze off Okinawa. Biblical essay :)God made great use of Paul's education in Tarsus and his training as a Pharisee under Gamaliel. 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. 1155 (August 1946): 144-157. 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. The airstrips in the Gilberts were put to good use two months later when they were used in the invasion of Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. World War II: Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher, World War II: Battle of the Philippine Sea. How did Paul's education ThoughtCo, Jul. He has appeared on The History Channel as a featured expert. Flagship of Task Force 16 under the command of Raymond Spruance. help him spread the Gospel?Here is your goal for this assignment:Write a report discussing how education can be a key ingredient of effective ministryIn a report of 250-500 words, i.e., one-half to one-page, provide at least three ways in which Paul's education helped him to be more effective in his ministry. D. The Pope lived in Constantinople. Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island, is named Spruance Hall. . "Well, pick it up and put it back," was Spruance's measured response.[8]. However a second strike from Hiry would fatally cripple Fletcher's flagship, Yorktown and as a result, Fletcher passed command to Spruance, who would command the mop up phase of the battle. He graduated from Shortridge High School and went on to the U.S. [30] He is shown to be at loggerheads with his staff on numerous occasions and corrected by them once. On February 19, American forces landed and opened the Battle of Iwo Jima. Lieutenant aboard the Hiryu who led and was killed during the first Japanese counterattack after the sinking of 3 Japanese aircraft carriers. Naval Academy in 1906,[5] and received further, hands-on education in electrical engineering a few years later. Locating the Japanese carriers as they were rearming and refueling their aircraft, American bombers inflicted massive damage and sank three. 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. Kennedy Hickman is a historian, museum director, and curator who specializes in military and naval history. 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 ), honoris causa degree from Central Philippine University in 1955, an institution of higher learning founded by the American Baptist missionary, William Orison Valentine in 1905. [25], Spruance was President of the Naval War College from February 1946 until he retired from the Navy in July 1948. Fletcher would command Task Force 17, but the task force flag ship, USSYorktown, had been badly damaged at the Battle of the Coral Sea and the formation's other carrier, Lexington, had been sunk, but at Nimitz's behest Yorktown was patched-repaired in "rush" time purposefully to join the Midway operation.[11]. They would draw them north to deal with a Japanese invasion in the bleak Aleutian Islands, and then strike at unprotected Midway. Calm, collected, decisive, yet receptive to advice; keeping in his mind the picture of widely disparate forces, yet boldly seizing every opening. Admiral Chester W. Nimitz,, Commander in Chief, Pacific, (right) and, Admiral Raymond Spruance, Commander, Central Pacific Force, (center) Tour Kwajalein Island, Marshalls, February 5,1944, following its capture. [17], The Battle of Midway is considered by many to be a turning point of the war in the Pacific, along with the Guadalcanal campaign. [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. You can specify conditions of storing and accessing cookies in your browser, How does Admiral Spruance explain the U.S. victory, The Brown case began what trend in American Once theBattle of the Philippine Sea came to an end, Spruance returned to Pearl Harbour to help plan other landings in the future. Although there are no options attached we can say the following. Born on 3 July 1886, Spruance graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1906. Naval Academy at Annapolis. Raymond Ames Spruance (July 3, 1886 - December 13, 1969) was a United States Navy admiral in World War II. He graduated from the U.S. This was in July 1938, and this time he was the battleships commander. Morisons text refers to Spruance, victor at Midway. Admiral Spruance explained the U.S. victory at Midway in the following way. Carrier units of his force penetrated waters of the Japanese homeland and Nansei Shoto. Raymond A. Spruance. He began attendance at the Naval War College in 1926, and graduated in 1927. Having been promoted to rear admiral in December 1939, he was directed to assume command of the Tenth Naval District (San Juan, PR) in February 1940. The Battle of Midway was fought June 4-7, 1942, during World War II (1939-1945) and was the turning point of the war in the Pacific. 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. A decisive victory, Spruance and Fletcher's actions at Midway helped turn the tide of the Pacific war in favor of the Allies. But due to a printing error on the executive calendar of nominations, Spruance was officially promoted only to his former rank of vice admiral. Naval History and Heritage Command, "Biography of Raymond A. Spruance Press Release July 24, 1941, United States Navy Department", "Adm Spruance's Fitrep after Battle of Midway", Citation, Navy Cross, Raymond A. Spruance, "Admiral Raymond Ames Spruance America's Navy", "News Release: Navy Names Two New Guided Missile Destroyers", "War & Remembrance (Part 3) (May 26 July 25, 1942)", "War & Remembrance (Part 3) (May 26 July 25, 1942) 1988", Pacific Crucible: War at Sea in the Pacific, 19411942, The Conquering Tide: War in the Pacific Islands, 19421944, Twilight of the Gods: War in the Western Pacific, 19441945, United States Ambassadors to the Philippines, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Raymond_A._Spruance&oldid=1137739908, Ambassadors of the United States to the Philippines, High Commissioners of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army), Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States), Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Articles with dead external links from July 2022, Articles with dead external links from December 2020, Articles with permanently dead external links, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2016, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 6 February 2023, at 05:43. The Americans lost 74 carrier planes; the Japanese 80. During WWII Italian Commandos Were Tasked to Ride Torpedoes. Privacy Policy, Admiral Raymond Spruance served in US Navy during. With the island's fall, Spruance immediately moved forward with Operation Iceberg. Admiral Spruance was buried with full honors alongside Admirals Nimitz and Kelly Turner in a military cemetery overlooking San Francisco Bay. 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. 108 planes under Juichi Tomanaga bomb and strafe Midway. On June 19, however, hundreds of planes from nine Japanese aircraft carriers attacked the Fifth Fleet. 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. History is who we are and why we are the way we are.. He readied himself at Stevens Preparatory School in Hoboken, N.J., and entered Annapolis in July 1903 at age 17. At 10.26am on 4 June 1942 the course of World War Two in the Pacific changed utterly. I can thank heredity for a sound constitution, and myself for taking care of that constitution." "[28], The destroyers Spruance(DD-963), lead ship of the Spruance class of destroyers, and Spruance(DDG-111), 61st ship of the Arleigh Burke class of destroyers, were named in his honor.[29]. Admiral Yamamoto commanded the combined invasion fleet from aboard his flagship Yamato. Analyzing Information How does Admiral Spruance explain the U.S. victory Towards the end of that year, Spruance commanded a cruiser division supporting Admiral Halsey's carrier, the 'Enterprise', at Wake Island. It was his job to protect the landing force.[8]. Japanese Vice Admiral in command of the Japanese Carrier strike force based on the Aircraft Carrier IJN Akagi. The Eastern Orthodox Church developed from the church in Constantinople. This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Four days after the invasion, all immediate objectives had been taken, and by February 8, 1944, all organized resistance had ceased. 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. Navy Secretary Frank Knox said of Kwajalein: The Japanese had been there 20 years. 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. President Franklin D. Roosevelt nominated Spruance for promotion to full admiral on February 10, 1944, and he was approved. King said to him "Spruance, you did a damn fine job there. His steady rise, according to Newsweek magazine, has borne the imprint of his personalityunobtrusive but undeviating. HistoryNet.com is brought to you by HistoryNet LLC, the worlds largest publisher of history magazines. Historian Samuel Eliot Morison believed he was one of the greatest fighting and thinking admirals in American naval history. Spruance was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on July 3, 1886, to Alexander and Annie Hiss Spruance. When not in command of the fleet the admirals, and their staffs, were based at Pearl Harbor and planned future operations. Just before the planned invasion of Midway island in June 1942, Halsey suddenly became ill with shingles. Then he returned to the Naval War College as a staff member. Admiral Raymond Ames Spruance was a key American naval commander who served in the Pacific Theater of World War II. A. Raymond Spruance was born in Baltimore on July 3, 1886, the son of Alexander and Annie Spruance. Admiral Raymond Spruance served in US Navy during World War Two. 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. Admiral Spruance could have been right. erful leader. Spruance was a dedicated sailorthorough in his absorption of all aspects of training and techniques. The Turning Point in the Pacific. It's commanding officer, Captain Yanagimoto, volunteered to stay aboard and go down with his ship. In the seven-week campaign, 55 Japanese ships were sunk, five probably sunk and 74 damaged. 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. He also commanded Task Force 16 at the Battle of Midway, comprising the carriers Enterprise and Hornet. Richmond Kelly Turner and Harry W. Hill and Marine Generals Holland M. Smith and Julian C. Smith. After working to defend neutral American shipping from German U-boats, Spruance received orders to take over Cruiser Division Five in September 1941. Japanese aircraft carrier squadron under the command of Chuichi Nagumo in command of aircraft carriers Akagi, Kaga, Soryu, and Hiryu. 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. At the Battle of the Coral Sea, the Japanese won a tactical victory, but suffered an operational-level defeat: it did not invade Port . It Didnt End Well. 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. Before Midway, a small and fractional U.S. Navy faced an overwhelmingly larger and battle-hardened Japanese Combined Fleet. Meanwhile, his search planes found no sign of any American warships. The Navy, by law, was limited to four Fleet Admirals; three of these appointments were obvious: Ernest King, Chester Nimitz and William Leahy. Fifteen Buffaloes and two Wildcats were lost, but the garrisons anti-aircraft fire was effective. [12] Spruance assumed command of Task Force 16 with its two carriers, USSEnterprise and USSHornet, under battle command of Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher. It was hit and shortly after destroyed by American dive bombers. Born on 3 July 1886, Spruance graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1906. Aboard the Japanese flattops, many torpedo-carrying planes were waiting for fighters to take off as the American planes dived. His air group is credited with the sinking of 4 Japanese aircraft carriers during Midway. My personal congratulations. 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. In July 1907 he transferred to the battleship Minnesota and was aboard her during the historic around the world cruise of the Great White Fleet from 1907 to 1909. He commanded that vessel during the patrols with the Atlantic Fleet until January 1920, when he assumed command of newly commissioned destroyer USS Percival in San Francisco, California. In May 1914, Spruance received a posting as Assistant to the Inspector of Machinery at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company. U.S. losses were low: 25 airplanes and 18 lives. Samuel Eliot Morison agreed: Power of decision and coolness in action were perhaps Spruances leading characteristics. A bust of Spruance is in the lobby. The assault began at dawn on November 20, 1943, and the fighting raged for 76 hours. Unites States Rear Admiral in command of Task Force 16 on the USS Enterprise. The U.S. casualties were 199 planes, 128 flight personnel and damage to four warships. Meanwhile, Task Force 58 was busy in the forefront of clearing the Japanese from the 600-mile-long Marianas chain. 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. . Akagi class Japanese aircraft carrier that served as the flagship of Admiral Nagumo. If this happened, it would enable the Japanese to pinch the Americans between their two carrier forces. 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. [27], Spruance was an active man who thought nothing of walking eight or 10 miles a day. John C. Waldron. The following year, the new admiral was ordered to the Pacific. The main auditorium of the U.S. 2015. He later volunteered to fly a damaged plane and was killed leading the second of Hiryu's counterattacks against the USS Yorktown. On April 1, Spruance began the Battle of Okinawa. The other U.S. flattop, Yorktown, escaped with one bomb hit. US Naval Task force under Raymond Spruance with 2 carriers, Enterprise and Hornet. More to his liking was the study of foreign methods of naval fire control, which took him to London and Edinburgh. Fletcher quickly ordered his dive bombers to strike, which fatally damaged the fourth Japanese carrier; it was scuttled the next day. Admiral Ernest J. Aircraft carrier that served as the flagship of Task Force 17 and Admiral Fletcher. After serving aboard the battleship Iowa, Spruance went on a world cruise aboard the battleship Minnesota. The surviving carrier, Hiry, gave the Japanese some brief respite by sending strikes that again damaged Yorktown. [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. northwestward of Midway. 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. (2021, July 31). D. Suburban America, 100 POINTS! [7], Spruance served in Washington until early 1924, when he was ordered to the headquarters, Commander Naval Force in Europe. Hickman, Kennedy. They find and score 3 hits on the USS Yorktown, but also sustain heavy losses. British Royal Navy units helped support the landings. 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 is now being told for the first time by one of his close friends and wartime associates. Admiral Raymond Ames Spruance was a key American naval commander who served in the Pacific Theater of World War II.A graduate of the US Naval Academy, Spruance commanded cruisers during the early months of the conflict and first came to prominence for helping lead American forces to victory at the pivotal Battle of Midway in June 1942. It was June 4, Admiral Raymond A. Spruance and Admira Fletcher had to engage four Japanese ships in the Battle of Midway. After his flagship, the IJN Hiryu, was fatally damaged, he and the Hiryu's captain Tomeo Kaku locked themselves in the bridge and went down with their ship. 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. Arriving back in the United States, he underwent additional training in electrical engineering at General Electric before being posted to USS Connecticut (BB-18) in May 1910. During the operation, the Fifth Fleet burned up 630 million gallons of fuelmore than the entire Pacific Fleet used in 1943. The USS Enterprise ambushes and sinks the Hiryu. 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. The young, ambitious officer was then assigned to Bainbridge, U.S. destroyer No. 7 reviews. At Midway, Spruance's force inflicted on the Imperial Japanese Navy its worst setback in 350 years. In the course of a two-hour interview, he stood or walked about all the timenot restlessly, but slowly and deliberately. 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. Capturing and occupying Midway was the brainchild-plan of commander-in-chief of the Combined Fleet, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. No detail was too small to bring these American prisoners home. During the Midway engagement which resulted in the defeat of and heavy losses to the enemy fleet, his seamanship, endurance, and tenacity in handling his task force were of the highest quality. 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. "World War II: Admiral Raymond Spruance." During the third week of May 1942, U.S. naval intelligence units confirmed that the Japanese wouldby early Juneinvade Midway Island. Recently promoted to rear admiral, Spruance was assigned to command a division of cruisers in the Pacific under Admiral Nimitz in 1941. Spruance directed Operation Hailstone against the Japanese naval base Truk in February 1944 in which twelve Japanese warships, thirty-two merchant ships and 249 aircraft were destroyed. For the main Midway assault, the Japanese force consisted of the main battle fleet under Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, composed of three battleships, a light carrier and a destroyer screen; Admiral Chuichi Nagumos combined fleet of two battleships, two heavy cruisers, destroyers and four fleet carriers carrying more than 250 aircraft; and an invasion task force led by Admiral Nobutake Kondo, consisting of a dozen transport ships carrying 5,000 troops, closely supported by four heavy cruisers, two battleships and a light carrier; and a three-cordon submarine force intended to neutralize U.S. countermoves. The enemy units were forced to withdraw their battered aircraft carrier Shokaku, while the Americans had to abandon the old, cherished carrier Lexington. Most common sailors were proud to serve under Halsey; most higher-ranking officers preferred to serve under Spruance. The defenders fought fiercely but were unable to inflict any damage on the U.S. vessels. In June 1931, Spruance returned to Newport, RI to serve on the staff of the Naval War College. 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. When you moved into Admiral Spruance's command, the printed instructions were up to date, and you did things in accordance with them.[19]. Advertisement Still have questions? Raymond Ames Spruance (July 3, 1886 - December 13, 1969) was a United States Navy admiral during World War II.He commanded U.S. naval forces during one of the most significant naval battles that took place in the Pacific Theatre: the Battle of the Philippine Sea.He also commanded Task Force 16 at the Battle of Midway, comprising the carriers Enterprise and Hornet. 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. 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. Japanese naval force tasked with the invasion of the Aleutian Islands under Vice Admiral Kakuta with aircraft carriers Junyo and Ryuho. This was followed by a promotion to Deputy Commander in Chief, US Pacific Fleet in September. The Navy honored Spruance by giving his name to a new class of 30 destroyers, the first of which, USS Spruance, was launched in 1973. Commanding the battleship for nearly two years, Spruance was aboard when World War II began in Europe. Having attained the rank of commander, Spruance attended the Senior Course at the Naval War College in July 1926. Then Nagumos force was spotted by torpedo bombers from Hornets squadron VT-8, led by Lt. Cmdr. All four of Japans aircraft carriers were sunk, devastating Japans ambitions in the Pacific. [citation needed]. US Navy SBD dive bombers at the Battle of Midway, June 4, 1942. The gloomy reports from Nagumo and his other commanders led Yamamoto to suspend his assault on Midway. 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. When Nimitz named him commander of the disputed Central Pacific Area, this made him responsible for the planning and execution of the attack on the Gilbert Islands in November 1943. Admiral William L. Calhoun saw him as a cold-blooded fighting fool. But they expected it to come at the obvious and exposed outer fringe, and when we struck at the heart of the archipelago with a huge fleet that had approached undetected, we enjoyed complete tactical surprise. In 1964 an Ohio woman took up the challenge that had led to Amelia Earharts disappearance. Yorktown and Task Force 17 were under the command of Rear Adm. Frank Jack Fletcher. Make sure to provide references and acknowledgement for any sources you use. The defeat effectively destroyed the Japanese Navy's air arm. She went down with Admiral Yamaguchi, an outstanding flag officer who, it was said, would have been Yamamotos successor had he lived. Spruance became a shadowy sort of legend in the Navy. His seagoing career was extensive, including command of five destroyers and the battleship Mississippi. Then Nagumo was dumbfounded to receive a search planes report of 10 enemy ships to the northeast, where no U.S. ships were supposed to be. However, his actions were both praised and understood by the main persons ordering and directly involved in the battle. He was promoted to captain in 1932, and the following year he was assigned as chief of staff and aide to the commander of a destroyer scouting force. The Japanese carriers were beginning to launch fighters as Torpedo 8 roared down to attack, without fighter cover. Retribution was not long in coming. Covered by fog and lashed by storms most of the time, they were generally unsuitable for air or naval bases. These plans proved moot when the war came to an abrupt end in early August with the use of the atom bomb. Spruance began World War II as a gunship admiral, commanding a division of . Japanese fleet under the direct command of Admiral Yamamoto with over 5 battleships and escort carrier Hosho. 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. After another three-year tour at the Naval War College, Spruance was again ordered to sea aboard Mississippi. The Japanese had been overconfident, and the Americans taught them a bitter lesson. The Japanese managed to inflict only superficial damage on three ships. 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. He was a diligent, neat and gentle boy. The Americans were gravely outnumbered by the lurking enemy armada. Weeks later . [Admiral Spruance wrote this foreward for Mitsuo Fuchida's book, Midway, The Battle That Doomed Japan; The Japanese Navy's . 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. Following the war, Spruance served as US Ambassador to the Philippines from 1952 to 1955. The Japanese were trying to tow Soryu to safety when she was torpedoed and sunk by the U.S. submarine Nautilus. His chance would come. 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. Traveling to the Pacific, he was in this post when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7 forcing the US to enter the war. But his service was not yet finished. 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. With Okinawa's fall in June, Spruance rotated back to Pearl Harbor to begin planning the invasion of Japan. The three-day operation was the most extensive ever undertaken by carriers. On 13 May 1945, Admiral Raymond Spruance put pen to paper and described the second kamikaze attack he experienced at Okinawa. The month before, American and Japanese naval units had fought the Battle of the Coral Sea, and both closely matched sides had suffered. Three bombs hammered her. Following the campaign, Spruance turned the fleet over to Halsey and began planning operations to capture Iwo Jima. He is responsible for the Japanese battle plan to attack Midway and the Aleutian Islands. [21] Buell quotes Spruance speaking with Morison: As a matter of tactics I think that going out after the Japanese and knocking their carriers out would have been much better and more satisfactory than waiting for them to attack us, but we were at the start of a very important and large amphibious operation and we could not afford to gamble and place it in jeopardy. This site is using cookies under cookie policy . Then followed two years as assistant chief of staff to the commander of naval forces in Europe; a year of study at the Naval War College in Newport, R.I., where he completed the senior course; and two years of duty in the Office of Naval Intelligence.
Zakletva 560 Epizoda Sa Prevodom,
Newsmax Careers Remote,
Andy Goram Wife,
Crockett Elementary School Yearbook,
Articles H