The U.S. Navy's decisive victory in the air-sea battle (June 3-6, 1942) and its successful defense of the major base located at Midway Island dashed Japan's hopes of neutralizing the United. [9] On the other hand, commander-in-chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, Admiral Chester Nimitz knew he must intercept the Japanese invasion fleet, and that he must give battle to the enemy aircraft carriers before they could project their overwhelming power against the naval air station at Midway. The surviving carrier, Hiry, gave the Japanese some brief respite by sending strikes that again damaged Yorktown. John C. Waldron. The Japanese carriers were beginning to launch fighters as Torpedo 8 roared down to attack, without fighter cover. He received his Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D. He shifted his flag to the old battleship USSNew Mexico of the shore bombardment force after Indianapolis was struck by a Kamikaze off Okinawa. No detail was too small to bring these American prisoners home. Japanese supporting aircraft carrier in Aleutian islands campaign. "[16] Both Fletcher and Nimitz recommended Spruance for the Distinguished Service Medal for his role in the battle. After the enemys raids on Midway, Admiral Spruance ordered the launching of every possible plane to search for and attack the Japanese carriers. And, off Okinawa, Spruance never faltered in face of the destruction wrought by the kamikazes. HistoryNet.com is brought to you by HistoryNet LLC, the worlds largest publisher of history magazines. During the attacks, the Japanese lost twelve warships, thirty-two merchant ships, and 249 aircraft. Akagi was lashed by bombs, which exploded torpedoes that were being loaded onto her planes, and the crew abandoned ship. Admiral Yamamoto commanded the combined invasion fleet from aboard his flagship Yamato. All four of Japans aircraft carriers were sunk, devastating Japans ambitions in the Pacific. When Midway began on June 4, 1942 the first few waves of U.S. aircraft were greatly outnumbered by Japanese forces. 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. Just before the planned invasion of Midway island in June 1942, Halsey suddenly became ill with shingles. Admiral Spruance commanded with deadly precision, reported an observer. 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. 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. After six furious minutes, the three carriers were left burning. erful leader. King said to him "Spruance, you did a damn fine job there. The following year, the new admiral was ordered to the Pacific. Spruance was portrayed by Glenn Ford (a US Naval Reserve officer himself) in the 1976 film Midway, and by Jake Weber in the 2019 film Midway. The correct answer to this open question is the following. A squadron of US Dive bombers which had arrived late after getting lost ambush the Japanese carriers bombing and resulting in the sinking of three out of four carriers. Nagumo ordered his planes rearmed on their return. Admiral Raymond Ames Spruance was a key American naval commander who served in the Pacific Theater of World War II. Spruance's seagoing career included command of the destroyers Bainbridge from March 1913 to May 1914, Osborne, three other destroyers, and the battleship Mississippi. The Navy, by law, was limited to four Fleet Admirals; three of these appointments were obvious: Ernest King, Chester Nimitz and William Leahy. "Well, pick it up and put it back," was Spruance's measured response.[8]. Three bombs hammered her. [28], His achievements in the navy were well known, but himself much less. He withdrew his ships westward, still hoping to draw Spruance into a trap. At 10.26am on 4 June 1942 the course of World War Two in the Pacific changed utterly. [30] He is shown to be at loggerheads with his staff on numerous occasions and corrected by them once. Spruance was an active man who thought nothing of walking eight or 10 miles a day. Once theBattle of the Philippine Sea came to an end, Spruance returned to Pearl Harbour to help plan other landings in the future. Admiral Spruance explained the U.S. victory at Midway in the following way. For exceptionally meritorious service 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., (Citation on Rear Admiral Spruances Navy Distinguished Service Medal, awarded for his conduct at 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. 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. It would become on of the last aircraft carriers to be sunk in a war in all of history during the battle of Leyte Gulf 2-3 years later. That same month, he directed Operation Hailstone which saw American carrier aircraft repeatedly strike the Japanese base at Truk. 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 [Admiral Spruance wrote this foreward for Mitsuo Fuchida's book, Midway, The Battle That Doomed Japan; The Japanese Navy's . Terms of Use| A. Desegregation of Society 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. Hiryu class Japanese aircraft carrier that was part of the second detachment of the Japanese carrier strike force. [32] Wouk writes in his book that "Spruance escaped [the Japanese fleet admiral] Yamamoto's terrible trap by acting on perfect military instinct. It faced a Japanese invasion fleet organized into two groups: the air-attack task force of four carriers with support ships under command of Admiral Chichi Nagumo, and the surface and occupation forces under Admiral Nobutake Kond and others. Moving into position near Midway, Spruance's force was later joined by Rear Admiral Frank J. Fletcher's TF 17 which included the carrier USS Yorktown (CV-5). For his actions, Spruance received the Distinguished Service Medal and, later that month, Nimitz named him as his Chief of Staff and Aide. Spruance had earned a restful retirement at his home in Pebble Beach, Calif., 125 miles south of San Francisco, with his wife, son and daughter. World War II: Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher, World War II: Battle of the Philippine Sea. He graduated from the U.S. Lieutenant in command of the USS Enterprise air group. Four years later, President Harry S. Truman appointed him as Ambassador to the Republic of the Philippines. Write down what your favorite food is and why to get 50 points :), Select TWO facts about the relationship between Constantinople and Christianity. In 1939 he was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral. Richmond Kelly Turner and Harry W. Hill and Marine Generals Holland M. Smith and Julian C. Smith. Admiral Spruance commanded with deadly precision, reported an observer.[20]. The Japanese managed to inflict only superficial damage on three ships. 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. The Americans lost 74 carrier planes; the Japanese 80. Japanese aircraft carrier attached to the Main Body of the fleet and saw close to no action. World War II: Admiral Raymond Spruance. Having attained the rank of commander, Spruance attended the Senior Course at the Naval War College in July 1926. This time we were right because the enemy did what we expected him to do. Morisons text refers to Spruance, victor at Midway. 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. Though the fourth, Hiryu, managed to launch bombers which caused critical damage to Yorktown, it too was sunk when American aircraft returned later in the day. "[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]. On June 19, however, hundreds of planes from nine Japanese aircraft carriers attacked the Fifth Fleet. He studied hard, and when he graduated in September 1906, he stood 26th in his class. The month before, American and Japanese naval units had fought the Battle of the Coral Sea, and both closely matched sides had suffered. Admiral Spruance died on 13 December 1969, at his home in Pebble Beach , California. Biographies, 20th century collection, Navy Department Library. From the remaining enemy carrier, Hiryu, Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi launched bombers and torpedo planes against Yorktown. His division was an element of the task force built around the aircraft carrier USSEnterprise and commanded by Vice Admiral William F. Halsey, Jr. This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. He commanded the battleship USS Mississippi from April 1938 to December 1939, when he was promoted to rear admiral. U.S. losses were low: 25 airplanes and 18 lives. He wrote the day after the attack and the same day he attended funeral services for the 54 Sailors and Marines killed in the attack. He's one of the finest officers I know of. Close to Japan, Allied planners intended to use Okinawa as a springboard for the eventual invasion of the Home Islands. With World War I raging, he became Assistant Engineer Officer of the New York Navy Yard. Yamato class battleship that served as the Japanese Combined Fleet's Flagship, housing Admiral Yamamoto. By shortly after 9 a.m., planes from Yorktown were also on their way. Spruance's rise to fame . During WWII Italian Commandos Were Tasked to Ride Torpedoes. Midway Island sent a false message stating that its water distillation plant had been damaged and that the base needed fresh water. The first Japanese airstrike was followed by another. After Rome fell, the bishop of Constantinople became the most pow His work would bring him a gold star in lieu of a second Distinguished Service Medal. 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. Most historians consider Midway the turning point of the Pacific War.[1]. Meanwhile, the Japanese attack on the Aleutian Islands had been carried out as planned on June 3. Captain George C. Dyer of the light cruiser Astoria, who served under both Spruance and Halsey, summed up the view of many ship captains: My feeling was one of confidence when Spruance was there. Samuel Eliot Morison agreed: Power of decision and coolness in action were perhaps Spruances leading characteristics. . He organized the Japanese counterattack on the American carriers and is credited with the sinking of the USS Yorktown, the only American Carrier sunk at Midway. Admiral Raymond A. Spruance displayed outstanding leadership and command capabilities during the battle that turned the tide in the Pacific. Because of gaps in the search patterns flown by the Japanese, the American carriers were able to approach unseen. [7], Spruance served in Washington until early 1924, when he was ordered to the headquarters, Commander Naval Force in Europe. Flagship of Task Force 16 under the command of Raymond Spruance. As the war progressed, Spruance became one of two primary . President Harry S. Truman appointed him ambassador to the Philippines in January 1952, and he served until March 1955. History is who we are and why we are the way we are.. The U.S. Navy counterforce sank all four Japanese carriers while losing one of its own, Yorktown. 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. Retribution was not long in coming. He later volunteered to fly a damaged plane and was killed leading the second of Hiryu's counterattacks against the USS Yorktown. Lt. Kabayashi leads Japanese bombers from the Hiryu to attack the USS Yorktown. Calm, collected, decisive, yet receptive to advice; keeping in his mind the picture of widely disparate forces, yet boldly seizing every opening. US Naval Task Force under Frank Fletcher with aircraft carrier Yorktown. During the operation, the Fifth Fleet burned up 630 million gallons of fuelmore than the entire Pacific Fleet used in 1943. In May 1942, intelligence suggested that the Japanese were planning on assaulting Midway Island. 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. He loved to show them to visitors. Navy.[4]. Successfully concluding operations, Spruance was promoted to admiral in February. Japanese aircraft carrier squadron under the command of Chuichi Nagumo in command of aircraft carriers Akagi, Kaga, Soryu, and Hiryu. 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. Always calm, always at peace with himself, Spruance had that ability which marks the great captain to make correct estimates and the right decisions in a fluid battle situation. Then Nagumos force was spotted by torpedo bombers from Hornets squadron VT-8, led by Lt. Cmdr. D. Suburban America, 100 POINTS! The Iwo Jima and Okinawa actions lasted from January to May 1945, and in August the Japanese surrendered. Yet the decision is hailed by the series's narrator as instrumental in sealing the American victory. The Japanese planned to outwit the U.S. forces at Midway. https://www.historynet.com/admiral-raymond-a-spruance-modest-victor-of-midway/, Jerrie Mock: Record-Breaking American Female Pilot, How Operation Homecoming Was Sprung into Action to Repatriate American POWs. However, Spruances fleet was also charged with guarding the amphibious landings at Saipan and Tinian. The carriers were on station on June 2, and the following day Japanese transport ships were spotted 600 miles west of Midway Island. Michio Kobayashi Meanwhile, his search planes found no sign of any American warships. 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