Web. 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. Japanese naval force tasked with the invasion of the Aleutian Islands under Vice Admiral Kakuta with aircraft carriers Junyo and Ryuho. His next assignment was command of the destroyer Aaron Ward, and then USS Perceval. The US navy ended up winning the battle and historians consider this a major turning point in the Pacific Theater during World War II. He readied himself at Stevens Preparatory School in Hoboken, N.J., and entered Annapolis in July 1903 at age 17. Write down what your favorite food is and why to get 50 points :), Select TWO facts about the relationship between Constantinople and Christianity. 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. History is who we are and why we are the way we are.. The defenders fought fiercely but were unable to inflict any damage on the U.S. vessels. Akagi and Kaga subsequently went down. Raymond Ames Spruance (July 3, 1886 December 13, 1969) was a United States Navy admiral during World War II. Admiral Spruance explained the U.S. victory at Midway in the following way. Raymond A. Spruance. 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. Commanded the first Japanese air strike against Midway Island at the beginning of the battle. An academic building at the Naval War College was also named for him. 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. Japanese escort carrier that was mainly responsible for launching scouts attached to Combined Fleet main body. 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 . Admiral Spruance could have been right. The Saipan campaign began with air attacks on June 10, 1944. His seagoing career was extensive, including command of five destroyers and the battleship Mississippi. How can these and the knowledge they provide be used to spread His Word? 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. 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. But his service was not yet finished. The gloomy reports from Nagumo and his other commanders led Yamamoto to suspend his assault on Midway. While one was at sea, the other would be planning their next operation. 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. 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. At 8:20 a.m., Nagumos observers reported a group of American ships 200 miles away. By 1939, at the age of 53, Spruance had spent 18 years at sea. Covered by fog and lashed by storms most of the time, they were generally unsuitable for air or naval bases. 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 So the US navy had a good idea of what to expect from the Japanese fleet and how to counterattack it. Yorktown and Task Force 17 were under the command of Rear Adm. Frank Jack Fletcher. This gave rise to the description of Spruance as "an Admiral's admiral". On December 30, 1914, Spruance married Margaret Vance Dean, the daughter of an Indianapolis businessman. 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. 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. He took part in organising the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa and led the 5th Fleet in these two final battles. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. 1155 (August 1946): 144-157. Lieutenant Commander Maxwell Leslies VB-3 from Yorktown attacked the carrier Soryu. He never did things the same way twice. 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. Critical for the defense of Hawaii, the commander of the US Pacific Fleet, Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, intended to dispatch Halsey to block the enemy thrust. 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. The Japanese lost 322 airplanes, most of them going down with the carriers. For more great articles subscribe to World War II magazine today! He lived quietly at Pebble Beach until December 13, 1969, when he died of arteriosclerosis at the age of 83. He did not discuss his private life, feelings, prejudices, hopes or fears, except perhaps with his family and his closest friends. Flagship of Kakuta. Shortly before his retirement, Spruance received the following Letter of Commendation from the Secretary of the Navy: Your brilliant record of achievement in World War II played a decisive part in our victory in the Pacific. During the third week of May 1942, U.S. naval intelligence units confirmed that the Japanese wouldby early Juneinvade Midway Island. He was appointed as Ambassador to the Philippines by President Harry S. Truman, and served there from 1952 to 1955. 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. 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. Naval Academy, graduating in 1906. 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 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]. Advertisement Still have questions? Naval Academy in 1906 and from the Naval War College in 1927 where he taught for a few years. Besides his family, he loved the companionship of his pet schnauzer, Peter. At Midway, Spruances force inflicted on the Imperial Japanese Navy its worst setback in 350 years. He withdrew his ships westward, still hoping to draw Spruance into a trap. 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. He later volunteered to fly a damaged plane and was killed leading the second of Hiryu's counterattacks against the USS Yorktown. The Gilberts attack was planned and directed by Spruance, with the assistance of Rear Adms. Spruances fleet had prevented the Japanese from reinforcing the Saipan garrison. He never smoked, and drank little. Hickman, Kennedy. With World War I raging, he became Assistant Engineer Officer of the New York Navy Yard. 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 A total of 1,132 enemy planes were put out of action. No detail was too small to bring these American prisoners home. On April 1, Spruance began the Battle of Okinawa. 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. "Foreward for Midway." US Naval Institute Proceedings 81, no. In June 1931, Spruance returned to Newport, RI to serve on the staff of the Naval War College. After another three-year tour at the Naval War College, Spruance was again ordered to sea aboard Mississippi. Leaving, he assumed command of USS Mississippi. The other U.S. flattop, Yorktown, escaped with one bomb hit. The main auditorium of the U.S. Born on 3 July 1886, Spruance graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1906. The American losses were Yorktown, destroyer Hammann and 147 planes. Historian Morison later described Spruances performance at Midway as superb. Spruance's achievements were acknowledged by the unique distinction of a special act of Congress awarding him Admiral's full pay for life. After working to defend neutral American shipping from German U-boats, Spruance received orders to take over Cruiser Division Five in September 1941. Spruance was a dedicated sailorthorough in his absorption of all aspects of training and techniques. In this state the Japanese carriers would be extremely vulnerable. Spruance was put in command of Task Force 16, which included two carriers: USS Enterprise and USS Hornet, and was instrumental in the decisive US victory in the Battle of Midway. Flagship of Task Force 16 under the command of Raymond Spruance. Overseeing the Battle of Tarawa in November 1943, he guided Allied forces as they advanced through the Gilbert Islands. I finally wangled two months at sea, in 1918, before the war was over. He managed to gain an appointment from Indiana to the U.S. Whether they produced battlefield images of the dead or daguerreotype portraits of common soldiers, []. Recently promoted to rear admiral, Spruance was assigned to command a division of cruisers in the Pacific under Admiral Nimitz in 1941. Mounting a tenacious defense, the Japanese held out for over a month. He served as an instructor at the Naval War College from 1935 to 1938. He studied hard, and when he graduated in September 1906, he stood 26th in his class. After these victories, Spruance went back to Pearl Harbour to assist with planning Japans invasion. 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. 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. When you moved into Admiral Spruance's command, the printed instructions were up to date, and you did things in accordance with them.[19]. Yamato class battleship that served as the Japanese Combined Fleet's Flagship, housing Admiral Yamamoto. Hiryu class Japanese aircraft carrier that was part of the second detachment of the Japanese carrier strike force. When Midway began on June 4, 1942 the first few waves of U.S. aircraft were greatly outnumbered by Japanese forces. His chance would come. 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. Admiral Raymond A. Spruance displayed outstanding leadership and command capabilities during the battle that turned the tide in the Pacific. Meanwhile, the Japanese attack on the Aleutian Islands had been carried out as planned on June 3. That is how the US navy could inflict great damage to the Japanese fleet and aircraft. He was uniquely modest and candid about himself all his life. Word of the sacrifice of VT-8 stunned the United States, and Churchill was reported to have wept when he heard about it. Known for his calm in moments of crisis, Admiral Spruance became one of the U.S. Navy's largest assets in World War II. These plans proved moot when the war came to an abrupt end in early August with the use of the atom bomb. serious damage on the islands installations. 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. https://www.thoughtco.com/admiral-raymond-spruance-2360511 (accessed March 1, 2023). The enemy units were forced to withdraw their battered aircraft carrier Shokaku, while the Americans had to abandon the old, cherished carrier Lexington. These attacks were followed by a raid against Marcus Island. 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. The two admirals were a contrast in styles. 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. "Well, pick it up and put it back," was Spruance's measured response.[8]. He died on 13 December 1969 at the age of 83. [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. Bombs destroyed the bridge of Kaga and set her ablaze from stem to stern. 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 Spruance also held several engineering . 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. 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. The US intelligence services could predict the way the Japanese carriers and planes would be approaching the battle. He has appeared on The History Channel as a featured expert. This occurred at the same time that Admiral Turner's forces were attacking Eniwetok Atoll in the Marshalls, about 700 miles to the east. He enjoyed hot chocolate and would make it for himself every morning. In October 1946 he was awarded the Armys Distinguished Service Medal for his exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services during the capture of the Marshall and Mariana islands. craigslist rent to own homes in amarillo, tx, Href= '' http: //concretesuperfloors.com/yi3m5zbh/craigslist-rent-to-own-homes-in-amarillo % 2C-tx '' > craigslist rent to own homes in,. 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