His wife, Margaret Dean (18881985), is buried alongside him, as are Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz, his longtime friend Admiral Richmond K. Turner, and Admiral Charles A. Lockwood, an arrangement made by all of them while living. When not in command of the fleet the admirals, and their staffs, were based at Pearl Harbor and planned future operations. However, his actions were both praised and understood by the main persons ordering and directly involved in the battle. [citation needed]. Spruance was about to face the sternest test in his long, distinguished career. That same month, he directed Operation Hailstone which saw American carrier aircraft repeatedly strike the Japanese base at Truk. With the island's fall, Spruance immediately moved forward with Operation Iceberg. In August 1943 Spruance was placed in command of the Central Pacific Force, which, on April 29, 1944, was redesignated as the Fifth Fleet. The Japanese intercepted this and soon started sending messages that "AF was short on water. He also commanded Task Force 16 at the Battle of Midway, comprising the carriers Enterprise and Hornet. [27], Spruance was an active man who thought nothing of walking eight or 10 miles a day. C. American Dream After these victories, Spruance went back to Pearl Harbour to assist with planning Japans invasion. Three bombs hammered her. Commanded the first Japanese air strike against Midway Island at the beginning of the battle. All four of Japans aircraft carriers were sunk, devastating Japans ambitions in the Pacific. 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. Was the site of a naval battle between the United States and Japan in 1942. Midway bought the United States valuable time until the new Essex-class fleet carriers became available at the end of the year. His torpedo bombershaving switched to bombs for the attack on Midwaywere away, and most of his protective fighters were out on patrol. HistoryNet.com contains daily features, photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines. Spruances performance at Midway so impressed Admiral Nimitz that he made him his chief of staff. He remained in the position only briefly as he accepted a posting as President of the Naval War College on February 1, 1946. 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. 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. Once theBattle of the Philippine Sea came to an end, Spruance returned to Pearl Harbour to help plan other landings in the future. During World War II, he was commander in the . 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. 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. In the seven-week campaign, 55 Japanese ships were sunk, five probably sunk and 74 damaged. President Franklin D. Roosevelt nominated Spruance for promotion to full admiral on February 10, 1944, and he was approved. Advertisement Still have questions? 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. Spruance's achievements were acknowledged by the unique distinction of a special act of Congress awarding him Admiral's full pay for life. The month before, American and Japanese naval units had fought the Battle of the Coral Sea, and both closely matched sides had suffered. As the island-hopping campaign began, MacArthur continued his . 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. 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. The Japanese felt that they had won the encounter. Whether they produced battlefield images of the dead or daguerreotype portraits of common soldiers, []. 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. Following the war, Spruance served as US Ambassador to the Philippines from 1952 to 1955. Hiryu class Japanese aircraft carrier that was the flagship of the second detachment of the carrier strike force. After serving aboard the battleship Iowa, Spruance went on a world cruise aboard the battleship Minnesota. In this state the Japanese carriers would be extremely vulnerable. Overseeing the Battle of Tarawa in November 1943, he guided Allied forces as they advanced through the Gilbert Islands. Japanese Vice Admiral in command of the Japanese Carrier strike force based on the Aircraft Carrier IJN Akagi. 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]. One commentator said: The quick success of the offensive was attributed to the strategic daring by which Vice Admiral Spruances forces cut behind the eastern chain of the Marshalls. Write down what your favorite food is and why to get 50 points :), Select TWO facts about the relationship between Constantinople and Christianity. 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. It was hit and shortly after destroyed by American dive bombers. Having attained the rank of commander, Spruance attended the Senior Course at the Naval War College in July 1926. 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. The U.S. Navy counterforce sank all four Japanese carriers while losing one of its own, Yorktown. >A few days later, Mitscher rejoined Spruance and the Fifth Fleet. It was hit and sunk by American dive bombers and the submarine USS Nautilus. For his actions at Iwo Jima and Okinawa, Spruance was awarded the Navy Cross. And with this battle the American forces gained, and afterwards continued to gain, hard combat experience; so the Japanese lost that crucial advantage as well. In April 1942 he offered support to carriers that launched the Doolittle Raid, an air raid on Tokyo and other parts of Honshu island. Biographies, 20th century collection, Navy Department Library, Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, Spruance, Raymond A. "Foreward for Midway." US Naval Institute Proceedings 81, no. Spruance, Raymond A. At 10.26am on 4 June 1942 the course of World War Two in the Pacific changed utterly. After further schooling at the Stevens Preparatory School in New Jersey, Spruance applied to and was accepted by the US Naval Academy in 1903. Japanese escort carrier that was mainly responsible for launching scouts attached to Combined Fleet main body. 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. That same year he received a new assignment: assistant machinery inspector at the Newport News, Va., dry dock, where the battleship Pennsylvania was being outfitted. 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. 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 A. Spruance. Spruance's seagoing career included command of the destroyers Bainbridge from March 1913 to May 1914, Osborne, three other destroyers, and the battleship Mississippi. She went down with Admiral Yamaguchi, an outstanding flag officer who, it was said, would have been Yamamotos successor had he lived. The US intelligence services could predict the way the Japanese carriers and planes would be approaching the battle. Two years later, he aided in the fitting out of USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) then under construction in the yard. Aboard the Japanese flattops, many torpedo-carrying planes were waiting for fighters to take off as the American planes dived. 108 planes under Juichi Tomanaga bomb and strafe Midway. He was drafted on short notice for his date with destiny. 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. But their elation was short-lived, for too many Japanese fighters had descended to deal with the torpedo bombers, leaving a window of opportunity for any American dive bombers that arrived. In May 1942, intelligence suggested that the Japanese were planning on assaulting Midway Island. Word of the sacrifice of VT-8 stunned the United States, and Churchill was reported to have wept when he heard about it. Samuel Eliot Morison agreed: Power of decision and coolness in action were perhaps Spruances leading characteristics. A total of 1,132 enemy planes were put out of action. History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. catalogued as someone to watch; there was never any possibility that he would be passed over in the lists for promotion. Spruance's first duty assignment was aboard the battleship USSIowa, an 11,400 ton veteran of the SpanishAmerican War. He never smoked and drank little. They were hurled back decisively, and the losses353 enemy planes downed, 21 U.S. aircraft lostamazed the Americans. Then, reflect on the education opportunities that God has provided us today. 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. While in that capacity he assumed additional duty as a member of the board on doctrine of aircraft in connection with fleet fire control. . He suggested Spruance replace him as commander of the Fleet carrier force, despite the fact that Spruce had little experience with carriers. These plans proved moot when the war came to an abrupt end in early August with the use of the atom bomb. The assault began at dawn on November 20, 1943, and the fighting raged for 76 hours. With the battleship's completion, Spruance joined its crew and remained aboard until November 1917. The U.S. Navy intercept force centered on the three carriers Enterprise, Hornet, and Yorktown, and their air-attack squadrons. Japanese Admiral in command of the second division of the carrier strike force based on Aircraft Carrier IJN Hiryu. . Successfully concluding operations, Spruance was promoted to admiral in February. In August 1943, Spruance, now a vice admiral, returned to sea as Commander Central Pacific Force. Spruance became a shadowy sort of legend in the Navy. Two minutes later, 37 dive bombers from Enterprise, led by Lt. Cmdr. The other U.S. flattop, Yorktown, escaped with one bomb hit. Spruance graduated from the U.S. Admiral Yamamoto commanded the combined invasion fleet from aboard his flagship Yamato. 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. (2021, July 31). The heavily fortified islands, former British possessions, were of strategic value because of their good landing strips and naval base. HistoryNet.com is brought to you by HistoryNet LLC, the worlds largest publisher of history magazines. [25], Spruance was President of the Naval War College from February 1946 until he retired from the Navy in July 1948. 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. Admiral Raymond A. Spruance, U.S. Navy, April 1955 . 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. 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. The defeat effectively destroyed the Japanese Navy's air arm. 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 It was his job to protect the landing force.[8]. It was a cool, clear day. With Okinawa's fall in June, Spruance rotated back to Pearl Harbor to begin planning the invasion of Japan. Spruance was detached from command of the Fifth Fleet on November 8, 1945, and he relieved Fleet Admiral Nimitz as commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean areas. The Navy, by law, was limited to four Fleet Admirals; three of these appointments were obvious: Ernest King, Chester Nimitz and William Leahy. Fletcher quickly ordered his dive bombers to strike, which fatally damaged the fourth Japanese carrier; it was scuttled the next day. The two admirals were a contrast in styles. This article was written by Michael D. Hull and originally appeared in the May 1998 issue of World War II magazine. "[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]. 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 . [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. 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. An academic building at the Naval War College was also named for him. This saw him win a victory at Battle of the Philippine Sea in June 1944 as part of the Allied "island-hopping" campaign across the Pacific. United States airbase targeted by the Japanese in preparation to invade Hawaii. He was a diligent, neat and gentle boy. 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. ThoughtCo. 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. Naval Academy at Annapolis. His entry in Whos Who in America was only three lines long (including his full name), and a footnote in Morisons monumental history of the U.S. Navy in World War II testifies to his modesty. Bombs destroyed the bridge of Kaga and set her ablaze from stem to stern. The fourth was a choice between Halsey and Spruance, and after much deliberation, eventually Halsey was appointed in December 1945. 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. During the third week of May 1942, U.S. naval intelligence units confirmed that the Japanese wouldby early Juneinvade Midway Island. 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. 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. These attacks were followed by a raid against Marcus Island. U.S. losses were low: 25 airplanes and 18 lives. Launched the planes that were responsible for the sinking of nearly all 4 Japanese Carriers at Midway. It was bombed by dive bombers from the Enterprise and as scuttled shortly after Nagumo was forced by his staff to evacuate. 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. Lieutenant Commander Maxwell Leslies VB-3 from Yorktown attacked the carrier Soryu. 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]. By that time, he was said to be an expert on the many engines, instruments and guns that go into a battleship. This site is using cookies under cookie policy . Flagship of Task Force 16 under the command of Raymond Spruance. The Japanese lost 19 ships sunk, seven probably sunk and more than 200 aircraft destroyed, and their installations were bombed and strafed. From there, he went on to graduate from the U.S. ), 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. 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. 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. The US intelligence services could predict the way the Japanese carriers and planes would be approaching the battle. Lieutenant aboard the Hiryu who led and was killed during the first Japanese counterattack after the sinking of 3 Japanese aircraft carriers. No detail was too small to bring these American prisoners home. Terms of Use| Naval Academy in 1906 and from the Naval War College in 1927 where he taught for a few years. On April 1, Spruance began the Battle of Okinawa. 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. Summing up his appraisal of this outstanding sailor, Morison noted: Spruance in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, overriding Mitscher the carrier expert in letting the enemy planes come at him instead of going in search of them, won the second most decisive battle of the Pacific war. Privacy Policy, Admiral Raymond Spruance served in US Navy during. Admiral Raymond Spruance served in US Navy during World War Two. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. If this happened, it would enable the Japanese to pinch the Americans between their two carrier forces. Morisons text refers to Spruance, victor at Midway. "Well, pick it up and put it back," was Spruance's measured response.[8]. For his actions, Spruance received the Distinguished Service Medal and, later that month, Nimitz named him as his Chief of Staff and Aide. 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. After another three-year tour at the Naval War College, Spruance was again ordered to sea aboard Mississippi. Admiral Nimitz praised Spruance for a remarkable job. Admiral Spruances last campaigns were the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, and he was awarded the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism. Admiral Spruance explained the U.S. victory at Midway in the following way. 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. Kwajalein was in American hands, but the rest of the Marshalls groupabout 30 islands and more than 800 reefs scattered over hundreds of miles of oceanremained to be dealt with. United States Aircraft Carrier attached to Task Force 16. In 1939 he was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral. 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 new duties involved planning rather than operations, and Spruance chafed for more action. Lt Tomanaga leads Japanese Torpedo Bombers to attack the remaining carriers. 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. Admiral Spruance could have been right. Japanese fleet under the direct command of Admiral Yamamoto with over 5 battleships and escort carrier Hosho. 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. 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. 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