On 6 December 1941 Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japanese bombers and America was swept into World War Two. 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. Maintaining a position offshore, the Fifth Fleet's ships were subjected to relentless kamikaze attacks by Japanese aircraft. With the end of the war, Spruance aided in returning American troops home before moving through a succession of engineering postings and destroyer commands. This was followed by an assault on Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands on January 31, 1944. Most historians consider Midway the turning point of the Pacific War.[1]. "World War II: Admiral Raymond Spruance." 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. 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. On August 1, 1941, he finished his tour in Puerto Rico. Hiryu class Japanese aircraft carrier that was part of the second detachment of the Japanese carrier strike force. Leaving, he assumed command of USS Mississippi. At Midway, Spruance's force inflicted on the Imperial Japanese Navy its worst setback in 350 years. 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 In January 1945, Spruance resumed command of the fleet and began moving against Iwo Jima. He was responsible for leading the 5th Fleet into the pivotal Battle of the Philippines Sea, nicknamed the 'Great Marianas Turkey Shoot' because a total of 365 Japanese planes were brought down. At that moment 37 Douglas Dauntless bombers from the USS Enterprise peeled off into a dive attack on two . History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. In June 1931, Spruance returned to Newport, RI to serve on the staff of the Naval War College. Word of the sacrifice of VT-8 stunned the United States, and Churchill was reported to have wept when he heard about it. 1, and he commanded her until 1914. He loved to show them to visitors. The Battle of Midway was a turning point in the Pacific War. 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. 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. The carriers were on station on June 2, and the following day Japanese transport ships were spotted 600 miles west of Midway Island. 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. Raymond Ames Spruance (July 3, 1886 - December 13, 1969) was a United States Navy admiral during World War II. World War II: Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher, World War II: Battle of the Philippine Sea. The defeat effectively destroyed the Japanese Navy's air arm. Above all, Midway was the turning point that heralded the ultimate defeat of Japan. Carrier units of his force penetrated waters of the Japanese homeland and Nansei Shoto. 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. 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. Two years later, Spruance again received orders for the Naval War College and taught on the staff until April 1938. "[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]. 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. ThoughtCo, Jul. They met practically no opposition because most of the Zeros were still close to the water, not having had time to climb and counterattack. However, an invasion was rendered unnecessary when the atomic bomb was used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. He was modest and candid about himself. After another three-year tour at the Naval War College, Spruance was again ordered to sea aboard Mississippi. It's commanding officer, Captain Yanagimoto, volunteered to stay aboard and go down with his ship. [25], Spruance was President of the Naval War College from February 1946 until he retired from the Navy in July 1948. While screening the American invasion of Saipan in June 1944, Spruance defeated the Japanese fleet in the Battle of the Philippine Sea. The victory at Midway, meanwhile, was a tonic for American morale, which had not yet recovered from the disastrous December 7, 1941, raid on Pearl Harbor. Raised in Indianapolis, IN, he attended school locally and graduated from Shortridge High School. How can these and the knowledge they provide be used to spread His Word? "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. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Web. Weeks later . Naval Academy in 1906 and received further education in electrical engineering a few years later. 1155 (August 1946): 144-157. [14][15] For his actions at the battle of Midway Rear Admiral Spruance was awarded the Navy Distinguished Service Medal and cited as follows: "For exceptionally meritorious service as Task Force Commander, United States Pacific Fleet. Although he broke the back of the Japanese naval air force by sinking three carriers, two oilers and destroying about 600 enemy airplanes (so many that the remaining Japanese carriers were used solely as decoys in the Battle of Leyte Gulf a few months later due to the lack of aircraft and aircrews to fly them) Spruance has been criticized for not being aggressive enough in exploiting his success in the Philippine Sea. He attended grade and high schools in East Orange, N.J., and in Indianapolis. As Allied forces battled on the island, Spruance's ships defeated Operation Ten-Go on April 7 which saw the Japanese battleship Yamato attempt to break through to the island. History is who we are and why we are the way we are.. In August 1943, Spruance, now a vice admiral, returned to sea as Commander Central Pacific Force. If this happened, it would enable the Japanese to pinch the Americans between their two carrier forces. Naval Academy at Annapolis. 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. [Admiral Spruance wrote this foreward for Mitsuo Fuchida's book, Midway, The Battle That Doomed Japan; The Japanese Navy's . He advanced quickly through the ranks, becoming an admiral in 1944. The Japanese lost 19 ships sunk, seven probably sunk and more than 200 aircraft destroyed, and their installations were bombed and strafed. His flagship was badly damaged by the Japanese and was hit by two torpedoes from a Japanese submarine before sinking. A total of 1,132 enemy planes were put out of action. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Admiral Yamamoto commanded the combined invasion fleet from aboard his flagship Yamato. Admiral Ernest J. The Battle of Midway was the first major victory for the United States over Japan and is seen by many as . In the fighting, the Japanese lost three carriers and around 600 aircraft. However, his actions were both praised and understood by the main persons ordering and directly involved in the battle. While one was at sea, the other would be planning their next operation. Falling ill with shingles, Halsey recommended that Spruance lead Task Force 16, centered on the carriers USS Enterprise (CV-6) and USS Hornet (CV-8), in his stead. At Midway, Spruance's force inflicted on the Imperial Japanese Navy its worst setback in 350 years. He studied hard, and when he graduated in September 1906, he stood 26th in his class. Terms of Use| US Naval Task Force under Frank Fletcher with aircraft carrier Yorktown. The Japanese navy could never accept this catastrophic loss. Once theBattle of the Philippine Sea came to an end, Spruance returned to Pearl Harbour to help plan other landings in the future. Yamato class battleship that served as the Japanese Combined Fleet's Flagship, housing Admiral Yamamoto. However, Spruances fleet was also charged with guarding the amphibious landings at Saipan and Tinian. Just before the planned invasion of Midway island in June 1942, Halsey suddenly became ill with shingles. Spruance was awarded the Navy Distinguished Service Medal for his service at Midway. 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. Admiral Spruance explained the U.S. victory at Midway in the following way. ), 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. 108 planes under Juichi Tomanaga bomb and strafe Midway. Yorktown and Task Force 17 were under the command of Rear Adm. Frank Jack Fletcher. He withdrew his ships westward, still hoping to draw Spruance into a trap. During this period, Spruance served aboard USS Minnesota (BB-22) during the cruise of the Great White Fleet. 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 On December 30, 1914, Spruance married Margaret Vance Dean, the daughter of an Indianapolis businessman. 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. Successfully concluding operations, Spruance was promoted to admiral in February. [7], Spruance ran a quiet bridge, without chit-chat; he demanded that orders be given concisely and clearly. 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. Lieutenant in command of the USS Yorktown air group. Before the Battle of the Coral Sea on 7-8 May 1942, the Imperial Navy of Japan had swept aside all of its enemies from the Pacific and Indian oceans. Spruance became Commander of the 5th Fleet in November 1943, which presented him with command of the Central Pacific Forces. 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 American losses were Yorktown, destroyer Hammann and 147 planes. 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. Akagi class Japanese aircraft carrier that served as the flagship of Admiral Nagumo. He was survived by his wife and a daughter, Mrs. Gerald S. Bogart of Newport, R.I. His only son, Navy Captain Edward D. Spruance, who served for 30 years, was killed in a car accident in Marin County, Calif., in May 1969. The combined American force consisted of three carriers, eight cruisers, 15 destroyers, 12 submarines and 353 aircraft, ranged against a grand total of 200 Japanese vessels and 700 planes. Morisons text refers to Spruance, victor at Midway. In the course of a two-hour interview, he stood or walked about all the timenot restlessly, but slowly and deliberately. His air group is credited with the sinking of 4 Japanese aircraft carriers during Midway. Japanese fleet under the direct command of Admiral Yamamoto with over 5 battleships and escort carrier Hosho. https://www.thoughtco.com/admiral-raymond-spruance-2360511 (accessed March 1, 2023). But his service was not yet finished. But the American commander, who could be daring and resourceful when necessary, could also exhibit shrewd caution when his experienced mind sensed an ambush. Meanwhile, his search planes found no sign of any American warships. 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