But his service was not yet finished. After six furious minutes, the three carriers were left burning. 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. I was shanghaied ashore in November of the next year to take over as electrical superintendent at the New York Navy Yard, said Spruance. It was June 4, Admiral Raymond A. Spruance and Admira Fletcher had to engage four Japanese ships in the Battle of Midway. Returning to Newport, Spruance remained at the college until retiring from the US Navy on July 1, 1948. Admiral Yamamoto commanded the combined invasion fleet from aboard his flagship Yamato. Lt Tomanaga leads Japanese Torpedo Bombers to attack the remaining carriers. Spruance died in Pebble Beach, California, on December 13, 1969, and was buried with full military honors at Golden Gate National Cemetery near San Francisco. Spruance also held several engineering . On December 30, 1914, Spruance married Margaret Vance Dean, the daughter of an Indianapolis businessman. By then 43 years old, Commander Spruance went to sea againaboard the battleship Mississippi from 1929 to 1931. 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. Landing troops on Saipan on June 15, he defeated Vice Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa at the Battle of the Philippine Sea a few days later. Mitschers force pursued the Japanese fleet and engaged it the following day in the Philippine Sea, sinking the light carrier Hiyo and two oilers (in addition to which submarines Albacore and Cavalla had sunk Taiho and Shokaku the previous day). During the joint operations leading to the assault and capture of the important enemy bases, complete integration of Army and Navy units was accomplished under his outstanding leadership, enabling all the forces to perform their closely co-ordinated missions with outstanding success.[24]. This was followed by an assault on Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands on January 31, 1944. [28], His achievements in the navy were well known, but himself much less. In 1964 an Ohio woman took up the challenge that had led to Amelia Earharts disappearance. All three were eventually scuttled. How did Paul's education An academic building at the Naval War College was also named for him. The U.S. casualties were 199 planes, 128 flight personnel and damage to four warships. This gave rise to the description of Spruance as "an Admiral's admiral". The Iwo Jima and Okinawa actions lasted from January to May 1945, and in August the Japanese surrendered. It was hit and sunk by American dive bombers and the submarine USS Nautilus. Admiral Raymond A. Spruance, U.S. Navy, April 1955 . 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. He enjoyed hot chocolate and would make it for himself every morning. 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). 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. Lieutenant in command of the USS Yorktown air group. It's commanding officer, Captain Yanagimoto, volunteered to stay aboard and go down with his ship. He was modest and candid about himself. 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. >The fleet units shielding the Marianas invasion forces were also under Spruances command. As the island-hopping campaign began, MacArthur continued his . In the fighting, the Japanese lost three carriers and around 600 aircraft. Known as "island hopping," U.S. forces moved from island to island, using each as a base for capturing the next. Raised in Indianapolis, IN, he attended school locally and graduated from Shortridge High School. 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. 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. Richmond Kelly Turner and Harry W. Hill and Marine Generals Holland M. Smith and Julian C. Smith. 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. In May 1914, Spruance received a posting as Assistant to the Inspector of Machinery at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company. Enterprise dive bombers critically damaged two Japanese carriers including Nagumo's flagship Akagi; while the Yorktown air group, launched after Fletcher was confident that all Japanese carriers were accounted for, crippled the Soryu. For that assault, Spruance led the most powerful naval strike force in history. He was appointed as Ambassador to the Philippines by President Harry S. Truman, and served there from 1952 to 1955. Just before the planned invasion of Midway island in June 1942, Halsey suddenly became ill with shingles. On June 19, however, hundreds of planes from nine Japanese aircraft carriers attacked the Fifth Fleet. For most of the war, Spruance preferred to use the heavy cruiser USSIndianapolis, named for his hometown, as his flagship. This article was written by Michael D. Hull and originally appeared in the May 1998 issue of World War II magazine. Morison, "Coral Sea, Midway and Submarine Actions: May 1942 August 1942". Spruance, Raymond A. 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. [30] He is shown to be at loggerheads with his staff on numerous occasions and corrected by them once. Spruance received the Navy Cross for his actions at Iwo Jima and Okinawa.[23]. Official Navy historian Samuel Eliot Morison characterized Spruance's performance as "superb", and he was nicknamed "electric brain" for his calmness even in moments of supreme crisis, a reputation enhanced by his successful tactics. Historian Morison later described Spruances performance at Midway as superb. This was in July 1938, and this time he was the battleships commander. Why was Chester W Nimitz important? Admiral Spruance could have been right. Spruances performance at Midway so impressed Admiral Nimitz that he made him his chief of staff. No matter what other people tell you, your decision was correct". Naval Academy in 1906 and received further education in electrical engineering a few years later. Naval Academy at Annapolis. In 1939 he was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral. But due to a printing error on the executive calendar of nominations, Spruance was officially promoted only to his former rank of vice admiral. He was then 55. The U.S. Navy counterforce sank all four Japanese carriers while losing one of its own, Yorktown. 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. . The Americans were able to count on Yorktown, however, after patching her up in an astonishing two days instead of 90 days as had been estimated. 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. Aircraft carrier that served as the flagship of Task Force 17 and Admiral Fletcher. 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. With the end of the war, Spruance aided in returning American troops home before moving through a succession of engineering postings and destroyer commands. 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. 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. HistoryNet.com is brought to you by HistoryNet LLC, the worlds largest publisher of history magazines. These plans proved moot when the war came to an abrupt end in early August with the use of the atom bomb. Besides his family, he loved the companionship of his pet schnauzer, Peter. His steady rise, according to Newsweek magazine, has borne the imprint of his personalityunobtrusive but undeviating. 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. They were hurled back decisively, and the losses353 enemy planes downed, 21 U.S. aircraft lostamazed the Americans. Once theBattle of the Philippine Sea came to an end, Spruance returned to Pearl Harbour to help plan other landings in the future. 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. In April 1942 he offered support to carriers that launched the Doolittle Raid, an air raid on Tokyo and other parts of Honshu island. He withdrew his ships westward, still hoping to draw Spruance into a trap. I can thank heredity for a sound constitution, and myself for taking care of that constitution." Yamato class battleship that served as the Japanese Combined Fleet's Flagship, housing Admiral Yamamoto. He was drafted on short notice for his date with destiny. 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. However, his actions were both praised and understood by the main persons ordering and directly involved in the battle. Naval Academy in 1906,[5] and received further, hands-on education in electrical engineering a few years later. In this position, he traveled to London and Edinburgh. Covered by fog and lashed by storms most of the time, they were generally unsuitable for air or naval bases. Midway Island sent a false message stating that its water distillation plant had been damaged and that the base needed fresh water. However, an invasion was rendered unnecessary when the atomic bomb was used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. [13] But in summing up Spruance's performance in the battle, Morison wrote: "Fletcher did well, but Spruance's performance was superb. Before Midway, a small and fractional U.S. Navy faced an overwhelmingly larger and battle-hardened Japanese Combined Fleet. Fifteen Buffaloes and two Wildcats were lost, but the garrisons anti-aircraft fire was effective. 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. Though this gamble paid off, Enterprise air squadrons would pay a heavy price, flying in piece-meal and mostly without fighter escort. If this happened, it would enable the Japanese to pinch the Americans between their two carrier forces. He served as an instructor at the Naval War College from 1935 to 1938. The Japanese planned to outwit the U.S. forces at Midway. 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. Thus the Americans knew the Japanese planned to move toward Midway. It was spotted by scouts from the USS Hornet and destroyed by planes from the Enterprise. The Japanese carriers were beginning to launch fighters as Torpedo 8 roared down to attack, without fighter cover. After the enemys raids on Midway, Admiral Spruance ordered the launching of every possible plane to search for and attack the Japanese carriers. 6 (June 1955): 658-659. [27], Spruance was an active man who thought nothing of walking eight or 10 miles a day. In July 1941, his responsibilities were expanded to include oversight of the Caribbean Sea Frontier. 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. The month before, American and Japanese naval units had fought the Battle of the Coral Sea, and both closely matched sides had suffered. 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. He also commanded Task Force 16 at the Battle of Midway, comprising the carriers Enterprise and Hornet. That same month, he directed Operation Hailstone which saw American carrier aircraft repeatedly strike the Japanese base at Truk. After Rome fell, the bishop of Constantinople became the most pow The Japanese had been overconfident, and the Americans taught them a bitter lesson. Biographies, 20th century collection, Navy Department Library, Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, Spruance, Raymond A. Japanese Vice Admiral in command of the Japanese Carrier strike force based on the Aircraft Carrier IJN Akagi. The main auditorium of the U.S. The Americans were gravely outnumbered by the lurking enemy armada. The Saipan campaign began with air attacks on June 10, 1944. 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. B. Jim Crow Laws Midway bought the United States valuable time until the new Essex-class fleet carriers became available at the end of the year. Hiryu class Japanese aircraft carrier that was part of the second detachment of the Japanese carrier strike force. In June 1942 the United States and Japan fought for control of Midway Island in the South Pacific. Maintaining a position offshore, the Fifth Fleet's ships were subjected to relentless kamikaze attacks by Japanese aircraft. The following year, the new admiral was ordered to the Pacific. Finishing the course, he completed a tour in the Office of Naval Intelligence before being posted to USS Mississippi (BB-41) in October 1929 as executive officer. Then he returned to the Naval War College as a staff member. U.S. losses were low: 25 airplanes and 18 lives. After these victories, Spruance went back to Pearl Harbour to assist with planning Japans invasion. President Harry S. Truman appointed him ambassador to the Philippines in January 1952, and he served until March 1955. US Naval Task force under Raymond Spruance with 2 carriers, Enterprise and Hornet. Flagship of Kakuta. United States airbase targeted by the Japanese in preparation to invade Hawaii. Spruance was about to face the sternest test in his long, distinguished career. 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. The Japanese intercepted this and soon started sending messages that "AF was short on water. 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). 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. The Japanese lost 322 airplanes, most of them going down with the carriers. He graduated from the U.S. "Well, pick it up and put it back," was Spruance's measured response.[8]. C. The Roman Catholic Church developed in Constantinople. Spruance did not want to leave troops on the Marianas islands unguarded as he chased Jisaburo Ozawas retreating fleet. 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. Pratt, F. "Spruance: Picture of the Admiral," Harpers Magazine 193, no. C. American Dream ThoughtCo. The slow-moving Devastators were easy targets for the Japanese gunners and Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero fighters, and all 15 were shot down. He took part in organising the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa and led the 5th Fleet in these two final battles. 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. [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. He did not discuss his private life, feelings, prejudices, hopes or fears, except perhaps with his family and his closest friends. B. Historian Samuel Eliot Morison believed he was one of the greatest fighting and thinking admirals in American naval history. 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. World War II: Admiral Raymond Spruance. (. His air group is credited with the sinking of 4 Japanese aircraft carriers during Midway. Successfully concluding operations, Spruance was promoted to admiral in February. 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