Subscribe to receive our weekly newsletter with top stories from master historians. With the end of the war, Spruance aided in returning American troops home before moving through a succession of engineering postings and destroyer commands. On August 1, 1941, he finished his tour in Puerto Rico. Although there are no options attached we can say the following. Flagship of Task Force 16 under the command of Raymond Spruance. 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. 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. The enemy units were forced to withdraw their battered aircraft carrier Shokaku, while the Americans had to abandon the old, cherished carrier Lexington. The repulse of the Japanese invasion fleet at Midway, and critically the destruction of the Kido Butai, allowed the U.S. to gain parity in the naval air war. He was fond of symphonic music, and his tastes were generally simple. Then he returned to the Naval War College as a staff member. My mind is blank. Two years later, Spruance again received orders for the Naval War College and taught on the staff until April 1938. Naval Academy in 1906,[5] and received further, hands-on education in electrical engineering a few years later. Japanese Admiral and a pioneer in aircraft carrier warfare. He never smoked, and drank little. The US navy ended up winning the battle and historians consider this a major turning point in the Pacific Theater during World War II. For his actions at Iwo Jima and Okinawa, Spruance was awarded the Navy Cross. Before Midway, a small and fractional U.S. Navy faced an overwhelmingly larger and battle-hardened Japanese Combined Fleet. When Vice Adm. Bull Halsey was confined to a hospital with a skin disease, Pacific Fleet Commander Nimitz appointed Spruance to succeed him as commander of Task Force 16. HistoryNet.com contains daily features, photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines. 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. 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. President Harry S. Truman appointed him ambassador to the Philippines in January 1952, and he served until March 1955. In the course of a two-hour interview, he stood or walked about all the timenot restlessly, but slowly and deliberately. Midway Island sent a false message stating that its water distillation plant had been damaged and that the base needed fresh water. The American offensive in the Pacific theater was now enjoying considerable momentum, aided in no small measure by Rear Adm. Marc Mitschers Task Force 58, the most powerful and destructive unit in the history of sea warfare. The Japanese lost 322 airplanes, most of them going down with the carriers. In one incident a distraught officer rushed to report, "Captain, we've just dropped a depth charge over the stern!" In the seven-week campaign, 55 Japanese ships were sunk, five probably sunk and 74 damaged. 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. Admiral Spruance died on 13 December 1969, at his home in Pebble Beach , California. In 1916 he aided in the fitting out of the battleship Pennsylvania and he served on board her from her commissioning in June 1916 until November 1917. Lieutenant in command of the USS Enterprise air group. His achievements were well-known, but the man himself was a mystery. Japanese supporting aircraft carrier in the corresponding Aleutian Islands Invasion. Was the site of a naval battle between the United States and Japan in 1942. Admiral Raymond A. Spruance, U.S. Navy, April 1955 . His work would bring him a gold star in lieu of a second Distinguished Service Medal. He was raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. At Midway, Spruances force inflicted on the Imperial Japanese Navy its worst setback in 350 years. On February 19, American forces landed and opened the Battle of Iwo Jima. This article was written by Michael D. Hull and originally appeared in the May 1998 issue of World War II magazine. 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. He was uniquely modest and candid about himself all his life. The Navy, by law, was limited to four Fleet Admirals; three of these appointments were obvious: Ernest King, Chester Nimitz and William Leahy. society in the 1950s? Mounting a tenacious defense, the Japanese held out for over a month. Yorktown and Task Force 17 were under the command of Rear Adm. Frank Jack Fletcher. Japanese supporting aircraft carrier in Aleutian islands campaign. He served as an instructor at the Naval War College from 1935 to 1938. [28], His achievements in the navy were well known, but himself much less. Akagi class Japanese aircraft carrier that served as the flagship of Admiral Nagumo. The attack fails to destroy any airfields or major targets. 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. In this position, he traveled to London and Edinburgh. 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. 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]. [2] He emerged from the war as one of the greater admirals in American naval history. 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. Two minutes later, 37 dive bombers from Enterprise, led by Lt. Cmdr. Though this gamble paid off, Enterprise air squadrons would pay a heavy price, flying in piece-meal and mostly without fighter escort. These raids were critical to moralesetting a new tone of aggressiveness by U.S. commanders while providing invaluable battle experience for the commanders and sailors of the U.S. Then Nagumos force was spotted by torpedo bombers from Hornets squadron VT-8, led by Lt. Cmdr. While in that capacity he assumed additional duty as a member of the board on doctrine of aircraft in connection with fleet fire control. World War II: Fleet Admiral William Halsey Jr. World War II Pacific: The Japanese Advance Stopped, M.S., Information and Library Science, Drexel University, B.A., History and Political Science, Pennsylvania State University. When you moved into Admiral Spruance's command, the printed instructions were up to date, and you did things in accordance with them.[19]. His seagoing career was extensive, including command of five destroyers and the battleship Mississippi. No matter what other people tell you, your decision was correct". He was then ordered to the China station, with sea duty aboard the battleship Connecticut and the cruiser Cincinnati. Things did not look hopeful for Spruance and his force on the eve of Midway. A bust of Spruance is in the lobby. The two admirals presented a contrast in styles as Spruance tended to be quiet and meticulous while Halsey was brash and more impetuous. The USS Enterprise ambushes and sinks the Hiryu. While both Fletcher and Spruance were rear admirals, Fletcher was senior and nominally in overall command. In January 1945, Spruance resumed command of the fleet and began moving against Iwo Jima. It was hit multiple times by aircraft from the IJN Hiryu and later torpedoed by a Japanese submarine before sinking. The American toll was 1,100 dead and almost 2,300 wounded. In the fighting, the Japanese lost three carriers and around 600 aircraft. Admiral Spruance no.__!t to seek and destroy the Imperial Japanese Navy in a "decisive battle." Rather, Spruance chose to place highest priority on covering and defending the United States (U.S.) amphibious forces that were in the initial phase of the invasion of Salpan. From there, he went on to graduate from the U.S. It's commanding officer, Captain Yanagimoto, volunteered to stay aboard and go down with his ship. 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. He received his Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D. [31] The series, based on Herman Wouk's book of the same name, shows Spruance's decision to end the battle and retreat rather than confront the rest of the Japanese fleet as having been opposed by his subordinates, and he was mocked behind his back as "lacking the stomach." The sole survivor of the squadrons 30 officers and men was Ensign George H. Gay, Jr., who spent several hours floating in the water, watching the battle. "Admiral Raymond Spruance". For most of the war, Spruance preferred to use the heavy cruiser USSIndianapolis, named for his hometown, as his flagship. All four of Japans aircraft carriers were sunk, devastating Japans ambitions in the Pacific. Akagi was lashed by bombs, which exploded torpedoes that were being loaded onto her planes, and the crew abandoned ship. 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. . After three days of pre-invasion bombardment, Marines landed on Roi Islet and captured it the same day. That same month, he directed Operation Hailstone which saw American carrier aircraft repeatedly strike the Japanese base at Truk. https://www.thoughtco.com/admiral-raymond-spruance-2360511 (accessed March 1, 2023). He commanded U.S. naval forces during two of the most significant naval battles that took place in the Pacific Theatre: the Battle of Midway and the Battle of the Philippine Sea. The Japanese were trying to tow Soryu to safety when she was torpedoed and sunk by the U.S. submarine Nautilus. If this happened, it would enable the Japanese to pinch the Americans between their two carrier forces. 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. This time we were right because the enemy did what we expected him to do. Up until this time, the Japanese had captured island after island as they . Fifteen Buffaloes and two Wildcats were lost, but the garrisons anti-aircraft fire was effective. For his actions, Spruance received the Distinguished Service Medal and, later that month, Nimitz named him as his Chief of Staff and Aide. Halsey was aggressive and a risk taker. "[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]. Fletcher quickly ordered his dive bombers to strike, which fatally damaged the fourth Japanese carrier; it was scuttled the next day. edward dean spruancegarberiel battery charger manual 26th February 2023 / in what's happening in silsbee, tx today / by / in what's happening in silsbee, tx today / by In 1939 he was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral. Lieutenant Commander Maxwell Leslies VB-3 from Yorktown attacked the carrier Soryu. Lieutenant in command of the USS Yorktown air group. The assault began at dawn on November 20, 1943, and the fighting raged for 76 hours. Commanding the battleship for nearly two years, Spruance was aboard when World War II began in Europe. 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. 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. He shifted his flag to the old battleship USSNew Mexico of the shore bombardment force after Indianapolis was struck by a Kamikaze off Okinawa. Once theBattle of the Philippine Sea came to an end, Spruance returned to Pearl Harbour to help plan other landings in the future. Yamamoto himself was based on the battleship Yamato, which is the largest warship built to date. Notwithstanding their different personalities, Spruance and Halsey were close friends. 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how does admiral spruance explain the us victory at midway quizlet