Then U.S. dive bombers from Spruance's Enterprise flew to Nagumo's fleet of four carriers which, fatefully, were without air cover. It was a cool, clear day. 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. Raymond Spruance was born in Baltimore on July 3, 1886, the son of Alexander and Annie Spruance. HistoryLearning.com. His squadron successfully ambushed and sank 3 Japanese Aircraft Carriers, Lieutenant in command of the USS Hornet air group. Spruance's fast carrier commander, Marc Mitscher, told his chief of staff Arleigh Burke: You and I have been in many battles, and we know there are always some mistakes. 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. But due to a printing error on the executive calendar of nominations, Spruance was officially promoted only to his former rank of vice admiral. Aboard the Japanese flattops, many torpedo-carrying planes were waiting for fighters to take off as the American planes dived. Determining that New Mexico was not too badly damaged to remain on station Spruance kept her as his flagship for the rest of the campaign. Raymond A. Spruance emerged from the battle one of the greatest admirals in American naval history". 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. [32] Wouk writes in his book that "Spruance escaped [the Japanese fleet admiral] Yamamoto's terrible trap by acting on perfect military instinct. Though this gamble paid off, Enterprise air squadrons would pay a heavy price, flying in piece-meal and mostly without fighter escort. The defenders fought fiercely but were unable to inflict any damage on the U.S. vessels. Whether they produced battlefield images of the dead or daguerreotype portraits of common soldiers, []. On 13 May 1945, Admiral Raymond Spruance put pen to paper and described the second kamikaze attack he experienced at Okinawa. "[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]. The US intelligence services could predict the way the Japanese carriers and planes would be approaching the battle. Spruance served as executive officer of USS Mississippi from October 1929 to June 1931. After further schooling at the Stevens Preparatory School in New Jersey, Spruance applied to and was accepted by the US Naval Academy in 1903. This site is using cookies under cookie policy . Kennedy Hickman is a historian, museum director, and curator who specializes in military and naval history. When you moved into Admiral Spruance's command, the printed instructions were up to date, and you did things in accordance with them.[19]. While both Fletcher and Spruance were rear admirals, Fletcher was senior and nominally in overall command. This saw Allied forces move against Okinawa in the Ryukyu Islands. In 1939 he was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral. Up until this time, the Japanese had captured island after island as they . During the third week of May 1942, U.S. naval intelligence units confirmed that the Japanese wouldby early Juneinvade Midway Island. Admiral Nimitz praised Spruance for a remarkable job. Japanese Admiral and a pioneer in aircraft carrier warfare. 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. Overseeing the Battle of Tarawa in November 1943, he guided Allied forces as they advanced through the Gilbert Islands. However, an invasion was rendered unnecessary when the atomic bomb was used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. 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 Japanese felt that they had won the encounter. Spruance had earned a restful retirement at his home in Pebble Beach, Calif., 125 miles south of San Francisco, with his wife, son and daughter. Calm, collected, decisive, yet receptive to advice; keeping in his mind the picture of widely disparate forces, yet boldly seizing every opening. HistoryNet.com is brought to you by HistoryNet LLC, the worlds largest publisher of history magazines. So the US navy had a good idea of what to expect from the Japanese fleet and how to counterattack it. And, off Okinawa, Spruance never faltered in face of the destruction wrought by the kamikazes. ThoughtCo, Jul. (. Admiral Raymond Spruance served in US Navy during World War Two. 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. United States Rear Admiral in command of Task Force 17 on the USS Yorktown. 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. World War II: Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher, World War II: Battle of the Philippine Sea. [2] He emerged from the war as one of the greater admirals in American naval history. His steady rise, according to Newsweek magazine, has borne the imprint of his personalityunobtrusive but undeviating. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Flagship of Kakuta. The first Japanese airstrike was followed by another. Japanese fleet under the direct command of Admiral Yamamoto with over 5 battleships and escort carrier Hosho. In 1964 an Ohio woman took up the challenge that had led to Amelia Earharts disappearance. 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 The Japanese planned to outwit the U.S. forces at Midway. Spruance began World War II as a gunship admiral, commanding a division of . Commanding the battleship for nearly two years, Spruance was aboard when World War II began in Europe. Early on the morning of Thursday, June 4, 1942, Nagumos carriers launched a 108-plane strike against Midway and inflicted After the enemys raids on Midway, Admiral Spruance ordered the launching of every possible plane to search for and attack the Japanese carriers. [12] Spruance assumed command of Task Force 16 with its two carriers, USSEnterprise and USSHornet, under battle command of Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher. The US navy ended up winning the battle and historians consider this a major turning point in the Pacific Theater during World War II. 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. The struggle by the U.S. Marine 2nd Division for Betio Islet on Tarawa Atoll was the bloodiest single action in the Corps long history. This was in July 1938, and this time he was the battleships commander. I can thank heredity for a sound constitution, and myself for taking care of that constitution. He was then 55. 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. Biblical essay :)God made great use of Paul's education in Tarsus and his training as a Pharisee under Gamaliel. By shortly after 9 a.m., planes from Yorktown were also on their way. The other U.S. flattop, Yorktown, escaped with one bomb hit. He attended grade and high schools in East Orange, N.J., and in Indianapolis. erful leader. 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. On February 26, 1940, Spruance reported as commandant of the 10th Naval District with headquarters at Naval Station Isla Grande in San Juan, Puerto Rico. US Navy SBD dive bombers at the Battle of Midway, June 4, 1942. There are submarines, there are mini-submarines, and then there are human torpedoes. Successfully concluding operations, Spruance was promoted to admiral in February. D. The Pope lived in Constantinople. 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. 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. He also held several engineering, intelligence, staff and Naval War College positions up to the 1940s. His seagoing career was extensive, including command of five destroyers and the battleship Mississippi. He presided over US Forces in the Pacific during two decisive Allied victories: the Battle of Midway in 1942 and the 1944 Battle of the Philippines Sea. Although there are no options attached we can say the following. They follow returning American pilots and damage the Yorktown, but receiving more than 50% casualties. 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. The Iwo Jima and Okinawa actions lasted from January to May 1945, and in August the Japanese surrendered. Lieutenant aboard the Hiryu who led and was killed during the first Japanese counterattack after the sinking of 3 Japanese aircraft carriers. Analyzing Information How does Admiral Spruance explain the U.S. victory He organized the Japanese counterattack on the American carriers and is credited with the sinking of the USS Yorktown, the only American Carrier sunk at Midway. More to his liking was the study of foreign methods of naval fire control, which took him to London and Edinburgh. All four of Japans aircraft carriers were sunk, devastating Japans ambitions in the Pacific. 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. A decisive victory, Spruance and Fletcher's actions at Midway helped turn the tide of the Pacific war in favor of the Allies. 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. In the fighting, the Japanese lost three carriers and around 600 aircraft. United States airbase targeted by the Japanese in preparation to invade Hawaii. Both commanders hoped for a classic battle with the Imperial Japanese Navy, but only Mitschers carrier planes were able to reach the enemy. C. American Dream Spruance graduated from the U.S. Just before the planned invasion of Midway island in June 1942, Halsey suddenly became ill with shingles. In July 1941, his responsibilities were expanded to include oversight of the Caribbean Sea Frontier. While one was at sea, the other would be planning their next operation. He served as an instructor at the Naval War College from 1935 to 1938. A bust of Spruance is in the lobby. 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 He was appointed as Ambassador to the Philippines by President Harry S. Truman, and served there from 1952 to 1955. It was bombed by dive bombers from the Enterprise and as scuttled shortly after Nagumo was forced by his staff to evacuate. Lieutenant in command of the USS Enterprise air group. During WWII Italian Commandos Were Tasked to Ride Torpedoes. The defeat effectively destroyed the Japanese Navy's air arm. Spruance also held several engineering . In August 1943 Spruance was placed in command of the Central Pacific Force, which, on April 29, 1944, was redesignated as the Fifth Fleet. 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. This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. One exception was Admiral John Towers, a constant critic of Spruance, whom Spruance came to despise for his naked ambition.[18]. 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. The Navy, by law, was limited to four Fleet Admirals; three of these appointments were obvious: Ernest King, Chester Nimitz and William Leahy. From the remaining enemy carrier, Hiryu, Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi launched bombers and torpedo planes against Yorktown. The month before, American and Japanese naval units had fought the Battle of the Coral Sea, and both closely matched sides had suffered. He graduated from Shortridge High School and went on to the U.S. It was hit multiple times by aircraft from the IJN Hiryu and later torpedoed by a Japanese submarine before sinking. Then it was back to Pebble Beach. 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. Japanese aircraft carrier squadron under the command of Chuichi Nagumo in command of aircraft carriers Akagi, Kaga, Soryu, and Hiryu. However, Spruances fleet was also charged with guarding the amphibious landings at Saipan and Tinian. He commanded the battleship USS Mississippi from April 1938 to December 1939, when he was promoted to rear admiral. When Yorktown was struck at Midway, however, Fletcher transferred his flag to the cruiser Astoria and placed Spruance tactically in charge. Privacy Policy, Admiral Raymond Spruance served in US Navy during. The following year, they made me executive officer of the transport Agamemnon, bringing troops home from France. "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. 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. Raised in Indianapolis, IN, he attended school locally and graduated from Shortridge High School. serious damage on the islands installations. 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