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. The Eastern Orthodox Church developed from the church in Constantinople. When New Mexico was struck by two kamikaze on the night of 12 May 1945 a hasty search by Spruance's staff found the Admiral manning a fire hose amidship. [citation needed]. erful leader. His seagoing career was extensive, including command of five destroyers and the battleship Mississippi. Following the campaign, Spruance turned the fleet over to Halsey and began planning operations to capture Iwo Jima. Akagi class Japanese aircraft carrier that was part of the first detachment of the Japanese carrier strike force. He studied hard, and when he graduated in September 1906, he stood 26th in his class. "[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]. [28], His achievements in the navy were well known, but himself much less. This saw Allied forces move against Okinawa in the Ryukyu Islands. However, his actions were both praised and understood by the main persons ordering and directly involved in the battle. C. American Dream He never smoked, and drank little. Historian Samuel Eliot Morison believed he was one of the greatest fighting and thinking admirals in American naval history. Just before the planned invasion of Midway island in June 1942, Halsey suddenly became ill with shingles. 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. By that time, he was said to be an expert on the many engines, instruments and guns that go into a battleship. Overseeing the Battle of Tarawa in November 1943, he guided Allied forces as they advanced through the Gilbert Islands. Lieutenant aboard the Hiryu who led and was killed during the first Japanese counterattack after the sinking of 3 Japanese aircraft carriers. Aboard the battleship Yamato, Admiral Yamamoto received word that the U.S. fleet was at Midwaynot Pearl Harbor as he had thought. This gave rise to the description of Spruance as "an Admiral's admiral". Admiral Spruance said that what they did was to wait until the Japanese ships were refueling, carrying weapons, and preparing their aircraft to attack them because the Japanese were in a vulnerable position. He did not discuss his private life, feelings, prejudices, hopes or fears, except with his family and his closest friends. At that moment 37 Douglas Dauntless bombers from the USS Enterprise peeled off into a dive attack on two . These plans proved moot when the war came to an abrupt end in early August with the use of the atom bomb. Returning to Newport, Spruance remained at the college until retiring from the US Navy on July 1, 1948. The gallant carrier was crippled but nearly succeeded in reaching safety before torpedoes from Japanese submarine I-68 finally sank her three days later. Once theBattle of the Philippine Sea came to an end, Spruance returned to Pearl Harbour to help plan other landings in the future. Admiral Spruance explained the U.S. victory at Midway in the following way. At 0530 June 4, a scout plane from Midway sighted the Kido Butai, however the scout only reported sighting "Two carriers and battleships", and giving course and speed. British Royal Navy units helped support the landings. 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. Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat fighters, Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless dive bombers and Douglas TBD-1 Devastator torpedo bombers thundered off the flight decks and rose to search for the enemy carriers. The Battle of Midway was the first major victory for the United States over Japan and is seen by many as . [32] Wouk writes in his book that "Spruance escaped [the Japanese fleet admiral] Yamamoto's terrible trap by acting on perfect military instinct. Yamato class battleship that served as the Japanese Combined Fleet's Flagship, housing Admiral Yamamoto. At 10.26am on 4 June 1942 the course of World War Two in the Pacific changed utterly. Hickman, Kennedy. Carrier units of his force penetrated waters of the Japanese homeland and Nansei Shoto. Spruance was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, and in May 1943 he was promoted to vice admiral. Hiryu class Japanese aircraft carrier that was the flagship of the second detachment of the carrier strike force. He graduated from the U.S. D. Suburban America, 100 POINTS! He loved to show them to visitors. Most historians consider Midway the turning point of the Pacific War.[1]. Spruance was put in command of Task Force 16, which included two carriers: USS Enterprise and USS Hornet, and was instrumental in the decisive US victory in the Battle of Midway. 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. Japanese Vice Admiral in command of the Japanese Carrier strike force based on the Aircraft Carrier IJN Akagi. Three bombs hammered her. Akagi was lashed by bombs, which exploded torpedoes that were being loaded onto her planes, and the crew abandoned ship. 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). But his service was not yet finished. 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. He disliked personal publicity and had a reputation for freezing reporters who invaded his privacy. For his actions, Spruance received the Distinguished Service Medal and, later that month, Nimitz named him as his Chief of Staff and Aide. society in the 1950s? 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. Spruance rewarded his trust by playing a decisive role in the US victory at the Battle Of Midway. 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. [9] On the other hand, commander-in-chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, Admiral Chester Nimitz knew he must intercept the Japanese invasion fleet, and that he must give battle to the enemy aircraft carriers before they could project their overwhelming power against the naval air station at Midway. HistoryNet.com is brought to you by HistoryNet LLC, the worlds largest publisher of history magazines. In the fighting, the Japanese lost three carriers and around 600 aircraft. On April 1, Spruance began the Battle of Okinawa. Early in his career he was [4] Spruance attended Indianapolis public schools and graduated from Shortridge High School. I can thank heredity for a sound constitution, and myself for taking care of that constitution." The slow-moving Devastators were easy targets for the Japanese gunners and Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero fighters, and all 15 were shot down. 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. It was a cool, clear day. [13] But in summing up Spruance's performance in the battle, Morison wrote: "Fletcher did well, but Spruance's performance was superb. Admiral Raymond Ames Spruance was a key American naval commander who served in the Pacific Theater of World War II. https://www.thoughtco.com/admiral-raymond-spruance-2360511 (accessed March 1, 2023). During World War II, he was commander in the . ThoughtCo, Jul. It is still the largest warship built to date and survived the battle undamaged as it never came near the battlefield despite Yamamoto's protests. 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. On June 4, Spruance and Fletcher engaged four Japanese carriers at the Battle of Midway. Naval Academy in 1906,[5] and received further, hands-on education in electrical engineering a few years later. 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. He also held several engineering, intelligence, staff and Naval War College positions up to the 1940s. Morison said: Keeping in his mind the picture of widely disparate forces, yet boldly seizing every opening, Raymond A. Spruance emerged from this battle one of the greatest fighting and thinking admirals in American naval history.He was bold and aggressive when the occasion demanded offensive tactics; cautious when pushing his luck too far might have lost the fruits of victory. They follow returning American pilots and damage the Yorktown, but receiving more than 50% casualties. Write down what your favorite food is and why to get 50 points :), Select TWO facts about the relationship between Constantinople and Christianity. 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. Historian Samuel Eliot Morison believed he was one of the greatest fighting and thinking admirals in American naval history. No matter what other people tell you, your decision was correct". History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. 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. The gloomy reports from Nagumo and his other commanders led Yamamoto to suspend his assault on Midway. Flagship of Kakuta. 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. After working to defend neutral American shipping from German U-boats, Spruance received orders to take over Cruiser Division Five in September 1941. This was in July 1938, and this time he was the battleships commander. Five days after the Marshalls campaign, Spruance sent the Mitscher force to attack Tinian and Saipan in the Mariana Islands. Admiral Spruance died on 13 December 1969, at his home in Pebble Beach , California. In 1939 he was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral. At the Battle of the Coral Sea, the Japanese won a tactical victory, but suffered an operational-level defeat: it did not invade Port . Weeks later . President Harry S. Truman appointed him ambassador to the Philippines in January 1952, and he served until March 1955. C. The Roman Catholic Church developed in Constantinople. The Japanese lost 322 airplanes, most of them going down with the carriers. US Naval Task force under Raymond Spruance with 2 carriers, Enterprise and Hornet. In one incident a distraught officer rushed to report, "Captain, we've just dropped a depth charge over the stern!" The American losses were Yorktown, destroyer Hammann and 147 planes. 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. In May 1914, Spruance received a posting as Assistant to the Inspector of Machinery at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company. Halsey was aggressive and a risk taker. 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. He also commanded Task Force 16 at the Battle of Midway, comprising the carriers Enterprise and Hornet. 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. Japanese naval force tasked with the invasion of the Aleutian Islands under Vice Admiral Kakuta with aircraft carriers Junyo and Ryuho. The enemy units were forced to withdraw their battered aircraft carrier Shokaku, while the Americans had to abandon the old, cherished carrier Lexington. One exception was Admiral John Towers, a constant critic of Spruance, whom Spruance came to despise for his naked ambition.[18]. Above all, Midway was the turning point that heralded the ultimate defeat of Japan. He was fond of symphonic music, and his tastes were generally simple. In August 1943, Spruance, now a vice admiral, returned to sea as Commander Central Pacific Force. My mind is blank. 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. The fourth was a choice between Halsey and Spruance, and after much deliberation, eventually Halsey was appointed in December 1945. Aircraft carrier that served as the flagship of Task Force 17 and Admiral Fletcher. For his actions at Iwo Jima and Okinawa, Spruance was awarded the Navy Cross. US Navy SBD dive bombers at the Battle of Midway, June 4, 1942. 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. So the US navy had a good idea of what to expect from the Japanese fleet and how to counterattack it. Though this gamble paid off, Enterprise air squadrons would pay a heavy price, flying in piece-meal and mostly without fighter escort. Admiral Raymond Spruance on the balcony of the U.S. Embassy, Manila, while serving as U.S. The Japanese planned to outwit the U.S. forces at Midway. For most of the war, Spruance preferred to use the heavy cruiser USSIndianapolis, named for his hometown, as his flagship. The Battle of Midway was a turning point in the Pacific War. 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 son of Alexander and Annie Spruance, Raymond Ames Spruance was born at Baltimore, MD on July 3, 1886. [2] He emerged from the war as one of the greater admirals in American naval history. When Yorktown was struck at Midway, however, Fletcher transferred his flag to the cruiser Astoria and placed Spruance tactically in charge. 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. His achievements were well-known, but the man himself was a mystery. Its commanding officers Admiral Yamaguchi and the ship's captain both stayed aboard their ship. [3] After the war, Spruance was appointed President of the Naval War College, and later served as American ambassador to the Philippines. The defeat effectively destroyed the Japanese Navy's air arm. Hickman, Kennedy. Admiral William L. Calhoun saw him as a cold-blooded fighting fool. Then Nagumo was dumbfounded to receive a search planes report of 10 enemy ships to the northeast, where no U.S. ships were supposed to be. A. 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. They would draw them north to deal with a Japanese invasion in the bleak Aleutian Islands, and then strike at unprotected Midway. From the remaining enemy carrier, Hiryu, Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi launched bombers and torpedo planes against Yorktown. The U.S. casualties were 199 planes, 128 flight personnel and damage to four warships. 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. Japanese supporting aircraft carrier in Aleutian islands campaign. 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. [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. northwestward of Midway. Spruance launched an assault on February 16-17 against Truk, the Japanese Pearl Harbor, at the same time that Admiral Turners forces were attacking Eniwetok Atoll in the Marshalls, about 700 miles to the west. Navy Secretary Frank Knox said of Kwajalein: The Japanese had been there 20 years. 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. Historian Morison later described Spruances performance at Midway as superb. I was shanghaied ashore in November of the next year to take over as electrical superintendent at the New York Navy Yard, said Spruance. 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.