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. 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. Japanese escort carrier that was mainly responsible for launching scouts attached to Combined Fleet main body. 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. society in the 1950s? 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. Lieutenant in command of the USS Enterprise air group. He served as an instructor at the Naval War College from 1935 to 1938. World War II: Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher, World War II: Battle of the Philippine Sea. 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. On February 19, American forces landed and opened the Battle of Iwo Jima. Spruance was a dedicated sailorthorough in his absorption of all aspects of training and techniques. https://www.thoughtco.com/admiral-raymond-spruance-2360511 (accessed March 1, 2023). Some people asked why he did not take take advantage of the chaotic scene to attack all of Japans air carriers. Launched the planes that were responsible for the sinking of nearly all 4 Japanese Carriers at Midway. C. American Dream 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. After working to defend neutral American shipping from German U-boats, Spruance received orders to take over Cruiser Division Five in September 1941. Born on 3 July 1886, Spruance graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1906. A. 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. That same month, he directed Operation Hailstone which saw American carrier aircraft repeatedly strike the Japanese base at Truk. Japanese naval force tasked with the invasion of the Aleutian Islands under Vice Admiral Kakuta with aircraft carriers Junyo and Ryuho. United States Aircraft Carrier attached to Task Force 16. Akagi class Japanese aircraft carrier that was part of the first detachment of the Japanese carrier strike force. Because of gaps in the search patterns flown by the Japanese, the American carriers were able to approach unseen. This gave rise to the description of Spruance as "an Admiral's admiral". When you moved into Admiral Spruance's command, the printed instructions were up to date, and you did things in accordance with them.[19]. Yamato class battleship that served as the Japanese Combined Fleet's Flagship, housing Admiral Yamamoto. Meanwhile, his search planes found no sign of any American warships. By 1939, at the age of 53, Spruance had spent 18 years at sea. 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 never did things the same way twice. An academic building at the Naval War College was also named for him. After his funeral, he was buried at Golden Gate National Cemetery near the grave of his wartime commander, Nimitz. By shortly after 9 a.m., planes from Yorktown were also on their way. But his service was not yet finished. Raymond Spruance was born in Baltimore on July 3, 1886, the son of Alexander and Annie Spruance. 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. 1, and he commanded her until 1914. The gallant carrier was crippled but nearly succeeded in reaching safety before torpedoes from Japanese submarine I-68 finally sank her three days later. 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. 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. His new duties involved planning rather than operations, and Spruance chafed for more action. In August 1943 Spruance was placed in command of the Central Pacific Force, which, on April 29, 1944, was redesignated as the Fifth Fleet. One exception was Admiral John Towers, a constant critic of Spruance, whom Spruance came to despise for his naked ambition.[18]. His seagoing career was extensive, including command of five destroyers and the battleship Mississippi. So the US navy had a good idea of what to expect from the Japanese fleet and how to counterattack it. With World War I raging, he became Assistant Engineer Officer of the New York Navy Yard. Lt. Kabayashi leads Japanese bombers from the Hiryu to attack the USS Yorktown. He was commissioned an ensign in 1908, and during a tour of shore duty he took a postgraduate course in electrical engineering in Schenectady, N.Y. Whether they produced battlefield images of the dead or daguerreotype portraits of common soldiers, []. His flagship was badly damaged by the Japanese and was hit by two torpedoes from a Japanese submarine before sinking. On 6 December 1941 Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japanese bombers and America was swept into World War Two. The Battle of Midway infused the U.S. Pacific Navy with confidence. 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. Raymond Ames Spruance was born in Baltimore, Maryland on July 3, 1886, to Alexander and Annie Spruance, but grew up in Indianapolis. Naval Academy in 1906 and from the Naval War College in 1927 where he taught for a few years. [21] Buell quotes Spruance speaking with Morison: As a matter of tactics I think that going out after the Japanese and knocking their carriers out would have been much better and more satisfactory than waiting for them to attack us, but we were at the start of a very important and large amphibious operation and we could not afford to gamble and place it in jeopardy. The Japanese felt that they had won the encounter. My mind is blank. 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. Spruance also held several engineering . 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. 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. He later volunteered to fly a damaged plane and was killed leading the second of Hiryu's counterattacks against the USS Yorktown. After Midway, although the Japanese still held a temporary advantage in vessels and planes, the U.S. Navy and the nation gained confidence and, most critically, time. Besides his family, he loved the companionship of his pet schnauzer, Peter. 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 Admiral Spruance commanded with deadly precision, reported an observer.[20]. While one was at sea, the other would be planning their next operation. Web. 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. Spruance's achievements were acknowledged by the unique distinction of a special act of Congress awarding him Admiral's full pay for life. He also commanded Task Force 16 at the Battle of Midway, comprising the carriers Enterprise and Hornet. Thus the Americans knew the Japanese planned to move toward Midway. It was his job to protect the landing force.[8]. 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. The Eastern Orthodox Church developed from the church in Constantinople. My personal congratulations. The defeat effectively destroyed the Japanese Navy's air arm. 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). At Midway, Spruance's force inflicted on the Imperial Japanese Navy its worst setback in 350 years. He commanded U.S. naval forces during one of the most significant naval battles that took place in the Pacific Theatre: the Battle of the Philippine Sea. He graduated from Shortridge High School and went on to the U.S. He was appointed as Ambassador to the Philippines by President Harry S. Truman, and served there from 1952 to 1955. In the footnote Morison says, Admiral Spruance, in commenting on the first draft of this volume, requested that I delete victor at and substitute who commanded a carrier task force at, butI have let it stand. Privacy Policy, Admiral Raymond Spruance served in US Navy during. I am lazy, and I never have done things myself that I could get someone to do for me. northwestward of Midway. In this state the Japanese carriers would be extremely vulnerable. Raymond A. Spruance. Naval History and Heritage Command, "Biography of Raymond A. Spruance Press Release July 24, 1941, United States Navy Department", "Adm Spruance's Fitrep after Battle of Midway", Citation, Navy Cross, Raymond A. Spruance, "Admiral Raymond Ames Spruance America's Navy", "News Release: Navy Names Two New Guided Missile Destroyers", "War & Remembrance (Part 3) (May 26 July 25, 1942)", "War & Remembrance (Part 3) (May 26 July 25, 1942) 1988", Pacific Crucible: War at Sea in the Pacific, 19411942, The Conquering Tide: War in the Pacific Islands, 19421944, Twilight of the Gods: War in the Western Pacific, 19441945, United States Ambassadors to the Philippines, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Raymond_A._Spruance&oldid=1137739908, Ambassadors of the United States to the Philippines, High Commissioners of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army), Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States), Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Articles with dead external links from July 2022, Articles with dead external links from December 2020, Articles with permanently dead external links, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2016, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 6 February 2023, at 05:43. 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. Naval Academy in 1906,[5] and received further, hands-on education in electrical engineering a few years later. McClusky led one squadron, VB-6, against the carrier Kaga, while the other Enterprise squadron pounced on Nagumos flagship, Akagi. The assault began at dawn on November 20, 1943, and the fighting raged for 76 hours. His father wanted him to go to West Point, but young Raymond yearned to go to sea. 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. That December he was elevated to rear admiral, and in February 1940 he was placed in command of the 10th Naval District (Caribbean), with his headquarters in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Morisons text refers to Spruance, victor at Midway. Lieutenant Commander Maxwell Leslies VB-3 from Yorktown attacked the carrier Soryu. Besides his family, he loved the companionship of his pet schnauzer, Peter. He was raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. Akagi and Kaga subsequently went down. HistoryNet.com contains daily features, photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines. [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. Subscribe to receive our weekly newsletter with top stories from master historians. 1155 (August 1946): 144-157. No matter what other people tell you, your decision was correct". President Franklin D. Roosevelt nominated Spruance for promotion to full admiral on February 10, 1944, and he was approved. Admiral Nimitz praised Spruance for a remarkable job. Japanese Admiral and a pioneer in aircraft carrier warfare. 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. A bust of Spruance is in the lobby. On 13 May 1945, Admiral Raymond Spruance put pen to paper and described the second kamikaze attack he experienced at Okinawa. At Midway, Spruance's force inflicted on the Imperial Japanese Navy its worst setback in 350 years. 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. The Japanese managed to inflict only superficial damage on three ships. HistoryLearning.com. The American toll was 1,100 dead and almost 2,300 wounded. . This was in July 1938, and this time he was the battleships commander. The battle commenced on the morning of June4; the first several waves of U.S. attack aircraft were badly beaten, both near Midway and at sea around the Japanese task force. [11] Although Spruance was proven as a cruiser division commander, he had no experience handling carrier-air combat; Halsey reassured Nimitz, and he told Spruance and Fletcher to rely on their newly inherited staff, particularly Captain Miles Browning, a battle-proven expert in carrier warfare. 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 From there, he went on to graduate from the U.S. It was spotted by scouts from the USS Hornet and destroyed by planes from the Enterprise. Three bombs hammered her. 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. Lieutenant aboard the Hiryu who led and was killed during the first Japanese counterattack after the sinking of 3 Japanese aircraft carriers. 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