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. Yorktowns planes hit Soryu as she was turning into the wind to launch aircraft. He enjoyed hot chocolate and would make it for himself every morning. Admiral Raymond Spruance on the balcony of the U.S. Embassy, Manila, while serving as U.S. For more great articles subscribe to World War II magazine today! 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. The USS Enterprise ambushes and sinks the Hiryu. He has appeared on The History Channel as a featured expert. The small Marine Corps garrison scrambled its handful of Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat and Brewster F2A-3 Buffalo fighters, but they were too weak and slow to deter the Japanese. 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. Japanese naval force tasked with the invasion of the Aleutian Islands under Vice Admiral Kakuta with aircraft carriers Junyo and Ryuho. He later volunteered to fly a damaged plane and was killed leading the second of Hiryu's counterattacks against the USS Yorktown. [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. Raymond Ames Spruance (July 3, 1886 - December 13, 1969) was a United States Navy admiral during World War II.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 also commanded Task Force 16 at the Battle of Midway, comprising the carriers Enterprise and Hornet. U.S. losses were low: 25 airplanes and 18 lives. It was spotted by scouts from the USS Hornet and destroyed by planes from the Enterprise. The combined American force consisted of three carriers, eight cruisers, 15 destroyers, 12 submarines and 353 aircraft, ranged against a grand total of 200 Japanese vessels and 700 planes. 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 Turning Point in the Pacific. Fit into his 70s, Spruance spent most of his retirement days wearing old khakis and work shoes and working in his garden and greenhouse; he loved to show them to visitors. 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. 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. His squadron successfully ambushed and sank 3 Japanese Aircraft Carriers, Lieutenant in command of the USS Hornet air group. Landing troops on Saipan on June 15, he defeated Vice Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa at the Battle of the Philippine Sea a few days later. With the island's fall, Spruance immediately moved forward with Operation Iceberg. He never did things the same way twice. On the afternoon of June 4, 24 American dive bombersincluding 10 refugees from Yorktownscored four hits on Hiryu. Meanwhile, his search planes found no sign of any American warships. Besides his family, he loved the companionship of his pet schnauzer, Peter. He disliked personal publicity and had a reputation for freezing reporters who invaded his privacy. After working to defend neutral American shipping from German U-boats, Spruance received orders to take over Cruiser Division Five in September 1941. 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). 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. During WWII Italian Commandos Were Tasked to Ride Torpedoes. At the end of the Second World War Congress created a limited number of five-star ranks for the Army and the Navy, designated General of the Army and Fleet Admiral. 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. transmitted as a message) to Rear Admirals Frank Jack Fletcher and Raymond Spruance on the eve of the battle of Midway To quote a U S Navy website, "Nimitz clearly . Launched the planes that were responsible for the sinking of nearly all 4 Japanese Carriers at Midway. 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. 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]. Yorktown and Task Force 17 were under the command of Rear Adm. Frank Jack Fletcher. Leaving, he assumed command of USS Mississippi. He is responsible for the Japanese battle plan to attack Midway and the Aleutian Islands. The Navy, by law, was limited to four Fleet Admirals; three of these appointments were obvious: Ernest King, Chester Nimitz and William Leahy. Terms of Use| They would draw them north to deal with a Japanese invasion in the bleak Aleutian Islands, and then strike at unprotected Midway. After air assaults, two rocky islands, Kiska and Attu, were occupied by Japanese ground forces. 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. In the course of a two-hour interview, he stood or walked about all the timenot restlessly, but slowly and deliberately. This site is using cookies under cookie policy . Photograph Courtesy of the US Naval History & Heritage Command. >The fleet units shielding the Marianas invasion forces were also under Spruances command. 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). In April, Nimitz divided command of the Central Pacific Force between Spruance and Halsey. Raymond Spruance was born in Baltimore on July 3, 1886, the son of Alexander and Annie Spruance. United States Aircraft Carrier attached to Task Force 16. Early on, Halsey had led his task force on hit-and-run raids against the Japanese in the western Pacific: striking the Gilbert and Marshall islands in February 1942, Wake Island in March, and projecting the air power of the Doolittle Raid against the Japanese homeland in April. How can these and the knowledge they provide be used to spread His Word? Admiral Spruance died on 13 December 1969, at his home in Pebble Beach , California. Analyzing Information How does Admiral Spruance explain the U.S. victory [Admiral Spruance wrote this foreward for Mitsuo Fuchida's book, Midway, The Battle That Doomed Japan; The Japanese Navy's . Admiral Spruance explained the U.S. victory at Midway in the following way. He was raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. 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. Raymond Ames Spruance as Ambassador to the Republic of the Philippines Admiral Raymond A. Spruance, Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher, Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz and Vice Admiral Willis A. Lee - 1945 HistoryLearning.com. Japanese aircraft carrier squadron under the command of Chuichi Nagumo in command of aircraft carriers Akagi, Kaga, Soryu, and Hiryu. A. Calm, collected, decisive, yet receptive to advice; keeping in his mind the picture of widely disparate forces, yet boldly seizing every opening. Four fleet carriers and the heavy cruiser Mikuma were sunk; a cruiser, three destroyers, an oiler and a battleship were damaged. On November 24, Spruance relieved Nimitz as Commander, US Pacific Fleet. Navy.[4]. 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. He was then ordered to the China station, with sea duty aboard the battleship Connecticut and the cruiser Cincinnati. He was promoted to captain in 1932, and the following year he was assigned as chief of staff and aide to the commander of a destroyer scouting force. Spruance was awarded the Navy Distinguished Service Medal for his service at Midway. 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 Graduating from Annapolis three years later, he served two years at sea before receiving his commission as an ensign on September 13, 1908. 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. Spruance's first duty assignment was aboard the battleship USSIowa, an 11,400 ton veteran of the SpanishAmerican War. The Battle of Midway was the first major victory for the United States over Japan and is seen by many as . It faced a Japanese invasion fleet organized into two groups: the air-attack task force of four carriers with support ships under command of Admiral Chichi Nagumo, and the surface and occupation forces under Admiral Nobutake Kond and others. It was his job to protect the landing force.[8]. Although some historians and many newsmen have written many words about Admiral Raymond A. Spruance, U.S. Navy and his brilliant career in the Pacific in World War II, the complete story of this reserved and self-effacing man . This was followed by a promotion to Deputy Commander in Chief, US Pacific Fleet in September. United States Rear Admiral in command of Task Force 17 on the USS Yorktown. 31, 2021, thoughtco.com/admiral-raymond-spruance-2360511. 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. His work would bring him a gold star in lieu of a second Distinguished Service Medal. During the attacks, the Japanese lost twelve warships, thirty-two merchant ships, and 249 aircraft. Lt. Kabayashi leads Japanese bombers from the Hiryu to attack the USS Yorktown. Japanese aircraft carrier attached to the Main Body of the fleet and saw close to no action. ), honoris causa degree from Central Philippine University in 1955, an institution of higher learning founded by the American Baptist missionary, William Orison Valentine in 1905. No matter what other people tell you, your decision was correct". But several hours laternear the end of daylight hoursa U.S. scout plane located Hiry again. Japanese Admiral and a pioneer in aircraft carrier warfare. "[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]. 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. Furthermore, Spruance ordered that the air squadrons fly directly to their targets before assembling every squadron into a proper formation, gambling that the attacks would leave the enemy carriers in disarray and delay the launching of their own counterstrike. [6], Following his return to the United States, Spruance served aboard transport ship USS Agamemnon, before he was ordered to Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine, for duty in connection with fitting out of destroyer USS Aaron Ward in March 1919. All three were eventually scuttled. Fifteen Buffaloes and two Wildcats were lost, but the garrisons anti-aircraft fire was effective. They met practically no opposition because most of the Zeros were still close to the water, not having had time to climb and counterattack. How did Paul's education He readied himself at Stevens Preparatory School in Hoboken, N.J., and entered Annapolis in July 1903 at age 17. King said to him "Spruance, you did a damn fine job there. He wrote the day after the attack and the same day he attended funeral services for the 54 Sailors and Marines killed in the attack. 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. Lieutenant in command of the USS Yorktown air group. US Naval Task force under Raymond Spruance with 2 carriers, Enterprise and Hornet. Fletcher would command Task Force 17, but the task force flag ship, USSYorktown, had been badly damaged at the Battle of the Coral Sea and the formation's other carrier, Lexington, had been sunk, but at Nimitz's behest Yorktown was patched-repaired in "rush" time purposefully to join the Midway operation.[11]. Aircraft carrier that served as the flagship of Task Force 17 and Admiral Fletcher. Japanese escort carrier that was mainly responsible for launching scouts attached to Combined Fleet main body. Admiral Yamaguchi and the Hiryu's captain decide to stay aboard the ship. "Foreward for Midway." US Naval Institute Proceedings 81, no. Successfully concluding operations, Spruance was promoted to admiral in February. One commentator said: The quick success of the offensive was attributed to the strategic daring by which Vice Admiral Spruances forces cut behind the eastern chain of the Marshalls. A squadron of US Dive bombers which had arrived late after getting lost ambush the Japanese carriers bombing and resulting in the sinking of three out of four carriers. 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. He died on 13 December 1969 at the age of 83. Though this gamble paid off, Enterprise air squadrons would pay a heavy price, flying in piece-meal and mostly without fighter escort. For about 20 minutes, fighters, dive bombers and torpedo bombers pounded the island, carefully avoiding damaging the runways because the Japanese hoped to eventually use them. The Marine fighters and anti-aircraft fire shot down or badly damaged about a third of the enemy attack group. He withdrew his ships westward, still hoping to draw Spruance into a trap. After his funeral, he was buried at Golden Gate National Cemetery near the grave of his wartime commander, Nimitz. [7], Spruance ran a quiet bridge, without chit-chat; he demanded that orders be given concisely and clearly. The following year, they made me executive officer of the transport Agamemnon, bringing troops home from France. 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. After these victories, Spruance went back to Pearl Harbour to assist with planning Japans invasion. He envied no one, rivaled no man, won the respect of almost everyone with whom he came in contact, and went ahead in his quiet way, winning victories for his country.When we come to the admirals who commanded at sea, and who directed a great battle, there was no one to equal Spruance. 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. Things did not look hopeful for Spruance and his force on the eve of Midway. Historian Samuel Eliot Morison believed he was one of the greatest fighting and thinking admirals in American naval history. 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. His father wanted him to go to West Point, but young Raymond yearned to go to sea. >A few days later, Mitscher rejoined Spruance and the Fifth Fleet. After three days of pre-invasion bombardment, Marines landed on Roi Islet and captured it the same day. All four of Japans aircraft carriers were sunk, devastating Japans ambitions in the Pacific. 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. "World War II: Admiral Raymond Spruance." Moving forward in mid-1944, Spruance embarked on a campaign in the Marianas Islands. At 10.26am on 4 June 1942 the course of World War Two in the Pacific changed utterly. It was interesting work, but I wouldnt want to do it for a living. And, off Okinawa, Spruance never faltered in face of the destruction wrought by the kamikazes. Raised in Indianapolis, IN, he attended school locally and graduated from Shortridge High School. 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 was fond of symphonic music, and his tastes were generally simple. In May 1914, Spruance received a posting as Assistant to the Inspector of Machinery at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company. Hickman, Kennedy. These attacks were followed by a raid against Marcus Island. Two years later, he aided in the fitting out of USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) then under construction in the yard. In July 1907 he transferred to the battleship Minnesota and was aboard her during the historic around the world cruise of the Great White Fleet from 1907 to 1909. 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. Akagi was lashed by bombs, which exploded torpedoes that were being loaded onto her planes, and the crew abandoned ship. Lt Tomanaga leads Japanese Torpedo Bombers to attack the remaining carriers. 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. Why was Chester W Nimitz important? On February 19, American forces landed and opened the Battle of Iwo Jima. I am lazy, and I never have done things myself that I could get someone to do for me. World War II: Admiral Raymond Spruance. Spruance expressed his personal feelings on this matter as follows: So far as my getting five star rank is concerned, if I could have got it along with Bill Halsey, that would have been fine; but, if I had received it instead of Bill Halsey, I would have been very unhappy over it. Admiral Raymond Spruance served in US Navy during World War Two. Fletcher quickly ordered his dive bombers to strike, which fatally damaged the fourth Japanese carrier; it was scuttled the next day. Raymond A. Spruance. And with this battle the American forces gained, and afterwards continued to gain, hard combat experience; so the Japanese lost that crucial advantage as well. 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. 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. For his actions at Iwo Jima and Okinawa, Spruance was awarded the Navy Cross. Japanese fleet in charge of landing army units on Midway. It was hit multiple times by aircraft from the IJN Hiryu and later torpedoed by a Japanese submarine before sinking. Just before the planned invasion of Midway island in June 1942, Halsey suddenly became ill with shingles. With Okinawa's fall in June, Spruance rotated back to Pearl Harbor to begin planning the invasion of Japan. 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. Born on 3 July 1886, Spruance graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1906. The Americans lost 74 carrier planes; the Japanese 80. Not till many months later did American intelligence ferret out the facts."[33]. . 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. 2015. As his staff worked, Halsey used the fleet to win the Battle of Leyte Gulf. The month before, American and Japanese naval units had fought the Battle of the Coral Sea, and both closely matched sides had suffered. He commanded the battleship USS Mississippi from April 1938 to December 1939, when he was promoted to rear admiral. Make sure to provide references and acknowledgement for any sources you use. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. The heavily fortified islands, former British possessions, were of strategic value because of their good landing strips and naval base. The Japanese navy could never accept this catastrophic loss. Admiral Spruance was buried with full honors alongside Admirals Nimitz and Kelly Turner in a military cemetery overlooking San Francisco Bay. Akagi class Japanese aircraft carrier that served as the flagship of Admiral Nagumo. For his actions, Spruance received the Distinguished Service Medal and, later that month, Nimitz named him as his Chief of Staff and Aide. Though the fourth, Hiryu, managed to launch bombers which caused critical damage to Yorktown, it too was sunk when American aircraft returned later in the day. In 1939 he was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral. He also held several engineering, intelligence, staff and Naval War College positions up to the 1940s. 1, and he commanded her until 1914. The correct answer to this open question is the following. 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. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. 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. 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