His achievements were well-known, but the man himself was a mystery. All four of Japans aircraft carriers were sunk, devastating Japans ambitions in the Pacific. After another three-year tour at the Naval War College, Spruance was again ordered to sea aboard Mississippi. Four days after the invasion, all immediate objectives had been taken, and by February 8, 1944, all organized resistance had ceased. British Royal Navy units helped support the landings. In April 1942 he offered support to carriers that launched the Doolittle Raid, an air raid on Tokyo and other parts of Honshu island. society in the 1950s? Then he returned to the Naval War College as a staff member. It was June 4, Admiral Raymond A. Spruance and Admira Fletcher had to engage four Japanese ships in the Battle of Midway. Biographies, 20th century collection, Navy Department Library, Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, Spruance, Raymond A. [Admiral Spruance wrote this foreward for Mitsuo Fuchida's book, Midway, The Battle That Doomed Japan; The Japanese Navy's . Historian Samuel Eliot Morison believed he was one of the greatest fighting and thinking admirals in American naval history. But we went in and took their possessions in a few days, without the loss of a single ship. 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. 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. 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. D. Suburban America, 100 POINTS! 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. With their 233 planes and crews at the ready, the three U.S. flattops were stationed well north of Midway, out of sight of enemy reconnaissance planes. His air group is credited with the sinking of 4 Japanese aircraft carriers during Midway. 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. After Rome fell, the bishop of Constantinople became the most pow . Promoted to captain the following year, he departed to take the position of Chief of Staff and Aide to Commander Destroyers, Scouting Fleet in May 1933. Most of Nagumo's attack planes had just returned from the first strike on Midway and were immobilized on the carrier hangers, while his combat air patrol cover planes were engaged with battling torpedo bombers from Hornet. Raymond Ames Spruance (July 3, 1886 - December 13, 1969) was a United States Navy admiral in World War II. erful leader. 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. The surviving carrier, Hiry, gave the Japanese some brief respite by sending strikes that again damaged Yorktown. [22] Spruance later chose the battleship USSNew Jersey as his flagship, as the huge Iowa-class battleship had both room for his staff and the speed to keep up with the fast carrier task forces. While one was at sea, the other would be planning their next operation. Graduating from Annapolis three years later, he served two years at sea before receiving his commission as an ensign on September 13, 1908. All three were eventually scuttled. The first Japanese airstrike was followed by another. He was raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. Kennedy Hickman is a historian, museum director, and curator who specializes in military and naval history. He did not discuss his private life, feelings, prejudices, hopes or fears, except with his family and his closest friends. 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. 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. Admiral William L. Calhoun saw him as a cold-blooded fighting fool. The Battle of Midway infused the U.S. Pacific Navy with confidence. Only 17 of the islands 4,690 Japanese defenders survived to become prisoners. Capturing and occupying Midway was the brainchild-plan of commander-in-chief of the Combined Fleet, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. Besides his family, he loved the companionship of his pet schnauzer, Peter. From 1952 to 1955 Spruance served as the American ambassador to Philippines. Japanese supporting aircraft carrier in the corresponding Aleutian Islands Invasion. The Battle of Midway was fought June 4-7, 1942, during World War II (1939-1945) and was the turning point of the war in the Pacific. Two minutes later, 37 dive bombers from Enterprise, led by Lt. Cmdr. This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. "Foreward for Midway." US Naval Institute Proceedings 81, no. On April 1, Spruance began the Battle of Okinawa. He began attendance at the Naval War College in 1926, and graduated in 1927. Morisons text refers to Spruance, victor at Midway. 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. Bombs destroyed the bridge of Kaga and set her ablaze from stem to stern. He enjoyed hot chocolate and would make it for himself every morning. After air assaults, two rocky islands, Kiska and Attu, were occupied by Japanese ground forces. [17], The Battle of Midway is considered by many to be a turning point of the war in the Pacific, along with the Guadalcanal campaign. 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. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/admiral-raymond-spruance-2360511. The young, ambitious officer was then assigned to Bainbridge, U.S. destroyer No. Spruance began World War II as a gunship admiral, commanding a division of . Subscribe to receive our weekly newsletter with top stories from master historians. United States Admiral in command of naval units on the Pacific Theatre in 1942. His entry in Whos Who in America was only three lines long (including his full name), and a footnote in Morisons monumental history of the U.S. Navy in World War II testifies to his modesty. At Midway, dive bombers from the Enterprise crippled sank four larger carriers of the Imperial Japanese Navy. 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. Locating the Japanese carriers as they were rearming and refueling their aircraft, American bombers inflicted massive damage and sank three. 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. [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. B. Jim Crow Laws 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. Spruance is depicted as the controversial victor of Midway by G. D. Spradlin in the 1988 TV miniseries War and Remembrance. She went down with Admiral Yamaguchi, an outstanding flag officer who, it was said, would have been Yamamotos successor had he lived. My mind is blank. The correct answer to this open question is the following. Mounting a tenacious defense, the Japanese held out for over a month. 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. "[16] Both Fletcher and Nimitz recommended Spruance for the Distinguished Service Medal for his role in the battle. Some people asked why he did not take take advantage of the chaotic scene to attack all of Japans air carriers. 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. D. The Pope lived in Constantinople. During WWII Italian Commandos Were Tasked to Ride Torpedoes. Spruance was calculating and cautious. The two admirals presented a contrast in styles as Spruance tended to be quiet and meticulous while Halsey was brash and more impetuous. This was followed by an assault on Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands on January 31, 1944. [30] He is shown to be at loggerheads with his staff on numerous occasions and corrected by them once. 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. [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. Biographies, 20th century collection, Navy Department Library. "Admiral Raymond Spruance". northwestward of Midway. He died on 13 December 1969 at the age of 83. [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." Raymond Spruance was born in Baltimore on July 3, 1886, the son of Alexander and Annie Spruance. 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