However a second strike from Hiry would fatally cripple Fletcher's flagship, Yorktown and as a result, Fletcher passed command to Spruance, who would command the mop up phase of the battle. Aboard the Japanese flattops, many torpedo-carrying planes were waiting for fighters to take off as the American planes dived. He was then 55. 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 commanded the battleship USS Mississippi from April 1938 to December 1939, when he was promoted to rear admiral. At Midway, dive bombers from the Enterprise crippled sank four larger carriers of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Carrier units of his force penetrated waters of the Japanese homeland and Nansei Shoto. A total of 1,132 enemy planes were put out of action. His tour of sea duty ended in 1921, and he spent the next three years with the Navy Departments Bureau of Engineering and the Doctrine of Aircraft board. [3] After the war, Spruance was appointed President of the Naval War College, and later served as American ambassador to the Philippines. That is how the US navy could inflict great damage to the Japanese fleet and aircraft. A number of torpedo squadrons from the airfields and carriers launch attacks on the Japanese carriers but score no hits and almost all planes involved were shot down. The attack fails to destroy any airfields or major targets. [Admiral Spruance wrote this foreward for Mitsuo Fuchida's book, Midway, The Battle That Doomed Japan; The Japanese Navy's . 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. Following the campaign, Spruance turned the fleet over to Halsey and began planning operations to capture Iwo Jima. >A few days later, Mitscher rejoined Spruance and the Fifth Fleet. When Midway began on June 4, 1942 the first few waves of U.S. aircraft were greatly outnumbered by Japanese forces. Despite this, some detractors argued that Spruances tactics at Philippine Sea were overly cautious. The fourth was a choice between Halsey and Spruance, and after much deliberation, eventually Halsey was appointed in December 1945. This occurred at the same time that Admiral Turner's forces were attacking Eniwetok Atoll in the Marshalls, about 700 miles to the east. 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. 108 planes under Juichi Tomanaga bomb and strafe Midway. In May 1914, Spruance received a posting as Assistant to the Inspector of Machinery at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company. Answer: 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. 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 . 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. The three-day operation was the most extensive ever undertaken by carriers. Historian Morison later described Spruances performance at Midway as superb. McClusky led one squadron, VB-6, against the carrier Kaga, while the other Enterprise squadron pounced on Nagumos flagship, Akagi. 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. 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. 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. Two minutes later, 37 dive bombers from Enterprise, led by Lt. Cmdr. Spruances performance at Midway so impressed Admiral Nimitz that he made him his chief of staff. Most common sailors were proud to serve under Halsey; most higher-ranking officers preferred to serve under Spruance. On December 30, 1914, Spruance married Margaret Vance Dean, the daughter of an Indianapolis businessman. Nagumo ordered his planes rearmed on their return. "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. This site is using cookies under cookie policy . 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. 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. In May 1942, intelligence suggested that the Japanese were planning on assaulting Midway Island. The surviving carrier, Hiry, gave the Japanese some brief respite by sending strikes that again damaged Yorktown. Raymond Spruance was born in Baltimore on July 3, 1886, the son of Alexander and Annie Spruance. United States airbase targeted by the Japanese in preparation to invade Hawaii. During WWII Italian Commandos Were Tasked to Ride Torpedoes. Lieutenant in command of the USS Yorktown air group. 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. In July 1941, his responsibilities were expanded to include oversight of the Caribbean Sea Frontier. Spruance rewarded his trust by playing a decisive role in the US victory at the Battle Of Midway. 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. Flagship of Kakuta. Adding to the surprise factor was the fact that Admirals Yamamoto and Nagumo did not believe the U.S. Pacific Fleet was at sea. 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]. The Japanese carriers were beginning to launch fighters as Torpedo 8 roared down to attack, without fighter cover. 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. Historian Samuel Eliot Morison believed he was one of the greatest fighting and thinking admirals in American naval history. Before Midway, a small and fractional U.S. Navy faced an overwhelmingly larger and battle-hardened Japanese Combined Fleet. Retribution was not long in coming. 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. When you moved into Admiral Spruance's command, the printed instructions were up to date, and you did things in accordance with them.[19]. When not in command of the fleet the admirals, and their staffs, were based at Pearl Harbor and planned future operations. During the operation, the Fifth Fleet burned up 630 million gallons of fuelmore than the entire Pacific Fleet used in 1943. Japanese aircraft carrier attached to the Main Body of the fleet and saw close to no action. Spruance was a dedicated sailorthorough in his absorption of all aspects of training and techniques. He has appeared on The History Channel as a featured expert. So he changed course northeastward, avoiding the first wave of dive bombers launched against him from Spruances carriers. Biographies, 20th century collection, Navy Department Library. US Naval Task Force under Frank Fletcher with aircraft carrier Yorktown. At Midway, Spruance's force inflicted on the Imperial Japanese Navy its worst setback in 350 years. I am lazy, and I never have done things myself that I could get someone to do for me. He was fond of symphonic music, and his tastes were generally simple. Five days after the Marshalls campaign, Spruance sent the Mitscher force to attack Tinian and Saipan in the Mariana Islands. Spruances naval guns started their bombardment two days later. Just before the planned invasion of Midway island in June 1942, Halsey suddenly became ill with shingles. During the last year of World War I he was assigned as Assistant Engineer Officer of the New York Naval Shipyard, and carried out temporary duty in London, England and Edinburgh, Scotland. Japanese supporting aircraft carrier in the corresponding Aleutian Islands Invasion. "World War II: Admiral Raymond Spruance." 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. On 13 May 1945, Admiral Raymond Spruance put pen to paper and described the second kamikaze attack he experienced at Okinawa. >On March 29, 1944, Admiral Spruance took tactical command of a three-pronged assault against the Palau Islands, 550 miles east of the Philippines, and against Yap Island and Ulithi Atoll in the western Carolines. Then he returned to the Naval War College as a staff member. In April, Nimitz divided command of the Central Pacific Force between Spruance and Halsey. 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. Since the Japanese planes were returning from the Midway strike, Spruance ordered that his strike be launched without delay so as to maximize the chances that the Japanese carriers would be caught while landing planes or spotting the next wave. B. Jim Crow Laws Meanwhile, Task Force 58 was busy in the forefront of clearing the Japanese from the 600-mile-long Marianas chain. Navy Secretary Frank Knox said of Kwajalein: The Japanese had been there 20 years. The Turning Point in the Pacific. 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. A. Desegregation of Society Admiral Nimitz praised Spruance for a remarkable job. During World War II, he was commander in the . 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. Admiral Raymond Spruance on the balcony of the U.S. Embassy, Manila, while serving as U.S. She went down with Admiral Yamaguchi, an outstanding flag officer who, it was said, would have been Yamamotos successor had he lived. While one was at sea, the other would be planning their next operation. Admiral Spruance commanded with deadly precision, reported an observer. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/admiral-raymond-spruance-2360511. Admiral Raymond A. Spruance displayed outstanding leadership and command capabilities during the battle that turned the tide in the Pacific. Critical for the defense of Hawaii, the commander of the US Pacific Fleet, Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, intended to dispatch Halsey to block the enemy thrust. I can thank heredity for a sound constitution, and myself for taking care of that constitution. As part of this reorganization, the force became known as the Fifth Fleet when Spruance was in charge and the Third Fleet when Halsey was in command. Four years later, President Harry S. Truman appointed him as Ambassador to the Republic of the Philippines. It was hit multiple times by aircraft from the IJN Hiryu and later torpedoed by a Japanese submarine before sinking. Japanese aircraft carrier squadron under the command of Chuichi Nagumo in command of aircraft carriers Akagi, Kaga, Soryu, and Hiryu. Admiral Raymond Spruance served in US Navy during World War Two. 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. "[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]. Ambassador to the Philippines in 1952-55. Admiral Spruance commanded with deadly precision, reported an observer.[20]. 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. 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. Then U.S. dive bombers from Spruance's Enterprise flew to Nagumo's fleet of four carriers which, fatefully, were without air cover. 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. Hickman, Kennedy. Akagi class Japanese aircraft carrier that served as the flagship of Admiral Nagumo. Pratt, F. "Spruance: Picture of the Admiral," Harpers Magazine 193, no. He was survived by his wife and a daughter, Mrs. Gerald S. Bogart of Newport, R.I. His only son, Navy Captain Edward D. Spruance, who served for 30 years, was killed in a car accident in Marin County, Calif., in May 1969. 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. Early in his career he was Not till many months later did American intelligence ferret out the facts."[33]. 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. On June 4, Spruance and Fletcher engaged four Japanese carriers at the Battle of Midway. Spruance was calculating and cautious. Spruance received the Navy Cross for his actions at Iwo Jima and Okinawa.[23]. In the seven-week campaign, 55 Japanese ships were sunk, five probably sunk and 74 damaged. In one incident a distraught officer rushed to report, "Captain, we've just dropped a depth charge over the stern!" These plans proved moot when the war came to an abrupt end in early August with the use of the atom bomb. 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. 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