Chester William Nimitz (February 24th 1885, Fredericksburg, Texas - February 20th 1966) was an American admiral . During the Second world war, he was commander-in-chief of the forces of the United States in the Pacific. He was ordering fleets of American submarines and was chief of the office of navigation in 1939.

Biography

Nimitz was born with Fredericksburg in the state from the Texas where its house was converted into museum. His/her father died little of time before his birth and it is his/her grandfather, Charles H. Nimitz, who dealt with most of his education. Former sailor within the German merchant marine, Charles Nimitz inculcated in his grandson the values of the navy and the passion of navigation.

Beginning of military career

Nimitz tried to enter to the Military academy of West Point in order to become officer in the Army but there was no more place available. The member of the congress, James L. Slayden, indicated to him that there remained a place of free in the navy, with the naval Académie of Year, but which it was reserved best to candidates. Nimitz then studied with even more spirit in order to take down this place. It was integrated within the academy in 1901 and was promoted in January 1905, placed at the 7th rank on 144 students.

It joined the Cuirassé '' Ohio '' (BB-12) with San Francisco on which it sailed in water of the Far East. In September 1906, it is transferred on the '' Baltimore '' (C-3) and the January 31st 1907, after two years at sea as required by the law, it obtains the rank of sign. Stationed in Asia in 1907, it was useful successively on the '' Panay '', the '' Decatur '' and the '' Denver ''.

Old 22 years, the Enseigne Nimitz was placed at the command of the Decatur , an old man passably damaged Destroyer who patrolled in water of Philippines. One night, Nimitz and its crew carried out a bad operation and failed on a sand bank. In spite of the bad quality or the absence of the maritime charts at the time, Nimitz was sent in martial Cour to have put in danger a ship of the marine. It accepted a letter of reprimand and this incident could have had fatal consequences for its military career but it of it was finally nothing.

Nimitz went back to the United States on the 4th '' Ranger '' when the vessel was converted into training ship and in July 1909, it began its instruction in the first flotilla of Sous-marins, a field where it carried out most of its service. In May of the same year, it accepted the command of the flotilla in addition to the direct command of the '' Plunger '', later renamed A-1 . It ordered '' Snapper '' (later famous in C-5 ) starting from the February 2nd 1910 and of the '' Narwhal '' ( D-1 ) starting from the November 18th 1910. During this last command, it had to be occupied moreover, as of the October 10th 1911, of the command of the 3rd division of submarines destroyers in the Atlantic (the 3rd Submarine Division Atlantic Torpedo Fleet ). In November 1911, it was sent to the Boston Navy Yard to attend the setting in water of the '' Skipjack '' of which it was going to ensure the command starting from the February 14th 1912. The March 20th 1912, lieutenant Nimitz carried help to the second class W.J. Walsh which was drowning. It accepted the Silver Lifesaving Medal for this heroic act. After having ordered the flotilla of submarines posted in the Atlantic (between May 1912 and March 1913), it supervised the construction of the diesel engines for the Ship cistern '' Maumee '' (AO-2), which was in the course of assembly with the New London Ship and Engine Building based with Groton in the Connecticut. In April 1913, it Maria with Catherine Vance Freeman.

First World War

During the summer 1913, it studied the design of the engines in factories of diesel engines located at Nuremberg in Germany like with Ghent in Belgium. Of return to the New York Navy Yard, he became executive officer and engineer on the Maumee sent to the service the October 23rd 1916. The August 10th 1917, Nimitz was placed at the row of second of the admiral Samuel S. Robinson, ordering forces of American submarines of the Atlantic fleet.

The February 6th 1918, it was named chief of staff and accepted a distinction for its service méritoire. The September 16th 1918, it was sent to the office of the chief of the naval operations and on October 25th, it continued its service with the mention of Senior Member of the committee of design of the submarines.

Between two-wars

From May 1919 at June 1920, Nimitz was used for edge of the '' South Carolina '' (BB-26) as an executive officer. It ordered then the '' Chicago '' (CA-14) and was seen entrusting the command of the 14th division of submarines based to Pearl Harbor. It went back to the United States during the summer 1922 and undertook studies with the Naval War College with Newport, Rhode Island. In June 1923, it was named assistance and chief of staff assisting of the commander of the fleet of combat, and later assisting of the commander-in-chief of the fleet of the United States. In August 1926, it went to Berkeley in order to set up the first unit of the Reserve Officers' Training Body of the marine.

Nimitz lost an end of its finger following an accident with a diesel engine, event which could have been more serious if it had not carried this day its received ring to the academy of Year. He also suffered from a serious infection to the ears which made it partly deaf. He compensated for his handicap while becoming a good reader on the lips.

In June 1929, it took the command of the 20th division of submarines. In June 1931, it ensured the command of the '' Rigel '' (AR-11) and of the destroyers based San Diego in California. In October 1933, it took the orders of the '' Augusta '' (CA-31) and carried out a mission in the Far East. In December of the same year, the Augusta became the building admiral of the fleet of Asia. In April 1935, it turned over on the American continent and worked as an assistant as a chief of the office of navigation, before becoming ordering the 2nd division of cruisers of the force of combat. In September 1938, it was named with the head of the 1st division of battleships of the force of combat. The June 15th 1939, Nimitz reached the post of head of the office of navigation.

Second world war

The Second world war burst little of time before the arrival of Nimitz to the head of the office of navigation. Ten days after the attack on Pearl Harbor the December 7th 1941, Roosevelt named it commander-in-chief of the fleet of the United States in the Pacific (CINCPAC) with the rank of effective Admiral starting from the December 31st. Nimitz ensured the management of the naval units the one of the most critical moments of the war in the Pacific and, in spite of the lack of resources at its disposal, it succeeds in organizing the first defense to slow down the Japanese projection.

It was helped in its company by all its staff, whose members came mainly from the staff of the admiral Kimmel in load of Pearl Harbor at the time of the attack. The March 24th 1942, the staff combined (the Combined Chiefs off Staff including/understanding American and British soldiers) indicated the theater of the Pacific like a strategic zone under American control. Six days later, the Joint Chiefs off Staff (JCS) divided the zone into three parts: the POA ( Pacific Ocean Areas ), the SWPA ( Southwest Pacific Area managed by the general Douglas MacArthur) and the SEPA ( South East Pacific Area ). Nimitz was placed at the head of the POA with the title of commander-in-chief (CINCPOA). Its role was not limited thus any more to the navy but it took the command of the whole of the allied forces (air, ground and sea) in this zone.

As the ships and the men became available, Nimitz launched them in the offensive and gained battles as the Bataille of the Coral sea, the Bataille of Midway or the countryside in the the Solomon Islands.

October 7th, 1943, he became commander-in-chief of the fleet of the Pacific and the POA. An act of the Congress, approval the December 14th 1944, set up the rank of admiral of fleet of the marine of the United States, the highest rank of the American marine. The following day, with the approval of the Senate, Roosevelt allotted this rank lately created to Nimitz. The admiral lent oath the December 19th 1944.

During the final stages of the war in the Pacific, Nimitz launched the offensive on the Northern Marianna Islands and invades Saipan. It inflicted a decisive defeat with the Japanese fleet during the Bataille of the sea of Philippines. It seized the remainder of the islands of which Guam and Tinian which was going to become important base camps for the American bombers. Its naval forces succeeded in insulating the enemy bastions in the Caroline islands and made safe quickly Peleliu, Angaur, and Ulithi. In the Filipino , the American fleet pushed back the Japanese navy with a turning in favor of the Americans during the Bataille of the gulf of Leyte between the 24 and the October 26th 1944.

Nimitz pursued its long-term strategy thanks to amphibious attacks on Iwo Jima and Okinawa. He persuaded the Air Force to carry out bombardments on the Japanese ports and the maritime lines thanks to the B-29, an action concluded within the framework of the Operation Starvation which put at evil the Japanese logistics and supply.

In January 1945, Nimitz moved its district-general of the fleet of the Pacific of Pearl Harbor towards Guam. The district-general remained on the island until the end of the war. His wife as for it remained on the continent during the war and did not join it whereas he was in Hawaii or Guam. The September 2nd 1945, Nimitz signed the act of capitulation of Japan on board the '' Missouri '' in the Baie of Tōkyō. The October 5th 1945, indicated Day of Nimitz to Washington, it accepted a gold star instead of the Distinguished Service Medal . President Truman mentioned his exceptional service as a commander-in-chief of the fleet of the Pacific and the oceanic zones of the Pacific, of June 1944 in August 1945 .

Post-war period

The November 26th 1945 its nomination as a commander-in-chief of the naval operations was confirmed by the Senate. It was effective starting from December 15th, date on which it raised the admiral Ernest King. Nimitz explicitly required of president Truman to have to ensure only one two years mandate this station. He then undertook the reorganization of the navy which had reached an important potential during the war but which was to now adapt to the post-war period. He set up the structures necessary for the active service and the units of reserve.

Lawsuit of Dönitz

Nimitz made a declaration under oath at the time of the Procès of Nuremberg about the use of the submarines during the conflict. It more particularly related to the rescue of the shipwrecked men. The German admiral Karl Dönitz had given the order during the war not to undertake such aid operations. Nimitz affirmed that it had ordered a similar instruction in order to avoid putting in danger the safety of the submarines.

With was the question “current in such zones (of theater of the operations) to proceed with the submarines to attacks of the trading vessels without warning, except for their and of those of the allies? ”, Nimitz answered “Yes, except for the medical ships, other vessels under control, and of the transits for humane reasons”. With the second question which asked to him whether it had received such orders, Nimitz declared “the Chief of the Naval Operations ordered on December 7th, 1941 a use without restriction of the submarines in the war against Japan. ” In spite of the loads in its opposition, Dönitz was not condemned to not died what can let think that the intervention of Nimitz had enabled him to consolidate its defense significantly.

Reprocess

The December 15th 1947, it left its post of head of the naval operations as envisaged. As the row of admiral of fleet was regarded as a distinction with life, it continued to be officially in active service with the revenues and the benefit which resulted from this. His wife and moved to him with Berkeley in California where her three daughters, her son (official of Navy) as her former collaborators visited him. After a serious fall of the admiral in 1964, Nimitz left Berkeley to settle in districts of the navy on the island of Yerba Buena in the Baie of San Francisco.

In San Francisco, Nimitz occupied the primarily honorary station of special assistant of the secretary of the navy for the western zone. He worked then within the historical Foundation of the Navy, and worked to bring closer the American and Japanese armies (restoration of the flagship ordered by Heihachirō Tōgō, the battleship Mikasa , at the time of the Bataille of Tsushima in 1905).

In 1949, Nimitz was named administrator with the Cachemire, under the flag of the the United Nations, but the deterioration of the relations between the India and the Pakistan ruined the diplomatic mission. Of 1948 with 1956, he was regent of the the University of California. This one paid homage to him the October 17th 1964 at the time of the Nimitz Day .

Nimitz forever tempted to benefit from its participation in the war and refused to write its memories. He thought that any reflection on the conflict would not help the navy and that was not to pay homage to those which had died in the combat. Towards the end 1965, Nimitz had an attack, worsened by a pneumonia. It was allowed with the military hospital of Oak Knoll in California. In January 1966, the doctors let it return at his place. He died the evening of the February 20th 1966 in his residence in the first military district of Yerba Buena.

He was buried with the Golden Spoils National Cemetery with San Bruno in California, the very same day where he was to celebrate his 81e birthday.

Decorations

American army

  • Navy Distinguished Service Medal
  • Army Distinguished Service Medal
  • Silver Lifesaving Medal
  • Interallied Medal 1914-1918
  • American Defense Service Medal
  • Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
  • World War II Victory Medal
  • National Defense Service Medal

Foreign armies

Family

Chester and Catherine Nimitz had four children:

  • Catherine Vance (born in 1914)

  • Chester, Jr., (1915-2002), graduate in 1936 of the Academy of the navy, submariner until in 1957, reprocessed with the rank of Rear Admiral
  • Anna Elizabeth Nimitz, said Nancy (1919-2003), specialist in the Soviet economy to the RAND Corporation
  • Mary Aquinas (1931-2006), sister of the Order of the Preachers, professor of biology to the Dominican University of California with important functions in research

Homages

A Aircraft carrier (CVN 68) as well as a class of aircraft carrier of the American navy bear its name. The Nimitz Freeway (Interstate 880) connects the parts is and southern bay of San Francisco.

References

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