Raymond Spruance

Raymond Ames Spruance (July 3rd, 1886 - December 13rd, 1969) was an admiral of the Marine of the United States during the Second world war. Craftsman of the American victory at the time of the Battle of Midway, it directed a great number of offensive within the framework of the countryside of the Pacific.

Youth

Born with Baltimore, Spruance was graduate naval Académie of Year in 1907. It also had an electrotechnical diploma for the occupation of engineer in . After the First World War, Spruance ordered destroyers and studied with the naval College of the War (1926 - 1927).

In 1938, Spruance accepted the command of the battleship the Mississippi and became, two years later, the chief of the 10th naval District based with San Juan. It became contre admiral in December 1940.

Second world war

In the first months of the war, Spruance ordered a division of cruisers under the orders of the admiral William Halsey who directed the Task force 16.

When Halsey was prevented from taking share with the Bataille of Midway, Spruance took the head of TF 16, on recommendation of Halsey.

During this battle, with the head of TF 16 which included/understood two Porte-avions, Spruance made decisions which inflected the course of the battle and thus of the war.

When Halsey took again its station in June 1942, Spruance became chief of staff of the commander-in-chief of the Fleet of the Pacific, the admiral Chester Nimitz. The following year, it was promoted admiral and became the second of Nimitz. This station, it played a crucial role in the planning of the offensives in the Pacific.

In September 1943, it became ordering Force of the Pacific Center, which became the 5th Fleet in April 1944. During this command, Spruance generally used the US Indianapolis like flagship. This station, Spruance directed the offensives which led to the capture of the islands Gilbert, of the Marshall Islands, the the Northern Marianna Islands, Iwo Jima and Okinawa, and demolished the Japanese fleet in June 1944 at the time of the Bataille of the Filipino Sea.

Spruance ordered the fleet of the Pacific until in 1946. He then became president of the naval College of the War and left the Navy in July 1948. Of 1952 with 1955, he was ambassador with the Filipino . He died in Pebble Beach (California) in 1969.

US Spruance, the first destroyer anti submarines of the class Spruance , was baptized in its honor in 1972

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