Admiral Raymond Spruance
Raymond Spruance won the battle of Midway and was among the least demonstrative commanders of the war. Born in Baltimore in 1886, he graduated from Annapolis in 1907, specialised in electrical engineering, and spent his career largely in destroyers and in staff and teaching posts, with a reputation for reticence, walking for exercise and thinking before speaking. He commanded a cruiser division and had no aviation background whatever when, days before Midway in June 1942, Halsey was hospitalised with a skin condition and recommended Spruance to replace him in command of the carriers. At Midway he launched at extreme range on the strength of a scouting report, accepting that some aircraft would not get back. The torpedo bombers were destroyed almost to a man and drew the Japanese fighter cover down to sea level; the dive bombers arrived overhead unopposed and sank three carriers in a few minutes, and a fourth that afternoon. He then declined to pursue westward into the night, judging that the Japanese had superior surface forces and would welcome a night action. The decision was criticised and is now generally accepted as correct. He became chief of staff to Nimitz and then commanded the Fifth Fleet through the central Pacific — the Gilberts, the Marshalls, the Marianas, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. At the Philippine Sea in 1944 he again refused to be drawn away from the invasion beaches, which cost him the chance to destroy the Japanese fleet and protected the landing. He declined publicity, refused to write memoirs, and died in 1969.
- Lived: 1886 CE – 1969 CE
- Nationality: American
- Roles: admiral
