Chapter 13 Chapter Nine The General's General

Nimitz was counting on handing command of the assault force to Vice Admiral William Halsey.Bill [Translator's Note: Bill is William's nickname. 】‧Halsey is the most famous aircraft carrier commander in the United States.He's half sailor, half pilot, an all-rounder naval officer.He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1904.After his promotion to colonel and distinction, he turned to naval aviation.He qualified as a pilot at Pensacola in 1934.Later, he served as the first commander of the first and second aircraft carrier detachments.Since June 1940, he has served as the commander of the Air Force of the Main Fleet in peacetime, holding the rank of lieutenant general.He became the first naval hero of whom the Americans could be proud since the Pacific War because of his successful attack on enemy-occupied Marshall Islands, and, as the man who carried Jimmy Doolittle and his raid planes into Tokyo to bomb Tokyo. Voyage's Commander of the Sixteenth Task Force, Halsey was well known. [Note: For a description of Halsey, see Admiral Halsey. 】

Halsey was tall and athletic, but remarkably ugly.His deep-cut facial features and protruding brows are like the totem image of the bow of the old wooden battleship Delaware that Tecumseh currently has in the Naval Academy as a blessing.But he's also one of the most amiable people around.The officers and soldiers under him trusted him extremely.When a few American sailors get together, Halsey tends to be talked about, mostly true. According to the plan, the two aircraft carriers of Task Force 16 should enter the port on May 26.Nimitz waited eagerly, but remained outwardly calm and collected.At 11:58 that day, the Enterprise entered berth F|2 on Ford Island.Seven minutes later, the Hornet stopped at berth F|10|S. [Note: Logbook of Enterprise and Hornet, May 26, 1942. 】 Halsey has a premonition that something important will happen.But at this moment, he developed a rash all over his body, which was extremely itchy.He tried every remedy suggested by others, but to no avail.This situation has already begun since the air raid on Tokyo.So he had to go to the hospital for examination.The doctor diagnosed it as systemic dermatitis, which was probably caused by high mental stress and tropical sun exposure, and asked him to be hospitalized immediately.

Halsey has been dragging his body to persevere, and was not admitted to Pearl Harbor Naval Hospital until after meeting with Nimitz.When Nimitz saw him, it was obvious at a glance that the doctor was right to hospitalize him: his military uniform looked empty, and he seemed to have lost at least twenty pounds; How many sleepless nights he has spent.For six months he had been on the bridge, except for short spells in port.He was already sick from overwork, and it was obvious that he could no longer lead the fleet to fight. [Note: "Admiral Halsey", 106 | 107 pages. 】 Halsey was told that the battle was about to be fought at Midway, and that he was supposed to be leading the American Raider Fleet, which he felt was a great regret to my career.Since the outbreak of the Pacific War, Halsey has encountered a series of unlucky things: first, at Pearl Harbor, the US military’s own anti-aircraft artillery fire shot down the aircraft of the Enterprise, killing several pilots, and he had several unpleasant moments later, the most serious of which was Unfortunately, the Coral Sea was too late to join the battle, and even Doolittle's air strikes were not a perfect pleasure for him, because it was the Army pilots and not Hal who were lucky enough to drop the bombs on the Japanese mainland. West people.However, not being able to serve as the commander of the Battle of Midway this time was the biggest blow to him.

It seems that the original designation of the Sixteenth Task Force played an inauspicious role.Someone with an astonishingly poor imagination had originally named it Task Force Thirteen, and ordered it to sail on Friday the thirteenth.Two of Halsey's top staff officers immediately formed a delegation to the Pacific Fleet Command to protest this hasty move that might lead to trouble.Captain Charles H. McMorris of the command also thought that no sane sailor would be willing to let the 13th-named task force sail on Friday the 13th.So he accepted their advice, changed its designation to sixteen, and advanced the departure date by one day. [Note: "Admiral Halsey", pp. 106 and 97. 】

On May 26, 1942, Nimitz was disappointed to learn that Halsey would not be able to fight.Halsey was both a battle commander, an experienced pilot, and a good morale booster, and he could almost be said to be a task force himself.But, in light of the years since, Nimitz would say: The day Bill Halsey went to the hospital was a good day for the Navy. [Note: Bard's interview with Nimitz, October 14, 1965. 】This seemingly heartless discourse is not a reproach to a great general.Halsey played an integral role in winning the Pacific War.His day would come, but not at Midway.The campaign required calm, steady judgment from the commander, which Halsey lacked.

However, Halsey indirectly contributed to the victory at the Battle of Midway.Before being rushed to the hospital, Nimitz asked him to recommend a commander who could replace him.Halsey did not hesitate to bring up his friend and colleague, his cruiser commander, Rear Admiral Raymond A. Spruance.Nimitz immediately agreed.He, like Halsey, had a high opinion of Spruance.Spruance was not a pilot, but he had served under Halsey before Pearl Harbor, so he was well suited for the job. [Note: Interview with Nimitz, September 4, 1964. 】 In this way, Bill Halsey himself withdrew from the Battle of Midway.When the fleet left the port and sailed to the combat sea area, he could only watch helplessly from the hospital on the point.Afterwards, like an oiled gun, his whole body was covered with ointment, and he returned to the mainland by boat to receive special treatment. [Note: "Admiral Halsey", page 107; "Turning Point", page 56. 】

On the morning of the same day (May 26), Spruance sailed into Pearl Harbor with the 16th Task Force on the flagship cruiser USS Northampton.After berthing at the port, he boarded the Enterprise and waited to report to Halsey, who was talking with Nimitz, and asked about the near-term battle plan.There, Spruance learned that Halsey was likely to be hospitalized, [Note: Interview with Spruance, September 5, 1964. ] But it never occurred to him that he himself would take over the command.Later, he said, because I am not a pilot, and some pilots at Pearl Harbor have older qualifications than me.I thought one of them was going to take Halsey's place. [Note: Retired U.S. Navy Vice Admiral E.P. Forrestal, "Admiral Spruance: A Study of Command Issues", page 35.Hereinafter referred to as "Spruance". 】

While he was pondering the news, he was ordered to report immediately to the Pacific Fleet.At the headquarters, Nimitz told him: The Japanese plan to capture Midway Island and then attack the Aleutian Islands. We will use our existing forces to resist. Halsey has been hospitalized. Commander and took over Halsey's staff. [Note: Spruance filled out the questionnaire to Professor Prange on November 4, 1966, hereinafter referred to as Spruance's questionnaire; interview with Spruance, 19 September 5, 1964. 】 Thereafter, Nimitz directed Spruance to set sail on May 28, and on May 29 he would have the opportunity to join Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher, who was returning to Pearl Harbor on the battered Yorktown. meeting.Nimitz told him: Since Fletcher, the commander of the Seventeenth Task Force, was above him, Fletcher would serve as the command of the operation.

Nimitz also said that after the Battle of Midway, Spruance would return to Pearl Harbor to succeed Redmeier as chief of staff of the Pacific Fleet.That didn't sit well with Spruance.He later said that I had served as a staff officer for two terms, and I was very unhappy to go ashore in the early stage of a large-scale naval battle. [Note: Spruance, pp. 35, 59; Interview with Spruance, September 5, 1964. ] But he didn't reveal it at the time.After taking the order, he was given an intelligence briefing. When he left Nimitz's office, Spruance was surprised but not overwhelmed by the task.Naturally, he was very happy to be in command of Task Force Sixteen immediately after the Midway operation.His assessment of the situation is realistic and optimistic at the same time.He said that we already know what the Japanese are trying to do, and I think we can deal them a heavy blow. [Note: Interview with Spruance, September 5, 1964; Spruance, p. 35. 】

Such mild expressions of affection were characteristic of Spruance.A graduate of the Naval Academy in 1907, he had served on destroyers, as an engineer officer, and was an expert in gunnery command.He was fifty-six years old when he suddenly faced this challenge.He also served as a staff officer at the Naval War College, and would become its president, captain of the battleship Mississippi, commander of the Tenth Sea Theater, and, shortly before the war, commander of Halsey's Task Force Sixteenth Cruiser Fleet. Spruance was a slender man, with straight, gray hair falling out, and a serious face, with eyes bright and sea-clear beneath a high, brooding brow.He always avoids those war correspondents who go everywhere to interview the moving deeds of heroes.He hated publicity from the bottom of his heart, so he refused to give interviews and did not allow journalists to live on board his flagship, citing a lack of accommodation.Journalists retaliated against him, writing articles that, while competent, were ruthless. [Note: Article by Fletcher Pratt in Harper's Magazine, August 1946; Spruance: Portrait of the Admiral, p. 146.] 】

Outside naval officer circles, Spruance was not well known, and even some of his colleagues considered him a grim fellow with no sense of humor.In fact, he's pretty funny.But because he is so sincere, he only smiles when he is really happy, and laughs when he is extremely happy.That way, if his friends see a sudden twinkle in his eye, they'll know it's laughing out loud from someone with weak self-control. [Note: "Turning Point", page 62. ] Nimitz spoke highly of him, saying: Spruance, like Grant, is a person who is good at fighting back.He is bold without being reckless.He has a certain wariness and feeling about fighting.A man of few words, a man of his word, and the courage to stand his ground, [Note: Interview with Nimitz, September 4, 1964. 】 In many ways, Spruance was the exact opposite of Halsey.Halsey is the kind of general who bluffs and thinks first, while Spruance is calm and composed, always think twice before doing anything; Halsey can arouse people's imagination and passion, while Spruance Spruance can touch people's hearts and minds, Halsey is often expressive and impassioned, while Spruance is concise and clear; Halsey likes to drink hard, and can drink the most drinking man in the fleet down under the table, and Spruance said, I don't punish my stomach with this stuff. [Note: Interview with Spruance, September 14, 1964. 】They each occupied an important and unique position in the Pacific War, and each made great contributions.Nimitz loved and admired them both very much, and once summed it up brilliantly: Spruance is the general of the generals, and Halsey is the general of the sailors. [Note: Interview with Nimitz, September 4, 1964. 】 By the time of the Battle of Midway, the Japanese Navy was already familiar with Halsey's name, but they did not know Halsey's friend.Admiral Yasuji Watanabe, Yamamoto's staff officer, said we had never heard of Spruance. [Note: Interview with Watanabe, October 4, 1964. ] This information gap was quickly filled. On May 27, Hawaii time, the second day after Spruance met with Nimitz, the US Pacific Fleet base on Oahu became active.On the battleships of Task Force Sixteen, men in dungarees were busy refueling the ships, loading them with food, equipment, and ammunition—everything that would help make the ships more effective.From zero o'clock on this day, for several hours, the Enterprise was replenished with fresh water from the pier and installed telephone equipment.At 5:50 in the early morning light, the gasoline barge YO24 sailed away from the port side of the Enterprise.The ship had already carried 19,080 barrels of fuel oil, and was now loaded with 82,405 gallons of aviation gasoline. At 6:19, the sun rises slowly from the east.The sky is getting brighter and brighter, and people on the island and on the ship are working harder and happier.A minute after sunrise, the Enterprise began resupplying, a job that lasted all day. [Note: Enterprise logbook, May 27, 1942. 】 Large warships often make extremely brief stops in port between battles.Enterprise and Hornet were busy at this time.Daily inspections of ammunition magazines and smokeless powder went well.People on the shore hardly notice it, but in fact many adjustments have been made, and officers and soldiers are stepping on and off the aircraft carrier in an orderly manner. [Note: Logbooks of Enterprise and Hornet, May 26 and 27, 1942. 】 At the berth of the battleship, calcium carbide lamps are shining like daylight, hammerheads are clanging, winches are squeaking, steel cables are buzzing, and sea rescuers are struggling to salvage the sunken battleship. The damaged warships are rushing to repair, hoping that they can participate in battles one day.Over and around the sprawling base, aircraft patrolled, lookouts watched vigilantly, and sentries remained on high alert.Many still believe that the Japanese may have killed Midway and attacked Oahu. Just two days ago, on May 25th, artillery was installed around the naval shipyard, two on each of Station Q and the grid ship; The door guns were armed with sixty-six rounds.These guns would be manned by personnel already assigned to these stations, and their main task would be to defend the harbor from enemy fast light ships and destroy them before they reached the harbor gates.On May 27, the shipyard conducted another combat readiness exercise, the content of which was the coordinated action between the mine and bomb observation station, the port control post, and the mine laying and removal team. [Note: Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard Journal, May 25th and 27th, 1942. 】 The U.S. Army Aviation Command on Oahu was also busy.Colonel James A. Morrison, the capable and genial Chief of Staff of the Seventh Air Force, said: It looks bad.We figured the Japanese would attack Oahu after storming Midway.We know that the Japanese army is coming with heavy troops, and with troop carriers, they will definitely land.This is where the danger lies.We also estimated that the landing site of the Japanese army was either Midway Island or Oahu Island. [Note: Interview with Morrison, December 19, 1966. 】 However, not all the generals in the Army Air Forces on Oahu knew that the Japanese were going to attack Midway from the start.When Rear Admiral Patrick N. L. Bellinger, commander of the 2nd Patrol Air Wing, told Brigadier General Howard C. Davidson, commander of the 7th Fighter Group from Texas, of Yamamoto's bold plan, Davidson was shocked again. He was suspicious again, and asked in disbelief: What exactly did the Japanese want Midway Island for?Midway Island was too far away from them, and logistical support alone was enough for them. At the time, Davidson did not know that the Japanese Navy code had been broken, but Bellinger did, so he was sure of his words.But Bellinger did not reveal the secret to his good colleagues, but said to Davidson: I have evidence that the Japanese will attack Midway.Davidson still shook his head in disbelief.But then, once the facts were known, Davidson threw himself into the work of preparing the Air Force for combat. [Note: Interview with Major General Howard C. Davidson, December 13, 1966.Hereinafter referred to as Davidson. 】 Preparations for the Enterprise and Hornet continue.But on May 27th, not all preparations were carried out on the Enterprise.At 13:45, the officer's assembly number was blown, and at 13:52, when Nimitz boarded the ship, the military band drummed and the music burst out, and the Marine Corps honor guard held guns Saluting, the boatswain blew his whistle, and the four-star flag on the mast fluttered in the wind.Although Nimitz had many urgent matters to deal with and many problems to worry about, he still took time out of his busy schedule to award honors to those officers who were neatly dressed in white military uniforms and stood neatly on the flight deck. [Note: Enterprise logbook, May 27, 1942. 】 First in line was Captain George D. Murray, Captain of the Enterprise.He was awarded the Navy Cross.The whole ship knows his value.As early as the beginning of the Pacific War, the crew of the Enterprise talked about that the general (Halsey) would lead us into the war, and the colonel would lead us to end the war. [Note: Admiral Halsey, p. 96; Honolulu Star, May 27, 1942. 】 Honors are awarded in order of military rank.Nimitz walked up to Lieutenant Commander Clarence Wade McCluskey Jr., a top-ranked pilot, and awarded him the Distinguished Flying Cross.The major deserves the honor for his outstanding performance, and he will soon be doing even more.Lieutenant Commander Roger Mayer, standing beside him, was awarded the same medal.When Nimitz put the medal on him, looking into his alert brown eyes, he said softly, I think you will have a chance to get another one in a few days. [Note: "Amazing Victory", p. 33; "Honolulu Star", May 27, 1942. 】 Second to last is Ensign Cleo J. Dobson, who will soon be promoted to lieutenant.In the name of the President of the United States, it is with great pleasure that I award you the Distinguished Flying Cross.With that, Nimitz pinned the medal on his heaving chest, thank you, sir, Dobson replied.After shaking the general's hand, he took a step back and saluted the general. [Note: Diary of Lieutenant Commander Cleo J. Dobson, May 27, 1942. ] Young Dobson is one of several Americans who remember well in their war diaries.It is thanks to them that we have access to some personal perspectives before and during the various phases of the Battle of Midway.For Nimitz's congratulations, Dobson said, thank you. For Dobson, the grief of war outweighed the joy of receiving a medal that day.On May 20, a close friend of his crashed while taking off and died in a plane crash.He had to help take stock of the friend's belongings.He said it was unjust for a man of good heart and good thinking to just go.On the day of his arrival at Pearl Harbor, Dobson and another friend spent most of the day comforting the deceased wife.This afternoon, they will visit her again.Dobson is not just for little Nancy [Translator's Note: The nickname of the deceased wife. ] was extremely saddened and very angry with his squadron leader.The squadron leader was so busy with his personal affairs that he didn't even have time to attend to the important, traditional command duties of visiting the families of the deceased. [Note: Dobson's diary, May 20, 21, 26, and 27, 1942. 】 On the Enterprise, the last person in line was Doris Miller, the Cook Watchman.His massive frame, broad chest and giant hands contrasted sharply with the feminine name.He received the Navy Cross for his bravery during the attack on Pearl Harbor.He stood erect as Nimitz placed his medal on him.Miller was the first black man in the Pacific Fleet to receive such a high honor during this war. [Note: "Dawn, We Are Still Sleeping Soundly", 514th | 515th page. 】 The bosun whistled as Nimitz disembarked.It would be impersonal for Nimitz not to feel proud and excited at this point.He knows better than anyone else that the number of Yamamoto's giant fleet far exceeds what the United States can send to Midway.But with Murray, McCluskey, Meyer, Dobson and Miller under his wing, Nimitz could take on Yamamoto without fear.