Figure 1.--Ironically, Chester Ninmitz, the man who would lead the greatest fleet in al of history in the greatest war in history came from a dusty Texas town far from even the Gulf of Mexico. He was born in Fredericksburg, Texas, a town in central Texas where German was commonly spoken. It was a town named after a German king on the fringes of the Dust Bowl. Not exactly where you would expect to find arguably the greates naval commander in history fighting agains the Japanese-German Axis.

Ironically, Chester Ninmitz, the man who would lead the greatest fleet in all of history in the greatest war in history came from a dusty Texas town far from even the Gulf of Mexico. He was born in Fredericksburg, Texas, a town in central Texas where German was commonly spoken. It was a town named after a German king on the fringes of the Dust Bowl. Not exactly where you would expect to find arguably the greates naval commander in history fighting agains the Japanese-German Axis. Nimitz managed to get into the Naval Accademy at Anapolis without a high school diploma. His classmates included Halsey, King, Spruence, and Stark. It is ioften thought that Halsey was solelyv responsible for naming his replacenment at Midway. In fact Nimitz already knew of his cababilities. He gaduated with dustinction (1905). President Rossevelt for the most part deferred to Gen. Marshall in selecting Army commanders. The President took a personal role in selecting Navy commnders. And it was Adm. Nimitz that President Roosevelt turned to command the shattered Pacific fleet after the Pearl Harbor disaster (December 1941). He was certainly the greatest naval commander of the 20th century and many historians rank him as the greatest naval commander of history. Of all the Five Star American commanders in World War II, only Nimitz managed to achieve decisive victories against superior enemy forces. His victory at Midway (June 1942) stopped the Japanese advances in the Pacific War before American shipyards had provided him with the massive naval force needed to win the War. The Pacific Fleet with still scarce resources then slugged it out with the Japanese in the Sollomons. It would be the Japanese Imoperial fleet that would have to withdraw to rear areas (December 1942). Nimitz oversaw the assembling of forces, the selection of commanders, and conceived the strategy that would lead the drive across the Pacific to the Japanese Home Islands. This drive was made possible when the new Essex Carriers and air groups with the new Grumman F6F Hellcat began to reach the Fleet (1943). This made United States the dominant naval force in the Pacific and allowed Nimitz to begin the new campaign in the Central Pacific. Unlike MacArthur and Halsey, he was not a flamboyant, attenion seeking commander, but cool and deliberate amd more likely to make sure his subordinates got credit for their achievements. He also had keen appreciation for the Japanese mind set and capabilities. Adm. Yamamoto fundamentally misjudged Nimiitz, believing that he woould cower behind the Pearl Harbor defenses in the planning for the Midway operation. Nimitz was in fact looking for a opportuniry to strike the Japanese. An opportunity provided by the code breakers at Station Hypo. Nimitz trusted Cpt. Joseph Rochefortb at a time that Washington (meaning Adm. King) had grave doubts -- opposing King was not a action to be taken lightly. And Nimitz delivered a stunning victory that totally transformed the Pacific War. All the more impressive in that the Purople transcripts were still being withheld from Ninitz and Rochefort. One historian recounts, "Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner sent a message to Nimitz, 'I may be crazy but it looks like the Japs have quit the war in this section.' Nimitz replied, 'Delete all after "crazy"' And a lot more Pacific War was to come." [Harris]

Sources

Harris, Brayton. Admiral Nimitz: The Commander of the Pacific Ocean Theater (2011), 256p.

Created: 7:24 PM 12/4/2022
Last updated: 7:24 PM 12/4/2022