Laurel outlook., 1944-08-23
Naval Officer
Becomes Hero
Spruance Wins Distinction in
Fights With Japs; Great
est Sea Force.

WASHINGTON.-A naval officer
who was unknown to the general
public less than two years ago has
emerged as one of tho greatest oil
American sea heroes. He is Adm.
Raymond Ames ~Spruance, COM
mander of the Fifth fleet, which de-
feated a powerful Japanese force
recently between the Philippines
and the Marianas islands.
This was the latest in a series
of smashing victories led by Ad-
miral Spruance, the first American
admiral of four star rank to lead
out a task force looking for a sur
face fight with an axis foe. He was
the man who had command respon-
sibility for the capture and occupa-
ton of Tarawa, Maxim, Kwajalein,
and Eniwetok and the campaign
against Truk. Earlier he COM
manded one of the two task forces
engaged in the historic battle Of
Midway.
Now only 81 years old, Spruance
is the youngest full admiral in the
navy. He was born July 3, 1886, in
Baltimore, Md, but springs from
an old Indiana family, and lists In
dianapolis as his home town.
Relatives in Indianapolis recall
that Raymond fell into a well when
he was a small boy. He was pulled
out by the family's Irish cook, who
said after the rescue: Look here,
I've saved an admiral"
Tells Life in Three Lines.
At the naval academy his nick
name was "Sprew." His classmates
say he doesn't like to talk about
himself or be talked about. His biog-
raphy in the latest edition of who's
Who in America" consists of only
three lines - promoted through
grades to rank of rear admiral
December, 1889"
But Spruance was a marked man
early in his naval areer In 1922 he
was appointed to the board on doc
trine of aircraft in connection with
fleet fire control, which probably
marked the beginning of his under
standing that airplanes had changed
tactics in sea warfare.
Soon afterward came his promo
ton to vice admiral, and COM
mander of the central Pacific force
which carried out the Gilbert and
Marshall islands campaigns and
later the attacks on Palau, zap, and
other enemy strongholds. Spruance
personally led the strike at Palau,
only 500 miles from the Philippines
and $50 miles west of Toxic, after
he had won the four stars of a full
admiral last February.
In June, 1912, he became chief of
staff and aid to Adm. Chester w.
Nimitz, commander-in-chief of the
Pacific fleet, just in time to take a
leading part in the battle of Mid
way, for which he received the dis
tinguished service medal.
Most Powerful Fleet.
"The entire Pacific ocean to the
gates of Japan is its stamping
ground" |
With these words the navy re-
vealed existence of Task Force SO,
most powerful and destructive
naval unit in the history of sea war
1t was Task Force 59-alone-
which met, routed and sent scurry-
ng into hiding a Japanese fleet that
Jared to move east of the Philip
pines.
Makeup of the hard-hitting and
task force is secret. But
Rear Adm. Arthur w. Radford,
chief of naval operations
air, gave this hint of its size
"We can safely assume that most
# the % big new carriers commits
toned since Pearl Harbor have
'een operating as part of the vast
TASK Force So"
Newest and sWiftest of the fleets
Iattleships, cruisers and destroyers
.lso are assigned to the mighty
orce, which carries its own supply
rain of ships to provide a constant
ource of fuel and materials.
For six months it has been bat
ering the Japanese and, the navy
avs fatty, has reversed the direc-
ion of traffic in the Pacific ocean,
Irned it to a one-way run toward
apan.