United States Fleet The United States Fleet was an organization in the United States Navy from 1922 until after World War II . The acronym CINCUS , pronounced " sink us " , was used for Commander - in - Chief , U . S . Fleet . This title was disposed of and officially replaced by COMINCH in December 1941 ( for " Commander - in - Chief " , U . S . Navy ) . This last - named position was taken over by Admiral Ernest J . King , who in 1944 was promoted to the five - star rank of Fleet Admiral . Establishment . The General Order of 6 December 1922 combined the U . S . Pacific Fleet and the U . S . Atlantic Fleet to form the United States Fleet . The main body of its ships , the Battle Fleet , was stationed in the Pacific Ocean and the " Scouting Fleet " was stationed in the Atlantic Ocean . In addition , the " Control Force " , protecting the Atlantic sea lanes , and the " Fleet Base Force " were included . Remaining independent of the United States Fleet were the Asiatic Fleet , the Naval Forces in Europe , the " Special Service Squadron " , and all U . S . Navy submarine s . During 1930 , the Battle Fleet and Scouting Fleet were renamed the Battle Force and the Scouting Force . The Submarine Force was also placed under control of the CINCUS . The Control Force was abolished in 1931 . The Special Service Squadron and the Asiatic Fleet were retained , both still apparently independent of the U . S . Fleet . Reorganization in 1941 . With the start of World War II in Europe the U . S . Navy began to plan for the possibility of war in the Atlantic as well as the Pacific . On 1 February 1941 , General Order 143 was issued , abolishing the " United States Fleet " organization . In its place , the U . S . Atlantic Fleet and the U . S . Pacific Fleet were re - established , each under its own commander - in - chief . The Asiatic Fleet remained an independent organization as before . The additional title of Commander - in - Chief United States Fleet was given to one of the three fleet commanders in the event of two or more fleets operating together . Except for this provision , the individual commanders - in - chief were responsible directly to the Secretary of the Navy and to the President of the United States . Rear Admiral Husband E . Kimmel was appointed the Commander in Chief , United States Fleet and the Commander in Chief , United States Pacific Fleet , on February 1 , 1941 , carrying the temporary rank of Admiral starting on that date . Admiral Kimmel was relieved as the CINPAC / CINCUS on 17 December 1941 , shortly after the devastating Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor . On the following day , by of December 18 , 1941 , the position of Commander - in - Chief , United States Fleet was re - established , and he was given operational command over the Atlantic , Pacific , and Asiatic Fleets , and all naval coastal forces . On 20 December , Admiral Ernest J . King was assigned as the COMINCH . One important difference from the previous post of CINCUS was that Admiral King insisted that his headquarters would always be in Washington , D . C . , rather than with the Fleet . Dividing command of the Navy between the COMINCH King and the Chief of Naval Operations , Admiral Harold R . Stark did not prove to be very effective . President Franklin D . Roosevelt addressed this problem with his of March 12 , 1942 . This order commanded that the offices of the Chief of Naval Operations ( CNO ) and Commander - in - Chief , United States Fleet ( COMINCH ) would be held by a single naval officer , and Admiral King received the designation of CNO in addition to that of COMINCH . Admiral King relieved Stark as the CNO on 29 March 1942 , and King wore both of these " hats " for the remainder of World War II . The position of Commander - in - Chief , United States Fleet , no longer needed in peacetime , was abolished by Admiral King on 10 October 1945 , and its responsibilities were transferred to the Chief of Naval Operations . From that date through the present , the Chief of Naval operations has nearly always been the highest - ranking U . S . Navy officer . Since September 1947 , the CNO has held the additional position of Chief of Staff of the United States Navy , and he is the highest - ranking naval officer except when the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is also a U . S . Navy officer . Leadership . Commanders of the United States Fleet :