Chester Nimic American admiral Date of Birth: 24.02.1885 Country: USA

1. Biography of Admiral Chester Nimitz
2. Early Life and Career
3. Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Fleet
4. Victories and Contributions
5. Legacy

Biography of Admiral Chester Nimitz

Admiral Chester Nimitz, an American naval officer, led the operations of the US Pacific Fleet during World War II. With his experience in commanding submarine and surface forces, he successfully directed various types of fleets and achieved victories over the Japanese fleet.

Early Life and Career

Chester Nimitz was born on February 24, 1885, in Fredericksburg, Texas, far from the sea. Initially, he wanted to become an army officer, but as he was not accepted to West Point, he joined the Naval Academy instead. After graduating in 1905, he served in the US Asiatic Fleet until July 7, 1908, when he ran aground the destroyer Decatur, which resulted in a reprimand. In May 1909, Nimitz was assigned to the submarines of the 1st Submarine Flotilla. He commanded submarines from 1910 and was promoted to lieutenant. From May 1912 to March 1913, he led the Atlantic Submarine Flotilla. In early 1913, Nimitz was assigned to the conversion of the tanker Maumee into a diesel-powered vessel. From October 23, 1916, to August 4, 1917, he served as the executive officer on the ship. In 1916, he was promoted to lieutenant commander. From August 1917 to September 1918, Nimitz served in the staff of the Atlantic Fleet's submarine forces and ended his service as the chief of staff. In 1918, he was promoted to commander. At the end of the year, Nimitz worked in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations and was also a senior member of the Submarine Design Board. From May 1919 to June 1920, he served as the executive officer on the battleship South Carolina, and then commanded the 14th submarine division based in Pearl Harbor. After completing the Naval War College in 1922-1923, he served in the staff of the US Fleet Commander. In August 1926, Nimitz was sent to the University of California to organize the first college for the training of reserve naval officers. The programs and instructions he developed served as a model for similar organizations in other institutions. On June 2, 1927, Nimitz became a captain, and from June 1929, he commanded a submarine division. From 1931 to 1935, he commanded the destroyer Rigel and the cruiser Augusta. For the next three years, Nimitz served as the assistant chief of the Bureau of Navigation in Washington. On June 23, 1938, he was promoted to rear admiral, and shortly after, he was appointed commander of the 2nd Cruiser Division and then commander of the 1st Battleship Division. On June 15, 1939, Nimitz became the chief of the Bureau of Navigation for a four-year term, but after the attack on Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt appointed him as the Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Fleet, bypassing 28 other senior officers.

Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Fleet

On December 31, 1941, Admiral Nimitz assumed command. He had administrative control over the actions of the Allied forces against the Japanese, and was responsible for all ships and bases, as well as strategic command across the entire Pacific Ocean, except for the area under General Douglas MacArthur's jurisdiction. Since MacArthur and the army officers would not agree to serve under the command of a naval officer, there were two commanders in the Pacific. However, thanks to Admiral Nimitz's diplomatic skills, both worked well together. According to the "Europe-1" plan, the Allies decided to consider the war with Japan as a secondary task. However, Nimitz considered it a top priority. He intended to seize the initiative from the Japanese and take the war to the enemy's territory. To strengthen the fleet in early 1942, the aircraft carrier Yorktown arrived in the Pacific, becoming the core of Admiral Fletcher's carrier task force. This reinforcement was intended to help maintain the supply line from the US West Coast and the Panama Canal to Australia. Learning from codebreakers about the enemy's plans, Nimitz forced the Japanese to engage in the Battle of Coral Sea. In April 1942, he urgently sent Admiral Fitch's Lexington carrier task force from Pearl Harbor to the Coral Sea, where it was supposed to come under the command of Admiral Fletcher, who was already there. The forces met on May 1, refueled, and were in time to engage the Japanese carrier force that was covering the landing at Port Moresby. They met on May 5. Nimitz ordered: "Destroy enemy ships and aircraft when opportunities offer, in order to help delay the Japanese advance in the New Guinea-Solomon Islands area." As a result of the battle, the Japanese, losing many experienced pilots, had only 4 carriers instead of 6 at the Battle of Midway and suffered a defeat.

Victories and Contributions

As the Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Fleet and the Pacific Theater, Nimitz prepared plans for the commanders of operational units. Decoding intercepted enemy radio messages allowed Admiral Nimitz to concentrate all his forces on the Midway Island, which was the main target for the Japanese fleet. In June 1942, based on intelligence, the Americans located Admiral Yamamoto's Japanese fleet in the Midway area and attacked the enemy carriers when most of their planes were refueling. As a result of the battle, the Japanese lost 4 carriers, over 300 planes, and many pilots. This was the first victory of the American fleet in the war and the first defeat of the Japanese fleet. The initiative shifted to the Americans. While the Japanese continued their advance and occupied Guadalcanal, one of the Solomon Islands, building an airfield there, the Joint Chiefs of Staff decided to stop the Japanese advance and reclaim the island. The landing on Guadalcanal to retake the island from the Japanese was carried out by the forces of the South Pacific Fleet under the command of Vice Admiral Ghormley, who was subordinate to Nimitz and not to General MacArthur, whose area of responsibility was nearby. The main striking force consisted of 3 carriers from the operational task force of Vice Admiral Fletcher.

By the summer of 1944, the US fleet had sufficient strength to decisively advance against Japanese positions. The Joint Chiefs of Staff decided that, in addition to MacArthur's troops advancing on New Guinea and towards the Philippines with the support of the fleet, it was necessary to capture the islands in the central Pacific Ocean that were necessary for the deployment of fleet operational bases and suppression of nearby enemy airfields. Admiral Nimitz was entrusted with these operations. Nimitz and MacArthur captured islands one after another, approaching Japan. In November 1943, Nimitz captured the Gilbert Islands, in February 1944 - the Marshall Islands, and in August 1944 - the Marianas Islands. In October, together with MacArthur, he recaptured the Philippine Islands. In recognition of his achievements, Nimitz was promoted to the new rank of Fleet Admiral. During the Philippine operation, Admiral Halsey's Third Fleet, which covered the troop landings and was under the operational control of Nimitz, rather than MacArthur, was not available to MacArthur. Halsey received Nimitz's order to "cover and support forces in the southwestern Pacific Ocean to help capture and occupy objectives in the central Philippine Islands, destroy enemy naval and air forces in the Philippines area, and forces threatening it, as well as cover air and sea communications in the central Pacific Ocean area." The primary goal was to destroy a significant portion of the enemy fleet if an opportunity arose. The commanders of the Third and Seventh Fleets had to coordinate their actions themselves. The American advance and the Japanese fleet's attempt to thwart it led to the Battle of Leyte Gulf. During the battle, the American fleet destroyed a significant part of the Japanese fleet that failed to break through to the landing area.

Beginning in 1945, Nimitz launched an offensive, capturing Guam, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and preparing for the invasion of Japan. After the atomic bombings, the Japanese agreed to surrender on August 11, but the actions of the Third Fleet continued until Nimitz ordered Halsey on the night of August 15 to cease attacks and proceed to Tokyo with caution. However, he soon rescinded the order. On August 15, the carrier strike groups sent aircraft for an attack, but when they were five minutes away from their targets, Nimitz ordered, "Temporarily suspend air attacks. Notify me about the execution." On the same day, the Third Fleet received an order from Guam: "Immediately cease offensive operations against Japanese forces. Continue searching and patrolling. Ensure maximum measures for defense and internal security. Beware of treachery." Since the official surrender took another two weeks, the fleet prepared for occupation and engaged in the rescue of prisoners of war in Japan. On September 2, Nimitz, as the representative of the United States, signed the act of surrender on board the USS Missouri. On October 5, his triumphant return to the United States took place. On November 26, 1945, the Senate appointed him as the Chief of Naval Operations, replacing Admiral King. For two years, he oversaw the demobilization. Admiral Nimitz, as one of the initiators of the construction of nuclear submarines, retired on December 15, 1947. He served as an advisor to the Secretary of the Navy for some time and later became the US military representative in Kashmir. He died on February 20, 1966, from complications after surgery and was buried in the National Cemetery in San Francisco.

Legacy

Chester Nimitz, known for maintaining high morale in the fleet and working with officers of all ranks, was considered the most outstanding American naval commander of World War II. His extensive and diverse experience allowed him to successfully conduct operations. He demonstrated diplomatic skills in interacting with General Douglas MacArthur, and his tactical abilities led to victories with limited resources, transforming the fleet into the highest naval force in history.