Raymond A. Spruance

Raymond Ames Spruance ( born July 3, 1886 in Baltimore, Maryland, † December 13, 1969 in Monterey, California ) was during the Second World War in the Pacific Admiral of the U.S. Navy.

Life

Spruance was the son of Alexander Peterson and Annie Ames Spruance Hiss. After completing his studies at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis in 1906, he trained as a marine electrician. During the attack on Pearl Harbor Spruance was placed under a cruiser division, with this he also participated in the first counter- attack by the USA under the leadership of William F. Halsey. Spruance led Task Force 16 in 1942, the Battle of Midway. In 1945 he took over from Chester W. Nimitz in command of the Pacific Fleet, where he remained until 1946.

After Admiral Spruance USS Spruance (DD -963 ) was named by the first unit of Spruance class destroyer class called the U.S. Navy. Additionally, the DDG -111 bears the name of the admiral. This ship of the Arleigh Burke-class was delivered on 1 October 2011 for the Navy.

From 1952 to 1955 Spruance served as United States Ambassador to the Philippines.