'The Admirals' Nimitz, Halsey, Leahy and King-
Jul 21, 2021 11:42:59 GMT 8
EXO, Karl Welteke, and 2 more like this
Post by beirutvet on Jul 21, 2021 11:42:59 GMT 8
The Admirals Nimitz, Halsey, Leahy and King-The Five Star Admirals Who Won the War at Sea.
Like most people, I suppose, it is hard to look at WWII pictures of these admirals and not forever think of them as grizzly, weather and battle hardened sailors who had lived a life at sea. But that was never always the case, and what went on during that life at sea?
Where were they born and to whom?
What was their childhood like?
What were their life circumstances?
Who were their siblings?
How and where were their schoolings?
How did they fare at Annapolis?
What did their classmates think of them?
And of course, how did their careers develop?
It was fascinating reading the answers to all those questions and more.
Also of note was how all four of these officers careers intertwined and fed off each other. The turn of the century navy was a close, tight knit entity where life's trajectories would naturally collide.
Chronicled were many acts of bravery and examples of leadership. Each of these men were so different and it showed nowhere more than in their own individual leadership styles. But even there, each showed a range that could be different from that man's norm.
A good example of this was cited when Nimitz was captain of the cruiser Augusta:
The captain was keen on giving every officer and enlisted man "as much responsibility as he could handle" and never shied shied away from giving young ensigns experience at the conn. One day coming into anchorage, a young ensign named Odale D, "Muddy" Waters approached with far too much speed and "had to back the ship full power and lay out 90 fathoms of chain before he got her stopped, then had to heave back 60 fathoms." Captain Nimitz watched the entire procedure without comment and then asked, "Waters, you know what you did wrong, don't you?" "Yes sir, I certainly do, I came in too fast." Nimitz nodded in agreement-end of lesson. Waters later became a rear admiral.
But Nimitz was also not afraid to teach from his own experiences. Coming alongside the anchored oiler Pecos in exceptionally blustery winds, Nimitz himself took the conn. It seemed like a perfect landing until a freak gust of wind sent the Augusta's bow into the lifeboat davits of the Pecos and snagged an anchor just as the lines were being made secure. A quick strain on the number three line and a fortuitous shift of wind untangled the mess, but Nimitz quickly sent for the lieutenant who had been supervising the lines. "Thompson," Nimitz snapped without his usual calm, "what did I do wrong?" E.M. "Tommy" Thompson gulped and then replied, "Well, sir, you were overconfident and misjudged the effect the wind would have on a ship riding lightly on the water." "That's right," Nimitz affirmed. "Now, Thompson, what should I have done?" "Probably the safe thing to have done, sir, would have been to have gone ahead, drop the starboard anchor, and to have backed down on it." "That's right," Nimitz said with a scowl, "and, Thompson, don't you ever forget it!" It was no coincidence that Thompson, too, became a rear admiral. He had a great teacher.
I believe this book provided a lot of insight into the lives and minds of four men who had an outsized effect on the entire war.
***1/2
Recommended
Like most people, I suppose, it is hard to look at WWII pictures of these admirals and not forever think of them as grizzly, weather and battle hardened sailors who had lived a life at sea. But that was never always the case, and what went on during that life at sea?
Where were they born and to whom?
What was their childhood like?
What were their life circumstances?
Who were their siblings?
How and where were their schoolings?
How did they fare at Annapolis?
What did their classmates think of them?
And of course, how did their careers develop?
It was fascinating reading the answers to all those questions and more.
Also of note was how all four of these officers careers intertwined and fed off each other. The turn of the century navy was a close, tight knit entity where life's trajectories would naturally collide.
Chronicled were many acts of bravery and examples of leadership. Each of these men were so different and it showed nowhere more than in their own individual leadership styles. But even there, each showed a range that could be different from that man's norm.
A good example of this was cited when Nimitz was captain of the cruiser Augusta:
The captain was keen on giving every officer and enlisted man "as much responsibility as he could handle" and never shied shied away from giving young ensigns experience at the conn. One day coming into anchorage, a young ensign named Odale D, "Muddy" Waters approached with far too much speed and "had to back the ship full power and lay out 90 fathoms of chain before he got her stopped, then had to heave back 60 fathoms." Captain Nimitz watched the entire procedure without comment and then asked, "Waters, you know what you did wrong, don't you?" "Yes sir, I certainly do, I came in too fast." Nimitz nodded in agreement-end of lesson. Waters later became a rear admiral.
But Nimitz was also not afraid to teach from his own experiences. Coming alongside the anchored oiler Pecos in exceptionally blustery winds, Nimitz himself took the conn. It seemed like a perfect landing until a freak gust of wind sent the Augusta's bow into the lifeboat davits of the Pecos and snagged an anchor just as the lines were being made secure. A quick strain on the number three line and a fortuitous shift of wind untangled the mess, but Nimitz quickly sent for the lieutenant who had been supervising the lines. "Thompson," Nimitz snapped without his usual calm, "what did I do wrong?" E.M. "Tommy" Thompson gulped and then replied, "Well, sir, you were overconfident and misjudged the effect the wind would have on a ship riding lightly on the water." "That's right," Nimitz affirmed. "Now, Thompson, what should I have done?" "Probably the safe thing to have done, sir, would have been to have gone ahead, drop the starboard anchor, and to have backed down on it." "That's right," Nimitz said with a scowl, "and, Thompson, don't you ever forget it!" It was no coincidence that Thompson, too, became a rear admiral. He had a great teacher.
I believe this book provided a lot of insight into the lives and minds of four men who had an outsized effect on the entire war.
***1/2
Recommended