FRANK JACK FLETCHER

'Frank Jack Fletcher' (April 29 1885 – April 25 1973) was an admiral in the United States Navy during World War I and World War II. Fletcher was the operational commander at the pivotal Battles of Coral Sea and of Midway. He was the nephew of Admiral Frank Friday Fletcher.

Contents

Early Life and Naval Career

World War I and Post-War Period

Interwar Service

World War II -- January-April 1942

Coral Sea -- May 4-May 8, 1942

Midway -- June 4-June 7, 1942

Landing at Guadalcanal -- August 7 - Aug 9, 1942

East Solomons - August 24-August 25, 1942

Northern

Postwar

Legacy

Medal of Honor

See also

References

Early Life and Naval Career

Fletcher was born in Marshalltown, Iowa on April 29, 1885. Appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy from his native state in 1902, he graduated from Annapolis on February 12, 1906 and commissioned an Ensign on February 13, 1908 following two years at sea.
The early years of his career were spent on the battleships ''Rhode Island'', ''Ohio'', and ''Maine''. He also spent time on USS ''Eagle'' and USS ''Franklin''. In November 1909 he was assigned to USS ''Chauncey'', a unit of the Asiatic Torpedo Flotilla. He assumed command of USS ''Dale'' in April 1910 and March 1912 returned to ''Chauncey'' as Commanding Officer. Transferred to USS ''Florida'' in December 1912 he was aboard that battleship during the occupation of Verz Cruz, Mexico, in April 1914. For distinguished conduct in battle at Vera Cruz he was awarded the Medal of Honor (see citation below).

World War I and Post-War Period

Fletcher became Aide and Flag Lieutenant on the staff of the Commander in Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet in July 1914. After a year at this post, he returned to the Naval Academy for duty in the Executive Department. Upon the outbreak of World War I he served as Gunnery Officer of USS ''Kearsarge'' until September 1917, after which he assumed command of USS ''Margaret''. He was assigned to USS ''Allen'' in February 1918 before taking command of USS ''Benham'' in May 1918. For distinguished service as Commanding Officer USS ''Benham'', engaged in the important, exacting, and hazardous duty of patrolling European waters and protecting vitally important convoys, he was awarded the Navy Cross.
From October 1918 to February 1919 he assisted in fitting out USS ''Crane'' at San Francisco. He then became Commanding Officer of USS ''Gridley'' upon her commissioning. Returning to Washington, he was head of the Detail Section, Enlisted Personnel Division in the Bureau of Navigation from April 1919 until September 1922.

Interwar Service

He returned to the Asiatic Station, having consecutive command of the USS ''Whipple'', USS ''Sacramento'', USS ''Rainbow'', and Submarine Base, Cavite. He served at the Washington Navy Yards from March 1925 to 1927; became Executive Officer of USS ''Colorado''; and completed the Senior Course at the Naval War College, Newport in June 1930.
Fletcher became Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet in August 1931. In the summer of 1933 he was transferred to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. Following this assignment he had duty from November 1933 to May 1936 as Aide to the Secretary of the Navy, the Honorable Claude A. Swanson. He assumed command of USS ''New Mexico'', flagship of Battleship Division THREE in June 1936. In December 1937 he became a member of the Naval Examining Board, and became Assistant Chief of Bureau of Navigation in June 1938. Returning to the Pacific between September 1939 and December 1941 he became Commander Cruiser Division THREE; Commander Cruiser Division SIX; Commander Cruiser's Scouting Force; and Commander Cruiser Division FOUR.

World War II -- January-April 1942

On January 1, 1942, Rear Admiral Fletcher took command of Task Force 17 built around the carrier ''USS Yorktown (CV-5)''. He, a surface fleet admiral, was chosen over more senior officers to lead a carrier task force and learned air operations on the long haul to establish strategically vital bases on South Pacific islands, and as junior TF commander under tutelage of the experts, Vice Admiral William Halsey on raids in the Gilbert Islands in February ; Rear Admiral Aubrey Fitch attacking the enemy landings on New Guinea in March ; and Admiral Chester Nimitz in the Coral Sea in April.

Coral Sea -- May 4-May 8, 1942

In May 1942, he commanded the task forces during the Battle of the Coral Sea. This battle is famous as the first carrier-on-carrier battle fought between fleets that never came within sight of each other.
Fletcher with ''Yorktown,'' Task Force 17, had been patrolling the Coral Sea and rendezvoused with Rear Admiral Aubrey Fitch with ''USS_Lexington (CV-2),'' Task Force 11, and a tanker group. Fletcher finished refueling first and headed West. On hearing the enemy was occupying Tulagi, TF 17 attacked the landing beaches sinking several small ships before rejoining with ''Lexington'' and an Australian cruiser force under Rear Admiral John Gregory Crace on May 5.
The next day intelligence reported a Japanese invasion task force headed for Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, and a Carrier Strike force was in the area, The morning of May 7 Fletcher sent the Australian cruisers to stop the transports while he sought the carriers. But first he sank Japanese aircraft carrier ''Sh%C5%8Dh%C5%8D,'' escorting the enemy troop ships, -- "Scratch one flat top." Meanwhile, Japanese carrier planes of Rear Admiral Chuichi Hara found the American tanker, ''[USS Neosho (AO-23)]],'' and sank it with its destroyer, ''Sims''.
The Japanese launched a dusk patrol of 27 bombers that found nothing, but was detected on radar and attacked by Hellcats that shot down nine ; eleven more splashed while attempting night landing.
On 8 May, at first light, "round three opened." Fletcher launched seventy-five aircraft, Hara sixty-nine. Fitch had greater experience in handling air operations, and Fletcher had him direct that function, as he was to do again later with Noyes at Guadalcanal. ''Shokaku'' was hit, but not damaged below waterline; it slunk away. ''Zuikaku'' had earlier dodged under a squall. The Japanese attack put two torpedoes into ''Lexington'', which was abandoned that evening. ''Yorktown'' was hit near her island, but survived. Hara failed to use ''Zuikaku'' to achieve victory and withdrew. The invasion fleet without air cover, also withdrew, thereby halting the Port Moresby invasion. Fletcher had achieved the objective of the mission at the cost a carrier, tanker, and destroyer. In addition, his Hellcats are beaten Japanese air groups, 52 to 35, and had damaged ''Shokaku,'' such that neither Japanese carrier would be able to join the fight at Midway the following month.
This was the first time the Imperial Japanese Navy had been stopped.
In their rampage across the Pacific from Pearl Harbor, East Indies,
Australia, Ceylon; they defeated the British, Dutch, and Asiatic Fleets; and had not lost a fleet ship larger than mine sweepers and submarines -- until they met Fletcher.

Midway -- June 4-June 7, 1942

In June 1942, he was in overall command at the Battle of Midway with two task forces, his usual TF 17 with quickly repaired ''Lexington,'' plus TF 16 with ''USS Enterprise (CV-6)'' and ''USS Hornet (CV-8)''. Vice Admiral William Halsey normally commanded this task force, but became ill and was replaced by the inexperienced Rear Admiral Raymond Spruance. When aircraft from four Japanese carriers attacked Midway Island, the three US carriers, warned by broken Japanese codes and waiting in ambush, attacked and sank three enemy carriers – ''Akagi, Kaga, Soryu.'' ''Enterprise'' and ''Hornet'' lost seventy aircraft. Return attack damaged ''Yorktown''. Fletcher's scouts found the fourth carrier and ''Enterprise'' with ''Yorktown'' planes then sank ''Hiryu.'' At dusk, Fletcher released Spruance to continue fighting with TF 16 the next day. During the next two days, Spruance found two damaged cruisers and sank one. The enemy transport and battle fleets got away. A Japanese submarine, ''I-168'', found crippled ''Yorktown'' and sank her and an adjacent destroyer, ''USS Hammann (DD-412)''. Japan had had seven large carriers (six at Pearl Harbor and one new construction) – four were sunk at Midway. This did not win the war, but evened the odds between Japanese and American fleet carriers.

Landing at Guadalcanal -- August 7 - Aug 9, 1942

As the U.S. took the offensive in August 1942, Vice Admiral Fletcher commanded the invasion of Tulagi and Guadalcanal. Close air support was provided at Tulagi. The invasion of Guadalcanal was uncontested, Fletcher withdrew his carriers from dangerous waters when they were no longer needed. Rear Admiral