Essay Sample on Admiral Chester Nimitz: Commander in Chief of the US Pacific Fleet

Introduction

World War II was a phenomenal time for all countries in the world. This time was especially critical for all soldiers, whether on the air, on land or on the sea as they attempted to secure victory for their people. Despite the participation of numerous soldiers, most of whom gave their lives while fighting for the victory of their countries, some soldiers such as Admiral Nimitz gained recognition for their key participation that spearheaded the success of their country. therefore, to understand the critical role played by the Admiral during World War II, it is essential to study who Admiral Nimitz was as well as his contribution to the success of the war.

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Keegan described Admiral Chester Nimitz as a Commander in Chief of the US Pacific fleet from 17th December 1941 to the end of World War. The admiral was recognized for his outstanding strategies which helped him to restore the US fleet from its miserable and weak situation to a position of offense and initiative after Pearl Harbor within the first year of the war. The Admiral's first task after taking command was to protect the Hawaiian bases as well as maintain sufficient communication with the mainland. Hence, he assembled an extensive Midway Fleet where he was aided by the cracking of the Japanese Fleet code by the Americans some months earlier. Admiral Nimitz of the US Navy Fleet can be described as the most important officer of the Navy in the 20th century (113).

The admiral had leadership and strategic skills combined with his sense of the requirements and intricacies of logic that made him an admirable leader who was able to command the Navy Fleet. In addition, the Admiral had organizational skills as well as the ability to accept and act on ambiguous intelligence, aided him in his successful leadership. Also, the admiral had to maintain rigorous study sessions where he interacted with fellow students. For instance, Nimitz and his fellow students were required to study logistics-support plans for an advance in the Pacific. Though the logistic aspect of the curriculum was tough, it sharpened their knowledge to the point where the admiral did not need to look at the maps to identify the small pinpoints or tiny atolls (Hattendorf par 3). Ultimately, Fleet Admiral Nimitz rose through the ranks to become Commander in Chief of the Pacific during World War II and was in charge of commanding the most significant ocean area than any other commander in history. He also served as a strategic manager for the whole area around the Pacific Ocean throughout most of the war. The Admiral was also considered as the strategic decision maker for the battle at Midway, the battle of the Eastern Solomons, the battle of Santa Cruz as well as the battle of the Philippine Sea.

When Admiral Nimitz took command of what had remained of the United States Fleet, he did not anticipate the dramatic events that conclude the glorious victory at Midway (Wildenberg 50). In his younger years, Nimitz was identified as a purposeful person who was dedicated to intense study (Sutcliffe 3). As a commander in chief of the Pacific Ocean area, Nimitz was most respected for his ability to make a decision as well as to lead the other navy officers.

Conclusion

In conclusion, despite war being a physical battle, it also requires good leadership and decision-making skills as well as high levels of intelligence in terms of logistics as illustrated by Admiral Nimitz. An analysis on who Admiral Nimitz was as well as his contribution to the success of the war reveals that the admiral was recognized for his outstanding strategies which helped him to restore the US fleet from its miserable and weak situation to a position of offense and initiative after Pearl Harbor within the first year of the war. Therefore, Admiral Nimitz popularity as the most important officer in the 20th century stems from his strategic and operational leadership and operational skills that he applied during the war.

Works Cited

Hattendorf, John B. "Saving Nimitz's 'Graybook.'" Naval History Magazine, vol. 28, no. 3, 2014, U.S Naval Institute. www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2014/june/saving-nimitzs-graybook.

Keegan, John. Who's Who in World War II. Routledge, 2002.

Sutcliffe, Jane. Chester Nimitz and the Sea. Pelican Publishing Company, 2013.

Wildenberg, Thomas. "Chester Nimitz and the Development of Fueling at Sea." Naval War College Review, vol. 46, no. 4, 1993, pp. 50-62, Naval History, and Heritage Command. www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/c/chester-nimitz-development-fueling-sea.html.