After the war King took the helm of the postgraduate naval school (1919-1921) before becoming captain of a refrigerated vessel. In 1922, he received the rank of submariner and later took command of a sub-division.
In 1930, King learned to fly and received command of the Lexington aircraft carrier (930-32) until he entered Naval War College. In 1933, he received the post at the Aeronautical Office. The next King post was the command of the air base where he was responsible for over 1000 seaplanes. Promoted vice-admiral he insisted that his pilots be trained for night operations.
In January 1941 King became Commander of the Atlantic Fleet and after Pearl Harbor he was the Commander-in-Chief of the American Fleet.
King developed a reputation as a character with biting and chicanery. On March 18, 1942, King replaces Admiral Stark as Chief of Naval Operations, while retaining his position as Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. It will be the only one in the history of the American Navy to combine these two functions. He will often face General George Marshall. King opposed the plans to disembark the US Army in North Africa. He thought that the Pacific war was a matter of greater concern. Moreover, he believed that the US Navy should play a decisive role as long as it received adequate resources.
King, General Douglas MacArthur, the Supreme Commander of the Pacific Southwest, and Chester Nimitz, Commander-in-Chief of the US Pacific Fleet, decided that their first objective should be to establish and protect a Across the South Pacific in Australia. This resulted in the battles of the Coral Sea and Midway, where the Japanese Navy lost its four carriers.
King attended to launch the Guadalcanal campaign as General Douglas MacArthur declared that the US military was not ready for a major offensive. MacArthur also disagreed with the invasion of the Solomon Islands. It was also in conflict with King's view that American forces had to bypass the Philippines.
King also opposed the involvement of the
USS in the Pacific War. He also opposed the idea that the Royal Navy
should move to the Pacific after gaining control of the Atlantic. On
December 17, 1944, King and William Leahy and Chester Nimitz received
the rank of Admiral of the Fleet (5 stars).After his retirement in December 1945, King lived in Washington until a heart condition forced him to stay at the naval hospital in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Ernest King died of a heart attack on June 26, 1956.
0 commentaires :
Post a Comment