United States Pacific Fleet Information
The United States Pacific Fleet (USPACFLT) is a Pacific Ocean Navy theater-level component command of the United States Navy, under the operational control of the United States Pacific Command. Its homeport is at Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hawaii, commanded by Admiral Patrick M. Walsh. The term United States Pacific Fleet, also used during World War II, was often shown as COMPACFLT as Navy typewriters in the ship's message centers at the time contained only capital letters, to lessen the chance for typing or reading errors. Prior to 24 October 2002, the commander was titled Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Fleet (CINCPACFLT).
A Pacific Fleet was created in 1907 when the Asiatic Squadron and the Pacific Squadron were combined. In 1910, the ships of the First Squadron were organized back into a separate Asiatic Fleet. The General Order of 6 December 1922 organized the United States Fleet, with the Battle Fleet as the Pacific presence.
The fleet's modern incarnation dates from the splitting of the United States Fleet into the Atlantic and Pacific fleets prior to World War II.
Until May 1940, the fleet was stationed on the west coast of the United States. During the summer of that year, as part of the U.S. response to Japanese expansionism, it was instructed to take an "advanced" position at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Long term basing at Pearl Harbor was so strongly opposed by the commander, Admiral James O. Richardson, that he personally protested in Washington. Political considerations were thought sufficiently important that he was relieved by Admiral Husband E. Kimmel, who was in command at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Rear Admiral Claude C. Bloch commanded the local Naval District at Pearl, as distinct from the fleet, at the time of the attack.
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Composition of the Pacific Fleet in May 1941
On 7 December 1941 , the Fleet consisted of the Battle Force, Scouting Force, Base Force, and Amphibious Force (ComPhibPac).[1]
The Battle Force consisted of Battleships, Battle Force, made up of three Battleship Divisions (BATDIVs): BB-38 Pennsylvania and BB-39 Arizona with BB-36 Nevada (BatDiv 1); BB-43 Tennessee and BB-44 California with BB-37 Oklahoma (BatDiv2); and BB-45 Colorado, BB-46 Maryland and BB-48 West Virginia (BatDiv 4). These nine battleships were intended to counterbalance the ten battleships of the Imperial Japanese Navy. At the time of the Pearl Harbor Attack, BB-38 Pennsylvania was in dry dock and BB-45 Colorado was being refitted at Bremerton Navy Yard, Washington State. BB-39 Arizona was mated with BB-36 Nevada and BB-37 Oklahoma at that time.
Other components of the Battle Force included Aircraft, Battle Force, with Carrier Division One and Carrier Division Two, plus Cruiser Divisions 4, 5, and 6. The Scouting Force included Cruiser Division Three (USS Richmond, USS Concord, and USS Trenton) and Cruiser Division Nine and Submarines, Scouting Force.[2]
The Amphibious Force was formally known as Commander, Amphibious Forces, Pacific Fleet (ComPhibPac). On 7 December 1941 the Amphibious Force comprised the Army's 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Lewis, under Army operational control, the 2nd Marine Division, the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, the 2nd Defense Battalion (see Marine defense battalions), and a depot.[3] One of PhibPac's subordinate commands during World War II was Transports, Amphibious Force, Pacific Fleet, or TransPhibPac. The commander of TransPhibPac was known as ComTransPhibPac.
In December 1941, the fleet consisted of 9 battleships, 3 aircraft carriers, 12 heavy cruisers, 8 light cruisers, 50 destroyers, 33 submarines, and 100 patrol bombers.[citation needed] This was approximately the fleet's strength at the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
That day, the Japanese Combined Fleet carried out the Attack on Pearl Harbor, initiating World War II in the Pacific. The Fleet's Battle Line was virtually destroyed, forcing the U.S. Navy to rely primarily on aircraft carriers for many months afterward.
Subsequently Pacific Fleet engagements during World War II included the Battle of Guam (1941), the Marshalls-Gilberts raids, the Doolittle Raid, the Solomon Islands campaign, the Battle of the Coral Sea, the Battle of Midway, the Battle of the Eastern Solomons, the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, the Battle of the Philippine Sea, the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign, the Battle of Leyte Gulf, and the Battle of Okinawa. More minor battles included the Battle of Dutch Harbor.
Post 1945
Since 1945 the Pacific Fleet has been involved in the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the two Taiwan Straits Crises, and a number of other operations including the Mayaguez Incident of 1975. The RIMPAC exercise series began in 1971. The very large PACEX '89 in the North Pacific involved the USN, Canadian Navy, Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force, and ROK Navy. At the end of Exercise PACEX '89 a 54 ship formation was assembled for photos. It included the flagship, USS Blue Ridge, the USS Enterprise Battle Group, the USS Carl Vinson Battle Group, two battleship surface action groups formed around the USS New Jersey and USS Missouri, and a Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force task force.[citation needed] Later ships of the Pacific Fleet, notably the Ticonderoga class cruiser USS Mobile Bay provided support to the entry of INTERFET in East Timor in 1999.
As of 2011, the Pacific Fleet consists of the numbered Third and Seventh Fleets, as well as Naval Air Force, Pacific; Commander, Naval Surface Forces Pacific; Naval Submarine Force, Pacific; and other commands.[citation needed]
The naval shore commands Commander Naval Forces Korea; Commander Naval Forces Japan; and Commander Naval Forces Marianas are also under the authority of the Pacific Fleet.
See List of units of the United States Navy
Commanders
Main article: Commander, U.S. Pacific FleetSee also
Notes
- ^ Orbat.com/Niehorster, http://www.orbat.com/site/ww2/drleo/013_usa/_41_usn/_usn.html
- ^ http://www.orbat.com/site/ww2/drleo/013_usa/_41_usn/pac-bat_cruisers.html
- ^ http://www.orbat.com/site/ww2/drleo/013_usa/_41_usn/pac_amphib-force.html
External links
Categories: Fleets of the United States Navy | Fleets of the United States Navy in World War II | Military units and formations established in 1907
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