On the Warpath in the Pacific by Clark Reynolds

Author:Clark Reynolds [Reynolds, Clark G]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781612513614
Publisher: Naval Institute Press

THIRTEEN

Admirals Must Fight! 1943

ON 12 OCTOBER 1943 REAR ADMIRAL BALDY POWNALL REESTABLISHED his flag on Jocko Clark’s Yorktown as Commander Fast Carrier Forces, Pacific Fleet. Despite doubts in many officers’ minds—Clark’s foremost—about Pownall’s abilities as a combat leader, he had three excellent “fighting” admirals to lead his task groups—Montgomery, Radford, and Ted Sherman. Clark, already earmarked for promotion, now received a letter of commendation from Admiral Jack Towers for his role in the Marcus and Wake raids.

In addition to the flagship Yorktown, the five other heavy carriers were skippered by confident leaders like Clark (though none of them nearly as bombastic), all of them friends of his: Felix Stump in Lexington, Matt Gardner in Enterprise, Ralph Ofstie in Essex (succeeding Duncan), John Ballentine in Bunker Hill, and John H. Cassady in Saratoga. Five light carriers gave Pownall 11 flattops in all, plus eight escort carriers assigned to the amphibious forces.

Similarly talented aviation leaders were also needed to orchestrate the complex and sprawling administration and logistics of ComAirPac. Admiral Towers obviously entertained no thoughts of wasting Clark’s fighting talents behind a desk at Pearl Harbor. But he had no hesitation about tapping some of Jocko’s best men for critical posts in orchestrating the air war in the Pacific.

The task of assigning the thousands of aviation personnel throughout the expanding Pacific Fleet required a person of meticulous administrative skills. Towers asked Jocko to give up Raöul Waller to assume this critically important job. Clark had no choice, but Raöul had told Jocko that he would very much like to continue their close association—if possible as Clark’s chief of staff when Jocko was promoted. So Clark elicited from Towers (or thought he did) a promise to that effect. Waller was transferred ashore and promoted to captain.

Desperate for a new exec, Jocko thought the best and simplest solution was to move George Anderson into the post. Andy was amenable, especially because the Yorktown was just getting started in the fighting. Admiral Towers, however, needed Anderson to be his plans officer (he had allocated all Navy aircraft for Towers at BuAer in 1940–42). Both he and Clark protested his transfer, but in vain. Anderson “hated to leave” the Yorktown, but as Bill Bowie remarked to him as he was leaving the ship, “Commander, you and I have had our run-ins, but you’re going to go to the top!” And he would—to CNO.

With no remaining ship’s officer senior enough to “fleet up” to be executive officer, Clark had to accept someone assigned by BuAer. It was Commander Cameron Briggs, Annapolis ’25 and a crack prewar pilot. Loud and gruff, he was the complete opposite of the soft-spoken Waller. In fact, his personality resembled that of Jocko—a fighter. They would soon get into shouting matches, but in port they would go ashore and have a beer together.

A combined farewell-and-welcoming cocktail party was held at an O-club (officers’ club), followed by a steak dinner aboard ship. Dr. Gard in a letter described mustachioed Cam Briggs as having “close cropped hair, two big fists and is plenty tough.

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