The Unauthorized History of the Pacific War20 Sep 2022

A Discussion on Fleet Admiral Nimitz, with special guest Admiral James Stavridis

Nimitz Pre War
Who was he and where did he come from?
Texas Hill Country, Fredericksburg
Too poor to go to college, worked his tail off to go to Naval Academy
Spent time in Japan before the war
Nimitz was a submarine officer in his early years
Commanded a DD in the Philippines
Commanded a cruiser division and battleship division
XO of SC, CO Chicago
Highly experienced in the realm of command

Nimitz Upon Assignment as CINCPAC
56 Years Old currently occupying the office of the Bureau of Navigation
Whose decision was it to promote Nimitz to the position?
FDR
He had been offered the job before December 41 and turned it down for fear of upsetting senior officers.
He was junior to some 50 other Admirals
He feared that taking the job and leapfrogging them would have created resentment and made it more difficult to do the job.

Nimitz the Leader
What kind leadership style did Nimitz utilize?
He was a people person
Never cussed, raised his voice or dressed men down in public
He gave his subordinates a lot of autonomy and assumed they knew their jobs until they proved they did not
If that occurred, he spoke in low tones, was blunt but not rude or insulting
Always looked after his men and took care of them

Nimitz the Executive
Juggled personalities of subordinates and his boss extremely well
Dealings with King
Dealings with subordinates
Turner
GEN Smith
Halsey
Towers
JO Richardson
MacArthur
Spruance and Nimitz relationship
Nimitz handled the various personalities in the Pacific in check much as Ike did in the ETO.
Was very similar to Ike in terms of Supreme Commander, even though, Nimitz was no Supreme Commander

What did Nimitz inherit in December 41 and how did he go about fixing the problems?
Inherited a shattered command
Devastated morale
Staff, fleet and populace
Fear of a Japanese invasion
When he landed in Pearl on Xmas Day he asked about the relief of Wake
When told it fell and was abandoned, he fell silent
Didn’t take command immediately. Worked with Admiral Pye to get the lay of the land, latest issues and intel.
Took command on December 31, 1941 aboard USS Grayling (SS-209) fittingly

Nimitz’s Strategy 1941-42
Be cautious, yet forceful and hit them where they least expect it
Strike back was essential
(Set the stage for next episode about the Hit and Run Raids)

Nimitz’s biggest gamble
Midway
Recognized the role of intel and believed in it, believed in his people and their skills
Nimitz’s Legacy
Developed and implemented the island hopping strategy that won the war.
Inherited a shattered fleet, trusted his subordinates, built his leadership teams and won when it was absolutely necessary.

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Episoder(233)

The Battle of the Pockets and MacArthur’s Departure – Episode 610

This week Seth Paridon and John Parshall dig into the Battle of the Pockets on Bataan in February 1942. As the Japanese continue to try and push their advantage along the rear battle position, after h...

4 Aug 1h 44min

Episode 612 – Guadalcanal’s Forgotten Fight: The US Army’s Crucial Role with Dave Holland

This week, Seth Paridon and Jon Parshall welcome back their good buddy author and historian Dave Holland to the show to talk about Dave's new book. In his second book, Dave takes on the underappreciat...

28 Jul 1h 26min

Shooting the Breeze Between Shows and Future Ideas

This week Seth Paridon and Jon Parshall get together to shoot the breeze in between shows, talk about future ideas and just generally hang out. The guys get into some new books that are coming out or ...

26 Jul 43min

The Last Charge and The Battle of the Points: Jan-Feb 1942 on Bataan – Episode 609

This week Seth Paridon and John Parshall dig deep into the actions of I Corps on the western coast of Bataan in January 1942. The guys discuss the tactical and strategic situation facing Wainwright's ...

21 Jul 1h 40min

The First Attacks on the Bataan Peninsula: January 1942 – Episode 608

This week, Seth Paridon and Jon Parshall take up the topic of the first Japanese attacks on the Fil-American lines in January 1942. With Manila now in his hands, Japanese General Homma feels that an e...

14 Jul 1h 37min

Japanese Archival Footage from the Philippines 1942 – Episode 607

This week Seth Paridon and Jon Parshall take a look at some fairly rare and very important archival footage from 1942. While scenes of the Fil-American disaster on Luzon are few and far between, there...

7 Jul 1h 8min

Holding the Door Open: The Battles Towards Bataan – Episode 606

This week Seth Paridon and Jon Parshall take a deep dive into the withdrawal actions fought by General Jonathan Wainwright’s troops of the Northern Luzon Force from December 24, 1941 through January 1...

30 Jun 1h 37min

The Withdrawal to Bataan with John McManus – Episode 605

This week Seth Paridon and Jon Parshall welcome back their buddy John McManus to discuss the situation facing Douglas MacArthur’s troops from Christmas Eve, 1941 through the New Year as Wainwright and...

23 Jun 1h 11min