William Frederick Halsey, Jr. was born on October 30, 1882, at Elizabeth, NJ. The son of US Navy Captain William Halsey, he was raised on his father's stories and decided to attend the US Naval Academy. After waiting two years for an appointment, Halsey decided to study medicine at the University of Virginia with the goal of entering the Navy as a doctor. After his first year in Charlottesville, Halsey finally received his appointment and entered the academy in 1900. While not a gifted student, he was a skilled athlete and active in numerous academy clubs.
Career
Graduating in 1904, Halsey ranked 43rd out of 62 in his class. After joining USS Missouri, he was later transferred to USS Don Juan de Austria. Having completed the two years of sea time required by federal law, he was commissioned as an ensign on February 2, 1906. The following year, he served aboard the battleship USS Kansas as it took part in the cruise of the "Great White Fleet." Promoted to lieutenant on February 2, 1909, Halsey began a long series of command assignments aboard torpedo boats and destroyers beginning
World War II
After leading Carrier Division 2 and Carrier Division 1, Halsey became Commander Aircraft Battle Force with the rank of vice admiral in 1940. With the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the US entry into World War II, Halsey found himself at sea aboard his flagship USS Enterprise. Upon learning of the attack he remarked, "Before we're through with 'em, the Japanese language will only be spoken in hell." A few months later, in April 1942, Halsey led Task Force 16 to within 800 miles of Japan to launch the famed "Doolittle Raid."
By this time, Halsey, known as "Bull" to his men, adopted the slogan "Hit hard, hit fast, hit often." Returning from the Doolittle mission, he missed the critical Battle of Midway due to a severe case of psoriasis. Naming Rear Admiral Raymond Spruance to serve in his stead, he sent his gifted chief of staff, Captain Miles Browning, to sea to assist in the coming battle. Made Commander South Pacific Forces and South Pacific Area in October 1942, he was promoted to admiral on November 18.
Leading Allied naval forces to victory in the Guadalcanal Campaign, his ships remained at the leading edge of the Admiral Chester Nimitz's "island-hopping" campaign through 1943 and early 1944. In June 1944, Halsey was given command of the US Third Fleet. That September, his ships provided cover for the landings on Peleliu, before embarking on a series of damaging raids on Okinawa and Formosa. In late October, the Third Fleet was assigned to provide cover for the landings on Leyte and to support Vice Admiral Thomas Kinkaid's Seventh Fleet.
Desperate to block the Allied invasion of the Philippines, the commander of the Japanese Combined Fleet, Admiral Soemu Toyoda, devised a daring plan which called for most of his remaining ships to attack the landing force. To distract Halsey, Toyoda sent his remaining carriers, under Vice Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa, to the north with the goal of drawing the Allied carriers away from Leyte. In the resulting Battle of Leyte Gulf, Halsey and Kinkaid won victories on October 23 and 24 over the attacking Japanese surface ships led by Vice Admirals Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita and Shoji Nishimura.
Late on the 24th, Halsey's scouts sighted Ozawa's carriers. Believing Kurita's force to have been defeated and retreating, Halsey elected to pursue Ozawa without properly informing Nimitz or Kinkaid of his intentions. The next day, his planes succeeded in crushing Ozawa's force, but due to his pursuit he was out of position to support the invasion fleet. Unknown to Halsey, Kurita had reversed course and resumed his advance towards Leyte. In the resulting Battle of Samar, Allied destroyers and escort carriers fought a valiant battle against Kurita's heavy ships.
Alerted to the critical situation, Halsey turned his ships south and made a high-speed run back towards Leyte. The situation was saved when Kurita retreated of his own accord after becoming concerned about the possibility of aerial attack from Halsey's carriers. Despite the stunning Allied successes in the battles around Leyte, Halsey's failure to clearly communicate his intentions and his leaving the invasion fleet unprotected damaged his reputation in some circles.
Halsey's reputation was again damaged in December when Task Force 38, part of the Third Fleet, was hit by Typhoon Cobra while conducting operations off the Philippines. Rather than avoid the storm, Halsey remained on station and lost three destroyers, 146 aircraft, and 790 men to the weather. In addition, many ships were badly damaged. A subsequent court of inquiry found that Halsey had erred, but did not recommend any punitive action. In January 1945, Halsey turned the Third Fleet over to Spruance for the Okinawa Campaign.
Resuming command in late-May, Halsey made a series of carrier attacks against the Japanese home islands. During this time, he again sailed through a typhoon, though no ships were lost. A court of inquiry recommended that he be reassigned, however Nimitz overruled the judgment and allowed Halsey to retain his post. Halsey's last attack came on August 13, and he was present aboard USS Missouri when the Japanese surrendered on September 2. Following the war, Halsey was promoted to fleet admiral on December 11, 1945, and assigned to special duty in the Office of the Secretary of the Navy. He retired on March 1, 1947, and worked in business until 1957. Halsey died on August 16, 1959, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.