Top 5 US Admirals of All Time: Heroes of the Seas!

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Join us as we delve into the lives and legacies of five extraordinary US Admirals who shaped naval history.
Discover the resilience following Pearl Harbor, the strategic brilliance at Midway, and the critical role of intelligence in securing victory.
Learn about Admiral Halsey's relentless assaults, the daring raids, and his leadership during the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
Understand Admiral Spruance’s strategic genius and his calm leadership in critical battles. Admire Admiral King's oversight of the US Navy’s global operations and expansion during WWII.
Finally, explore Admiral Farragut's audacious tactics that turned the tide in the Civil War.
If you find these stories of courage and strategy inspiring, like and share.
00:00:00 The High Seas Await
00:00:10 Master Strategist of the Pacific
00:01:17 The Bull Who Charged With the Fleet
00:01:50 The Quiet Architect of Victory
00:02:23 At the Helm of a Global War
00:03:28 Damn the Torpedoes!
00:04:32 A Legacy Etched in the Waves
#USNavy #NavalHistory #Admirals #WorldWarII #PacificWar #Midway #PearlHarbor #LeyteGulf #CivilWar #MilitaryHistory #StrategyAndTactics

[@frederikdewaele3549]

Spruance never being promoted to 5 star rank is one of the great injustices with regards to promotion. The man won the battles of Midway and the Philippines Sea, directed Operation Hailstone and blunted the Japanese Operation Ten-Go. Alas he never had the political backing Halsey had. Damn you Carl Vinson.

[@jwaller1327]

I don't believe Nimitz gets the recognition he deserves. It seems that the Pacific War is remembered as a sideshow to the main event in Europe, probably because of the Europe First strategy. More Americans served in Europe than the Pacific, so that probably explains why. I believe we were only able to focus on the European theater because Nimitz was able to stop the Japanese in the Pacific when the chips were down. He was able to halt the Japanese advances and also launch a defensive offensive, successfully, holding the line in 1942 and early 1943, buying us time so that our industrial output was able to give us the ability to take it to Europe. And then from mid 1943 to the end of the war, he managed the largest battlefield in history, providing the right units at the right time to support the offensives of the Southwest Pacific and the Central Pacific. Comparing Nimitz to the other US theater commanders, MacArthur and Eisenhower, MacArthur really screwed up in the defense of the Philippines, and Eisenhower never had to engage until after the tide had turn against the Germans. What other American commander in history was able to win against a technologically and numerically superior foe (which Japan was 1941-1942)? I believe Nimitz was to the American effort in WW2 as George Washington was to the American Revolution.

[@MarkJohnson-zy4fd]

Great to see Spruance on the list.

[@AlanToon-fy4hg]

I feel that Chester Nimitz was the finest military officer ever produced by the United States. Bull Halsey was the necessary bitter tonic that was needed in the dark days of Guadalcanal, but he stayed too long.

[@JeffreyWilliams-dr7qe]

He was the bag man for Admirl Kings rejected final plan for the invasion of Japan.

[@jwaller1327]

I agree.

[@hardknuckle8143]

If you want viewers to hear all of your narrative, you need to turn the music down to background levels - at least half of the narrative is drowned out by the music.

[@QuickHistoryHits865]

Thanks for your comment, 100% correct the music was too loud. Thanks for your feeback.

[@falcorusticolus4360]

How about Admiral Willis A. Lee Jr.?

[@user-gl5dq2dg1j]

If Halsey hadn't abandoned guarding the norther approaches to Leyte Gulf, Lee might not have been all but forgotten to history. Assuming that Halsey didn't screw up Lee's plans. Remember Halsey was on New Jersey and would have had a front row seat at the should have been fight.

[@danwallach8826]

All I can say about Ernest King is that he was no George Marshall. For some reason, King couldn't get along with Brita, had to be dragged into releasing sufficient landing craft for Operation Overlord and needlessly court-martialed Charles McVay when the Indianapolis was sunk. He even brought in the Japanese sub commander who sank the Indy! Why? Because McVay's dad once disciplined King when he was a young officer. Just a mean ol' SOB.

[@robertfliss9427]

Agreed, I've never been impressed with King, particularly for his lack of initiative during the 1942 U-boat offensive along the East Coast. i can forgive Halsey's mistakes -- like chasing after the decoy carriers at Leyte Gulf -- because he was undoubtedly an inspiring leader, loved and respected by the sailors. King was, as you state, a mean SOB, a sort of anti-Nimitz.

[@user-gl5dq2dg1j]

And his lack of enforcing black outs on the east coast and convoys which would have forced the u-boats to spend more time looking for targets. The only good thing King did was push for the invasion of Guadalcanal. Of course if he hadn't been such a prickly SOB, Nimitz might have chosen someone other than Ghormely to command.

[@bunkerhill4854]

He was also the boss when Pearl Harbor happened.

[@dukeford8893]

Lol. None of you know much about EJK. Nice that he made someone's "Best Of" list, though.

[@user-gl5dq2dg1j]

@@bunkerhill4854 um, no he wasn't. Stark was. Stark was sent to Britain and to replace him FDR sent for the SOB.

[@johnfleet235]

I would have added David Dixon Porter. He was the key Admiral working us General Grant to capture Vicksburg and later Wilmington NC. It was he that represented the Navy in that final conference with Lincoln, Grant and Sherman in the last weeks of the war.

[@gruntforever7437]

looking at the whole war Farragut was the proper pick

[@johnfleet235]

@@gruntforever7437 You are correct that Farragut was the best on blue water. Porter was the for brown water, plus combined operations.

[@johnshepherd9676]

​@gruntforever7437 Porter's post war service is what makes the better 19th century Admiral. He kept Navy alive during the lean years and built the foundation of the 20th Century US Navy.

[@craigkdillon]

Sorry. Bull Halsey's taking the bait and leaving his assignment to protect the troops at Leyte Gulf remove him from consideration as a top admiral, IMO.

[@jerryjefcoat8897]

I heartily agree.

[@craigkdillon]

@@jerryjefcoat8897 I also disagree about King. His treatment of Fletcher was wrong and outrageous. King's demand of aggressiveness, even when its the wrong move, may have contributed to Halsey's behavior.

[@user-gl5dq2dg1j]

And don't forget his sailing into 2 typhoons.

[@user-gl5dq2dg1j]

Also Halsey didn't realize he could have split his force and still have had 2 force groups of overwhelming strength against the Japanese forces against him.

[@craigkdillon]

@@user-gl5dq2dg1j Had not thought of that. You are very correct.

[@lawrencewestby9229]

Did Halsey make mistakes? Yes, he did, especially in the Philippines, and many people have pointed that out. However, it must be remembered that under VADM Ghormley the Guadalcanal campaign was under threat of collapsing until Halsey replaced him and successfully prosecuted the rest of the Solomons campaign. He then commanded 3rd Fleet, alternating with Spruance's 5th Fleet (same ships, different commander and staff) across the central Pacific. I would definitely rate Spruance ahead of Halsey, and Spruance suffered the great injustice of never being elevated to Fleet Admiral, but Halsey was still one of the great admirals of WW2.

[@user-gl5dq2dg1j]

Halsey should never have been in command after '43. The war became much too large and complex for his abilities. He learned the wrong lessons of the battle for the Philippine sea. He was too aggressive when he should have either split his forces or waited for the Japanese carriers to get within range of his own planes and allowed Lee to command TF 34 and not interfere with Lee's decisions. Halsey also sailed into 2 different typhoons causing needless deaths and destruction that delayed operations.

[@johnshepherd9676]

David Dixon Porter. Without Porter there is no great US Navy of the 20th Century. Porter kept the Navy alive in lean years after the Civil War, championed younger officers in 1870s and 1880s and led the revival of new iron and steel Navy in the 1880s.

[@WDKimball]

My Great Great Uncle was RADM William W Kimball. He wrote the war plan against Spain in 1896, and commanded expeditionary force to Nicaragua in 1909. He died in 1930 and my father was named after him. 🙂

[@ronbyers9912]

Halsey is the one I wouldn't have put on this list. He nearly lost the battle of Leyte Gulf by his failure to deploy his fast battleships to protect the 7th fleet escort carriers as he chased a decoy force. He lost three ships in Typhon Cobra because he just wasn't much of a sailor. For all of his press, he just wasn't that good an Admiral. Six months later he ran his fleet into a second typhon.

[@phillipnagle9651]

Halsey at Leyte Gulf fell for Japanese feint that almost led to disaster and should have led to his removal from command. While he was an effective commander early in the war, nothing in his overall record would come close to him being a top admiral.

[@slimeydon]

ummm, Halsey's actions at Leyte Gulf aren't a positive, as much as I love the guy. You need to rethink this

[@wallyjohns7312]

Halsey doesn't belong on this list. He was sitting on a 58,000 ton battleship going into a typhoon and was blustering that sailors can handle this. Meanwhile 2,000 ton destroyers low on fuel (ballast) were getting rolled over. Hundreds of sailors died. Then he got caught in another hurricane. And he left the landing beaches uncovered at Leyte. So CVE's, DD'S and DE's were left to sacrifice themselves to save the transports. Spruance should have got the fifth star, not Halsey.

[@USNveteran]

My father in law survived one of the typhoon's in a DE. I was fortunate enough to hear some of his stories, people such as him are what put the GREATEST in the phrase THE GREATEST GENERATION. Thanks to all now serving, those who have, and those who will in the future. FLY NAVY!!!

[@bbraun4966]

Before you put Halsey on this list, maybe you should find out what happen to a group of support ships call "TAFFY 3" at Leyte Gulf and who was suppose to protect them.

[@andrewtodd5919]

Met a survivor of the Gambier Bay years ago. He said Halsey chased glory and left our ass out to dry.

[@paulroberts971]

Halsey‘s decision will be discussed until the cows come home. Although he left Taffy three, he sank four Japanese carriers, a cruiser and a destroyer in Ozawa’s northern force. With the sinking of the four carriers, Japan had no naval air power at all.

[@andrewtodd5919]

@paulroberts971 yes that's true but at this point Japan lacked skilled naval pilots, the carriers had little value. US air supremacy was firmly asserted. Had the tin cans and jeep carriers etc not held the line the landings may have been smashed

[@paulroberts971]

@@andrewtodd5919 , agreed.

[@bbraun4966]

@@andrewtodd5919 Exactly-Halsey sent a hammer to kill a fly. Some of the fleet was suppose to stay behind but he never checked to make sure the landings were protected.

[@donb7113]

Halsey is overrated. You mention Leyte gulf, did you get how he deserted the landing beaches and chased after the Japanese and their rouse? He also sailed his fleet into a cyclone that sank ships and killed sailors. I do not, nor have I ever liked Halsey.

[@johnfleet235]

It was two Cyclones, one in December 1944 and number 2 in May 1945. King could forgive Leyte, but not get hot by two cyclones. Halsey was good for the first two years of the war, but the wat left Halsey behind by 1944/1945.

[@claiborneeastjr4129]

I was wondering why this was omitted. You are correct in your assessment.

[@tharrigan5661]

100% agree. The press loved him. King should have sacked him for leading his fleet not once but twice into a cyclone. He was completely fooled by the Japanese at Leyte Gulf. Took the bait to chase after empty carriers and did not guard the landing zones of our troops. Horrible command decision.

[@richardnunn9223]

Should have been court martialed

[@steveabbott4961]

@@donb7113 like so many other commanders in WWII, Halsey left a mixed, blemished record. My original comment questioned including him on a list purporting to be the five best admirals in U S naval history; why would it include him over others who left their marks with unblemished records? Halsey will always deserve our gratitude for his contributions and leadership in 42/43 - he was stellar then. But the same could be said of many of our other well thought of commanders over time. The list advertised itself as being our very best. While Halsey was good, he doesn’t belong on such a list.

[@randywarren7101]

When starting describing Raymond Spruance, you had a picture of Admiral Chester Nimitz!

[@QuickHistoryHits865]

Thanks for your feedback, always trying to get better, I am a rookie at this and do appreciate you taking the time to comment.

[@dominicromano1611]

Pleased to see Raymond Spruance included in this list. He sometimes gets overlooked.

[@cleaterose5914]

Disagree with King. He was slow to recognize the u boat threat, slow to recognize the deficiencies in Navy procurement especially with torpedoes, slow in bringing air power into the Atlantic. Churchill hated him suggested that King's intransigence lengthened the war 6 mos to a year.

[@gruntforever7437]

Ching Lee at a critical moment made huge decisions; but you do not put someone here for just one battle. Honestly I think Spruance was our greatest battle admiral; Nimitz our best commanding admiral, Halsey provided critical moral and aggressive instincts at Guadalcanal; but later in the war made too many mistakes. Farragut was the US Navies first Admiral and his leadership was critical. Porter as was mentioned was a master of riverine warfare.

[@user-gl5dq2dg1j]

Leahy who managed FDR and probably helped keep the peace with King and Marshall and the Brits.

[@dancasey9660]

Ching Lee honorable mention. And a great shooting Olympian!

[@user-gl5dq2dg1j]

@@dancasey9660 The man set a record that would stand for 40 odd years. And many shooting records from the US. If it was riffled he had a medal for it. I wonder if he ever did any target practice with Nimitz given that Lee spent much time in the line.

[@frankmenchaca9993]

Maybe he wasn't an admiral (in the American Navy), but you might have made mention of the father of the Navy; John Paul Jones. Commodore Dewey should have had a mention.

[@KManXPressTheU]

Nimitz, Halsey,Spruance...The Trifecta of the US Pacific Fleet.

[@chetmac45]

Admiral King was the biggest Anglophobe of the war, causing a lot of unnecessary problems and loss of lives.

[@JTBY007-iy1zu]

Not to mention that King was also a hypocritical backstabber who threw constant tantrums which he would never have tolerated in his own subordinates. He must have had dirt on Roosevelt; that's the only explanation for him keeping his job.

[@randywarren7101]

There's a story about King that was told by junior officers who had a dressing down by King. They would say" King is so tough that he shaves with a blow torch!"

[@dukeford8893]

King's "Anglophobia" is one of the biggest fairy tales of the entire war.

[@benoitchamard2530]

@@dukeford8893 So explain why he did not want to use convoy system put forward by the British ?

[@steveabbott4961]

While all your selections here were worthy one is left wondering at the criteria you used to make your presentation. Halsey's worst moment was Leyte, and that was only one of several that would keep him from being ranked with leaders like Dewey and Farragut. This presentation was slick, but lazy.

[@terryjones6210]

The reason Halsey was a five star admiral was the higher ups thought that America needed a hero. He made many mistakes Leyte, poor decisions during two hurricanes to mention the two worst. Spruance should have received five stars instead.

[@user-gl5dq2dg1j]

@@terryjones6210 If Spruance hadn't been so shy and retiring and had had a little bit of publicity King might have suggested him instead of Halsey for the last of the 5 stars.

[@QuickHistoryHits865]

Thanks for your comment, I do appreiate the feeback.

[@craigkdillon]

Instead of Halsey, I nominate Admiral Fletcher who won Battles of the Coral Sea and the Solomon Islands while protecting our too few carriers at the beginning of the war.

[@roberthudson1959]

And was later sidelined for lack of aggressiveness.

[@craigkdillon]

@@roberthudson1959 When you look at both Coral Sea and Solomons Battles, Fletcher was correct in everything he did. Remember, the US only had a few carriers, and Fletcher had to play it safe. He knew he was going to get in trouble for acting correctly. King was unrealistic. He was wrong in his criticism of Fletcher.

[@roberthudson1959]

@@craigkdillon He also prolonged the Battle of Gaudalcanal by leaving the USMC undefended before they had a chance to get all of the men and materiel ashore. My post was accurate. The most charitable thing that could be said about Fletcher was that what made sense at the beginning of the war no longer made sense by the time he was transferred to Alaska.

[@craigkdillon]

@@roberthudson1959 Oooh, we have a real disagreement here. Guadalcanal was still at the beginning. I rate the beginning to the time before new carriers and ships started rolling out of the yards. Bad intelligence kept misinforming him when the Japs were going to attack. By the time they attacked, he had sent the Hornet to refuel. He was short one carrier. Also, he had a much more important job to do at that time than protect the USMC at Guadalcanal, who already had Henderson Field and could protect themselves a bit. He had to ensure the survival of the carriers.

[@craigkdillon]

@@roberthudson1959 Yep. By King, the idiot. IMVHO. (I lie. I am not humble.)

[@roberthudson1959]

The most crucial, and highest ranking, USN admiral of World War II was Fleet Admiral William D. Leahy, who served as the equivalent of the modern Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The video gives too much credit to Fleet Admiral Nimitz for the Battle of Midway. He made victory possible, but it was Admiral Spruance who made it happen. Finally, the highest ranking sailor in the history of the USN is Admiral of the Navy George Dewey, who won the Battle of Manila Bay.

[@robertfliss9427]

I'd put Leahy on the list in a heartbeat in place of Ernest King, whose bullying leadership style was unredeemed by real strategic genius. I read an article a couple years back that argued that the 1942 U-boat offensive along the US East coast was the worst naval disaster in our history and largely the fault of King's failure to institute timely coastal convoys and other defensive measures.

[@user-gl5dq2dg1j]

Actually Fletcher also should be mentioned. He was in command of the fleet at Midway until the Yorktown was crippled and he turned over command to Spruance. Fletcher unfortunately was mostly sidelined by King, because King was as reckless as Halsey and far from forgiving or understanding. The only man King considered and equal was Spruance and often went around Leahy and Forrestal and Knox to FDR directly.

[@roberthudson1959]

@@user-gl5dq2dg1j Fletcher surrendered tactical command at Midway long before Yorktown was damaged. Spruance ordered the long range attack on the IJN that resulted in the sinking of three carriers on the morning of 4 June. Fletcher simply wouldn't have done that. As for King going directly to FDR, he was CNO. Direct access to the president was part of his job description.

[@user-gl5dq2dg1j]

@@roberthudson1959 Spruance launched his own attacks from Hornet and Enterprise, Fletcher gave the orders to launch Yorktown's strike not Spruance. Fletcher was the senior commander in the field. Spruance would not have given orders that contradicted Fletcher's. Did Marshall do the same or did he work with Secretary Stimpson and Admiral Leahry?

[@jk-kr8jt]

Overall I have to agree with these choices. But I often wonder about the behind the scenes officers that saw the need for subs and carriers. The one that worked to prove there need and play the game in Congress to gain the fnding. Sure King played part of that roll but many others did too. Our fighting admirals still needed the right tools.

[@phantomvmfa122]

What did Ernest King have against the Royal Navy anyway?

[@johnshepherd9676]

David Beatty. He was an observer at fleet exercise during WWI where Bestty called off the exercise because Sturdee had out maneuvered him.

[@user-gl5dq2dg1j]

@@johnshepherd9676 Granted Beatty was an ass but the fact that King judged the entirety of the world's largest and most powerful navy on one man shows just how idiotic King was.

[@johnshepherd9676]

@user-gl5dq2dg1j You never get a second chance to make a first impression. The world's greatest Navy was led by the worst RN Commander since the 18th Century.

[@user-gl5dq2dg1j]

@@johnshepherd9676 It seems that once he got away from the fleet at sea into a purely political position where he could make use of his many connections Beatty was a decent enough admiral. I wonder if King would have had a better opinion of the RN if Sturdy had been in charge?

[@johnshepherd9676]

@user-gl5dq2dg1j King probably would have. What King's detractors forget is that King was a key player in the development of US naval aviation doctrine and both offensive and defensive tactics. His role in the interwar years was as consequencal as Porter's after the Civil War. He was also the best strategic thinker of Chiefs of Staff, and that includes Marshall. Beatty never would have been in the position to be First Sea Lord if he didn't command of the Grand Fleet which he got by blackening Jellicoe's name.

[@gruntforever7437]

One should remember that the USN only had two real wars Civil War and WW2. World War 1 was all about antisubmarine war

[@user-gl5dq2dg1j]

They did account ok for themselves in 1812 before Great Britain realized the yanks weren't playing and started sending ships and building ships of the line on the Great Lakes.

[@donparker1823]

Any mention of great American Naval commanders shouldn't exclude John Paul Jones and Captain Isaac Hull of the USS Constitution. Amazing kick ass commanders who only knew how to win.

[@Weesel71]

A good presentation marred by AI images... why do people insist on using that crud?

[@QuickHistoryHits865]

Thanks for taking the time to comment :) Always trying to improve and all comments are appreiated.

[@tcalcut]

What about Captain Binghamton ?

[@DanielNowaski]

laughs

[@grouchomarx209]

Halsey is waaaay overrated. Not in the top five...

[@user-cz7ql5jb8j]

Kimmel should be on this list

[@paulbrownett3673]

Come on they are minnows compared with British Admirals

[@user-gl5dq2dg1j]

Spruance was hardly a minnow. Nimitz ranks up there because he understood people and generally knew how to get the best out of his people. He managed to turn morale around after Pearl Harbor and was willing to gamble when he needed to and figured out how to manage King - no mean feat.

[@user-jp5eo6jb6h]

How about Zumwalt he commanded the fleet in the Vietnam war and was a great leader!