Ernest J. King

Ernest King

Admiral Ernest Joseph King (November 23, 1878 - June 25, 1956) was the Commander in Chief of the United States Navy during World War II. As such, he was Chester Nimitz's immediate superior but himself was subordinate to Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal.

King's personality

King was handsome, intelligent, and extremely capable. He is considered by some to have been one of the greatest admirals of the 20th century. On the other hand, he was rude and incredibly abrasive. He was loathed by the officers with whom he served. This was his primary shortcoming.

"He was... perhaps the most disliked Allied leader of World War II. Only British general Bernard Montgomery may have had more enemies... King also loved parties and often drank to excess. Apparently, he reserved his charm for the wives of fellow naval officers. On the job, he 'seemed always to be angry or annoyed.'" (John Ray Skates, The Invasion of Japan, ISBN 0-87249-972-3).

Pre-World War II

King was born in Lorain, Ohio. He attended the U.S. Naval Academy from 1897 until 1901. During that period, he also served a stint aboard the USS San Francisco during the Spanish American War.

King was a great proponent of the aircraft carrier. In the 1930s, he had been Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics.

On March 26, 1942 King was promoted to Commander in Chief of the Navy. He had been promoted from his position at General Board, typically a last assignment before retirement. Much of the reason for this was because of his "aggressive confidence" and willingness to take risks.

The war against Japan

Of all the Joint Chiefs of Staff, King was absolutely the most dedicated to immediate victory in the Pacific, and the greatest critic of the "Europe first" strategy. He constantly argued that resources should be diverted to the War in the Pacific.

Following Japan's defeat at the Battle of Midway, while the other Joint Chiefs urged that the Allies should fight a holding action to concentrate resources against the Germany, King advocated the invasion of Guadalcanal. He won the arguement, and the invasion went ahead. It was ultimately successful, and was the first time the Japanese lost ground during the War.

General Hastings Ismay, chief of staff to Winston Churchill, described King as: "tough as nails and carried himself as stiffly as a poker. He was blunt and stand-offish, almost to the point of rudeness. At the start, he was intolerant and suspicious of all things British, especially the Royal Navy; but he was almost equally intolerant and suspicious of the American Army. War against Japan was the problem to which he had devoted the study of a lifetime, and he resented the idea of American resources being used for any other purpose than to destroy Japanese. He mistrusted Churchill’s powers of advocacy, and was apprehensive that he would wheedle President Roosevelt into neglecting the war in the Pacific."

Post World War II

King was promoted to Fleet Admiral (5 Star Admiral) in December, 1944. He retired in a year later, on December 15, 1945.

The USS King was named in his honor.

External Links

• Ernest King biography on Official US Navy website

Referenced By