I'm John Batchel. The book is Nimitz at War, command leadership from Pearl Harbor to Tokyo Bay, by Professor Craig Simons, U.S. Naval Academy Emeritus. We're concentrating on the relationships of the commanders, the flag officers, the generals of the Marine Corps, the generals of the Army,

we now come to Spruance commanding the fleet during the landings on the Marianas.

And there is an opportunity to take on the Japanese fleet.

And to go up against what looked at this point a Japanese attempt to launch all of its aircraft and sink American carriers.

There were a great number of carriers. They're coming on all the time now.

The Arsenal democracy is delivering big carriers after big carriers.

And Task Force 58 then takes on the Japanese attack in what is known as the Battle of Philippine Sea but is otherwise known as the Turkey Shoot.

What do we learn about this moment and Spruance his decision-making, Professor?

Well, keep in mind that the United States Navy in peacetime always plans for contingencies, what might happen? How can we prepare for that? It's happening today as we speak. And it certainly happened throughout the 1930s. And the planning that most Navy officers assumed would come forth is that at some point in a possible future war with Japan, there would be a major naval battle somewhere in the Western Pacific,

and that naval battle would decide the outcome of the war.

So American naval officers and Japanese naval officers, too, have been looking forward to this big confrontation.

But Spruance is assigned the job of capturing the island of Saipan.

And he, who is an overall command of all the American forces, says that's job one, protecting

that beachhead.

So when the Japanese fleet threatens the American invasion, Mark Mitcher, who commands the

American carrier force, which as you mentioned, is now greatly

expanded, 15 aircraft carriers. He wants to go out and get them. And Spruent says, no. Our job is to cover

the beachhead to make sure the Marines onshore have adequate air cover. You stay here close enough to cover the beach

and defend yourself from this Japanese attack. Well, the result is an air battle. The Japanese

send airplanes to attack. The Americans throw up hundreds of airplanes to defend. The American

planes are newer, faster, better.

Their pilots are better trained, and we have twice as many of them as the Japanese.

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