The Commander, Battleship Force, Pacific Fleet (COMBATPAC) was the title, from 1922 to 1944, of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

officer who commanded the

battleships A battleship is a large, heavily naval armour, armored warship with a main battery consisting of large naval gun, guns, designed to serve as a capital ship. From their advent in the late 1880s, battleships were among the largest and most form ...

of the larger United States

Battle Fleet The United States Battle Fleet or Battle Force was part of the organization of the United States Navy from 1922 to 1941. The General Order of 6 December 1922 organized the United States Fleet, with the Battle Fleet as the Pacific presence. Thi ...

in the

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the cont ...

(Commander, Battleships, Pacific). When formed in 1922, the Battle Fleet (renamed

Battle Force The United States Battle Fleet or Battle Force was part of the organization of the United States Navy from 1922 to 1941. The General Order of 6 December 1922 organized the United States Fleet, with the Battle Fleet as the Pacific presence. Thi ...

in 1930 and Pacific Fleet in 1941), included various type commands. The battleship type was led by the COMBATPAC, generally a three-star

vice admiral Vice admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to lieutenant general and air marshal. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral. Australia In the Royal Australian Navy, the rank of Vice ...

or two-star

rear admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...

. The COMBATPAC had five rear admirals (lower half) reporting to him, each leading a Battleship Division of four ships. In late 1944, the battleships was reorganized into two type commands, each led by a vice admiral. Battleships Squadron One consisted of the Old Battleships, while Battleship Squadron Two consisted of the Fast Battleships.

Commanders

Former Commanders, Battleships, Battle Fleet (Commander, Battleship Divisions, Battle Fleet) *Vice Admiral

William R. Shoemaker William is a masculine given name of Germanic origin. It became popular in England after the Norman conquest in 1066,All Things William"Meaning & Origin of the Name"/ref> and remained so throughout the Middle Ages and into the modern era. It is ...

, USN (1922) *Vice Admiral

Henry A. Wiley Admiral Henry Ariosto Wiley (31 January 1867 – 20 May 1943) was an officer in the United States Navy during the Spanish–American War, World War I, and World War II. Biography Born in Pike County, Alabama, Wiley graduated from the United State ...

, USN (20 June 1923 - 26 August 1925) *Vice Admiral Richard H. Jackson, USN (5 October 1925 - 4 September 1926) *Vice Admiral Louis R. de Steiguer, USN (1926-1927) *Vice Admiral

William V. Pratt William Veazie Pratt (28 February 1869 – 25 November 1957) was an admiral in the United States Navy. He served as the President of the Naval War College from 1925 to 1927, and as the 5th Chief of Naval Operations from 1930 to 1933. Early ...

, USN (1927-1928) *Vice Admiral Louis M. Nulton, USN (26 June 1928 - 21 May 1929) *Vice Admiral Lucius A. Bostwick, USN (May 1929 - May 1930) Former Commanders, Battleships, Battle Force *Vice Admiral Richard H. Leigh, USN (May 1930-1931) *Vice Admiral

Luke McNamee Luke McNamee (April 4, 1871 – December 30, 1952) was a United States Navy Admiral, businessman, and the 10th and 12th Naval Governor of Guam. He served in the navy for 42 years, during which time he held multiple commands. During the Spanish– ...

, USN (1931-1932) *Vice Admiral David F. Sellers, USN (1932-1933) *Vice Admiral

Joseph M. Reeves Joseph Mason "Bull" Reeves (20 November 1872 – 25 March 1948) was an admiral in the United States Navy and an early and important supporter of U.S. Naval Aviation. Though a battleship officer during his early career, he became known as the "F ...

, USN (June 1933- 1 July 1933) *Vice Admiral Walton R. Sexton, USN (1934) *Vice Admiral

William D. Leahy William Daniel Leahy ( ; 6 May 1875 – 20 July 1959) was an American naval officer and was the most senior United States military officer on active duty during World War II; he held several titles and exercised considerable influence over for ...

, USN (1935-1936) *Vice Admiral Clarence S. Kempff, USN (30 March 1936 - 2 January 1937) *Vice Admiral

Edward C. Kalbfus Edward Clifford Kalbfus (November 24, 1877 – September 6, 1954), nicknamed "Old Dutch", was a four-star admiral in the United States Navy who was commander of the Battle Force of the United States Fleet from 1938 to 1939 and President of the Na ...

, USN (2 January 1937 - 29 January 1938) *Vice Admiral John W. Greenslade, USN (29 January 1938 to 20 May 1939) *Vice Admiral Charles P. Snyder (admiral), USN (1939 - January 1940) *Vice Admiral

William S. Pye Vice Admiral William Satterlee Pye (9 June 1880 – 4 May 1959) was a U.S. Navy officer who served during World War I and World War II, but never saw combat action. His last active-duty appointment was as President of the Naval War College, in ...

, USN (January 1940 - January 1941) *Rear Admiral Walter S. Anderson, USN (January 1941 - 10 April 1942) Former Commanders, Battleships, Pacific Fleet *Rear Admiral Walter S. Anderson, USN (10 April 1942 - 28 September 1942) *Vice Admiral

Herbert Fairfax Leary Herbert Fairfax Leary (May 31, 1885 – December 3, 1957) was a highly decorated officer in the United States Navy with the rank of vice admiral. A son of Rear Admiral Richard P. Leary, he distinguished himself during World War I while on the st ...

, USN (28 September 1942 - 16 April 1943) *Vice Admiral

Willis Augustus Lee Willis Augustus "Ching" Lee Jr. (May 11, 1888 – August 25, 1945) was a vice admiral of the United States Navy during World War II. Lee commanded the American ships during the second night of the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal (November 14–15, 19 ...

, USN (16 April 1943 - 15 December 1944) Former Commanders, Battleship Squadrons, Pacific Fleet Squadron One *Vice Admiral

Jesse B. Oldendorf Jesse Barrett "Oley" Oldendorf (16 February 1887 – 27 April 1974) was an admiral in the United States Navy, famous for defeating a Japanese force in the Battle of Leyte Gulf during World War II. He also served as commander of the American naval ...

, USN (15 December 1944 - 2 September 1945) Squadron Two * Vice Admiral Willis A. Lee, USN (15 December 1944 - 25 August 1945) * Rear Admiral John F. Shafroth Jr., USN (25 August 1945 - 2 September 1945)

References

* Battle Force of 194

* Change of Command announced for 193

* Report of Commander, Battleships, Battle Force following the attack on Pearl Harbo

*1941-1945 Commander, Battleships, Pacific lis

*1945 Organization of the US Pacific Fleet, US Navy History and Heritage Comman

*1934 Photo of US Fleet Staff, VADM Walton Sexton include

* Battleships, Battle Force, U.S. Fleet, Commander Vice Admiral Greenslade and Staff, circa 1938 photo, US Navy History and Heritage Comman

*US Navy Biography of Vice Admiral Willis A. Lee, Jr

*US Navy Biography of Admiral Jesse B. Oldendor

*US Navy Photo of Vice Admiral Leahy as Commander, Battleships, Battle Force 193

*US Navy Photo of Vice Admiral Leahy and Battleships, Battle Force Staf

*US Navy Photo of Vice Admiral Clarence S. Kempff assuming command of Battleships, Battle forc

*US Navy Photo of Vice Admiral Davis F. Sellers and Battleships, Battle Force Staff 193

*US Navy Biography of Admiral Louis M. Nulton, USN (Retired

*US Navy Photo Vice Admiral H. A. Wiley, USN as Commander, Battleship

*US Navy Biography of Admiral Henry A. Wiley, USN (Retired

{cbignore, bot=medic *US Navy Biography of Admiral Louis Rudolph De Steigue

*US Navy Biography of Admiral Joseph M. Reeves, USN (Retired

*VADM W.R. Shoemaker, Commander Battleships 1922 listed in Army-Navy Register Defense Time

*VADM William R. Shoemaker listed as Commander, Battleships 1922 in Our Navy, the Standard Publication of the U.S. Navy, Volume 1

*1940 New York Times Obituary of Admiral Lucius A. Bostwic

*NH 55465 Admiral William V. Pratt, Admiral Louis McCoy Nulton, and Vice Admiral Lucius A. Bostwick Photo

* Admiral William V. Pratt, USN, Commander-in-Chief, U. S. Fleet (left); Admiral Louis McCoy Nulton, USN, Commander-in-Chief, Battle Fleet (center); and Vice Admiral Lucius A. Bostwick, USN, Commander Battleship Divisions, Battle Fleet, on a battleship, circa 1930 photo.

*US Navy History and Heritage Command DANFS information on USS Bostwick (DE-103), which includes biographical information and service summary for Vice Admiral Lucius A. Bostwic

Type commands of the United States Navy, BatPac Battleship units and formations of the United States Navy

Commanders

See also

References