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United States Pacific Fleet

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Not to be confused withPacific Reserve FleetorPacific Squadron.

United States Pacific Fleet
The seal of the Commander of the United States Pacific Fleet
Founded1907;117 years ago(1907)
CountryUnited States
BranchUnited States Navy
TypeTheater-levelcommand
Size250,000 Navy sailors andMarines
2,000 aircraft
200 ships
Part ofIndo-Pacific Command
Garrison/HQNaval Station Pearl Harbor
Engagements
Websitehttps:// cpf.navy.mil/
Commanders
CommanderADMStephen Koehler
Deputy CommanderVADMBlake Converse
Fleet Master ChiefFLTCMDonald L. Davis Jr.[1]

TheUnited States Pacific Fleet(USPACFLT) is atheater-levelcomponent commandof theUnited States Navy,located in thePacific Ocean.It provides naval forces to theIndo-Pacific Command.Fleet headquarters is atJoint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam,Hawaii,with large secondary facilities atNaval Air Station North Island,California.

Origins[edit]

A Pacific Fleet was created in 1907 when theAsiatic Squadronand thePacific Squadronwere combined. In 1910, the ships of the First Squadron were organized back into a separateAsiatic Fleet.The General Order 94 of 6 December 1922 organized theUnited States Fleet,with theBattle Forceas the Pacific presence. Until May 1940, the Battle Force was stationed on theWest Coast of the United States.Headquarters, battleships, aircraft carriers and heavy cruisers were stationedat San Pedroclose to theLong Beach Naval Shipyard.Light cruisers, destroyers and submarines were stationed atSan Diego.

During the summer of 1940, as part of the U.S. response toJapanese expansionism,the fleet was instructed to take an "advanced" position atPearl Harbor,Hawaii. AdmiralJames O. Richardson,the fleet's commander, strongly opposed long-term basing at Pearl Harbor, feeling that it would leave the fleet vulnerable to Japanese attack, and personally protested the move inWashington, D.C.Political considerations were thought sufficiently important that he was relieved by AdmiralHusband E. Kimmel,who was in command at the time ofthe attack on Pearl Harbor.The Pacific Fleet was formally recreated on 1 February 1941, when General Order 143 split the United States Fleet into separate Atlantic, Pacific, andAsiatic Fleets.

Composition of the Pacific Fleet in December 1941[edit]

USSPennsylvania
USSLe xing ton

On 7 December, the Fleet consisted of the Battle Force,Scouting Force,Base Force, Amphibious Force (ComPhibPac),[2]Cruiser Force (COMCRUPAC), Destroyer Force (COMDESPAC), and the Submarine Force (COMSUBPAC).[note 1]Also in Hawaii was theFourteenth Naval District,commanded by Rear AdmiralClaude C. Bloch.

§ = Divisional flagship

Battle Force, Pacific Fleet[edit]

Battleships, Battle Force[edit]

These nine battleships were intended to counterbalance the ten battleships of the Imperial Japanese Navy. At the time of theattack on Pearl Harbor,Pennsylvaniawas in dry dock undergoing maintenance, andColoradowas in the midst of a refit atBremerton Navy Yard,Washington.

Aircraft, Battle Force[edit]

When the attack took place, all three carriers were absent –Saratogawas inSan Diegocollecting her air group following a major refit,Enterprisewas en route back to Hawaii following a mission to deliver aircraft toWake Island,whileLe xing tonhad just departed on a similar mission toMidway.

Cruisers, Battle Force[edit]

Destroyers, Battle Force[edit]

  • Destroyer Flotilla One[5](Rear AdmiralRobert A. Theobald)
  • Destroyer Flotilla Two (Rear Admiral Milo F. Draemel)
    • Destroyer Squadron 4
    • Destroyer Squadron 6
    • Destroyer Division 50

Scouting Force, Pacific Fleet[edit]

USSRichmond

Cruisers, Scouting Force[edit]

Submarines, Scouting Force[edit]

Aircraft, Scouting Force[edit]

Other elements of the Pacific Fleet[edit]

The Amphibious Force was formally known as Commander, Amphibious Forces, Pacific Fleet (ComPhibPac). On 7 December 1941 the Amphibious Force comprised the Army's3rd Infantry Divisionat Fort Lewis, under Army operational control, the2nd Marine Division,the2nd Marine Aircraft Wing,the 2nd Defense Battalion (seeMarine defense battalions), and a depot.[6]One of PhibPac's subordinate commands during World War II was Transports, Amphibious Force, Pacific Fleet, or TransPhibPac. The commander of TransPhibPac was known as ComTransPhibPac. In addition to the ships assigned directly to the Pacific Fleet, Destroyer Division 80, consisting of the destroyersSchley,Chew,WardandAllen,was assigned directly to the Fourteenth Naval District for the defence of the base and the fleet.

In December 1941, the fleet consisted of ninebattleships,threeaircraft carriers,12heavy cruisers,eightlight cruisers,50destroyers,33submarines,and 100patrol bombers.[citation needed]This was approximately the fleet's strength at the time of theJapaneseattack on Pearl Harbor. That day, the JapaneseCombined Fleetcarried out the attack on Pearl Harbor, drawing the United States intoWorld War IIin the Pacific. The Pacific Fleet'sBattle Linetook the brunt of the attack, with two battleships destroyed, two salvageable but requiring lengthy reconstruction, and four more lightly to moderately damaged, forcing the U.S. Navy to rely primarily on aircraft carriers and submarines for many months afterward.

Subsequently, Pacific Fleet engagements during World War II included theBattle of Guam,theMarshalls-Gilberts raids,theDoolittle Raid,theSolomon Islands campaign,theBattle of the Coral Sea,theBattle of Midway,theBattle of the Eastern Solomons,theBattle of the Santa Cruz Islands,theBattle of the Philippine Sea,theGilbert and Marshall Islands campaign,theBattle of Leyte Gulf,and theBattle of Okinawa.More minor battles included theBattle of Dutch Harbor.The Submarine Force began a sustained campaign ofcommerce raidingagainst Japan'smerchant marine,beginning the first day of the war, which ultimately claimed 1,314 ships totalling about 5.3 million tons (by the imperfect postwar reckoning of theJoint Army-Navy Assessment Committee,JANAC).[7]TheWest Loch disasteroccurred at Pearl Harbor on 21 May 1944.

Post-1945[edit]

The Pacific Fleet took part inOperation Magic Carpet,the return of U.S. servicemen, after the end of the Second World War. The organization of the Pacific Fleet in January 1947 is shown in Hal M. Friedman'sArguing over the American Lake: Bureaucracy and Rivalry in the U.S. Pacific, 1945–1947.[8]

Since 1950 the Pacific Fleet has been involved in theKorean War,theVietnam War,the twoTaiwan Straits Crises,and a number of other operations including theMayaguezIncidentof 1975, as well as post-Vietnam related operations such asOperation New Arrivals.TheRIMPACexercise series began in 1971.

On 7 March 1984, the Secretaries of Transportation and Navy signed a Memorandum of Agreement which created the Maritime Defense Zones (MDZ).[9]The Pacific MDZ is an echelon three Navy command under the Commander U.S. Pacific Fleet. The Pacific MDZ has responsibility for coastal defense up to 200nautical miles(370 km; 230 mi) around the U.S. West Coast, Aleutian Islands, and Hawaii during times of hostility. On 1 October 1990, CommanderU.S. Naval Forces Alaska(COMUSNAVAK) was established as the Naval Component Commander to Commander,Alaskan Command(COMALCOM). Since its inception, COMUSNAVAK has grown to become responsible for coordinating all Navy activity in the Alaska and Aleutian area, for detailed planning and coordination for the Naval portion of the Joint and CombinedExercise Northern Edge,and coordinates high-visibility U.S. Navy ship visits throughout Alaska in support of public relations and recruiting initiatives.

The very largePACEX 89in the North Pacific involved the USN, Canadian Navy,Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force,and ROK Navy. At the end of Exercise PACEX '89 a 54-ship formation was assembled for photos. It included the flagship,USSBlue Ridge,theUSSEnterpriseBattle Group, theUSSCarl VinsonBattle Group, two battleship surface action groups formed aroundUSSNew JerseyandUSSMissouri,and aJapanese Maritime Self-Defence Forcetask force.[citation needed]MissouriandNew Jerseyperformed a simultaneous gunfire demonstration for the aircraft carriersEnterpriseandNimitzduring PACEX. The highlight of PacEx forMissouriwas a port visit inPusan,Republic of Korea.[10]

Other operations undertaken since include participation in the Alaskan Oil Spill Joint Task Force, including participation of Commander, Amphibious Group Three, as deputy CJTF. This was the defence response to theExxon Valdezoil spillof March 1989. Also, the Pacific Fleet was involved in Joint Task Force Philippines during the December 1989 coup attempt there, which involved two carrier battle groups, USSMidwayand USSEnterprise-with their associated air wings operating in the Philippine Sea, chopped to JTF Philippines. During the operations, the carriers maintained deck alerts and 24-hour coverage of Manila with E-2C aircraft.[11]

Around 10 September 1990,[12]USSPrincetonandUSSReuben JamesvisitedVladivostok.This marked the firstUnited States Navyvisit to theSoviet Union's Pacific port of Vladivostok since before World War II. Before the visit was completed, the crew received word that their Pacific cruise was canceled. They returned to Long Beach and joined theUSSRangerBattle Group preparing to deploy to thePersian Gulf.

DuringOperation Fiery Vigilin June 1991, the following vessels and groups participated in the sealift phase of the evacuation: theAbraham Lincolnbattle group (COMCARGRU 3 embarked):USSAbraham Lincoln,USSLong Beach,USSLake Champlain,USSMerrill,USSGary,USSIngraham,USSRoanoke,Amphibious Ready Group Alpha (COMPHIBRON 3 embarked):USSPeleliu,USSCleveland,USSComstock,USSBristol County,and a large number of other vessels:USSMidway,USSCurts,USSRodney M. Davis,USSThach,USSArkansas,USSMcClusky,USSSt. Louis,USSSan Bernardino,MV1st Lt Lummus,MVAmerican Condor,USSNiagara Falls,USNSPonchatoula,USNSPassumpsic,USNSHassayampa,USSHaleakala,USNSSpica,USSCape Cod.(CNA, 1994, 113) Further operations included JTF Marianas (August–September 1992) and JTF Hawaii (September–October 1992).

Other contingency operation after 1991 includedOperation Sea Angel(Bangladesh relief) (led by CommanderIII Marine Expeditionary Force),Operation Eastern Exit,and involvement in theSomali Civil War– 'Restore Hope'. During 'Restore Hope,' Navy command arrangements underwent a number of changes during the operation. At the start, the principal naval forces were theRangerbattle group (with Commander,Carrier Group Oneembarked onUSSRangeras Commander, Naval Forces), theKitty Hawkbattle group, an amphibious task unit includingUSSTripoli,USSJuneau,USSRushmore,and MVLummus,and three ships from MPSRON TWO (MVAnderson,MVBonnyman,and MVPhillips). Other events led to the departure of the carriers and, as a result, Commander, Naval Forces responsibilities devolved first to Commander, Carrier Group Three, onKitty Hawk,and thence to Commander, Amphibious Group Three. Finally Commander,Amphibious Squadron 3became COMNAVFOR on 15 January with the departure of COMPHIGRU THREE after the completion of the MPF offload. (CNA, 1994, 168)

In 1995 Pacific Fleet surface ships were reshuffled.[13]Effective 1 October 1995, the U.S. Pacific Fleet's surface ships were to be reorganized into six core battle groups and eight destroyer squadrons. Permanent core battle groups were to include a battle group commander, aircraft carrier, carrier air wing and at least two cruisers.

Commander, Naval Surface Forces Pacific:

In 1996 two carrier battle groups were sent to the Taiwan area during theThird Taiwan Straits Crisis.Later ships of the Pacific Fleet, notablyUSSMobile Bay,aTiconderoga-classcruiser,provided support to the entry ofINTERFETinEast Timorin 1999.

Between 25 and 27 March 2006,Carrier Strike Group Nineparticipated in a series of anti-submarine warfare exercises (ASW) in Hawaiian waters while en route to theU.S. Seventh Fleet's area of responsibility. In addition to the strike group, the exercise also included the nuclear-powered attack submarinesSeawolf,Cheyenne,Greeneville,Tucson,andPasadena,as well as land-basedP-3 Orion aircraftfrom CommanderPatrol and Reconnaissance Wing 2and associated patrol squadronsVP-4,VP-9,andVP-47.[14][15]

As of 2011, the Pacific Fleet has authority over:

Naval shore commands over which USPACFLT has authority:

Commanders[edit]

Main article:Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^7 December, ComSubPac was AdmiralThomas Withers Jr.,who relievedWilhelm L. Friedellthat fall.[3]
  2. ^The Fourteenth Naval District was an administrative organization responsible for communications and shore activities; its commander reported directly to the Navy Department rather than the commander of the Pacific Fleet.
  3. ^Commander, Naval Surface Forces, Pacific (COMNAVSURFPAC) is a post within the United States Pacific Fleet. As Naval Surface Forces, Pacific, it is a militaryformation,but the organization is often known as COMNAVSURFPAC. Its headquarters are on the West Coast of the United States.

References[edit]

  1. ^"Fleet Master Chief Donald L. Davis Jr".Retrieved5 April2024.
  2. ^Orbat /Niehorster,Administrative Order of Battle 7 December 1941
  3. ^Blair, Clay Jr. (1976).Silent Victory.New York: Bantam. pp. 83 & 223.ISBN0-553-01050-6.
  4. ^Cruisers, Battle Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, 7.12.1941
  5. ^Destroyers, Battle Force Destroyer Flotilla 1
  6. ^Orbat /Niehorster,Amphibious Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet
  7. ^Blair, pp.877–8.
  8. ^Hal M. Friedman, 'Arguing over the American Lake: Bureaucracy and Rivalry in the U.S. Pacific, 1945–47' Texas A&M University Press, 2009,ISBN1603441255,105–108.
  9. ^Jeffrey Hartman, 'Guarding Alaska: A Memoir of Coast Guard Missions on the Last Frontier', iUniverse, 2012,ISBN1475924771,ISBN9781475924770,p. 104.
  10. ^See Missouri Command History
  11. ^Center for Naval Analysis,Joint Task Force Operations since 1983,CRM94-42, July 1994
  12. ^"Still Asset Details for DNSC9102252".DefenseLink.Archived fromthe originalon 4 July 2007.Retrieved22 April2007.
  13. ^Kitsap Sun,Pacific Fleet Changes,July 25, 1995
  14. ^"USS Abraham Lincoln II (CVN-72)".Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.Navy Department,Naval History and Heritage Command.Retrieved12 January2017.
  15. ^Photographer's Mate Airman Tim Roache and Journalist 2nd Class Michael Cook (17 March 2006)."LincolnCarrier Strike Group Conducts Undersea Warfare Training ".NNS060317-06.USS Abraham Lincoln Public Affairs. Archived fromthe originalon 13 September 2007.Retrieved24 December2010.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

External links[edit]

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