Battle Fleet

This article is about the U.S. Navy Battle Fleet. For the game series, see BattleFleet (game series). For the 1978 war movie, see The Greatest Battle.

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. This fleet comprised the main body of ships in the Navy, with the smaller Scouting Fleet as the Atlantic presence. Most battleships, including the most modern ones, and new aircraft carriers were assigned to the Battle Fleet.

Organization

On September 1, 1923, the Battle Fleet was under the command of Admiral Samuel S. Robison. Battleships, Battle Fleet was under the command of Vice Admiral Henry A. Wiley, with his flag aboard New Mexico (BB-40).^[1] Battleship Division Three, under Rear Admiral Louis M. Nulton, consisted of New York (BB-34) (F), Texas (BB-35) under Captain A. M. Proctor, Oklahoma (BB-37) under Captain W. F. Scott, and California (BB-44) under Captain H. H. Christy, which was also the Battle Fleet flagship. Battleship Division Four, under Rear Admiral William Veazie Pratt, comprised Arizona (BB-39) (F), under Captain J. R. Y. Blakely, Nevada (BB-36), Mississippi (BB-41), and Pennsylvania (BB-38). Battleship Division Five under Vice Admiral Wiley himself comprised New Mexico (BB-40), Idaho (BB-42), Tennessee (BB-43), and Maryland (BB-46). Aircraft Squadrons, Battle Fleet, under Captain A. W. Marshall, comprised Aroostook (CM-3) (F), Langley (CV-1), and the tender Gannet (AM-41). Destroyer Squadrons, Battle Fleet, under Rear Admiral Sumner E. W. Kittelle, comprised Destroyer Squadron 11 and Destroyer Squadron 12. Submarine Divisions, Pacific, was under Captain A. Bronson, Jr.

In 1930, the name of the fleet was changed to "Battle Force", but the structure remained the same. In 1931, the force was based in Pearl Harbor and consisted of a majority of the United States' surface fleet: all of the newer battleships, all of the carriers, a light cruiser squadron and "three or four" destroyer squadrons were all a part of the Battle Force. In 1939, the Battle Force had five aircraft carriers, 12 battleships, 14 light cruisers, and 68 destroyers.^[2]

On 1 February 1941, General Order 143 reorganized the United States Fleet with three separate fleets, the United States Atlantic Fleet, the United States Pacific Fleet and the Asiatic Fleet.

Commander in Chief, Battle Fleet (COMBATFLT)

Date	Incumbent
5 July 1921 - 30 June 1923	Admiral Edward W. Eberle
30 June 1923 - 14 October 1925	Admiral Samuel S. Robison
14 October 1925 - 4 September 1926	Admiral Charles F. Hughes
4 September 1926 - 10 September 1927	Admiral Richard H. Jackson
10 September 1927 - 26 June 1928	Admiral Louis R. de Steiguer
26 June 1928 - 21 May 1929	Admiral William V. Pratt
21 May 1929 - 24 May 1930	Admiral Louis M. Nulton
24 May 1930 - 1 April 1931	Admiral Frank H. Schofield

Commander Battle Force (COMBATFOR)

Date	Incumbent
1 April 1931 - 15 September 1931	Admiral Frank H. Schofield
15 September 1931 - 11 August 1932	Admiral Richard H. Leigh
11 August 1932 - 20 May 1933	Admiral Luke McNamee
20 May 1933 - 1 July 1933	Admiral William H. Standley
1 July 1933 - 15 June 1934	Admiral Joseph M. Reeves
15 June 1934 - 1 April 1935	Admiral Frank H. Brumby
1 April 1935 - 30 March 1936	Admiral Harris Laning
30 March 1936 - 31 December 1936	Admiral William D. Leahy
2 January 1937 - 29 January 1938	Admiral Claude C. Bloch
29 January 1938 - 24 June 1939	Admiral Edward C. Kalbfus
24 June 1939 - 6 January 1940	Admiral James O. Richardson
6 January 1940 - 31 January 1941	Admiral Charles P. Snyder
31 January 1941 - 20 September 1942	Vice Admiral William S. Pye

References

1. Stephen Svonavec, The United States Fleet, July 1, 1923: Battle Fleet Archived October 7, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, accessed June 2012
2. Morison, 28.

Bibliography

• Morison, Samuel Eliot (1948). Volume III, The Rising Sun in the Pacific. Boston and Toronto: Little, Brown and Company.