Spruance, Raymond Ames (1886-1969)
In 1924, as Bill Halsey was preparing to turn over command of destroyer Osborne to Ray Spruance, he advised the bridge crew that they should not let Spruance's quiet manner deceive them into thinking they were getting anything but an outstandingly competent commander. The crew soon learned that Spruance liked a quiet bridge, without extraneous chit-chat or the use of first names, and with orders given concisely and clearly. Tuohy (2007) recounts a telling incident:
Once in the harbor of Bizerte in French Tunisia, Osborne was anchored in 6 fathoms, or 36 feet, of water. A distraught torpedo officer rushed to the bridge and reported, "Captain, we've just dropped a depth charge over the stern!"
"Well, pick it up and put it back," was Spruance's measured response.
The brainy officer later served three tours at the prestigious Naval War College, one as a student and two as an instructor. As a student, he wrote admiringly of Japanese Admiral Togo, victor of the Battle of Tsushima, who kept his patience and cool head in battle and whose command style was to give his subordinates considerable freedom of action and let them exercise their initiative. These were the qualities that would characterize Spruance himself as a flag officer.
http://www.pwencycl.kgbudge.com/S/p/Spruance_Raymond_A.htm
