bigpigeon.us webpage WWII Japan > Naval War with Japan > Third & Fifth Fleets, © 2023 by Robert A. Christiansen, updated by RAC 17 May 2022.
Starting 15 March 1943, the Third Fleet and the Fifth Fleet were both names used by the main striking force of the United States Navy in the Pacific Ocean. This powerful armada was called the Third Fleet when commanded by Admiral William Halsey and the Fifth Fleet when commanded by Admiral Raymond Spruance. It was one physical fleet with alternating command structures, with the commander reporting to Admiral Chester Nimitz at Pearl Harbor.

The core of this fleet was the Fast Carrier Task Force, which was called Task Force 38, commanded by John McCain Sr., under Halsey and Task Force 58, commanded by Marc Mitscher, under Spruance. The Fast Carrier Task Force had a modular organization, eventually consisting of four independent Task Groups, each with several aircraft carriers protected by one or two battleships and multiple cruisers and destroyers.

After the Battle of Midway in June 1944, I view the following three years of surface and air naval war with Japan as consisting of four stages: 
  1. From August 1942 and the invasion of the Gilbert Islands in November 1943, most naval combat in the Pacific took place in the South Pacific, especially in or near the Solomon Islands. Starting in October 1942, the South Pacific area naval forces were commanded by Admiral William Halsey who was based in Noumea, New Caledonia.
  2. In November 1943, the focus of the war shifted to the Central Pacific, where it remained through the summer of 1944.
  3. With Douglas MacArthur's invasion of the Philippines, first on Leyte in October 1944 and then Luzon in January 1945, the focus shifted to the Philippine Islands. 
  4. Starting in February 1945, the focus shifted again, to the Japanese islands of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, south of the Japanese home islands.

Here is the chronology of the fleet command structure - not yet proofread:
15 Mar 1943 - Third Fleet under Halsey formed.
Aug 1943 - Task Force 38 under Frederick Sherman formed.
6  Jan 1944 - Task Force 58 under Mitscher formed.
26 Apr 1944 - Fifth Fleet under Spruance formed.
26 Aug 1944 - Command change to Third Fleet/Halsey and Task Force 38/Mitscher.
30 Oct 1944 - Task Force 38 command change: Mitscher to McCain.
26 Jan 1945 - Command change to Fifth/Spruance and Task Force 58/Mitscher.
28 May 1945 - Command change to Third Fleet/Halsey and Task Force 38/McCain.

Chronological list of major raids on harbors, air fields, and other enemy installations by the Fast Carrier Task Force:
  • 5 & 11 Nov 1943 - Carrier raids on Rabaul (land-based aircraft were included on 5 Nov)
  • 17-18 Feb 1944  - Operation Hailstone - air & surface attack on major Japanese Central Pacific base at Truk. 
  • 29-30 Apr 1944 - TF 58, second carrier strike on Truk.
  • 12-16 Oct 1944 - Formosa Air Battle
  • 16-17 Feb 1945 - Fifth Fleet Tokyo Raids
  • 19 Mar 1945 - Attack on Kure
  • 24-28 Jul 1945 - Attacks on Kure and the Inland Sea
Commentary on the above list:
  • List started 14 Oct 2021 and is incomplete. ​
  • It excludes the US carrier raids of early 1942.
  • It will not include pre-invasion attacks by carrier-based aircraft.
  • It excludes carrier-to-carrier battles such as the Coral Sea and Midway. These have their own webpages.
  • It will exclude most of the numerous carrier raids on the Philippines.

Sources for Big Pigeon's Naval War with Japan > Third & Fifth Fleets webpage:


Pottawattamie Area WWII Dead - Naval War with Japan > Third & Fifth Fleets:
  • Taken from the bigpigeon.us WWII Dead module.
​11-02 - Naval War with Japan > Third & Fifth Fleets: (18 dead, updated 4 Oct 2023)
† Allstot, Max Vernon, SN 621-05-54, US Navy, Shelby & Crawford Cos.
  • Cruiser USS Louisville (CA 28), Task Force 38; KIA 6 Jan 1945, Louisville damaged by kamikaze attack in Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, Philippines, 42 dead; Naval War with Japan > Third & Fifth Fleets; BNR.
† Anderson, Robert Arthur, SN 620-60-66, US Naval Aviation, Boone Co. 
  • Torpedo Sqdn. VT 31, Carrier Air Gp. 31, on USS Cabot (CVL-28); Grumman TBF Avenger gunner w/ pilot Donald Hornberger; attack on Japanese destroyer escorting a supply convoy north of Chichi Jima, Bonin Is., Japan; KIA 4 Aug 1944; crew of three lost; Fourth Bonin Raid - US Naval War w/ Japan > Third & Fifth Fleets; BNR.
†  Briley, Harold Vinton, SN 860-48-29, US Navy, Fremont Co.
  • Cruiser USS Indianapolis (CA-35); KIA 30 Jul 1945 in the Philippine Sea en route from Guam to Leyte; Indianapolis sunk by Japanese submarine I-58; 879 died, 316 survived; Naval War with Japan > Third & Fifth Fleets; BNR.
† Brunk, Edwin Samuel, SN 859-18-62, USN, Polk & Pott. Cos.
  • Escort Carrier USS Liscome Bay (CVE-56), Task Force 52; KIA 24 Nov 1943 near Makin Atoll, Gilbert Is.; Japanese submarine I-175 sank Liscome Bay during the US Tarawa/Makin invasion; 702 dead, 272 survivors; Naval War with Japan > Third & Fifth Fleets; BNR.
† Christensen, Darwin Arthur, SN 372-48-80, US Navy, Pott. Co. 
  • Aircraft Carrier USS Bunker Hill (CV-17), Task Force 58 flagship, KIA 11 May 1945 90 miles E of Okinawa, Japan; Bunker Hill severely damaged by Japanese kamikaze attack, 389 dead; Naval War with Japan > Third & Fifth Fleets; buried at sea.
  • Notes: Web information on the kamikaze attack on the Bunker Hill is sometimes incorrect. The Bunker Hill did not sink. When hit, the Bunker Hill was off the coast of Okinawa, not Kyushu. After the Bunker Hill was hit, Admiral Mitscher transferred Task Force 58 headquarters to the USS Enterprise, and elements of Task Force 58 then proceeded to Kyushu to attempt to deal with the continued kamikaze threat. 
† Cody, Claude LeRoy, SN 648-05-90, US Navy, Pott. Co.
  • Cruiser USS Houston (CL-81), Task Force 38; KIA 14 Oct 1944 off Formosa; Houston hit by Japanese aerial torpedoes on 14 & 16 Oct; 55 died, 937 survived; Houston stayed afloat and was towed to the US Naval base in Ulithi; Formosa Air Battle - Naval War with Japan > Third & Fifth Fleets; BNR.​
​† Etheridge, Lindsey Edward, SN 621-88-27, US Navy, Pott. Co.
  • Destroyer USS Monaghan (DD-354), Task Force 38; DNB 18 Dec 1944 200 miles NE of Samar, Philippines; Monaghan sank in Typhoon Cobra; 256 dead, six survivors; two other destroyers, USS Hull and USS Spence, were also lost in Cobra; Naval War with Japan > Third & Fifth Fleets; BNR.
† Fisher, Harlan Ray, SN O-325830, US Naval Aviation, Pott. Co.
  • Naval Air Composite Sqdn. VC-11/VC-21 on escort carrier USS Nehenta Bay (CVE-74), At-Sea Logistics Group Third Fleet, aka Task Group 30.8; Grumman FM-2 Wildcat (built by General Motors/Eastern Aircraft) BuNo 16056 pilot; KIA 22 Aug 1944, SW of Marshall Is., Central Pacific; failed carrier landing S of Eniwetok at location ~ 3 N 164 E; Naval War with Japan > Third & Fifth Fleets; BNR.
† Garner, William Fredrick, SN O-240615, US Naval Aviation, Pott. Co.
  • Naval Air Fighter Sqdn. VBF-83, Carrier Air Group 83, on USS Essex (CV-9); Vought F4U Corsair pilot; KIA 18 Mar 1945 near Tomitake Airfield, Kyushu, Japan; shot down; Naval War with Japan > Third & Fifth Fleets; BNR.
† Hough, Charles Robert, SN 702-52-00, US Naval Aviation, Pott. Co.
  • Naval Air Torpedo Sqdn. VT-20, Air Group 20, USS Enterprise (CV-6); Grumman TBM-1C Avenger BuNo 46042  radioman; KIA 13 Nov 1944, over Manila Bay, Luzon Philippines; crew of three lost from AA fire; Naval War with Japan > Third & Fifth Fleets; BNR.
† ​Isbell, Arnold Jay, SN O-56866, US Navy, Harrison Co. & District of Columbia
  • attached as an observed to carrier USS Franklin (CV-13), Task Force 58.2, engaged in air strikes off the Japanese home islands; scheduled to assume command of USS Yorktown (CV-10); KIA 19 Mar 1945 kamikaze; 807 dead, Franklin survived; US Naval War w/ Japan > Third & Fifth Fleets; buried at sea.
† Jentoft, Harold Thomas, SN 321-59-68, US Navy, Montgomery Co.
  • in late 1941, served on escort carrier USS Long Island (CVE-1); escort carrier USS Liscome Bay (CVE-56), Task Force 52; KIA 24 Nov 1943 near Makin Atoll, Gilbert Is.; Japanese submarine I-175 sank Liscome Bay during the US Tarawa/Makin invasion; 702 died, 272 survived; Naval War with Japan > Third & Fifth Fleets; BNR.
† Leach, William Ellsworth, SN 631-07-23, US Navy, Pott. Co.
  • Destroyer USS Bailey (DD-492), Task Group 32.6; KIA 1 Oct 1944 off Anguar Is., near Peleliu Is.; Bailey strafed by Japanese plane, nine dead; Naval War with Japan > Third & Fifth Fleets.
† Nelson, Herbert Sidney, SN 821-82-95, US Navy, Pott. Co.
  • Escort Carrier USS Liscome Bay (CVE-56), Task Force 52; KIA 24 Nov 1943 near Makin Atoll, Gilbert Is.; Japanese submarine I-175 sank Liscome Bay during the US Tarawa/Makin invasion; 702 dead, 272 survivors; Naval War with Japan > Third & Fifth Fleets; BNR.
† Rhoten, Roy Edward, SN 958-10-13, US Navy, Harrison Co.
  • Cruiser USS Indianapolis (CA-35); KIA 30 Jul 1945 in the Philippine Sea en route from Guam to Leyte; Indianapolis sunk by Japanese submarine I-58; 879 died, 316 survived; Naval War with Japan > Third & Fifth Fleets; BNR.
† Sander, Merle Edward, SN O-418945, US Navy, Harrison Co.
  • Naval Air Torpedo Sqdn. VT-34, on USS Monterey (CVL-26); Grumman/General Motors TBM-3 Avenger BuNo 69111 pilot; DNB 9 May 1945 near the Ryukyu Is., Japan, glide bombing exercise preparing for raids on Japan;  Naval War with Japan > Third & Fifth Fleets; BNR.
† Thoreson, Vernon Charles, SN 321-60-87, US Navy, Harrison Co.
  • USS Mugford (DD-389), Task Force 38; KIA 5 Dec 1944, Surigao Strait, S of Leyte Gulf, Philippines; kamikaze attack, eight dead, ship survived; Naval War with Japan > Third & Fifth Fleets; BNR.
† Welty, Robert L., SN O-407132, US Naval Aviation, Douglas Co., NE
  • Naval Air Fighter Sqdn. VF-12, Carrier Air Group 12; carrier USS Randolph (CV-15); Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat BuNo 77880 pilot; KIA 14 May 1945 over Kyushu, Japan;  Naval War with Japan > Third & Fifth Fleets.