Ernest J. King
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Fleet Admiral Ernest King |
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|---|---|
Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King, USN
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| Birth name | Ernest Joseph King |
| Nickname(s) | "Ernie" "Rey" |
| Born |
23 November 1878 Lorain, Ohio |
| Died | 25 June 1956 (aged 77) Kittery, Maine |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America
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| Service/branch |
 United States Navy
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| Years of service | 1901–1956 |
| Rank |
 Fleet Admiral
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| Commands held | United States Fleet, Chief of Naval Operations |
| Battles/wars |
Spanish–American War |
| Awards |
Navy Cross Navy Distinguished Service Medal (3) Sampson Medal |
| Other work | Naval Historical Foundation, President |
Spanish–American War
Mexican Revolution
Ernest Joseph King (23 November 1878 – 25 June 1956) was Commander in Chief, United States Fleet (COMINCH) and Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) during World War II. As COMINCH-CNO, he directed the United States Navy's operations, planning, and administration and was a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He was the U.S. Navy's second most senior officer after Fleet Admiral William D. Leahy, and the second admiral to be promoted to five star rank.
Historian Michael Gannon blamed King for the heavy American losses during the Second Happy Time. Others however blamed the belated institution of a convoy system, partly due to a severe shortage of suitable escort vessels, without which convoys were seen as more vulnerable than lone ships.
King was born in Lorain, Ohio, on 23 November 1878, the son of James Clydesdale King and Elizabeth Keam King. He attended the United States Naval Academy from 1897 until 1901, graduating fourth in his class. During his senior year at the Academy, he attained the rank of Midshipman Lieutenant Commander, the highest midshipman ranking at that time.
While still at the Academy, he served on the USS San Francisco during the Spanish–American War. After graduation, he served as a junior officer on the survey ship USS Eagle, the battleships USS Illinois, USS Alabama and USS New Hampshire, and the cruiser USS Cincinnati.
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