Theodore E. Chandler
Encyclopedia
Theodore Edson Chandler (26 December 1894 – 7 January 1945) was an admiral of the United States Navy
during World War II
, who commanded battleship and cruiser divisions in both the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets. He was killed in action when Japanese kamikaze
aircraft struck his flagship.
He was the grandson of William E. Chandler
(1835–1917), who served as Secretary of the Navy
during the Chester A. Arthur
administration and a U.S. Senator from New Hampshire
.
, in 1894 on the day after Christmas. He entered the United States Naval Academy
in July 1911, and graduated on 5 June 1915. The new officer received orders to report for duty in the battleship
Florida
(BB-30). Ensign
Chandler next served briefly on board New Hampshire
(BB-25) beginning training in the use of torpedo
es at the end of April 1917. On 2 August, he completed that assignment and, four days later, joined the precommissioning complement of the destroyer
Conner
(DD-72), then being fitted out at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.
, his destroyer's base during the last six months of World War I
. After the Armistice
, his service in Europe
an waters included a brief term as the temporary commanding officer of Conner.
Chandler returned home in April and, in the following month, reported to the shipyard of the William Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding Co. to help outfit the destroyer Chandler
(DD-206), named in honor of his late grandfather, former Secretary of the Navy
William E. Chandler
. After her commissioning in September, he served in that ship until December 1920, when he was detached to return to the United States.
On 2 January 1921, he reported for duty at the Naval Post Graduate School
at Annapolis, Maryland, and began a 29-month series of ordnance-related studies.
On 1 June 1923, he completed training duty and, after a brief leave of absence, reported to Newport News, Virginia
, on 4 July for duty in conjunction with the outfitting of West Virginia
(BB-48). The battleship went into commission on 1 December, and Chandler served in her until 16 January 1925 when he transferred to Colorado
(BB-45).
In June 1926, newly-promoted Lt. Comdr. Chandler came ashore once more for a two-year assignment at the Naval Mine Depot, Yorktown
, Virginia. A nine-month tour of duty as gunnery officer in the light cruiser
Trenton
(CL-11) followed. He reported on board General Alava
(AG-5) on 24 April 1929 but was detached only two days later to assume command of Pope
(DD-225).
In October 1930, he began another series of shore assignments, reporting initially to the Bureau of Ordnance
and then to the Army Industrial College before rounding out duty ashore with a brief tour in the office of the Chief of Naval Operations
.
On 30 May 1932, Chandler resumed sea duty as gunnery officer on the staff of the Commander Destroyers Battle Force. On 2 February 1934, he assumed command of Buchanan
(DD-131). Between August 1935 and June 1938, he served three successive tours as assistant naval attaché: first at Paris
, then at Madrid
, and finally at Lisbon
.
He arrived in Camden, New Jersey
, in June 1938 to help fit out Nashville
(CL-43); and he served as her executive officer
until July 1940. Next, he returned to Washington, D.C.
for a 15-month assignment in the office of the Chief of Naval Operations. Near the end of that tour of duty, he was promoted to captain on 18 July 1941.
(CL-4) on 15 October. Shortly over three weeks later, an event occurred that highlighted Chandler's tour in command of the light cruiser.
On the morning of 6 November 1941, Omaha, in company with Somers
(DD-381), came across a darkened ship that acted suspiciously when challenged. That ship—although bearing the name Willmoto and purportedly operating out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
—proved to be the German
blockade runner
Odenwald, bound for Germany with 3,857 metric tons of raw rubber
in her holds. Scuttled by her crew, the German ship began to sink; but Capt. Chandler sent a party on the German vessel that controlled the flooding and salvaged the ship. It proved to be the last time that American sailors received "prize money
".
For most of the next 18 months, Omaha cruised the waters of the South Atlantic in search of German blockade runners and submarine
s. That tour of duty ended in April 1943, when Chandler was selected to command United States naval forces in the Aruba
-Curaçao
area.
On 3 May 1944, he was promoted to rear admiral
. In July 1944, Rear Admiral Chandler took command of Cruiser Division 2 (CruDiv 2), Atlantic Fleet
. In that capacity, he participated in Operation Dragoon
, the invasion of southern France
executed in mid-August, and commanded the "Sitka-Romeo" force which captured the Iles d'Hyeres
just off the coast of Provence
.
He reported for duty on 2 October in time to command his ships — part of Rear Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf
's bombardment group — during the Leyte invasion
and helped to repulse the Japanese southern attack group—Vice Admiral
s Shoji Nishimura's Force “C” and Kiyohide Shima's 2d Striking Force—in the Surigao Strait
phase of the Battle for Leyte Gulf.
On 8 December 1944, Rear Admiral Chandler was shifted to command of CruDiv 4 and flew his flag above Louisville
(CA-28). During the voyage from Leyte to Lingayen
for the invasion of Luzon
, Chandler's cruisers came under heavy Japanese air attacks—mostly by kamikaze
s. Late in the afternoon of 5 January 1945, a group of 16 suicide planes swooped in on the force then about 100 miles (200 km) from Manila Bay
. One of the four successful kamikazes crashed into Rear Admiral Chandler's flagship at her number 2 turret, but she continued in her mission. The next day, however, the cruiser suffered more severely during a repeat performance. At 17:30, another suicide plane plunged into the cruiser's starboard side at the bridge. His explosives wrought havoc with the flag bridge where Chandler stood. Even though horribly burned by gasoline flames, Chandler helped deploy fire hoses alongside enlisted men to stop the flames and then waited his turn for first aid
with those same ratings. The admiral, his lungs scorched very severely, was beyond help. He died the next day in spite of the efforts of the medical department. Admiral Chandler is listed on the Tablets of the Missing at the Manila Philippines National Cemetery
USS Theodore E. Chandler
(DD-717) was named in his honor. In 1983, Kidd Class
guided missile destroyer USS Chandler
was named after him.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, who commanded battleship and cruiser divisions in both the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets. He was killed in action when Japanese kamikaze
Kamikaze
The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
aircraft struck his flagship.
He was the grandson of William E. Chandler
William E. Chandler
William Eaton Chandler was a lawyer who served as United States Secretary of the Navy and as a U.S. Senator from New Hampshire.-Early life:...
(1835–1917), who served as Secretary of the Navy
United States Secretary of the Navy
The Secretary of the Navy of the United States of America is the head of the Department of the Navy, a component organization of the Department of Defense...
during the Chester A. Arthur
Chester A. Arthur
Chester Alan Arthur was the 21st President of the United States . Becoming President after the assassination of President James A. Garfield, Arthur struggled to overcome suspicions of his beginnings as a politician from the New York City Republican machine, succeeding at that task by embracing...
administration and a U.S. Senator from New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
.
Early life and career
Theodore Edson Chandler was born at Annapolis, MarylandAnnapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
, in 1894 on the day after Christmas. He entered the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
in July 1911, and graduated on 5 June 1915. The new officer received orders to report for duty in the battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
Florida
USS Florida (BB-30)
-External links:***...
(BB-30). Ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
Chandler next served briefly on board New Hampshire
USS New Hampshire (BB-25)
The second United States Navy New Hampshire was a . New Hampshire was the last American pre-dreadnought battleship, though she was commissioned two years after HMS Dreadnought....
(BB-25) beginning training in the use of torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
es at the end of April 1917. On 2 August, he completed that assignment and, four days later, joined the precommissioning complement of the destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
Conner
USS Conner (DD-72)
USS Conner , a Caldwell-class destroyer, served in the United States Navy, and later in the Royal Navy as HMS Leeds.-Construction:...
(DD-72), then being fitted out at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.
World War I and interwar years
In May 1918, Lieutenant junior grade Chandler sailed in Conner to Brest, FranceBrest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
, his destroyer's base during the last six months of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. After the Armistice
Armistice with Germany (Compiègne)
The armistice between the Allies and Germany was an agreement that ended the fighting in the First World War. It was signed in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest on 11 November 1918 and marked a victory for the Allies and a complete defeat for Germany, although not technically a surrender...
, his service in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an waters included a brief term as the temporary commanding officer of Conner.
Chandler returned home in April and, in the following month, reported to the shipyard of the William Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding Co. to help outfit the destroyer Chandler
USS Chandler (DD-206)
USS Chandler was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy. She was the only ship named for William Eaton Chandler, who served as Secretary of the Navy from 1882 to 1886....
(DD-206), named in honor of his late grandfather, former Secretary of the Navy
United States Secretary of the Navy
The Secretary of the Navy of the United States of America is the head of the Department of the Navy, a component organization of the Department of Defense...
William E. Chandler
William E. Chandler
William Eaton Chandler was a lawyer who served as United States Secretary of the Navy and as a U.S. Senator from New Hampshire.-Early life:...
. After her commissioning in September, he served in that ship until December 1920, when he was detached to return to the United States.
On 2 January 1921, he reported for duty at the Naval Post Graduate School
Naval Postgraduate School
The Naval Postgraduate School is an accredited research university operated by the United States Navy. Located in Monterey, California, it grants master's degrees, Engineer's degrees and doctoral degrees...
at Annapolis, Maryland, and began a 29-month series of ordnance-related studies.
On 1 June 1923, he completed training duty and, after a brief leave of absence, reported to Newport News, Virginia
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
, on 4 July for duty in conjunction with the outfitting of West Virginia
USS West Virginia (BB-48)
USS West Virginia , a , was the second ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 35th state.Her keel was laid down on 12 April 1920 by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company of Newport News, Virginia. She was launched on 17 November 1921 sponsored by Miss Alice Wright Mann,...
(BB-48). The battleship went into commission on 1 December, and Chandler served in her until 16 January 1925 when he transferred to Colorado
USS Colorado (BB-45)
USS Colorado , the third ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 38th state, was the lead ship of her class of battleships. Her keel was laid down on 29 May 1919 by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation of Camden, New Jersey. She was launched on 22 March 1921 sponsored by Mrs. Max...
(BB-45).
In June 1926, newly-promoted Lt. Comdr. Chandler came ashore once more for a two-year assignment at the Naval Mine Depot, Yorktown
Naval Weapons Station Yorktown
Naval Weapons Station Yorktown is a United States Navy base in York County, James City County, and Newport News in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia...
, Virginia. A nine-month tour of duty as gunnery officer in the light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
Trenton
USS Trenton (CL-11)
USS Trenton was an Omaha-class light cruiser of the United States Navy. She was the second Navy ship named for the city of Trenton, New Jersey....
(CL-11) followed. He reported on board General Alava
USS General Alava (AG-5)
USS General Alava was a General Alava-class cargo ship acquired by the United States Navy during the Spanish-American War and subsequently used by the Navy as a general cargo ship.General Alava was built in 1895 by A...
(AG-5) on 24 April 1929 but was detached only two days later to assume command of Pope
USS Pope (DD-225)
USS Pope was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the first ship named for John Pope....
(DD-225).
In October 1930, he began another series of shore assignments, reporting initially to the Bureau of Ordnance
Bureau of Ordnance
The Bureau of Ordnance was the U.S. Navy's organization responsible for the procurement, storage, and deployment of all naval ordnance, between the years 1862 and 1959.-History:...
and then to the Army Industrial College before rounding out duty ashore with a brief tour in the office of the Chief of Naval Operations
Chief of Naval Operations
The Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...
.
On 30 May 1932, Chandler resumed sea duty as gunnery officer on the staff of the Commander Destroyers Battle Force. On 2 February 1934, he assumed command of Buchanan
USS Buchanan (DD-131)
USS Buchanan , named for Franklin Buchanan, was a Wickes-class destroyer in the United States Navy.Buchanan was transferred to the United Kingdom under the Destroyers for Bases Agreement in 1940 and served as HMS Campbeltown . She was destroyed during the St...
(DD-131). Between August 1935 and June 1938, he served three successive tours as assistant naval attaché: first at Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, then at Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, and finally at Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
.
He arrived in Camden, New Jersey
Camden, New Jersey
The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
, in June 1938 to help fit out Nashville
USS Nashville (CL-43)
USS Nashville , a Brooklyn-class light cruiser, was laid down on 24 January 1935 by New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey; launched on 2 October 1937; sponsored by Misses Ann and Mildred Stahlman; and commissioned on 6 June 1938, Captain William W...
(CL-43); and he served as her executive officer
Executive officer
An executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:...
until July 1940. Next, he returned to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
for a 15-month assignment in the office of the Chief of Naval Operations. Near the end of that tour of duty, he was promoted to captain on 18 July 1941.
Atlantic campaigns
Chandler relieved Capt. P. P. Powell as commanding officer of OmahaUSS Omaha (CL-4)
USS Omaha was the lead ship of Omaha class of light cruiser of the United States Navy. She was the second US Navy ship named for the city of Omaha, Nebraska....
(CL-4) on 15 October. Shortly over three weeks later, an event occurred that highlighted Chandler's tour in command of the light cruiser.
On the morning of 6 November 1941, Omaha, in company with Somers
USS Somers (DD-381)
USS Somers was a destroyer commissioned in the United States Navy from 1937 to 1945. She was the lead ship of the Somers-class of destroyer leaders and was named for Richard Somers. During World War II, Somers was active in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean Theater of Operations.-History:Somers...
(DD-381), came across a darkened ship that acted suspiciously when challenged. That ship—although bearing the name Willmoto and purportedly operating out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
—proved to be the German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
blockade runner
Blockade runner
A blockade runner is usually a lighter weight ship used for evading a naval blockade of a port or strait, as opposed to confronting the blockaders to break the blockade. Very often blockade running is done in order to transport cargo, for example to bring food or arms to a blockaded city...
Odenwald, bound for Germany with 3,857 metric tons of raw rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
in her holds. Scuttled by her crew, the German ship began to sink; but Capt. Chandler sent a party on the German vessel that controlled the flooding and salvaged the ship. It proved to be the last time that American sailors received "prize money
Prize money
Prize money has a distinct meaning in warfare, especially naval warfare, where it was a monetary reward paid out to the crew of a ship for capturing an enemy vessel...
".
For most of the next 18 months, Omaha cruised the waters of the South Atlantic in search of German blockade runners and submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s. That tour of duty ended in April 1943, when Chandler was selected to command United States naval forces in the Aruba
Aruba
Aruba is a 33 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 130 km east of Guajira Peninsula...
-Curaçao
Curaçao
Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
area.
On 3 May 1944, he was promoted to rear admiral
Rear admiral (United States)
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. The uniformed services of the United States are unique in having two grades of rear admirals.- Rear admiral :...
. In July 1944, Rear Admiral Chandler took command of Cruiser Division 2 (CruDiv 2), Atlantic Fleet
U.S. Atlantic Fleet
The United States Fleet Forces Command is an Atlantic Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources that are under the operational control of the United States Northern Command...
. In that capacity, he participated in Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
, the invasion of southern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
executed in mid-August, and commanded the "Sitka-Romeo" force which captured the Iles d'Hyeres
Îles d'Hyères
The Îles d'Hyères is a group of three islands off Hyères in the Var département, in the south-east of France. The three mediterranean islands are named Porquerolles, Port-Cros and Île du Levant. Together, they make up an area of .-See also:...
just off the coast of Provence
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
.
Pacific campaigns
Shortly thereafter, Rear Admiral Chandler was given command of Battleship Division 2 (BatDiv 2) of the Pacific Fleet.He reported for duty on 2 October in time to command his ships — part of Rear Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf
Jesse B. Oldendorf
Jesse Bartlett "Oley" Oldendorf was an admiral in the United States Navy, famous for defeating a Japanese force in the Battle of Leyte Gulf during World War II...
's bombardment group — during the Leyte invasion
Battle of Leyte
The Battle of Leyte in the Pacific campaign of World War II was the invasion and conquest of the island of Leyte in the Philippines by American and Filipino guerrilla forces under the command of General Douglas MacArthur, who fought against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Philippines led by...
and helped to repulse the Japanese southern attack group—Vice Admiral
Vice admiral (United States)
In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, and the United States Maritime Service, vice admiral is a three-star flag officer, with the pay grade of...
s Shoji Nishimura's Force “C” and Kiyohide Shima's 2d Striking Force—in the Surigao Strait
Surigao Strait
Surigao Strait is a body of water in the Philippines located between the islands of Mindanao and Leyte. This strait connects the Bohol Sea with Leyte Gulf and is regularly crossed by ferries that transport goods and people between Visayas and Mindanao...
phase of the Battle for Leyte Gulf.
On 8 December 1944, Rear Admiral Chandler was shifted to command of CruDiv 4 and flew his flag above Louisville
USS Louisville (CA-28)
USS Louisville — a Northampton-class heavy cruiser — was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the city of Louisville, Kentucky...
(CA-28). During the voyage from Leyte to Lingayen
Lingayen, Pangasinan
Lingayen is a 1st class municipality in the province of Pangasinan on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. It is the capital municipality and the seat of government of the province of Pangasinan. According to the latest census, it has a population of 95,773 people in 16,467 households.Lingayen...
for the invasion of Luzon
Battle of Luzon
The Battle of Luzon was a land battle fought as part of the Pacific Theater of Operations of World War II by the Allied forces of the U.S., its colony The Philippines, and Mexico against forces of the Empire of Japan. The battle resulted in a U.S. and Filipino victory...
, Chandler's cruisers came under heavy Japanese air attacks—mostly by kamikaze
Kamikaze
The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
s. Late in the afternoon of 5 January 1945, a group of 16 suicide planes swooped in on the force then about 100 miles (200 km) from Manila Bay
Manila Bay
Manila Bay is a natural harbor which serves the Port of Manila , in the Philippines.The bay is considered to be one of the best natural harbors in Southeast Asia and one of the finest in the world...
. One of the four successful kamikazes crashed into Rear Admiral Chandler's flagship at her number 2 turret, but she continued in her mission. The next day, however, the cruiser suffered more severely during a repeat performance. At 17:30, another suicide plane plunged into the cruiser's starboard side at the bridge. His explosives wrought havoc with the flag bridge where Chandler stood. Even though horribly burned by gasoline flames, Chandler helped deploy fire hoses alongside enlisted men to stop the flames and then waited his turn for first aid
First aid
First aid is the provision of initial care for an illness or injury. It is usually performed by non-expert, but trained personnel to a sick or injured person until definitive medical treatment can be accessed. Certain self-limiting illnesses or minor injuries may not require further medical care...
with those same ratings. The admiral, his lungs scorched very severely, was beyond help. He died the next day in spite of the efforts of the medical department. Admiral Chandler is listed on the Tablets of the Missing at the Manila Philippines National Cemetery
Namesakes
Two ships in the U.S. Navy have been named after Chandler. In October 1945, the destroyerDestroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
USS Theodore E. Chandler
USS Theodore E. Chandler (DD-717)
USS Theodore E. Chandler was a Gearing-class destroyer in the United States Navy during the Korean War and the Vietnam War. She was named for Theodore E. Chandler....
(DD-717) was named in his honor. In 1983, Kidd Class
Kidd class destroyer
The Kidd class guided missile destroyers were a series of four warships based upon the hull of the Spruance class destroyers. These ships were originally ordered by the Shah of Iran for service in the Persian Gulf in an air defense role...
guided missile destroyer USS Chandler
USS Chandler (DDG-996)
USS Chandler was the final ship in the Kidd class of guided-missile destroyers operated by the U.S. Navy. Derived from the Spruance class, these vessels were designed for air defense in hot weather. She was named after Rear Admiral Theodore E...
was named after him.