Ernest J. King

Ernest J. King
Official portrait, 1945
Nickname(s)	"Ernie" "Rey"
Born	(1878-11-23)23 November 1878 Lorain, Ohio, U.S.
Died	25 June 1956(1956-06-25) (aged 77) Kittery, Maine, U.S.
Buried	United States Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Maryland, U.S.
Service / branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1901–1956
Rank	Fleet admiral
Commands	Chief of Naval Operations United States Fleet Atlantic Fleet Bureau of Aeronautics USS Lexington Naval Station Norfolk USS Wright USS Bridge Naval Postgraduate School USS Cassin USS Terry
Battles / wars	Spanish–American War Mexican Revolution Occupation of Veracruz World War I First Battle of the Atlantic World War II Second Battle of the Atlantic
Awards	Navy Cross Navy Distinguished Service Medal (3)
Other work	President, Naval Historical Foundation

Ernest Joseph King (23 November 1878 – 25 June 1956) was a fleet admiral in the United States Navy who served as Commander in Chief, United States Fleet (COMINCH) and Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) during World War II. Franklin Delano Roosevelt appointed King to command global American strategy during World War II and he held supreme naval command in his unprecedented double capacity as COMINCH and CNO. He was the U.S. Navy's second-most senior officer in World War II after Fleet Admiral William D. Leahy, who served as Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief. Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief. King commanded the United States Navy's operations, planning, and administration and was a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Combined Chiefs of Staff.

King graduated fourth in the United States Naval Academy class of 1901. He received his first command in 1914, of the destroyer USS Terry in the occupation of Veracruz. During World War I, he served on the staff of Vice Admiral Henry T. Mayo, the commander in chief of the Atlantic Fleet. After the war, King was the head of the Naval Postgraduate School and commanded submarine divisions. He directed the salvage of the submarine USS S-51, earning the first of his three Navy Distinguished Service Medals, and later that of the USS S-4. He qualified as a naval aviator in 1927, and was captain of the aircraft carrier USS Lexington. He then served as Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics. Following a period on the Navy's General Board, he became commander in chief of the Atlantic Fleet in February 1941.

Shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, King was appointed as COMINCH, and in March 1942, he succeeded Admiral Harold R. Stark as CNO, holding these two positions under wartime Executive Order. He also established the "numbered fleet" organizations under his direct authority, to include his personal commands of the First Fleet in global offensive submarine efforts and conversely the Tenth Fleet for global antisubmarine efforts. Through his remarkable authorities as COMINCH and CNO, all subordinate commanders acted under King's direct influence. King personally empowered the COMINCH Headquarters to execute global tactical operations, such as the campaign against the U-boats. He held paramount authority in representing the U.S. Navy during the top-level Allied World War II conferences. On the Combined Chiefs, King advocated means to attain speedy victory in Europe First in order to execute the final reconstruction strategy for global stabilization through the central Pacific War maritime offensive in Asia. Never preoccupied with land operations, King stood out as the paramount voice in advancing the naval view of global strategy.