I enjoy reading about naval history, so it came as a shock to me that a man named James O. Richardson existed as a significant part of the American prewar buildup without me even noticing!
Starting in around June 1939, he was commander of the Battle Force (pacific fleet) and later promoted to commander of both fleets starting in January 1940. However, he was sacked for both his protest against the moving of the pacific fleet to Pearl Harbor (he claimed it would be the place the Japanese would strike first in a potential war!) and his insistence that carrier aviation was the future (which played a large part in America’s failure at Pearl!)
His replacement in the pacific, admiral Husband E Kimmel, was fired after Pearl Harbor for going against his advice. James didn’t retire until October 1942! So, my question is, why didn’t they just bring him back? He had served in the position, and the reasons he was fired for turned out to be correct on his part! Why bring in Nimitz and not bring back Richardson?
Age, lack of confidence in him by political leadership, and Nimitz as the rising star who had the faith of his superiors.
Its worth noting just how Old Richardson was, he was in his 60's by the time the war started, that was not particularly conducive to a billet actively fighting the fleet, doubly so when it was potentially sea going.
Even if he hadnt been relieved he was in the terminal phase of his career. The General Board wasnt a real job for the Navy in the 40's, it was mostly busy work and advisory, something to give over aged officers a spot and to feel like they were doing something while they got ready to retire.
It wasnt a death sentence, but it took extreme circumstances to come back from as an aged out admiral. And that Ernest King was in essence the one senior officer to do so speaks to just how high the bar was. It took Beatty Stark, a personal friend, as CNO, and his professional reputation, to get it done and get King command in the Atlantic.
So we have looked at the hurdles that Richardson would have faced. And we can note that he lacked that key sponsorship in either the Navy ranks or the White House to get a job again. FDR wasnt interested in an admiral who was going to argue even after the decision had been made, and neither was Stark, or later King. Nimitz in the job became something of a master in picking his battles with King for what he wanted.
So we can turn to Nimitz, 7 years JO's younger, and at the time in essence the head of the Navy's HR office in Washington(meaning he had a large role in organizing the expansion of the Navy in the years before the war). He had the required career history for fleet command, and in particular even before had spent most of the 1930's in and out of DC billets. Meaning FDR, who involved himself deeply in the operations of his Navy, knew him, and so did Stark, and King. And that reputation was one of efficiency, skill in leading large organizations, and most of all that he was a people person in the sense of having the special touch to lead and bring out the best in others.
We know also the decision was ultimately FDR's, so another black mark against Richardson. After Secretary Knox made a trip out to Hawaii, on Tuesday Dec. 16th, FDR reportedly told Knox that Nimitz was to get the hell out to Hawaii and not to come back till it was over, and then phoned Nimitz himself with the news.
It is also worth remembering Nimitz was offered the job before Kimmel but turned it down on the grounds of seniority, so it was clear FDR liked what he saw for some time.
We can also finally note that Richardson did not seem to hold any bitterness or resentment towards Nimitz. In fact when Nimitz departed to take a train to California to then fly to Hawaii JO gave his Flag LT a pair of bottles of Old Grand-Dad Bourbon with orders to give Nimitz a drink each night to calm the nerves on the ride!