Jesse B. Oldendorf

Jesse Barrett "Oley" Oldendorf (16 February 1887 – 27 April 1974) was an admiral in the United States Navy, famous for defeating a Japanese force in the Battle of Leyte Gulf during World War II. He also served as commander of the American naval forces during the early phase of the Battle of the Caribbean. In early 1942, a secret group of senior Navy officers empaneled by President Franklin D. Roosevelt assessed him as one of the 40 most competent of the 120 flag officers in the Navy.

Early life Jesse Barrett Oldendorf was born in Riverside, California on 16 February 1887. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1909, standing 141st in a class of 174, Oldendorf served aboard the armored cruiser , the torpedo boat destroyer , the cruiser , the destroyer and the armored cruiser California again, although she had been renamed San Diego. He also served on the Panama Canal hydrographic survey ship .

World War I During World War I, Oldendorf spent a few months on recruiting duty in Philadelphia. From June to August 1917, he commanded the naval armed guard on . The ship sank as a result of a collision in New York. He then became a gunnery officer aboard the troop transport , From August 1918 to March 1919, he was engineering officer of . In July, he was briefly executive officer of . At this point in his career, Oldendorf was an experienced battle commander who had handled similar assignments in three previous Marine landings. The bombardment was scheduled to last three days. By the end of the first day, aerial reconnaissance photos indicated that close to 300 of the assigned targets had been destroyed or seriously damaged by the all-day bombardment and that virtually every aboveground structure and fortification had been eradicated. At the airport its few usable planes were reduced to wreckage. After the war when asked about Pelilieu, Oldendorf commented that "If military leaders – and that includes Navy brass – were gifted with the same accuracy of foresight that they are with hindsight, then the assault of Peleliu should never have been attempted."

Vice Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf (center) with his Flag Personnel on the Flag Bridge of in August 1945 at Okinawa Vice Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf dictates the terms of surrender to Vice Admiral Hoka and Rear Admiral Yofai on 22 September 1945 at Wakayama, Honshū, Japan.

On 24 October 1944, Oldendorf was the commander of Task Group 77.2 at the Battle of Surigao Strait. From aboard his flagship USS Louisville he led the defeat of the Japanese Southern Force. He deployed his powerful force of battleships and cruisers in a classic battle line formation across the Surigao Strait, crossing the T of his opponent. The Japanese battleships and were sunk, and Vice Admiral Shoji Nishimura was killed. Oldendorf's action prevented the Japanese from bringing their battle fleet into Surigao Strait and attacking the beachheads on Leyte Island. He later explained his tactics to the New York Times: "My theory was that of the old-time gambler: Never give a sucker a chance." For this action, Oldendorf was awarded the Navy Cross. In 1959 Admiral Oldendorf provided commentary on his planning for the battle:

On 15 December 1944, Oldendorf was promoted to vice admiral and made commander of Battleship Squadron 1. He was wounded, breaking his collar bone, at Ulithi on 11 March 1945, when his barge hit a buoy. Oldendorf assumed command of Task Force 95 in July, and led this force on two sweeps of the East China Sea. He was wounded, breaking several ribs, when his flagship Pennsylvania was torpedoed by a Japanese aircraft on 12 August 1945. On 22 September 1945, Oldendorf commanded the occupation of Wakayama and dictated terms of surrender to Vice Admiral Hoka and Rear Admiral Yofai.

Post-World War II life From November 1945, Oldendorf commanded the 11th Naval District. In 1946 he assumed command of the San Diego Naval Base. From 1947 until his retirement in 1948 he commanded the Western Sea Frontier and the United States Navy reserve fleets at San Francisco. He retired in September 1948 at which time he was promoted to Admiral. The destroyer was named in his honor.

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