William Frederick “Bull” Halsey Jr. – Typhoon Cobra (1944)
The General
The word “fear” was scared to work its way into Admiral Halsey’s vocabulary. He captained incredibly unsafe torpedo boats throughout WWI, earned his aviator wings before accepting command of an aircraft carrier, commanded the task force that launched the Doolittle Raid, and fought the Imperial Japanese Navy throughout the Pacific Ocean. Halsey embodied the bravery and aggressiveness that officers and enlisted strive to achieve, and no one can argue that he set an example for anyone who followed him. The sailors who drowned because Halsey’s fearlessness included ignoring the danger of mother nature at its angriest, however, probably hoped he’d get a reprimand at least.
The Blunder
Despite advance receiving warning, Admiral Halsey allowed a typhoon to ravage his command. The storm killed numerous Sailors, damaged or sunk ships and aircraft, yet Halsey managed to escape punishment. The typhoon, dubbed “Typhoon Cobra” or “Halsey’s Typhoon,” swept over Halsey’s command, the United States Navy’s Third Fleet, on December 17th, 1944, and the fearless Admiral’s stubbornness was the primary culprit.
Typhoon Cobra
In December 1944, Third Fleet was busy refueling off the coast of the Philippines in preparation for a renewed offensive against the Japanese. Weathermen in Hawaii reported the formation of a storm to the west and predicted it would follow a northerly path, missing the fleet. Halsey’s meteorological staff concurred, and Third Fleet remained on station. Evidence, however, soon proved the weathermen wrong. The sea turned choppy and rough. Winds increased. Halsey’s aerologist, Commander George F. Kosco, re-evaluated, predicted a new path for the typhoon, and concluded the storm was stronger than previously believed, increasing in intensity, and closing in on the fleet.
Following Third Fleet’s refueling, Halsey’s command was scheduled to participate in the assault on Luzon. The Admiral was eager to depart, and the storm threatened to delay his command. If Halsey moved the fleet out of the storm’s new projected path, Third Fleet’s schedule would be ruined. Halsey decided to gamble that his aerologist was wrong, and ordered Third Fleet to hold their positions. He believed the storm would taper off, and refueling operations could renew with only a slight delay. The Admiral was not correct.
Over the next several days, Third Fleet’s losses included 778 dead Sailors, 146 destroyed aircraft, and three sunken destroyers. A Navy court of inquiry later found that Admiral Halsey “committed an error in judgment,” but did not recommend sanctions. Interestingly enough, Admiral Halsey’s superior and close friend, Fleet Admiral Nimitz attended the inquiry.