# Battle Fleet > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Battle_Fleet > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Battle_Fleet.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_Fleet > Source revision: 1309642200 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Part of the U.S. Navy from 1922 to 1941 "Battle Force" redirects here. For the film, see [The Greatest Battle](/source/The_Greatest_Battle). This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (April 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this message) The **United States Battle Fleet** or **Battle Force** was part of the organization of the [United States Navy](/source/United_States_Navy) from 1922 to 1941. It served as the Pacific fleet and included most of the Navy, including its most modern ships and all of its [aircraft carriers](/source/Aircraft_carrier). ## Organization Battle Force wall with ship information, 1936 The General Order of 6 December 1922 organized the [United States Fleet](/source/United_States_Fleet), with the Battle Fleet as the Pacific presence. This fleet comprised the main body of ships in the Navy, with the smaller [Scouting Fleet](/source/Scouting_Fleet) as the Atlantic presence. Most [battleships](/source/Battleship), including the most modern ones, and new [aircraft carriers](/source/Aircraft_carrier) were assigned to the Battle Fleet. On 1 September 1923, the Battle Fleet was under the command of Admiral [Samuel S. Robison](/source/Samuel_S._Robison). [Battleships, Battle Fleet](/source/Battleships%2C_Battle_Fleet) was under the command of Vice Admiral [Henry A. Wiley](/source/Henry_A._Wiley), with his flag aboard [*New Mexico* (BB-40)](/source/USS_New_Mexico_(BB-40)).[1] Battleship Division Three, under Rear Admiral [Louis M. Nulton](/source/Louis_McCoy_Nulton), consisted of [*New York* (BB-34)](/source/USS_New_York_(BB-34)) (F), [*Texas* (BB-35)](/source/USS_Texas_(BB-35)) under Captain A. M. Proctor, [*Oklahoma* (BB-37)](/source/USS_Oklahoma_(BB-37)) under Captain W. F. Scott, and [*California* (BB-44)](/source/USS_California_(BB-44)) under Captain H. H. Christy, which was also the Battle Fleet [flagship](/source/Flagship). Battleship Division Four, under Rear Admiral [William Veazie Pratt](/source/William_V._Pratt), comprised [*Arizona* (BB-39)](/source/USS_Arizona) (F), under Captain J. R. Y. Blakely, [*Nevada* (BB-36)](/source/USS_Nevada_(BB-36)), [*Mississippi* (BB-41)](/source/USS_Mississippi_(BB-41)), and [*Pennsylvania* (BB-38)](/source/USS_Pennsylvania_(BB-38)). Battleship Division Five under Vice Admiral Wiley himself comprised [*New Mexico* (BB-40)](/source/USS_New_Mexico_(BB-40)), [*Idaho* (BB-42)](/source/USS_Idaho_(BB-42)), [*Tennessee* (BB-43)](/source/USS_Tennessee_(BB-43)), and [*Maryland* (BB-46)](/source/USS_Maryland_(BB-46)). Aircraft Squadrons, Battle Fleet, under Captain [A. W. Marshall](/source/Albert_W._Marshall), comprised [*Aroostook* (CM-3)](/source/USS_Aroostook_(CM-3)) (F), [*Langley* (CV-1)](/source/USS_Langley_(CV-1)), and the tender [*Gannet* (AM-41)](/source/USS_Gannet_(AM-41)). Destroyer Squadrons, Battle Fleet, under Rear Admiral [Sumner E. W. Kittelle](/source/Sumner_Ely_Wetmore_Kittelle), comprised [Destroyer Squadron 11](/source/Destroyer_Squadron_11) and [Destroyer Squadron 12](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Destroyer_Squadron_12&action=edit&redlink=1). Submarine Divisions, Pacific, was under Captain A. Bronson, Jr. In 1930, the name of the fleet was changed to "Battle Force", but the structure remained the same. In 1931, the force was based in Pearl Harbor and consisted of a majority of the United States' surface fleet: all of the newer battleships, all of the carriers, a light cruiser squadron and "three or four" destroyer squadrons were all a part of the Battle Force. In 1939, the Battle Force had five aircraft carriers, 12 battleships, 14 [light cruisers](/source/Light_cruiser), and 68 [destroyers](/source/Destroyer).[2] On 1 February 1941, General Order 143 reorganized the United States Fleet with three separate fleets, the [United States Atlantic Fleet](/source/United_States_Atlantic_Fleet), the [United States Pacific Fleet](/source/United_States_Pacific_Fleet) and the [Asiatic Fleet](/source/Asiatic_Fleet). ## Commander in Chief, Battle Fleet (COMBATFLT) Date Incumbent 5 July 1921 - 30 June 1923 Admiral Edward W. Eberle 30 June 1923 - 14 October 1925 Admiral Samuel S. Robison 14 October 1925 - 4 September 1926 Admiral Charles F. Hughes 4 September 1926 - 10 September 1927 Admiral Richard H. Jackson 10 September 1927 - 26 June 1928 Admiral Louis R. de Steiguer 26 June 1928 - 21 May 1929 Admiral William V. Pratt 21 May 1929 - 24 May 1930 Admiral Louis M. Nulton 24 May 1930 - 1 April 1931 Admiral Frank H. Schofield ## Commander Battle Force (COMBATFOR) Date Incumbent 1 April 1931 - 15 September 1931 Admiral Frank H. Schofield 15 September 1931 - 11 August 1932 Admiral Richard H. Leigh 11 August 1932 - 20 May 1933 Admiral Luke McNamee 20 May 1933 - 1 July 1933 Admiral William H. Standley 1 July 1933 - 15 June 1934 Admiral Joseph M. Reeves 15 June 1934 - 1 April 1935 Admiral Frank H. Brumby 1 April 1935 - 30 March 1936 Admiral Harris Laning 30 March 1936 - 31 December 1936 Admiral William D. Leahy 2 January 1937 - 29 January 1938 Admiral Claude C. Bloch 29 January 1938 - 24 June 1939 Admiral Edward C. Kalbfus 24 June 1939 - 6 January 1940 Admiral James O. Richardson 6 January 1940 - 31 January 1941 Admiral Charles P. Snyder 31 January 1941 - 20 September 1942 Vice Admiral William S. Pye ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Stephen Svonavec, [The United States Fleet, July 1, 1923: Battle Fleet](http://www.fleetorganization.com/1923battlefleet.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20131007022146/http://www.fleetorganization.com/1923battlefleet.html) October 7, 2013, at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine), accessed June 2012 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Morison, 28. ## Bibliography - Morison, Samuel Eliot (1948). *Volume III, The Rising Sun in the Pacific*. Boston and Toronto: Little, Brown and Company. --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Battle Fleet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_Fleet) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_Fleet?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.