U.S. Navy photograph

Rear Admiral Thomas L. Sprague, U.S. Navy

---

---

RANK	DATES	DUTY STATION/EVENT
-	1894	Born in Lima, Ohio
MIDN	1914-1917	Student at U.S. Naval Academy Annapolis
ENS	1917-1918	USS Cleveland (C-19)
ENS	1918-1920	USS Montgomery (DD-121)
LTJG	1920	Naval Aviation Preflight Indoctrination, NAS Pensacola, Florida
LTJG	1920-1921	Naval Flight Training, NAS Pensacola, Florida
LT	1921-1923	Naval Air Pacific
LT	1926-1928	Observation Squadron VO-1 embarked on USS Maryland (BB-46)
LT	1928-1931	Naval Air Station, San Diego, California
LT	1931-1933	Scouting Squadron VS-6
LCDR	1933-1934	Naval Aircraft Factory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
LCDR	1935-1936	USS Saratoga (CV-3)
LCDR	1937-1940	Naval Air Training, Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida
CDR	1940-1941	USS Ranger (CV-4)
CDR	1941-1942	USS Charger (CVE-30)
CAPT	1943	Naval Air Forces Atlantic Fleet
CAPT	1943-1944	USS Intrepid (CV-11)
RADM	1944	CTG 77.4/COMCARDIV 22 with flag in USS Sangamon (CVE-26) at Saipan
RADM	1944	CTG 77.1/COMCARDIV 22 with flag in USS Sangamon (CVE-26) at Morotai
RADM	1944	CTG 77.4/COMCARDIV 22 with flag in USS Sangamon (CVE-26) at Samar
RADM	1945	COMCARDIV 11 (Training Carriers)
RADM	1945	COMCARDIV 3 at Okinawa
RADM	1946-1949	Chief, Bureau of Naval Personnel (BUPERS)
VADM	1949-1952	Commander, Naval Air Pacific
VADM	1952	Retired from Service
-	1972	Died

Short biography of Vice Admiral Thomas Lamison Sprague, U.S. Navy Thomas Lamison Sprague was born on October 2, 1894 in Lima, Ohio. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis,  Maryland in 1917.  Although no relation to Admiral Clifton "Ziggy" Sprague, the two both attended Annapolis, both later graduating from the same class. During the first World War he served aboard the USS Cleveland (C-19) assigned to the trans-Atlantic convoy from June 1917 until April 1918 and, after serving on shore duty for a brief period, Sprague assisted in the official commission of the USS Montgomery (DD-121) in July.  As a member of the ship's anti-submarine patrol, Sprague would eventually come to command the destroyer from January to November 1920. After participating in naval flight training at Pensacola Naval Air Station (NAS), Sprague served as a staff officer under Pacific Air commander Admiral H.V. Butler from 1921 to 1923. In 1926, Sprague was transferred to the USS Maryland (BB-46) serving with Observation Squadron 1 for two years before being stationed at the San Diego Naval Air Station in 1928. Between 1931 and 1936, Sprague served as commander of Scouting Squadron 6, Director of the Philadelphia Naval Aircraft Factory Aeronautical Engine laboratory, and as Air Officer onboard the USS Saratoga (CV-3) before being reassigned as to Pensacola as Superintendent of Naval Air Training from 1937 to 1940. Serving as executive officer onboard the USS Ranger (CV-4) on neutrality patrol in the Atlantic for a year, Sprague helped commission the escort carrier USS Charger (AVG-30) and commanded the vessel during training missions in the Chesapeake from February to December 1942. After serving staff duty with the Naval Air Forces Atlantic Fleet from January to June 1943, Sprague commissioned the new carrier USS Intrepid (CV-11) in August, and commanded the aircraft carrier in raids against the Truk and Marshall Islands during the first two months of 1944. Promoted to Rear Admiral in June 1944, Sprague commanded Carrier Division 22 which covered the assault on Saipan from July-August and Morotai in September. Sprague was in command of the eighteen escort carriers of Task Group 77.4 ("Taffy 1") and  Carrier Division 22 during the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October 1944.  His extraordinary heroism in action on October 25, 1944 in the Battle Off Samar would earn him the Navy Cross. He briefly commanded Pacific training carriers under Carrier Division 11, before leading Carrier Division 3 off Okinawa from April-June 1945. Sprague commanded Task Force 38.1 during the final air operations against the home islands of Japan by the war's end. After the war he served as Chief of the Bureau of Naval Personnel in 1946 serving in this post until his promotion to Vice Admiral in August 1949. He was appointed commander of the Pacific Fleet Air Force in October 1949.  Sprague would hold this post until his retirement in April 1952. Sprague briefly returned to active duty to negotiate with the Philippine government over the status of U.S. air bases in 1956. Vice Admiral Sprague died in California on September 17, 1972.

Back to Task Group 77.4 Back to Task Unit 77.4.1 Return to Biographies Return to Main Menu Honor the Missing in Action and Killed in Action of Taffy III We do remember.  We won't forget.

Robert Jon Cox - webmaster@bosamar.com last revised August 07, 2009 Copyright © 1996-2007 all rights reserved Void where prohibited.