Chester William Nimitz (redirected from Chester W. Nimitz)

Nimitz, Chester William 

Born Feb. 24, 1885, in Fredricksburg, Texas; died Feb. 20, 1966, in San Francisco. American fleet admiral (1944).

Nimitz graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1905 and served in both command and staff positions. In 1918 he was chief of staff for the submarine forces of the US Atlantic Fleet. During World War II (1939–45) he was commander of the US Pacific Ocean Fleet from late December 1941 until November 1945 and conducted a series of large-scale naval operations against Japan during the Pacific Ocean campaigns of 1941–45. On Sept. 2, 1945, he signed the Japanese instrument of surrender on behalf of the USA. In December 1945 he was made chief of naval operations. He retired in 1947 and served as an adviser to the Department of the Navy.