Kinkaid of the Seventh Fleet: A Biography of Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid, U.S. Navy

Admiral Thomas Cassin Kinkaid, born into a Navy family in 1888, spent forty-two years as a professional naval officer. Graduating from the Naval Academy in 1908, he subsequently advanced through the ranks to four-star admiral during World War II. This biography, based on Admiral Kinkaid's substantial collection of personal and official papers, plus those of many contemporary officers, as well as interviews and correspondence with former shipmates, covers all aspects of the admiral's career. The work emphasizes Kinkaid's years of flag command during the war in the Pacific. As a cruiser division commander, he fought at Coral Sea and Midway, his ships providing cover for aircraft carriers. Then entrusted with carrier task force commands, he rode Enterprise (CV 6) through four battle-filled months around Guadalcanal. Commanding the Seventh Fleet in the Southwest Pacific Area during 1943, Kinkaid, as MacArthur's naval commander, carried the general's troops into battle along the north coast of New Guinea and its offshore islands. Following the invasion of the Philippines in October 1944, Admiral Kinkaid's naval career reached its apogee with the victory of his forces in the Surigao Straits engagement during the decisive Battle for Leyte Gulf. After the war, he served four more years as Commander Eastern Sea Frontier until his retirement in April 1950.