Battle Group Spruance

When the legendary American commanders of World War II are listed, his name rarely comes up. But his accomplishments are second to none--he spearheaded the Navy's push across the Pacific Ocean, leading the campaigns at Iwo Jima, Okinawa and in the Gilbert and Marshall Islands. And he was in charge at Midway--arguably the most important single battle of the entire conflict, and certainly the turning point of the Pacific War. BATTLE GROUP: SPRUANCE chronicles the career and examines the legacy of Raymond A. Spruance. In marked contrast to men like Patton or Halsey, he shied from self-promotion, earning a reputation as an intellectual and the nickname the "Quiet Warrior." But, as those who fought under him recall, his strategies spoke eloquently for him, and he chipped away at the Japanese control of the Pacific one battle at a time and paved the way for the Allied victory. Along with biographers and historians, BATTLE GROUP: SPRUANCE features an interview with Chuck Barber, who served as the admiral's Flag Secretary during the war.

• documentary