Kinkaid, Thomas Cassin (1888-1972), an American naval officer, won fame for his service in the Pacific during World War II. As commander of a carrier task group early in 1942, Admiral Kinkaid took part in the battle of the Coral Sea. Later, on his famous flagship, the aircraft carrier Enterprise, he commanded task forces in a series of battles in the Solomon Islands. He commanded U.S. forces in the North Pacific during the 1943 build-up of bases that led to victories at Attu and Kiska.
Kinkaid took command of the Seventh Fleet and Allied naval forces in the southwest Pacific on Nov. 26, 1943. He directed the naval phases of operations that cleared the Japanese from the northern coast of New Guinea. His forces annihilated the Japanese Southern Force in the battle of Surigao Straits, part of the battle for Leyte Gulf. Later, Kinkaid’s fleet repulsed the Japanese Central Force.
Kinkaid was born in Hanover, New Hampshire, and graduated from the United States Naval Academy. During World War I, Kinkaid served on a diplomatic assignment with the British Admiralty. He became a permanent rear admiral in 1942, an admiral in 1945, and retired from the Navy in 1950.
