John R. Redman
Encyclopedia
John "Jack" Roland Redman (January 31, 1898, to May 29, 1970) was an admiral in the United States Navy
. A naval communications officer, he played key roles in signals intelligence during World War II in Washington, D.C., and on the staff of Admiral Chester W. Nimitz.
, also a naval communications officer. He reached the active rank of Rear Admiral in March 1944. In February 1942, with the reorganization of U.S. Navy signals intelligence, he was put in charge of OP-20-G
, the section of naval communications responsible for cryptanalysis.
John Redman served as the Communications Officer on the staff of the Commander-in-Chief, United States Pacific Fleet, Admiral Chester Nimitz, from October 1942 to March 1945. Under his tenure there were some significant advances in breaking the Japanese Navy codes in OP-20-G, although his management style was later criticised. Redman rejected Captain Joseph Rochefort
's accurate analysis of the intercepted Japanese messages that ultimately led to the successful Battle of Midway
, and he subsequently played a role in Rochefort's ejection from cryptanalysis in the months that followed.
His organisation's intentional withholding of intercepts and tips with British, Indian and New Zealand allies, who were also working on the decryption of other Japanese codebooks, was considered to have collectively held them all back. Information was only shared between organizations after the intervention of his brother Admiral Joe Redman in September 1943.
On May 2, 1945, he assumed command of the battleship , which he held through the end of the war. From August 1949 to September 1951, he was the Director of Naval Communications
in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, United States Navy. Subsequently he served as Director of Communications-Electronics for the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington, D.C. His final tour was as Commandant, Twelfth Naval District, from 1954 to 1957. He retired from the Navy on October 1, 1957, with the rank of Vice Admiral. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. A naval communications officer, he played key roles in signals intelligence during World War II in Washington, D.C., and on the staff of Admiral Chester W. Nimitz.
Biography
A native of Reno, Nevada, he graduated from the United States Naval Academy in June 1918 with the class of 1919. He was a member of the United States Olympic Team, participating as a wrestler in the 1920 games. He was the brother of Joseph RedmanJoseph Redman
Joseph Reasor Redman was an admiral in the United States Navy. A naval communications officer, he played key roles in signals intelligence during World War II in Washington, D.C.- Biography :...
, also a naval communications officer. He reached the active rank of Rear Admiral in March 1944. In February 1942, with the reorganization of U.S. Navy signals intelligence, he was put in charge of OP-20-G
OP-20-G
OP-20-G or "Office of Chief Of Naval Operations , 20th Division of the Office of Naval Communications, G Section / Communications Security", was the US Navy's signals intelligence and cryptanalysis group during World War II. Its mission was to intercept, decrypt, and analyze naval communications...
, the section of naval communications responsible for cryptanalysis.
John Redman served as the Communications Officer on the staff of the Commander-in-Chief, United States Pacific Fleet, Admiral Chester Nimitz, from October 1942 to March 1945. Under his tenure there were some significant advances in breaking the Japanese Navy codes in OP-20-G, although his management style was later criticised. Redman rejected Captain Joseph Rochefort
Joseph Rochefort
Joseph John Rochefort was an American Naval officer and cryptanalyst. His contributions and those of his team were pivotal to victory in the Pacific War....
's accurate analysis of the intercepted Japanese messages that ultimately led to the successful Battle of Midway
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...
, and he subsequently played a role in Rochefort's ejection from cryptanalysis in the months that followed.
His organisation's intentional withholding of intercepts and tips with British, Indian and New Zealand allies, who were also working on the decryption of other Japanese codebooks, was considered to have collectively held them all back. Information was only shared between organizations after the intervention of his brother Admiral Joe Redman in September 1943.
On May 2, 1945, he assumed command of the battleship , which he held through the end of the war. From August 1949 to September 1951, he was the Director of Naval Communications
Director of Naval Communications
Director of Naval Communications was a post on the staff of the United States Navy's Chief of Naval Operations responsible for organizing, administering and operating the Naval Communications Service. In Navy parlance, this was Op-20. Created in 1916, the position replaced that of the...
in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, United States Navy. Subsequently he served as Director of Communications-Electronics for the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington, D.C. His final tour was as Commandant, Twelfth Naval District, from 1954 to 1957. He retired from the Navy on October 1, 1957, with the rank of Vice Admiral. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.