Ernest J. King vs Franz Hipper

King was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the US Fleet (COMINCH) in December 1941, following the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was given authority over all naval operations in the Atlantic and Pacific theaters.

Under King's strategic direction, the US Navy decisively defeated the Japanese fleet at the Battle of Midway. The victory turned the tide in the Pacific War, destroying four Japanese aircraft carriers and shifting the strategic initiative to the Allies.

King was appointed Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) in March 1942, combining the roles of COMINCH and CNO. He became the single most powerful naval officer in US history, directing all aspects of the Navy's war effort.

King was promoted to the newly created rank of Fleet Admiral (five-star rank) in December 1944. He was one of only four US naval officers to hold this rank during World War II.

Hipper led the German battlecruiser force in a bombardment of English coastal towns. The raid caused civilian casualties and damage, but failed to draw out the British fleet in detail. It increased public anger in Britain.

Hipper's battlecruisers were intercepted by a superior British force under Beatty. The German armored cruiser Bl

Hipper commanded the German battlecruiser squadron at the Battle of Jutland. His ships engaged the British Grand Fleet, sinking three British battlecruisers. The German fleet withdrew, but Hipper's tactical handling preserved his force.

Hipper was appointed commander-in-chief of the German High Seas Fleet in August 1918. He planned a final sortie in October 1918, but the plan was cancelled due to mutiny among the crews, leading to the fleet's surrender.