US naval officer, born in Dorchester (now part of Boston), Massachusetts, USA. He fought a remarkable naval action against the Centre Force of the Japanese fleet in 1944. His escort carrier group sustained heavy losses, but performed the vital service of removing the Centre Force from the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
Vice Admiral Clifton Albert Frederick ("Ziggy") Sprague (1896-1955) was a World War II-era officer in the U.S. Navy.
He attended the Boston Latin School, and the United States Naval Academy.
At the beginning of World War II, Sprague was a Commander, and was commanding the Tangier (AV-8) at Pearl Harbor during the attack.
As the commander of one of three escort carrier groups assigned from the 7th Fleet to support the landings ("Taffy 3" as it was known), Sprague became engaged with the powerful Japanese "Center Force" with only three destroyers and six destroyer escorts supporting the group. The commander of "Taffy 2" came into aircraft range, and helped drive off the Japanese ships.
After the war, Sprague served as commander of a naval district.
The Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided-missile frigate USS Clifton Sprague (FFG-16) was named after him.
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