Harold Stark and Chester Nimitz offered King the Atlantic Squadron, which he took despite reverting from vice admiral to rear admiral. When he finally raised his flag in USS Texas, he found a war-plan safe focused on Mexico rather than the European conflict already reshaping the Atlantic. Within three days he ordered the force onto a war footing because American policy was contesting German freedom of action even without a formal declaration of war. Atlantic Fleet Directive Serial 53 then urged officers to avoid micromanagement, delegate clearly, and operate toward objectives.
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King put the Atlantic Fleet on a war footing
Given the Atlantic force in late 1940, King discarded obsolete planning, prepared for de facto conflict with Germany, and promoted delegated command.