Thomas Kinkaid's early battleship service and ordnance engineering work preceded his carrier-war commands. After serving as naval attaché in Italy and Yugoslavia, he commanded cruisers protecting Lexington at Coral Sea and Hornet at Midway. He then led the Enterprise-centered Task Force 16 during the Solomon Islands campaign, including the Eastern Solomons and Santa Cruz. In January 1943 he took charge of the North Pacific Force and the recovery of the Aleutians. Promotion to vice admiral followed in June, and in November he became commander of the Seventh Fleet and Allied naval forces in the Southwest Pacific.
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Kinkaid's path from battleships to North Pacific command
Kinkaid brought battleship, ordnance, cruiser, and carrier-task-force experience to the recovery of the Aleutians.