rank of Vice Admiral, he was Commander Battleships, Battle Force in 1940 and Commander Battle Force (COMBATFOR) in 1941. World War II and post-war years He is perhaps best known for his 6 December 1941 remark that "The Japanese will not go to war with the United States. We are too big, too powerful, and too strong." Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 and the subsequent relief of Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Fleet (CINCPAC) Admiral Husband E. Kimmel, Vice Admiral Pye became Acting CINCPAC on 17 December. He had reservations about Kimmel's plan to send a relief force including the aircraft carrier to the aid of Wake Island, but continued with the plan until 22 December. Then – after reports of additional landings on Wake – Pye decided the operation was too risky and recalled the relief force. This decision was highly controversial, as it amounted to abandoning the Wake Island garrison, which had defeated a Japanese landing on 11 December. On 31 December, Pye relinquished command of the Pacific Fleet to Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. Pye became commander of Task Force One (TF 1), comprising the remaining operational battleships of the Pacific Fleet augmented by three battleships from the Atlantic Fleet, now based in San Francisco. During the Battle of Midway, Pye received orders for the seven old battleships (, , , , , , and ), the escort carrier , and eight destroyers of TF 1 to sortie to patrol off of the West Coast against possible Japanese attack there should the carrier forces at Midway be defeated. Such fears proved unfounded, and TF 1 then remained on training and patrol duties between Hawaii and the West Coast until Pye was relieved in October 1942 at the age of 62. He never commanded operating forces again, and was relegated to administrative positions. On 2 November, Pye became President of the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, and also commanded the Naval Operating Base there. He officially retired on 1 July 1944, but was recalled to active duty as President of the War College, and promoted to permanent Vice Admiral. He continued at the War College until retiring from active duty on 1 March 1946. Pye died at Bethesda, Maryland, on 4 May 1959. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, United States. Pye's oldest son, LT William Satterlee Pye, Jr., was killed in a