Amphibious Operations
The purpose of amphibious operations is to transfer sizable forces of men and heavy equipment from sea to shore to initiate sustained land action.
Since early World War II the United States has had the most significant amphibious warfare capability in existence, and is generally credited with having developed much of the strategy, tactics and specialized equipment used in amphibious operations today.
Records exist of sea-to-shore military operations of an amphibious type throughout history. American history records more than one hundred such assaults by United States' forces in the latter part of the 18th and 19th centuries. The first of these was at Nassau, New Providence Island, Bahama Islands, in 1776, when 250 sailors and Marines of the Continental Navy took Forts Montague and Nassau from King George's British regulars.
Modern amphibious operations differ from their predecessors in three important ways.
First, sea forces in modern amphibious operations have an important combatant function as well as transportation function.
Second, specialized tactics and equipment are used in amphibious assaults today. Little specialization in either existed before the latter part of the 19th century.
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and practical techniques of amphibious assault with the Pacific and Atlantic Fleets.
Simultaneously, the Navy began planning specialized ships and craft for assault landings.
The first amphibious by American Forces in World Warr II was made August 7, 1942, at Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands by the NAVY - MARINE CORPS TEAM. American forces subsequently conducted 67 significant assaults, none of which failed to achieve its objective. The largest of these was the D-Day Normandy landing in June 1944; the last was Okinawa in April 1945.
The amphibious capability of the United States has remained an important military factor since World War II. During the Korean conflict an amphibious landing at Inchon, September 1950, was decisive in the drive northward by United Nations forces.
In July 1958, elements of the Atlantic Fleet Amphibious Force landed 5,000 Marines at Beirut in response to a request from the Lebanese government for assistance.
During the crisis of October 1962, occasioned by the discovery of Russian intermediate - range ballistic missles in Cuba, the Atlantic Fleet Amphibious Force and units of the Pacific Fleet Amphibious Force were in Caribbean waters, ready to carry out an amphibious assault if directed.
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Third, modern amphibious assault troops are given specialized amphibious training, as distinguished from training for land operations in general.
In 1898 a battalion of United States Marines was organized as a fleet landing force and became the first United States unit to undergo training in the thechniques of landing on enemy shores from forces afloat. Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, during the Spainish - American War, was the first test of this training.
By 1935 interest in amphibious operations had led to the establishment of two Fleet Marine Forces for amphibious warfare. From 1935 to 1941 these organizations tested
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