Week 10: Amphibious Warfare

I. Mission – An amphibious operation is a military operation launched from the sea by naval and landing forces embarked on ships or craft, involving a landing on a hostile or potentially hostile shore.

II. History

A. Firsts

1. 1776 – 1^st US amphib assault (New Providence, Bahamas – Revolutionary War)

2. 1898 – 1^st amphib assault to secure an advanced naval base (Guantanmo Bay, Cuba – Spanish-American War)

B. Major Earl H. Ellis

1. Pre-WWI: Predicted war with Japan would be at sea at small islands

2. 1913 – directed attention to the possibility of a Pacific conflict

3. Said US would have to project its fleet across the Pacific

C. Amphibious Warfare Doctrine

1. 1930s – began doctrine development

2. WWII (Pre-US involvement) – USMC set up amphib warfare doctrine

a. Well established and tested by 7 Dec 1941

3. Concept: battleships and aircraft would lay down large volume of fire before Marines landed

D. World War II Noted Amphibious Assaults

1. Tarawa – 20 Nov 1943

a. Naval Gunfire Support (NGS) stopped before Marines were ashore due to poor communications, smoke, and coral dust

· Japanese were able to regroup and mount fierce resistance

· Three days later, “Bloody Tarawa” was secured

2. Iwo Jima – (Bombardment 16 Feb 1944; Invaded 19 Feb 1944)

a. 21,000 Japanese defenders with trenches, blockhouses, tunnels, and 1,500 pillboxes

b. 1^st Day: 2,400 USMC casualties (600 dead)

c. 4^th Day: Iwo Jima secured

· US: 6,800 dead; 18,000 wounded

· Japan: 20,000+ dead; 200 captured

d. 26 Medals of Honor (12 posthumously)

e. Fleet ADM Nimitz on Iwo Jima: “Uncommon valor was a common virtue.”

E. Korean War – “last great amphibious assault” – Inchon Bay

F. Recent Amphibious Assaults

1. Desert Storm (USMC off Kuwait borders were prepared to go in, but did not have to)

2. Operation Iraqi Freedom

G. Currently one of USMC’s Primary Missions: Amphibious Assault

III. Mission Capabilities – Types of Operations (D.R.A.W.)

A. Demonstration

1. Show of force with partial ship-to-shore movement

2. Deceives enemy into believing a landing is occurring

3. Causes enemy to obey US requests

B. Raid – swift attack with a planned withdrawal to:

1. Inflict damage 2. Create a diversion 3. Deception operations

4. Destroy intelligence gathering capabilities 5. Capture and/or evacuate individuals and/or material

C. Assault – establish a force on potentially hostile land (principle operation type)

D. Withdrawal – extraction of forces by sea from a potentially hostile shore due to operation termination or unit redeployment

1. Note: raid withdrawal is predetermined; amphibious withdrawal is based on situation and tactical / strategic concerns

IV. Tactical Terms

A. Phases of Amphibious Warfare (P.E.R.M.A.)

1. Planning – Effective logistics and combat service support are essential to success … planning including the following considerations:

· Assembly and embarkation of personnel and material

· Enemy’s strength

· Climate, terrain

· Communications capabilities

· Supply lines length

· Target dates

2. Embarkation – Forces, equipment, and supplies loaded onto ships

3. Rehearsal – helps ensure operation will run smoothly; if possible, practiced with a full-scale LF (Landing Force). Purpose is to test:

a. Communications

b. Adequacy and timing of operations

c. Combat readiness of forces

d. Command’s familiarity with the plans

4. Movement – Amphib Task Force (ATF) moves to Amphib Objective Area (AOA) using deceptive measures to confuse the enemy

a. Deceptive Measures: force dispersion, separate routes, radio silence, electronic deception

b. ATF protected by battle group including:

· P-3C Orion (long-range, land-based), submarines – scout far ahead of the carrier group

· S-3 Viking, SH-60B Seahawk from CVN and ships – USW

· E-2C Hawkeye – long-range radar detection

· F-14 Tomcat, F/A-18 (Super) Hornet – AAW (anti-aircraft warfare)

5. Assault – begins when sufficient elements are capable of beginning ship-to-shore movements … encompasses the following:

a. Ship-to-shore movement

b. Supporting arms (NGS, TACAIR, Cruise Missiles) and logistics / combat service support

c. Preparation of landing area by supporting arms

d. Assault landing – seize beachhead and other objectives

e. Remaining elements landed – after assault landing is complete via:

· CH-46 Sea Knights, CH-53 Sea Stallion from LHAs

· AAVs from LSDs

· Close Air Support from AV-8B Harrier (VSTOL capable [Vertical Short Takeoff and Landing])

· LCACs bring M1-A1 Abrams tanks and 155mm howitzer artillery.

B. Adjacent Operations

1. Pre-Assault – recon, minesweeping, naval gunfire, air strikes, underwater demolition, obstacle removal in objective area in order to:

a. Isolate objective area

b. Prepare objective area

c. Intel on enemy positions

2. Subsidiary Landings – landings outside main area before or after main landing in order to:

a. Capture a position for the main landing

b. Capture an area to protect the main landing

c. Deceive enemy into hostile reaction to favor the main landing

3. Supporting Operations

a. Assist in air, ground, and/or naval supremacy

b. Unconventional operations (inc psychological ops)

V. Platforms – (note: this includes the platforms for week 10 listed in the pro book table of contents, the platforms heading, and the weapons heading)

Platform	AAAV	AAV-7	LCAC^0
Name	Advanced Amphib Assault Vehicle	Amphibious Assault Vehicle	Landing Craft Air Cushion
Manufacturer	General Dynamics	FMC Corp	Lockheed
# of troops	18	21	24
Mission	Same as AAV-7 Armored protection	Ship-to-shore movement and then carries troops to inland objects	Same as AAV-7 Faster than LCUs or LCMs (Landing Craft, Mechanized)
Crew	3: Driver, Gunner, Commander	3: Driver, Gunner, Commander	5
Speed	23-29mph water; 20-30mph land	Cruise: 6mph water; 25mph land Max: 8mph water, 45mph land	40 knots
Range	65mi water, 300mi land	42mi water, 300mi land	200mi @ 40knots; 300mi @ 35knots
Armament (1 = Primary)	1: Buchmaster II 30mm Cannon 2: M240 7.62mm machine gun	1: HBM2 .50 caliber machine gun 2: Mk19 40mm machine gun	2 x 12.7mm machine guns

⁰60-75 ton payload … heavy payloads and high speeds … can access 70% of beaches vs. 15% LCUs, LCMs reach

Platform	LHD-1	LHA-1	LSD-41	LSD-49	LPD-4^4	LPD-17
Name	Wasp^1	Tarawa^1	Whidbey Island^2	Harpers Ferry^2	Austin^3	San Antonio^3
Manufacturer	Litton Industries	*	Avondale	Avondale	Lockheed	Avondale
Mission	Land / sustain USMC by sea / air	*	Support amphib warfare	Support amphib warfare; can be amphib primary control ship	Transport and land marines	Transport and land marines
Aircraft	6 x AV-8B Harriers 4 x CH-53E Super Stallions 4 x AH-1W Super Cobra 2 x UH-1N Huey	* plus: 12 x CH-46 Sea Knights	Landing Area Only	Landing Area Only	6 x CH-46	6 x CH-46
Landing Craft	3xLCAC or 2xLCU	1xLCAC or 2xLCU	4 x LCAC	2 x LCAC or 1xLCU	1 x LCAC or 1xLCU	2 x LCAC
USMC Detachment	1700 (an entire MEU)	*	630	400	900	600
Crew (officers, enlisted)	62 / 1084	58 / 1000	21 / 299	21 / 312	28 / 374	24 / 396
Speed (knots)	24	24	22	22	21	22 cruise, 25 max
Other (big pro book)	LHD is an improved version of LHA	Has six abilities **				Newest LPD

Information from Plebe Summer Pro Ref Manual or Fall 2003 Pro Manual (unless otherwise indicated) || From fas.org || LCU = Landing Craft, Utility || * Same as LHD-1

¹Class Amphib Assault Ship ²Class Dock Landing Ships ³Class Amphib Transport Dock ⁴Book has a typo – It is LPD-4 not LPD-7

**1) Flagship … 2) CV [35 aircraft; up to ten helos on deck at once] … 3) AAV Launcher … 4) Hospital Ship … 5) Command & Control (C4I) Ship … 6) Assault Provisions Carrier***

***(supply forces with fuel, ammo, food)