REFERENCE □ Fi® DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY FIELD MANUAL Ä r f I0' AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS BATTALION IN ASSAOLT LANDINGS Pentagíin Library (ANR-PL) ATTN: Military Room 1A518, Washington« DC 20310-6050 DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY {EBRUARY 1951 WARNING ' Authority for release of this document to a foreign government must be secured from the Assistant Chief of Staff, C-2. When this document is released to a foreign govern- ment, it is released subject to the following con- ditions: This information is furnished with the under- standing that it will not be released to another nation without specific approval of the United States of America, Department of the Army; that it will not be used for other than military purposes; that individual or corporation rights originating in the information whether patented or not will be respected; and that the information will be afforded substantially the same degree of security as afforded by the United States of America, Department of the Army. RESTRICTED DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY FIELD MANUAL FM 60-5 rl\MPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS BATTALION IN ASSAULT LANDINGS i.TES ÖJ APARTMENT OF THE ARMY • FEBRUARY 1951 Í United States Government Printing Office Washington 1951 RESTRICTED DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY Washington 25, D. C., 27 February, 1951 > FM 60-5 is published for the information and guidance of all concerned. [A G 353 (21 Dec 50)] By okder of the Secretary of the Army: Official": EDWARD F. WITSELL J. LAWTON COLLINS Major General, USA Chief of Staff The Adjutant General United States Army Distribotion : GSÜSA (2) : SSUSA (2) : Tech Svc (2) ; Arm & Svc Bd (2) ; AFF (40) ; AA Comd (2) ; OS Maj Comd (5) ; Base Comd (2) ; MDW (5) ; A (20) ; CHQ (5) ; D (10) ; B (2) ; R (5) ; Bn (2) except 5, 6, 7, 17, 44 (6) : C (1) except 5, 6, 7, 17, 44 (3) ; FC (2) ; Sch (25) ; US Mil ATT (1) ; US Army Missions (1) ; T/O & Es, 17-115 (10) ; 17-125 (10). For explanation of distribution formula see SR 310-90-1. il CONTENTS CHAPTER 1. GENERAL AMPHIBIOUS Paragraphs Page CONSIDERATIONS 1-11 1 2. ORGANIZATION---- - 12-17 18 3. PLANNING Section I. General planning principles— 18-22 26 11. Intelligence planning 23-24 28 III. Operational planning jr 25-49 30 IV. Communication planning 50 70 V. Personnel planning. 51 72 VI. Administrative and logistical planning 52-63 73 VII. Embarkation and debarka- tion plans 64-79 81 CHAPTER 4. PREPARATION OF PLANS AND ORDERS Section I. BLT operation plan and order 80-91 105 II. Administrative order 92-93 113 111. Embarkation order 94-95 116 CHAPTER 5. EMBARKATION Section I. Loading of equipment and supplies 96-104 119 II. Embarkation and billeting of troops 105-108 129 III. Communication 109-111 134 CHAPTER 6. MOVEMENT TO OBJECTIVE Section I. Ship administration 112-119 136 II. Preparation for debarkation. 120-127 144 CHAPTER 7. DEBARKATION Page Section l. Organization for debarkation. 128-133 152 H. Preparation for debarkation, 134-138 157 III. Debarkation 139-145 163 IV. Control 146-149 171 V. Communication 150-151 174 CHAPTER 8. SHIP-TO-SHORE MOVE- MENT y Section I. Deployment 152-153 176 II. Movement to rendezvous area 154-156 177 ^ III. Movement to the line of departure 157-158 179 IV. Movement to the beach 159-161 182 V. Arrival at the beach 162-164 184 VI. Amphibious vehicles,, 165 188 VII. Communication 166-167 190 CHAPTER 9. CONDUCT OF THE ASSAULT Section I. Mission and tactics 168-169 192 II. The Landing and reorganiza- tion 170-177 195 III. Consolidation of regimental beachhead line 178-180 203 IV. Communication 181-182 206 CHAPTER 10. ROLE OF SUPPORTING ARMS Section I. Fire support coordination 183-185 211 II. Naval gunfire support 186-188 212 III. Air support 189-191 216 IV. Field artillery 192-195 220 V. Antiaircraft artillery 196-199 225 VI. Armored units 200-202 227 j VII. Engineer units 203-204 230 VIII. Chemical units 205-208 232 IV Paragravhs Page CHAPTER 11. MEDICAL SERVICE 209-217 238 12. THE BATTALION SHORE PARTY 218-224 254 13. TRAINING 225-232 262 14. ARMORED INFANTRY 233-239 273 APPENDIX I. REFERENCES 277 Y II. CHARACTERISTICS OF LANDING CRAFT AND SHIPS 279 III. A TYPICAL BLT TASK ORGANIZA- TION 292 " IV. TRAINING PROGRAMS 294 V. THE WEARING OF INDIVIDUAL EQUIPMENT 303 VI. LASHING AND LOWERING EQUIP- MENT 308 VII. NET SCALING 312 VIII. TRAINING AIDS 314 IX. TERMS PECULIAR TO AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS 317 X. GLOSSARY OF NAUTICAL TERMS.. 341 INDEX 349 v •f r RESTRICTED CHAPTER i GENERAL AMPHIBIOUS CONSIDERATIONS 1. PURPOSE AND SCOPE a. This manual is a guide for the training of in- fantry battalions in the preparation and execution of amphibious operations. It covers the planning, or- ganization, preparation of orders, embarkation, movement to the objective, ship-to-shore movement, the landing attack, role of supporting arms, supply and evacuation, and training of the infantry bat- talion for the assault of a hostile beach. It describes the duties and responsibilities of the battalion land- ing team's commanders and staff officers. Informa- tion on related naval and air operations also is included. b. The principles stated in this manual apply to the planning and execution of any amphibious opera- tion. Rigid adherence to technical details is avoided, because amphibious operations are a rapidly devel- oping field. The actual situation at any time gov- erns their use within the framework of the general principles. 2. AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS a. Definition. An amphibious operation is a land- ing made from ships or craft to achieve an objective on land (fig. 1). The forces involved depend pri- marily upon waterborne means for transport to the RESTRICTED i - <U Figure 1. Troops disem'burking in an amphibious landing from an LYT. objective area, for initial tactical and logistical sup- port, and for special techniques and equipment used in debarking. b. Nature of an Amphibious Operation. An am- phibious operation includes preparation of the objec- tive for the landing and operations of the forces involved in over-water movements, assault, and sup- port. It is a joint operation when the assigned forces are composed of significant elements of more than one service of the Department of Defense. An am- phibious operation usually involves the following: (1) The preparation of plans and the training of attack force units for the particular opération. (2) Movement of forces to the objective, and their protection and support by naval and air operations. (3) Preparation of the objecti ve for the landing. (4) Landing troops, equipment, and supplies over a beach, and seizure of the objective. (5) Support of the landing and operations ashore by naval gunfire and air bombard- ment. (6) Landing and build-up of additional sup- plies, equipment, and troops as required for logistical support and further operations. 3. PURPOSE OF AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS Amphibious operations have one or more pur- poses— a. Invasion. An invasion is a large scale opera- tion to seize and secure a beachhead from which to launch and support a major land offensive such as 3 the Normandy, Southern France, and Lin gayen operations in World War II. b. Occupation. An occupation is a limited objec- tive operation to seize and secure a land area for use as an air, naval, or logistic base to support further operations, or to deny use of the area to the enemy. Examples include the Admiralty Islands, Bougain- ville, and Iwo Jima operations in World War II. T c. Raid. A raid is an operation, usually small scale, involving the temporary seizure of a limited objective, or a swift penetration of hostile territory " to secure information, confuse the enemy, or destroy his installations. It ends with a planned withdrawal upon completion of the assigned mission. Examples include the Dieppe, Narvik, and Makin Island oper- ations in World War II. d. Demonstration. A demonstration is an opera- tion designed to confuse the enemy, to delay or re- duce the effectiveness of his dispositions, and to cause him to commit his reserves against the demon- strating force. When the demonstrating force is capable of landing in enough strength to exploit a favorable situation, this operation is termed a dem- onstration in force. Otherwise, the landing force conceals its real strength to produce the desired effect. 4. TYPES OF MOVEMENT ß Amphibious operations are classified as either ship-to-shore, shore-to-shore, or a combination of both. a a. The term ship-to-shore describes any operation requiring the transfer of troops, supplies, and equip- 4 ment from the transports or other oceangoing ves- sels into smaller landing craft or landing vehicles for movement to the beaches. &. The term .shore-to-shore describes the move- ment of the landing force elements directly from the embarkation area to the landing beaches without transfer at sea. c. Amphibious operations often may involve both types of movement. Regimental combat teams and battalion landing teams often use shore-to-shore operations in subsidiary interisland or sea-borne flanking operations. d. Amphibious shore-to-shore techniques also may be used for special operations on navigable rivers and lakes. These operations may or may not have naval support. (1) River crossings involving wide or swift rivers or other special conditions may em- ploy such techniques. (2) A land campaign involving the use of navi- gable waters in the interior of a large land mass may use such shore-to-shore techniques as apply, to transport troops, equipment, and supplies. This will assist in achieving tactical mobility for mounting a series of penetrations and envelopments to accom- plish the destruction of less mobile enemy forces.