Amphibious Warfare Research Articles

Reconnaissance-Strike Tactics, Defeat Mechanisms, and the Future of Amphibious Warfare

Reconnaissance-Strike Tactics, Defeat Mechanisms, and the Future of Amphibious Warfare

Problems With Organizing Air Defense in Amphibious Warfare Under Present-Day Conditions

Problems With Organizing Air Defense in Amphibious Warfare Under Present-Day Conditions

D-Day and the Future of Amphibious Operations

The commemorations of the 80th anniversary of D-Day serve to remind us what an extraordinary operation it was, not only in its planning and execution but also in the good luck which accompanied it. Such conditions are not easily reproducible, certainly not at scale. The technologies of modern anti-access/area denial operations make an amphibious operation of the size of Operation Overlord, particularly if launched over much greater distances than those of the English Channel, unlikely to succeed, argues Hew Strachan. Contemporary amphibious warfare and its related doctrine are therefore focused on raiding, not amphibious assault. ■

The hard school of amphibious warfare: examining the lessons of the 20th century’s major amphibious campaigns for contemporary Chinese strategy

ABSTRACT Increasing tensions across the Taiwan Strait have prompted many strategists to debate the nature of China’s amphibious warfare capabilities. While it is often noted that Beijing’s armed forces lack major, recent experience in that domain, this research reveals that Chinese strategists have undertaken intensive and systematic investigation of foreign experiences, including with respect to the most classic cases, such as the Normandy invasion. This study represents a first attempt to survey such Chinese strategic writings, in an effort to better understand the lessons that Chinese strategists take from these foreign campaigns. Themes that emerge from this Chinese literature include an emphasis on undersea warfare capabilities as a critical enabler for amphibious invasion, but an even greater prominence for air supremacy. The most persistent theme in this Chinese literature surrounds intelligence preparation, deception and, above all, surprise. Such findings have important policy implications for Asian security.

THE QUESTION OF BURGAS IN THE RUSSIAN PREPARATION FOR THE BOSPHORUS OPERATION

The article is devoted to the question of the possible occupation of Burgas in the context of the preparation for the Bosphorus operation. The approaches to this issue of the military-political leadership of the Russian Empire are analyzed, and the importance of Burgas in the light of the planned amphibious warfare is shown.

The Port-Hopping War: Littoral and Amphibious Operations in the War of the Pacific, 1879-1884

The War of the Pacific (1879–84) showcases the development of amphibious warfare during a period of industrialization and technological flux. Historians have traditionally framed Chilean victory in the war as a function of seapower: naval superiority from which victory on land followed as a result. This view underestimates the complex and reciprocal interplay of amphibious and naval operations throughout the conflict. The war can be better understood as a campaign of port hopping, enabled by maritime capacity and naval power, but reliant on amphibious elements to achieve political results and sustain Chilean sea control. In exploring the relationship(s) between amphibious and naval operations in the War of the Pacific, this article historicizes the emergence of modern amphibious warfare as a component of seapower in the industrial era.

The coming high-tech Sino-American War at Sea? Naval Guns, Technology hybridity and the “Shock of the Old”

ABSTRACT In an era of cyber threats, drones and artificial intelligence, will the future of inter-state warfare at sea inevitably be high tech? This paper challenges assumptions about the ubiquity and importance of high technology in any future naval clash between China and America. While taken as a given that the most advanced weapons and platforms will be vital to such a conflict, both navies also employ legacy weapons and older technologies. A case study is offered here of medium calibre naval guns, seen on the very latest naval surface combatants of both China, the USA, and other major navies. Why do modern navies persist with such seemingly old weapons? To what extent are they likely to be important in any future conflict? It is argued that overly focusing on the latest high-tech weapons risks a type of naïve technological determinism and obscures how high- and low-tech weapons are often complementary. It is this synergy that requires greater understanding and attention. Moreover, relatively low-tech weapons like guns could be surprisingly relevant in the context of hybrid and amphibious warfare scenarios involving China and the USA, especially for the diplomacy of the “shot across the bows”.

‘The special service squadron of the Royal Marines’: The Royal Navy and organic amphibious warfare capability before 1914

ABSTRACT It is usually maintained that before 1914 the Royal Navy had abandoned interest in amphibious warfare. This article argues otherwise. It shows that prior to 1914 the Admiralty sought to reconfigure the Royal Marines as an organic maritime strike force. The idea was advanced by junior officers and taken up by the naval leadership, who appointed a high-level committee to elaborate the details. Significant steps had been taken before war broke out, thereby showing that modern British amphibious warfare doctrine pre-dates the ill-fated Gallipoli operation and needs to be understood in a broader context than is currently the case.

The future of amphibious operations

The commandant of the US Marine Corps unveiled a planning guidance in 2019 that would radically reshape how the United States conducts amphibious warfare. Whether feasible or not, this proposal arrived at a time when the armed forces in many countries globally are rethinking the role of amphibious operations in their respective arsenals.

Global Piracy: A Documentary History of Seaborne Banditry by James E. Wadsworth

Reviewed by: Global Piracy: A Documentary History of Seaborne Banditry by James E. Wadsworth Arne Bialuschewski Wadsworth, James E. – Global Piracy: A Documentary History of Seaborne Banditry. London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2019. Pp. 328. The study of pirates has generated enormous interest in recent years. Many universities are offering courses on the history of piracy, and the book market seems to be thriving. Getting access to primary sources has proved a challenge, however, and anthologies of previously unpublished material are rare. James Wadsworth, a professor of history at Stonehill College in Massachusetts, has published a new book that promises to provide an outline of global piracy. The author writes that he teaches a first-year course on global piracy, and a lack of available sources prompted him to write this book. His work covers a wide range of topics. There are chapters on ancient piracy in the Mediterranean, the Vikings, Asian piracy at various stages, the seventeenth-century Caribbean, the so-called Golden Age of Piracy, and four of the 16 chapters are on modern-day pirates. This is a truly global coverage of more than two thousand years of seaborne predations. All chapters have a lengthy overview followed by three or four primary sources exclusively transcribed from published works. The book also has a number of [End Page 716] useful maps, images, a glossary of terms, suggested questions for discussion in the classroom, and a selected bibliography. Over the years Wadsworth must have amassed considerable expertise on piracy, even though it appears that he has never undertaken any original research in this field. The overviews show that the author does not fall into the trap of romanticizing this form of violent crime, and the selection of primary sources by and large helps to illustrate many characteristics of piracy. The inclusion of various raiders who, judged by legal standards, were not pirates may help to provoke discussions about a workable definition of piracy. The book also overcomes a Eurocentric focus that runs through much of the historiography of early modern piracy. Unfortunately, the treatment of Caribbean piracy—unquestionably the source of most legends and myths—is a bit thin, and the chapter on the infamous buccaneers contains a few errors. The name of these freebooters, for example, is derived from the Tupi-Guarani term mukem, not from the Taino language. The idea that buccaneers seized Spanish vessels, threw the crews overboard, and sailed away, as asserted by Wadsworth, does not reflect the historical reality. Buccaneers were essentially land forces that used watercraft to inflict amphibious warfare on colonial towns in the Spanish empire. These raiding gangs often relied upon support from native groups. This is shown in the description of the 1680 Portobelo raid in this book. However, the source introduction, as well as so many others, is very scant and barely explains the specific historical context of the source. To illustrate the history of the buccaneers, Wadsworth also recites the story of Pierre Le Grand, of whom nothing else is known other than what Alexandre-Olivier Exquemelin wrote in his book on the Americaensche Zee-Roovers, published in 1678. He presumably heard this story in Tortuga in 1666 or 1667. However, this remarkable narrative is full of contradictions and the fact that no corroborating sources seem to survive in the archives should make every historian very cautious. Presenting this text as an example of the problematic nature of so many sources would have been fine, but students should not take this as a typical example of buccaneering activity. Wadsworth's ambitious book is certainly a valuable contribution to the growing body of pirate publications. The wide scope of the chapters is laudable, and the author handles the many challenges involved reasonably well. Small flaws should not distract readers from gaining valuable insights into one of the most fascinating and intriguing chapters in maritime history. [End Page 717] Arne Bialuschewski Trent University Copyright © 2020 Histoire sociale / Social History

Global Piracy: A Documentary History of Seaborne Banditry by James E. Wadsworth

WADSWORTH, James E. – Global Piracy: A Documentary History of Seaborne Banditry. London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2019. Pp. 328. The study of pirates has generated enormous interest in recent years. Many universities are offering courses on the history of piracy, and the book market seems to be thriving. Getting access to primary sources has proved a challenge, however, and anthologies of previously unpublished material are rare. James Wadsworth, a professor of history at Stonehill College in Massachusetts, has published a new book that promises to provide an outline of global piracy. The author writes that he teaches a first-year course on global piracy, and a lack of available sources prompted him to write this book. His work covers a wide range of topics. There are chapters on ancient piracy in the Mediterranean, the Vikings, Asian piracy at various stages, the seventeenth-century Caribbean, the so-called Golden Age of Piracy, and four of the 16 chapters are on modern-day pirates. This is a truly global coverage of more than two thousand years of seaborne predations. All chapters have a lengthy overview followed by three or four primary sources exclusively transcribed from published works. The book also has a number of useful maps, images, a glossary of terms, suggested questions for discussion in the classroom, and a selected bibliography. Over the years Wadsworth must have amassed considerable expertise on piracy, even though it appears that he has never undertaken any original research in this field. The overviews show that the author does not fall into the trap of romanticizing this form of violent crime, and the selection of primary sources by and large helps to illustrate many characteristics of piracy. The inclusion of various raiders who, judged by legal standards, were not pirates may help to provoke discussions about a workable definition of piracy. The book also overcomes a Eurocentric focus that runs through much of the historiography of early modern piracy. Unfortunately, the treatment of Caribbean piracy—unquestionably the source of most legends and myths—is a bit thin, and the chapter on the infamous buccaneers contains a few errors. The name of these freebooters, for example, is derived from the Tupi-Guarani term mukem, not from the Taino language. The idea that buccaneers seized Spanish vessels, threw the crews overboard, and sailed away, as asserted by Wadsworth, does not reflect the historical reality. Buccaneers were essentially land forces that used watercraft to inflict amphibious warfare on colonial towns in the Spanish empire. These raiding gangs often relied upon support from native groups. This is shown in the description of the 1680 Portobelo raid in this book. However, the source introduction, as well as so many others, is very scant and barely explains the specific historical context of the source. To illustrate the history of the buccaneers, Wadsworth also recites the story of Pierre Le Grand, of whom nothing else is known other than what Alexandre-Olivier Exquemelin wrote in his book on the Americaensche Zee-Roovers, published in 1678. He presumably heard this story in Tortuga in 1666 or 1667. However, this remarkable narrative is full of contradictions and the fact that no corroborating sources seem to survive in the archives should make every historian very cautious. Presenting this text as an example of the problematic nature of so many sources would have been fine, but students should not take this as a typical example of buccaneering activity. Wadsworth’s ambitious book is certainly a valuable contribution to the growing body of pirate publications. The wide scope of the chapters is laudable, and the author handles the many challenges involved reasonably well. Small flaws should not distract readers from gaining valuable insights into one of the most fascinating and intriguing chapters in maritime history. Arne Bialuschewski Trent University ...

Pintando una acción de difícil práctica: el Marqués de la Mina y táctica de la guerra anfibia

Jaime Miguel de Guzmán-Dávalos y Spínola (1690-1767) was one of the most prestigious soldiers of the Enlightenment. He wrote Máximas para la Guerra, a book of unquestionable value that was published upon his death. In this article, paraphrasing the words of the author mentioned in its title, we aim at studying the precepts of the renowned scientist on amphibious warfare to which he devoted a chapter of his work. Having in mind its unquestionable quality, and being far from the hagiographic idolatry, we are going to run its critical evaluation. Disembarking troops is one of the most complex military operations ever. Our study contains lessons that we consider to be most valuable as well as decisions that we view as not so beneficial. In addition to that we also tackle the aspects that in our opinion could have been presented and analysed by the author and were not included.

Guns of War Dampened Centennial Celebration

Many veterans returned injured from the war—psychologically if not physically—and it sparked a period of increased funding for mental health and psychiatry departments at U.S. medical schools.

Book Review: Amphibious Warfare: Battle on the Beaches

Book Review: Amphibious Warfare: Battle on the Beaches

Britain’s armed forces and amphibious operations in peace and war 1919–1939: A Gallipoli Curse?

ABSTRACT Gallipoli left a lasting impression upon both the countries that participated and many that did not. It has been argued that the campaign negatively influenced Britain’s interwar amphibious preparations. Instead, this article will show that Britain’s armed forces were largely unaffected by such memories, and maintained their relative global standing in theory, equipment and training exercises for landing operations. The paper also highlights the role of amphibious warfare in fighting the many ‘little wars of Empire’ during the period.

American Amphibious Warfare: The Roots of Tradition to 1865

American Amphibious Warfare: The Roots of Tradition to 1865

Brute Force or Combat Finesse? The Evolving Role of Firepower in US Amphibious Operations against the Imperial Japanese Forces, 1941–1945

The article explains how US commanders in the Pacific theatre modified their methods of deploying firepower to cope with the challenges which the Japanese forces put up. Although American doctrines for amphibious warfare demonstrated an understanding of the tasks that they needed to carry out, they did not fully envisage the scale of effort required to capture well-defended positions. Commanders therefore had to learn through combat experience that their capabilities required substantial modifications. By the closing stages of the campaign, the Americans had developed a meticulous set of procedures which relied on a calibrated use of firepower to overcome Japanese defences.

To the Jungle Shore: Australia and Amphibious Warfare in the South West Pacific Area, 1942-1945

To the Jungle Shore: Australia and Amphibious Warfare in the South West Pacific Area, 1942-1945

Marino Sanudo Torsello. The Book of the Secrets of the Faithful of the Cross (Liber Secretorum Fidelium Crucis), tr. Peter Lock

The Venetian Marino Sanudo’s Secreta Fidelium Crucis, compiled between 1306 and 1321, is one of the major literary works of the later middle ages. While part of a genre of post-1274 ‘recovery literature’ designed to assist attempts to re-conquer the Holy Land, it escapes easy categorisation. Wrapped in an assumption of religious purpose, geography, history, economics, logistics, finance, international relations and military planning are all brought together in an encyclopaedic investigation of the practical requirements for a successful crusade. The work survives in over twenty manuscripts, some fragmentary, many of them prestige presentation copies given by the author to popes, kings and princes during a career of exhaustive promotion of a new crusade. The scope of the Secreta is extraordinary, combining a history of Outremer with an analysis of the commercial significance of Egypt and the methods and consequences of an economic blockade. Descriptions of techniques of naval and amphibious warfare in the Nile Delta are matched by details of budgeted costs and methods of recruitment, the play of geopolitics, and minutiae of shipbuilding, catapults, sailors’ diet and cures for ships’ worms. The claims, interests and expertise of Venice feature prominently. Dotted throughout are lively, relevant scriptural and historical anecdotes. Although conventional in the general thrust of his argument, Sanudo reveals wide perspectives of objective analysis, as when he comments: ‘for just as water will naturally flow into valleys, so goods will be attracted to places where they are most sought’. Nine of the surviving manuscripts are accompanied by bespoke selections of maps probably commissioned from the Genoese cartographer Pietro Vesconte, some based on portolan charts. Composed in sophisticated but clear Latin, and littered with apt references to the Scriptures, the Secreta skilfully deploys an impressive array of classical and medieval learning, including references to Seneca, Cicero, Josephus, Augustine, Vegetius, Frontinus, Boethius, Gregory the Great, Isidore of Seville, John of Salisbury, William of Tyre and his continuators, James of Vitry, Hayton of Corycus and Vincent of Beauvais. In the historical sections, Sanudo adds a number of original details.

The Art of Amphibious Warfare

The Art of Amphibious Warfare