Class 4 2007

MA154SPRING2007: 

M A 1 5 4 SPRING 2007 Littoral Warfare

Treaty of Versailles: 

Treaty of Versailles GBR attempts to make U.S. a second rate Naval Power Wilson’s 14 Points conceived the idea of “freedom of navigation League of Nations Not supported by Britain Wilson attempts coercion by adopting aggressive building plan

Major Powers after WW I: 

Major Powers after WW I British Navy Opposed to naval construction race ($$) Strong desire to destroy German fleet Major Goal: stop U.S building program Japanese Navy Seizure of German possessions in Pacific Major shipbuilding program

U.S Navy after WW I: 

U.S Navy after WW I Engaged in major shipbuilding program completion of 1916 program and 1919 augment shift back to Capital ships U.S. Public rejects plan after failure of LON, Democrats out of office favored “return to normalcy” (peace)

Washington Naval Conference: 

Washington Naval Conference Convened by Sec State Hughes solution to Pacific problem through his cards on the table - de-armament shocked delegates into accepting many proposals appeased Congress with proposed cut-back Resulting Treaties 5 Power - 5:5:3, no limit on cruisers/destroyers 4 Power - non-fortification of Pacific 9 Power - guaranteed “Open Door” China

Washington Naval ConferenceBalance Sheet of Treaties: 

Washington Naval Conference Balance Sheet of Treaties Negative Japan angered by limitations Force needed to protect “Open Door” policy small ships not included in tonnage limits Positive Met congressional budget limitations Led to Naval developments in subs, aviation, radio, and carriers

Other Conferences: 

Other Conferences Geneva (1927) - 5:5:3 applied to small ships failed: opposed by Britain, France and Japan London (1930) - US/GBR parity and increase in Japanese tonnage (10:10:7) Geneva (1932) - complete failure London (1936) - mild limitations on size of craft, but Japan and Italy would not sign Watered down version signed: worthless

Lieutenant Colonel Earl Hancock "Pete" Ellis : 

Lieutenant Colonel Earl Hancock "Pete" Ellis Born 1880, entered the Corps 1900 Preceding World War I conducted a special terrain study and intelligence service in the West Indies and at the Naval Station in Guam. Fought with 4th Brigade in France decorated with the Navy Cross for “he displayed utter disregard of personal hardship and danger” Authored Operation Plan 712H, Advanced Base Operations 23 July 1921 Blueprint for Tentative Manual for Landing Operations (1934), Died 12 May 1923 on Palau

Slide10: 

Landing Craft Higgins Boat Landing Vehicle Tracked (LVT)

Tank Landing Ships: 

Tank Landing Ships

World Situation - 1936: 

World Situation - 1936 Germany: Hitler firmly in control Versailles rejected, rearmament begins (1935) Japan - aggression in Manchuria United States: remains isolationist/neutral pacifism rules the day US does not rebuild Navy until FDR LON loses credibility: Hitler’s invasion

War Plan Orange: 

War Plan Orange 1903 - Joint (Army-Navy) Board devises “color plans” to deal w/ world powers Japan Defeats Russia increased concern for poss. Japan conflict Philippines seen as likely first target

Force Levels and Deployment1937: 

Force Levels and Deployment 1937 Force Levels USN 113, 617 USMC 18,223 Ships Strategic Disposition Pacific Coast: main U.S. Fleet Atlantic Coast: training squadron Asia, Panama, Europe: limited forces Most probable enemy: Japan

Mood of the Nation: 

Mood of the Nation Isolationist reinforced by Great Depression Neutrality Acts 1935: no munitions to belligerents 1936: no loans to belligerents 1937: “cash & carry” sale of goods (no guns) Navy budget - cut in 1936 to reduce deficit

International Events: 

International Events Manchuria - 1931 Shanghai - 1932 1933- Germany & Japan w/draw from LON 1935 - Invasion of Ethiopia 1936 - collapse of Treaty of Versailles Spanish Civil War 1937: Japan and China go to war

Panay Incident: 

Panay Incident Blatant attack by Japanese extremists not sanctioned by Tokyo Japan apologizes and restitutes

Hemispheric Defense: 

Hemispheric Defense War Plan Orange proves impractical No strong forward bases not fortified for fear of provoking Japan Europe overshadows Far East crisis $$ conflicts (Army-Navy) and allied commitments split fleet Revision in strategy Rainbow Plans

1937 Are we Ready for War?: 

1937 Are we Ready for War? Ships and Aircraft? Manpower? Bases? Marine Corps? Conclusion: “not now fully prepared” Response: Vinson Expansion Bill

Preparing for War in Pacific: 

Preparing for War in Pacific Early 1940 - Rainbow II dominates strategy Pearl Harbor Fleet - strategic deterrent ? Shift to “Atlantic First” strong offensive in Atlantic defensive in Pacific * Defeat Italy and Germany first, then deal with Japan

Politics Leads to War: 

Politics Leads to War 1940 - Japan formally joins the Axis 1941 (July) - US freezes Japanese assets and shuts off flow of oil October - Tojo and his war party take control of government November - U.S challenges Japanese aggression December 7, 1941

Competing Allied Strategies: 

Competing Allied Strategies Britain: preferred a peripheral strategy attack at heels (Sicily, N Africa, Egypt) Americans: favored direct attack through Western France U.S initially accepts British plan U.S prepares for cross-channel invasion Normandy - June 1944 Spring 1945 - War in Europe ends

Competing Allied Strategies.: 

Competing Allied Strategies. British preferred a peripheral strategy. War of Attrition: North Africa, Egypt, Sicily, etc.. U.S. preferred direct attack on Germany through a western France. U.S. initially acquiesces to British peripheral strategy because: Allowed U.S. to pursue Pacific War. Drew German resources off the Western Front, weakening them for an eventual cross channel invasion. Allies checked German advances in Egypt; stalemated on Russian front; attacked Italy beginning in July 1943

Timeline: 

Timeline 1 Sept 1939 - Nazis invade Poland. 10 May 1940 - Nazis invade France, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands 7 Dec , 1941 – Pearl Harbor 8 Nov 1942 - Operation Torch 22 Jul 1943 - Sicily. 9 Sept 1943 - Allied landings at Salerno. 22 Jan 1944 - Allies land at Anzio 6 Jun 1944 -Normandy 7 Aug 1942 Guadalcanal 20 Nov 1943-Tarawa 31 Jan 1944 The Marshall Islands 15 Jun 1944 Saipan 23 Feb 1945 Iwo Jima 1 Apr 1945 Okinawa

Competing Allied Strategies: 

Competing Allied Strategies Sequence for pursuing peripheral strategy in the Mediterranean Montgomery vs. Rommel in N. Africa. Securing the Suez lifeline. Landing in N. Africa (Operation Torch): Casablanca, Oran, Algeria. Invading Italy: Sicily, Salerno, and Anzio.

TAKING THE FIGHT TO THE AXIS FROM THE SEA: 

TAKING THE FIGHT TO THE AXIS FROM THE SEA US wanted to go straight at the German’s as early as early as 1942 Rejected by Brits because Germans were still to strong We weren’t ready for large scale amphibious operations Churchill (again) advocates going after the “soft underbelly” Early 2nd Front for the Russians Checkmate Russian westward advance

NORTH AFRICA: Operation Torch8-Nov 1942: 

NORTH AFRICA: Operation Torch 8-Nov 1942 Planned and commanded by LTGEN Eisenhower Aimed at relieving El Alamein where Gen Erwin Rommel’s Afrika Corps were threatening the Suez Canal\ US Forces left 24 Oct 1942, landed 8 November at Casablanca Other forces landed in Oran and Algiers Montgomery broke out of El Alamein and the 3-pincers forced the Germans out of North Africa

NORTH AFRICA: Operation Torch8-Nov 1942: 

NORTH AFRICA: Operation Torch 8-Nov 1942 Planned and commanded by LTGEN Eisenhower Aimed at relieving El Alamein where Gen Erwin Rommel’s Afrika Corps were threatening the Suez Canal US Forces left 24 Oct 1942, landed 8 November at Casablanca Other forces landed in Oran and Algiers Montgomery broke out of El Alamein and the 3-pincers forced the Germans out of North Africa