Much Ado About Nothing Command Relations in Amphibious
Much Ado About Nothing? Command Relations in Amphibious Operations CAPT Don Inbody, USN
“You can get your planes to do anything you want, but we can’t get the Air Force to do a goddam thing!” Lt. Gen. Patton to VADM Hewitt July 1943
At Issue l What is the best command relationship between CATF and CLF? – OPCON Command (Doctrinal) – Support Command (Test) l Joint Pub 3 -02 l Test Pub 3 -02
OPCON Command
Support Command
Amphibious History l Historical Examples l Examine Command Relations – Landing Force Commander – Navy Force Commander l Determine major contentious issues for the commanders
Historical Examples (33) l l l l Veracruz Expedition Civil War Western Campaign Gallipoli Guadalcanal North Africa Sicily Salerno New Guinea Campaign (15 landings) l l l l Tarawa (2 landings) Marianas (3 landings) Normandy Southern France Leyte Iwo Jima Okinawa Inchon
Command Relations Regimes l Cooperation (Support Command) l OPCON Command l Expeditionary OPCON
Gallipoli l Cooperation l Technical problems with landing l Technical problems with C 2 l No problems related to command relations
Guadalcanal l Expeditionary OPCON – Landing Force Opcon to ATF l Issue: CVs supporting ATF l Issue: CATF Controlling movements of landing force.
Sicily l Cooperation l Issue: Air/CV Support l Airborne movements not coordinated
Salerno l Cooperation (Support Command) l Withdrawal from landing beach l Issue: Air Support (cooperative) l CV Support
New Guinea Campaign l Cooperation (3 landings) l OPCON (12 landings) l Issue: CV support l Mac. Arthur presence (Strong Cin. C) Mitigated command relations problems
Leyte l OPCON Command l Issue: CV Support of ATF
Marianas l OPCON Command l Issue: Corps Control of Separated landings (resolved)
Iwo Jima l Issue: Pre D-day NGFS – resolved for Okinawa
Summary
Cooperation (Support) Issues l Gallipoli C 2 from ship to shore l New Guinea CV Support (x 3) l Sicily Air/CV Support l Sicily Airborne coordination
Expeditionary OPCON Issues l Guadalcanal CV Support
OPCON Command Issues l Salerno l New Guinea l Marianas l Leyte l Iwo Jima Air Support CV Support (x 8) CLF Corps Cmd CV Support Pre D-day Fires
Summary of Issues
Conclusions l Air/CV Support is principal issue – Large carriers never under CATF control – Land Based Air power not responsive to CLF control l CATF & CLF relationship – Different command relationship would not have solved most issues
Conclusions (cont) l Landing Force Commander must have equal access to higher headquarters l Strong JFC can mitigate coordination issues – JFC’s presence • Mac. Arthur (SWPA, Inchon) • Spruance – Clear commander’s guidance
Conclusions (cont) l CATF will ultimately support CLF
Implications for Joint Force Cdr l JFC must provide clear guidance for air support l JFC must provide clear commander’s guidance to CLF and CATF
Much Ado About Nothing? Maybe so. . .
“Land Officers have no pretense to command at sea. Sea Officers have no pretense to command on land. ” Royal Navy Signal Book 1744
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