The Emergence of American Amphibious Warfare, 1898–1945. David S. Nasca
Titles in the Series
Progressives in Navy Blue: Maritime Strategy, American Empire, and the Transformation of U.S. Naval Identity, 1873–1898
Learning War: The Evolution of Fighting Doctrine in the U.S. Navy, 1898–1945
Victory without Peace: The United States Navy in European Waters, 1919–1924
Admiral John S. McCain and the Triumph of Naval Air Power
Churchill’s Phoney War
COSSAC: Lt. Gen. Sir Frederick Morgan and the Genesis of Operation OVERLORD
Studies in Naval History and Sea Power
Christopher M. Bell and James C. Bradford, editors
Studies in Naval History and Sea Power advances our understanding of sea power and its role in global security by publishing significant new scholarship on navies and naval affairs. The series presents specialists in naval history, as well as students of sea power, with works that cover the role of the world’s naval powers, from the ancient world to the navies and coast guards of today. The works in Studies in Naval History and Sea Power examine all aspects of navies and conflict at sea, including naval operations, strategy, and tactics, as well as the intersections of sea power and diplomacy, navies and technology, sea services and civilian societies, and the financing and administration of seagoing military forces.
DAVID S. NASCA
NAVAL INSTITUTE PRESS
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road
Annapolis, MD 21402
© 2020 by David S. Nasca
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Nasca, David S., date, author.
Title: The emergence of American amphibious warfare, 1898–1945 / David S. Nasca.
Description: Annapolis, Maryland : Naval Institute Press, 2020. | Series: Studies in naval history and sea power | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2019047084 (print) | LCCN 2019047085 (ebook) | ISBN 9781682475041 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781682475058 (pdf) | ISBN 9781682475058 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: Amphibious warfare—History | United States—History, Naval—20th century. | United States—Armed Forces—History—20th century.
Classification: LCC U261 .N37 2020 (print) | LCC U261 (ebook) | DDC 355.4/6097309041—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019047084
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019047085
Printed in the United States of America.
28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
First printing
Maps created by Chris Robinson.
Contents
2 Amphibious Warfare Helps Win the Spanish-American War
3 Growing Use of Amphibious Warfare from 1900 to 1918
4 Amphibious Warfare Reexamined during the Interwar Years
5 The Golden Age of Amphibious Warfare
Maps
Map 1 U.S. Amphibious Operations in Latin America (1898–1914)
Map 2 U.S. Amphibious Operations in East Asia (1898–1902)
Map 3 Major Amphibious Operations during World War I
Map 4 Major Axis Amphibious Operations during World War II
Map 5 Major Allied Amphibious Operations during World War II
Preface
Amphibious warfare is one of the oldest forms of power projection and was instrumental in changing the course of history. It not only led to the rise of great and powerful nations; it also contributed to the downfall of others. However, the rise of science and technology brought an unprecedented amount of development in weapons and machines. As various countries scrambled to possess the means to protect themselves as well as expand their power and influence, amphibious warfare was neglected by most militaries around the world in their scramble to modernize against peer competitors and potential hostile state actors.
Despite the rise of new means of waging war, this book looks into how the old ways still work best. Amphibious warfare has often been seen as a difficult and dangerous enterprise that requires a great commitment of a country’s military and financial strength where success is not always certain. While other technologies have been embraced and utilized to sidestep this difficult form of fighting, amphibious warfare was instrumental in establishing