71-534: USS Merrick (AKA-97/LKA-97) was an Andromeda -class attack cargo ship named after Merrick County, Nebraska . Merrick (AKA–97) was laid down as Maritime Commission hull 219, on 19 October 1944 by Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company , Kearny, New Jersey , launched on 28 January 1945, sponsored by Mrs. Francis N. Van Riper, acquired on 30 March and commissioned on 31 March 1945. Merrick left Norfolk on 15 May 1945 for training at Pearl Harbor and duty transporting cargo, landing craft, and troops among
142-597: A Coast Guard icebreaker, took her in tow, but before they had cleared the ice, her rudder was completely sheared off. The perilous tow ended at Dunedin , New Zealand, on 22 February. After repairs, Merrick departed for California on 22 March, battled boiler failures and fuel shortages during her passage, and reached San Francisco. Here she decommissioned on 25 June 1947 and entered the National Defense Reserve Fleet . Berthed at Suisun Bay , California, until recommissioning on 19 January 1952 for service in
213-568: A Franco-Spanish force invaded the British-held island of Minorca . In 1798 Minorca experienced yet another of its many changes of sovereignty when captured by a British landing . As the British Empire expanded worldwide, four colonies ( Halifax , in Nova Scotia ; Bermuda ; Gibraltar ; and Malta ) were designated Imperial fortresses , from which Britain's domination of the oceans and
284-530: A class of amphibious cargo ship built by Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. in Kearny, New Jersey , and Moore Dry Dock Co. , in Oakland, California , during World War II . Like all attack cargo ships, they were designed to carry combat loaded military cargo and landing craft , and to use the latter to land weapons, supplies, and troops on enemy shores during amphibious operations . All these ships were built on
355-556: A common strategic object." All armed forces that employ troops with special training and equipment for conducting landings from naval vessels to shore agree to this definition. Since the 20th century an amphibious landing of troops on a beachhead is acknowledged as the most complex of all military maneuvers. The undertaking requires an intricate coordination of numerous military specialties, including air power , naval gunfire , naval transport , logistical planning , specialized equipment, land warfare , tactics , and extensive training in
426-528: A designated landing beach . Through history the operations were conducted using ship's boats as the primary method of delivering troops to shore. Since the Gallipoli Campaign , specialised watercraft were increasingly designed for landing troops, material and vehicles, including by landing craft and for insertion of commandos , by fast patrol boats , zodiacs (rigid inflatable boats) and from mini-submersibles . The term amphibious first emerged in
497-584: A larger allied offensive effort elsewhere. Such an operation requiring weeks to months of preparation and planning, would use multiple task forces, or even a naval fleet to land corps -size forces, including on large islands, for example Operation Chromite . A strategic landing operation requires a major commitment of forces to invade a national territory in the archipelagic , such as the Battle of Leyte , or continental, such as Operation Neptune . Such an operation may require multiple naval and air fleets to support
568-529: A larger land strategy such as the Kerch–Eltigen Operation , and a strategic opening of a new Theatre of Operations, for example the Operation Avalanche . The purpose of amphibious operations is usually offensive, except in cases of amphibious withdrawals, but is limited by the plan and terrain. Landings on islands less than 5,000 km (1,900 sq mi) in size are tactical, usually with
639-648: A menacers, calling it the "American Dunkirk " due to its use as a base for privateers . There was regular, intermittent warfare between the French and the Wabanaki Confederacy on one side and the northern New England colonies on the other ( See the Northeast Coast Campaigns of 1688 , 1703 , 1723 , 1724 ). For the French, the Fortress of Louisbourg also protected the chief entrance to Canada , as well as
710-572: A speed of approximately 5 knots. The sides of the ships were bullet proof, and was designed with a ramp on the bow for disembarkation. A plan was devised to land British heavy tanks from pontoons in support of the Third Battle of Ypres , but this was abandoned. The lessons of the Gallipoli campaign had a significant impact upon the development of amphibious operational planning, and have since been studied by military planners prior to operations such as
781-510: Is further reinforced by Britain's poor showing during the war in the battles upon the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain. Without great naval fortresses or forward reinforced ports the Royal Navy was unable to hold and command the lakes, or stop amphibious raiding into Canada, such as the many raids on York (now Toronto ) during the conflict. Even though each side held their own territorial coastlines,
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#1732892174485852-490: Is not clear just when this happened. The complement varied as well, but the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships figures sometimes seem to confuse ship's company with embarked troops in determining a ship's complement. Amphibious warfare Amphibious warfare is a type of offensive military operation that today uses naval ships to project ground and air power onto a hostile or potentially hostile shore at
923-820: The American Civil War , the Mississippi Marine Brigade was established to act swiftly against Confederate forces operating near the Mississippi River and its tributaries. The unit consisted of artillery, cavalry and infantry with the United States Ram Fleet used as transportation. Amphibious warfare during the War of the Pacific of 1879 to 1883 saw coordination of army, navy and specialized units. The first amphibious assault of this war took place during
994-419: The Battle of Pisagua when 2,100 Chilean troops successfully took Pisagua from 1,200 Peruvian and Bolivian defenders on 2 November 1879. Chilean Navy ships bombarded beach defenses for several hours at dawn, followed by open, oared boats landing army infantry and sapper units into waist-deep water, under enemy fire. An outnumbered first landing-wave fought at the beach; the second and third waves in
1065-497: The Black Sea , conducting many raids and bombardments on Ottoman positions. On 11 October 1917, German land and naval forces launched an amphibious assault, code named Operation Albion , on the islands of Saaremaa (Ösel), Hiiumaa (Dagö) and Muhu (Moon); they controlled the entrance to the Gulf of Riga . By the end of the month German forces had successfully overrun the islands forcing
1136-635: The Egyptians from the reign of Akhenaten as captured on the reliefs at Medinet Habu and Karnak . The Hellenic city states routinely resorted to amphibious assaults upon each other's shores, which they reflected upon in their plays and other art. The landing at Marathon by the Persians on 9 September 490 BC was the largest amphibious operation until the landings at the Battle of Gallipoli . In 1537 Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain , decided to train and assign amphibious-assault skilled units to
1207-538: The Gilbert Islands in the Pacific. Although the negative perception prevailed among Allied planners in the interwar years, the war situation after 1940 meant that such operations had to be considered. However, despite early successes in North Africa and Italy, it was not until Normandy that the belief that opposed landings could not succeed was completely excised. One of the first amphibious landings involving armour
1278-604: The Korean War , Merrick reported at Yokosuka , Japan, on 2 July to carry cargo and men among the Japanese home islands until returning to California on 7 October for overhaul and training. Her second Far Eastern tour, on 3 July on 1953 to 22 April 1954, included two months in " Operation Big Switch ", the post-armistice prisoner exchange. She carried more than 6,400 prisoners from Koje-do and Cheju-do to Inchon , then trained Army and Marine Corps troops in amphibious exercises in
1349-620: The Marshalls and New Hebrides until the close of World War II . She then carried occupation troops from the Hawaii and the Philippines to Japan and brought veterans , including Marine war dogs, back to Norfolk, arriving on 3 December. After nine months of east coast operations, Merrick sailed in October 1946 with TG 68.1 for Port Hueneme, California , to load cargo for " Operation Highjump ",
1420-589: The Mediterranean and Caribbean seas was maintained, including its ability to deny safe passage to enemy naval and merchant vessels while protecting its own merchant trade, as well as to its ability to project superior naval and military force anywhere on the planet. This was demonstrated during the American War of 1812 , when the ships of the North America Station of the Royal Navy and military forces of
1491-648: The Normandy Landings in 1944 and during the Falklands War in 1982. The campaign also influenced US Marine Corps amphibious operations during the Pacific War , and continues to influence US amphibious doctrine. During the interwar period the campaign "became a focal point for the study of amphibious warfare" in the United Kingdom and United States, because it involved the four types of amphibious operations:
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#17328921744851562-616: The Philippines and at Iwo Jima . Through 1963, Merrick ' s annual deployments were with the 7th Fleet in the western Pacific, other than in 1955 and 1957, when she sailed to supply military and sealing stations in the Arctic . As the Vietnam War intensified, Merrick served her first tour in the South China Sea in 1963, returning annually through 1969. Support for the forces of South Vietnam included troop lifts from Okinawa and
1633-653: The Philippines to South Vietnam as well as participation in landings at Huế and Chu Lai (1965) and on the Saigon River Delta (1966). The latter marked the Navy's first extension of amphibious combat capability on an inland waterway since the Civil War . Between deployments she maintained her readiness through training and necessary overhauls on the west coast. She received seven campaign stars for service in Vietnam. She
1704-746: The Seven Years' War (known in the United States as the French and Indian War ), a war that ended the French colonial era in Atlantic Canada and led to the subsequent British campaign to capture all of French North America by the war's end. Another major amphibious landing took place during the Seven Years' War , the Siege of Quebec in 1759. The British, in addition to colonial American Ranger units, had raised experimental light infantry units to integrate aspects of
1775-601: The 1847 Siege of Veracruz . During the Crimean War of 1853–1856 the anti-Russian alliance launched an Anglo-French amphibious operation against Russia at Bomarsund , Finland on 8 August 1854. During the American Civil War of 1861–1865 the United States made several amphibious assaults along the coastlines of the Confederate States . Actions at Hatteras Inlet (August 1861) and at Port Royal, South Carolina were
1846-577: The 1920s to form the Royal Marines ) were used primarily as naval parties onboard Royal Navy warships to maintain discipline and man ships' guns. The RMLI joined a new Royal Navy division, the Royal Naval Division , formed in 1914 (out of those not needed on ships) to fight on land; however, throughout the conflict, army units were depended upon to provide the bulk, if not all, of troops used in amphibious landings. The first amphibious assault of
1917-637: The Acadian Provincial capital Port-Royal (Acadia) of French Canada, during Queen Anne's War (the name of the American theater of the War of the Spanish Succession ). The battle is known as the seminal moment in the conquest of Acadia . The siege resulted in the British imperial Force conquering French Arcadia and renaming Port Royal, Annapolis Royal . One famous instance of a failed amphibious assault
1988-603: The British Army, Board of Ordnance, and Royal Marines, maintained a blockade of much of the Atlantic seaboard of the United States of America , carried out amphibious raids such as the 22 June 1813 Battle of Craney Island , and then launched the Chesapeake Campaign (defeating American forces in the Battle of Bladensburg , capturing and burning Washington, DC , and raiding Alexandria, Virginia ), from Bermuda. The point
2059-493: The British government were opposed to returning it to the French as part of any peace agreement, but these were eventually overruled, and Louisbourg was returned, over the objections of the victorious British North Americans, to French control after the 1748 Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle , in return for French concessions elsewhere. The Siege of Louisbourg (1758) was a pivotal operation of the British military in 1758 (which included Colonial American Provincial and Ranger units) during
2130-525: The British lost two large and powerful squadrons in two separate battles, the Battle of Lake Erie & the Battle of Lake Champlain , losing the British control of the two strategic lakes, for no losses of American ships in either battle. In the Mexican–American War , US forces under Winfield Scott launched the first major amphibious assault in US history, and its largest amphibious assault until WWII, in
2201-625: The Pacific Coast of South America . The USS Wachusett with Alfred Thayer Mahan in command, was stationed at Callao, Peru, protecting American interests during the final stages of the War of the Pacific. He formulated his concept of sea power while reading a history book in an English gentleman's club in Lima, Peru. This concept became the foundation for his celebrated The Influence of Sea Power upon History (1890). An amphibious assault took place on
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2272-616: The Royal Armada specifically for fighting on and from ships. The Spanish Marines were born under the name Compañías Viejas del Mar de Nápoles ("All-Spanish Sea Companies of Naples "). The idea was to set up a permanent assignation of land troops to the Royal Spanish Navy that would be available for the Crown. The first "professional" marine units were already task-trained amphibious troops, but instead of being disbanded, they were kept for
2343-528: The Russians to abandon them with the loss of some 20,000 troops, 100 guns and the pre-dreadnought battleship Slava . The capture of the islands opened a route for German naval forces into the Gulf of Finland threatening the city of Petrograd , a fact that contributed to the cessation of hostilities on the Eastern front . The first large scale amphibious operations, ones that were to heavily influence theorists in
2414-539: The SS Santa Ana ). She was delivered to Apolina Ltd., Hong Kong for disposal. She was scrapped by Fubian Steel Enterprises Corp., Taiwan, on 13 March 1980. Merrick was one of the most decorated cargo ships in the Navy's history. Her service included three wars, the quarantine of Cuba and Operation Highjump in the Antarctic. Andromeda-class attack cargo ship The Andromeda -class attack cargo ships were
2485-787: The Spanish Crown's needs. Their first actions took place all along the Mediterranean Sea, where the Turks and pirate settlements were risks for commerce and navigation: Algiers , Malta and Gelves . In 1565, the island of Malta was invaded by the Ottoman Turks during the Great Siege of Malta , forcing its defenders to retreat to the fortified cities. A strategic choke point in the Mediterranean Sea , its loss would have been so menacing for
2556-666: The United Kingdom and the United States during the 1930s with introduction of vehicles such as Vickers-Carden-Loyd Light Amphibious Tank or the Landing Vehicle Tracked . Amphibious warfare includes operations defined by their type, purpose, scale and means of execution. In the British Empire at the time these were called combined operations which were defined as "...operations where naval, military or air forces in any combination are co-operating with each other, working independently under their respective commanders, but with
2627-524: The beach, possibly the first purpose-built amphibious landing-craft in history: "These [36 shallow draft, flat-bottomed] boats would be able to land three thousand men and twelve guns in a single wave". Neutral military observers closely studied landing tactics and operations during the War of the Pacific: two Royal Navy ships monitored the Battle of Pisagua ; United States Navy observer Lt. Theodorus B. M. Mason included an account in his report The War on
2698-593: The beaches of Veracruz, Mexico in 1914, when the United States Navy attacked and occupied the city as result of the Tampico Affair . World War I marked the beginning of the first modern amphibious warfare operations. However, tactics and equipment were still rudimentary and required much improvisation. At the time, British Royal Marine Light Infantry (merged with the Royal Marine Artillery in
2769-519: The bulk of his army (5,000 men) to ascend the cliff by the small road and then deploy for battle on the plateau. The operation proved a success, leading to the surrender of the city, and heavily influenced subsequent engagements. In 1762 a British force, with a small colonial American ranger contingent, successfully landed at Havana in Cuba, besieged the city and captured it after a two-month campaign thanks to improved coordination of land and sea forces. In
2840-472: The campaign. SS River Clyde , built as a collier , was adapted to be a landing ship for the Landing at Cape Helles . Openings were cut in her steel hull as sally ports from which troops would emerge onto gangways and then to a bridge of smaller boats from the ship to the beach. Boiler plate and sandbags were mounted on her bow, and behind them a battery of 11 machine guns was installed. The machine gun battery
2911-483: The coast in small boats from naval vessels offshore, the ships had to dock to unload the heavy vehicles and artillery guns. These operations were a major success for the Irish government forces, mainly due to the element of surprise and the use of armoured vehicles and artillery. Government forces were able to capture all the major towns and cities in southern Ireland . The Alhucemas landing on 8 September 1925, performed by
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2982-657: The decades to come, were conducted as part of the Battle of Gallipoli in 1915 against the Ottoman Empire during World War I . The Gallipoli peninsula forms the northern bank of the Dardanelles , a strait that provided a sea route to what was then the Russian Empire , one of the Allied powers during the war. Intending to secure it, Russia's allies Britain and France launched a naval attack followed by an amphibious landing on
3053-490: The first of many attacks, others occurring on Roanoke Island , NC; Galveston , TX; Fort Sumter , Morris Island and James Island , SC; and several more. The largest such clash happened in January 1865 at Fort Fisher —the largest and most powerful fort in the world at the time—which protected the entrance of Wilmington, North Carolina . The assaulting force consisted of over 15,000 men and 70 warships with over 600 guns. During
3124-445: The following hours succeeded in overcoming resistance and moving inland. By the end of the day, an expeditionary army of 10,000 had disembarked at the captured port. In 1881 Chilean ships transported approximately 30,000 men, along with their mounts and equipment, 500 miles (800 km) in order to attack Lima. Chilean commanders commissioned purpose-built, flat-bottomed landing craft that would deliver troops in shallow water closer to
3195-578: The kingdoms of Western Europe that forces were urgently raised to relieve the island. It took four months to train, arm and move a 5,500-man amphibious force to lift the siege. Other countries adopted the idea and subsequently raised their own early marine forces as well. From the 15th to the 20th centuries, several European countries established and expanded overseas colonies . Amphibious operations mostly aimed to settle colonies and to secure strong points along navigational routes. Amphibious forces were fully organized and devoted to this mission, although
3266-434: The landing boats; special supplies were readied to be unloaded and support the 11,000-man landing force strength. The total strength of the amphibious force was 15,000 men, including an armada of 90 ships. A superb example of successful combined operations, of both military branches and different imperial units, is the Siege of Port Royal (1710) . The siege was a combined arms, British/Colonial American amphibious assault upon
3337-414: The landings, and extensive intelligence gathering and planning of over a year. Although most amphibious operations are thought of primarily as beach landings, they can exploit available shore infrastructure to land troops directly into an urban environment if unopposed. In this case non-specialised ships can offload troops, vehicles and cargo using organic or facility wharf-side equipment. Tactical landings in
3408-509: The largest American Antarctic expedition at that time. She set course south on 5 December, and entered the Ross Sea on 31 December. The group reached the Bay of Whales on 15 January 1947 and there established Little America IV , the base for the expedition's significant scientific achievements. Threatening ice conditions forced the retirement of the communications and supply ships on 8 February. Three days later Merrick's rudder suffered ice damage; USCGC Northwind (WAGB-282) ,
3479-432: The limited objectives of neutralising enemy defenders and obtaining a new base of operation. Such an operation may be prepared and planned in days or weeks, and would employ a naval task force to land less than a division of troops. The intent of operational landings is usually to exploit the shore as a vulnerability in the enemy's overall position, forcing redeployment of forces, premature use of reserves , and aiding
3550-416: The nearby French fisheries. The French government had spent 25 years in fortifying it, and the cost of its defenses was reckoned at thirty million livres. Although the fortress's construction and layout was acknowledged as having superior seaward defences, a series of low rises behind them made it vulnerable to a land attack. The low rises provided attackers places to erect siege batteries. The fort's garrison
3621-420: The nuances of this maneuver for all personnel involved. In essence, amphibious operations consist of the phases of strategic planning and preparation, operational transit to the intended theatre of operations , pre-landing rehearsal and disembarkation, troop landings, beachhead consolidation and conducting inland ground and air operations. Historically, within the scope of these phases a vital part of success
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#17328921744853692-410: The past have utilised small boats , small craft , small ships and civilian vessels converted for the mission to deliver troops to the water's edge. A naval landing operation requires vessels to troops and equipment and might include amphibious reconnaissance . Military intelligence services obtain information on the opponent. Amphibious warfare goes back to ancient times. The Sea Peoples menaced
3763-505: The peninsula with the eventual aim of capturing the Ottoman capital of Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul ). Although the naval attack was repelled and the land campaign failed, the campaign was the first modern amphibious landing, and featured air support, specialized landing craft and a naval bombardment . The seaplane tender HMS Ark Royal supported the landings under the command of Commander Robert Clark-Hall . Seaplanes were used for aerial reconnaissance , ground support for
3834-402: The raid, demonstration, assault and withdrawal. Analysis of the campaign before World War II led to a belief among many armed forces that amphibious assaults could not succeed against modern defences. The perception continued until the Normandy Landings in June 1944, despite some successful examples of amphibious operations earlier in the war, such as those in Italy , and at Tarawa and in
3905-505: The ranger ideal into the regular army. They also produced the first specially designed landing-craft in order to enable their troops to cross the Saint Lawrence River in force. After considering and rejecting a number of plans for landings on the north shore of the river, Major General James Wolfe and his brigadiers decided in late August to land upriver of the city. The British prepared for their risky deployment upstream. Troops had already been aboard landing ships and drifting up and down
3976-399: The river for several days when on 12 September Wolfe made a final decision on the British landing site, selecting L' Anse-au-Foulon . Wolfe's plan of attack depended on secrecy and surprise—a key element of a successful amphibious operation—a small party of men would land by night on the north shore, climb the tall cliff, seize a small road, and overpower the garrison that protected it, allowing
4047-556: The same standard hull design, but there were some differences from ship to ship. The armament varied, as did that of the other ships of the day. During 1944–1945, the 5"/38 was recognized as the best gun for the dual role of antiaircraft and naval gunfire support , and the 40 mm was seen as the best antiaircraft gun. The older 20 mm and .50 caliber guns had been recognized to be of limited value, and were being phased out, though they appeared on some of these ships. The 20 mm guns were later removed from all of them, but it
4118-446: The same year, 1762, British Royal Navy sailors and marines succeed in taking the capital of the East Indies : Manila in the Philippines as well. In 1776 Samuel Nicholas and the Continental Marines , the "progenitor" of the United States Marine Corps , made a first successful landing in the Raid of Nassau in the Bahamas. In 1782 The British rebuffed a long Franco-Spanish attempt to seize Gibraltar by water-borne forces. In 1783
4189-427: The ships and call off the operation. The Siege of Louisbourg (1745) took place in 1745 when a New England colonial force aided by a small British fleet captured Louisbourg , the capital of the French province of Île-Royale (present-day Cape Breton Island ) during the War of the Austrian Succession , known as King George's War in the British colonies . The northern British colonies regarded Louisbourg as
4260-400: The troops landing at Anzac Cove and the bombing of fortifications. Ark Royal was augmented by a squadron from the No. 3 Squadron of the Royal Naval Air Service , operating from a nearby island. Initial landings, starting on 25 April, took place in unmodified rowing boats that were extremely vulnerable to attack from the shore defences. The first purpose-built landing craft were built for
4331-421: The troops not only fought ashore, but on board ships. By their nature amphibious assaults involve highly complex operations, demanding the coordination of disparate elements; when accomplished properly a paralyzing surprise to the enemy can be achieved. However, when there is a lack of preparation and/or coordination, often because of hubris, disastrous results can ensue. Álvaro de Bazán, Marquis of Santa Cruz ,
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#17328921744854402-445: The war was the Battle of Bita Paka (11 September 1914) was fought south of Kabakaul, on the island of New Britain , and was a part of the invasion and subsequent occupation of German New Guinea by the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (AN&MEF) shortly after the outbreak of the First World War . The first British amphibious assault of the war ended in disaster in November 1914. A large British Indian Army force
4473-467: Was an early proponent of amphibious warfare. The " Terceras Landing " in the Azores Islands on 25 May 1583, was a military feat as Bazán and the rest of commanders decided to make a fake landing to distract the defending forces (5,000 Portuguese , English and French soldiers). Special seagoing barges were also arranged to unload cavalry horses and 700 artillery pieces on the beach; special rowing boats were armed with small cannons to support
4544-409: Was conducted by the Irish National Army in 1922, during the Irish Civil War . Landings against Republican rebels at Westport , Fenit and Cork all involved armour cars. The Westport and Fenit landings involved light armoured cars and 18-pounder artillery guns being hoisted off the ships by crane. Heavier armoured cars were used at Cork, resulting in some difficulty. While Irish troops could reach
4615-588: Was created in four days resulting in an order for 200 'X' Lighters with a spoon-shaped bow to take shelving beaches and a drop down frontal ramp. The first use took place after they had been towed to the Aegean and performed successfully in the 6 August landing at Suvla Bay of IX Corps , commanded by Commander Edward Unwin . 'X' Lighters , known to the soldiers as 'Beetles', carried about 500 men, displaced 135 tons and were based on London barges being 105 feet, 6 inches long, 21 feet wide, and 7 feet, 6 inches deep. The engines mainly ran on heavy oil and ran at
4686-412: Was directed to launch an amphibious assault on Tanga , German East Africa . British actions prior to the assault, however, alerted the Germans to prepare to repel an invasion. The Indian forces suffered heavy casualties when they advanced on the city , forcing them to withdraw back to their boats, leaving much of their equipment behind. The Russian army and navy also grew adept to amphibious warfare in
4757-435: Was in 1741 at the Battle of Cartagena de Indias in New Granada , when a large British amphibious assault force commanded by Admiral Edward Vernon , and including a contingent of 200 Virginia "Marines"(not originally meant to be so) commanded by Lawrence Washington (older half brother of George Washington ), failed to overcome a much smaller, but very heavily fortified Spanish defence force and were forced to retreat back to
4828-427: Was manned by Royal Naval Air Service men. Work began on painting River Clyde ' s hull sandy yellow as camouflage , but this was incomplete by the time of the landing. It was soon clear that the Turkish defence was equipped with rapid-fire weapons, which meant that ordinary landing boats were inadequate for the task. In February 1915, orders had been placed for the design of purpose built landing craft. A design
4899-399: Was often based on the military logistics , naval gunfire and close air support . Another factor is the variety and quantity of specialised vehicles and equipment used by the landing force that are designed for the specific needs of this type of operation. Amphibious operations can be classified as tactical or operational raids such as the Dieppe Raid , operational landings in support of
4970-417: Was poorly paid and supplied, and its inexperienced leaders mistrusted them. The colonial attackers were also lacking in experience, but ultimately succeeded in gaining control of the surrounding defences. The defenders surrendered in the face of an imminent assault. Louisbourg was an important bargaining chip in the peace negotiations to end the war, since it represented a major British success. Factions within
5041-490: Was reclassified as LKA–97 (LKA being the designation for an Amphibious Cargo Ship) on 1 January 1969 and was decommissioned on 17 September 1969. Merrick was transferred to the Maritime Administration on 15 December 1969, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet , Suisun Bay Group, Benicia, California . Merrick was struck from the Naval Register on 1 September 1976 and withdrawn from reserve on 19 December 1979 for trade-in and exchange to States Marine Lines (as
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