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Show America In Action I n 1 LANDING OPERATIONS Since Pacific warfare tends to develop de-velop into a battle for islands, landing land-ing operations are taking an important impor-tant place in the plans of naval strategists. Marine methods in landing operations opera-tions may not be fully disclosed for reasons of military security, but general tactics usually employed by the navy and the Leathernecks are no secret to the enemy by now. A modern landing operation requires re-quires split-second co-operation between be-tween air, sea and landing forces. The area to be invaded is studied minutely and thorough plans are laid long before the date set for things to pop. That date is kept a close secret, since surprise is an important element in the success of the venture. In the air the operation may involve in-volve the use of reconnaissance and fighter planes, bombers, troop-carrying gliders, parachute troop transports trans-ports and planes equipped to lay smoke screens. X Naval forces probably include transports, battleships, aircraft carriers, car-riers, light and heavy cruisers, destroyers, de-stroyers, submarines, mine sweepers sweep-ers and supply ships. At the appointed moment bomber and fighter planes attack from overhead. over-head. The big naval vessels, lying several miles out to sea cut loose with everything they've got. Marines Ma-rines already have been dispatched in their rubber landing boats in cover cov-er of darkness, and are on their way to the shore line. Shell after shell from the naval guns screeches over the heads of the inbound marines to blast the enemy back from the beach defenses, de-fenses, smashing at his artillery and communications lines. The landing boats zig-zag toward shore at full speed, perhaps covered by a smoke screen. Marines return enemy fire from machine guns perched in the bow of each boat. Near the beach marines pile over the sides and splash through the surf toward the enemy positions. Released by Western Newspaper Union. |
