EMPLOYMENT OF SEA POWER

[Music] this film is intended to accompany a beginning course in naval history its purpose is to illustrate certain elements of sea power utilized in the employment of naval forces in world war ii in december 1941 the United States declared that a state of war existed between this country and Japan on the one hand and Germany and Italy on the other to assure unified command over the American Army Navy and Air Force's operating over such vast theatres a Joint Chiefs of Staff was established to assure a unified command over our forces and those of the United Kingdom British Chiefs of Staff that frequently with the American chief this was the combined Chiefs of Staff it was the duty of these officers to plan the overall strategic decisions of World War two decisions based upon the wisdom and practices of successful commanders of the past decisions based upon the analyses worked out by great military thinkers such as Corbett the Englishman Mahan the American Giovanni the Swiss and Klaus fish the German above all strategic decisions based upon the experience and the informed common sense of the Chiefs of Staff themselves the handling of forces once they are engaged in battle is called tactics but preceding tactics is the decision where to place forces planning where and friend to place forces is called strategy naval strategy is determined by communication lines those sea routes along which are transported the manpower and materials for the conduct of war naval strategy is also determined by certain positions on the seas and bases which command those positions and naval strategy is determined by the requirements of concentration this is the method of bringing our main strength against part of the enemy forces while holding the enemy at all other points these three elements of naval strategy applicable to all naval wars are clearly illustrated in the Navy's participation in World War two the first general strategic decision which the combined Chiefs had to submit to their superiors President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill was how to divide our forces between the Pacific and Atlantic theatres there was not at first sufficient allied strength for offensive action against both enemy theatres to have divided our inadequate strength equally at this time would have been fatal exposing us to defeat in both theaters never straddle Fatma Hatun never try to do two things at the same time unless your force is evidently so supreme that you have clearly more than enough for each the combined Chiefs of Staff decided that Germany was our greatest immediate danger for Germany had a highly developed industry and Germany had advanced scientific development which might produce a decisive weapon therefore the decision was made that we would go on the defensive in the Pacific we would maintain a line beyond which the Japanese would not be permitted to penetrate we would go on the offensive in the Atlantic theater first we would strengthen the United Kingdom and we would supply the Soviet Union and also the British forces in the Mediterranean and in Egypt these lines of overseas transport together with the lines which link advanced phases and fighting fleets with rare wood bases are called communication blind the whole system of routes and transport is called communications these strategic communications are not to be confused with another sort of communication which is the transmission of messages the primary mission of the Navy in this war as in all wars was to control the strategic communication that is defend our sea routes and attack the enemy this mission the Navy accomplished in part by escort of our convoys and while the United States Army Air Force and British Air Force established bases around the rim of the North Atlantic from which claims patrolled in search of u-boats the Navy sent out task units that escort carriers and destroyers escorts especially to protect convoys in the central Atlantic which the land-based planes could not reach here also the task groups engaged in independent hunter-killer patrols against the u-boat on the broad reaches of the Atlantic we eluded the enemy's submarine wolf pack's by shifting our communication lines but in certain positions on the sea communication lines converge these are terminal point such as major port and focal areas such as the waters near capes canals and straits in these waters submarines were more certain of finding ships to attack hence it is important to have near such area basis from which ships or planes can readily mount anti-submarine operations bases are the fixed positions of sea worker as our forces gradually drove the u-boat from the Atlantic and locked up enemy vessels in their harbors they controlled all communications and were said to have command of the sea but two months and offensive meant more than supplying points already under our control the offensive seeks to gain control not already held the Axis powers held the coast of Europe from the North Cape to the Pyrenees they also held most of North Africa it would have been foolish for us to spread our forces thinly against the 3,000 miles of access held coast common sense dictates that we bring our main strength against a fraction of the enemy force this is part of what we mean by the term concentration when there is a break in the enemy front it is wise to strike at the point of division and split his forces but when he presents a strong solid front it is usually best to strike at a flank because the enemy cannot rapidly bring aid to his flank from his centre and other place but if struck in the center he can quickly bring in his flanks for support there was a break in the axis front the Iberian Peninsula but it would have been an advisable to bring Spain and Portugal into the war or to give the axis an excuse to invade them hence we decided to strike at North Africa for the axis left flank but it was vital that the axis not reinforced this area before we invaded we prevented this by striking unexpectedly achieving surprise while an American force struck at the Atlantic coast of Morocco a British American force invaded two points on the coast of Algeria in the Mediterranean this was a complex operation for not only where there are three separate invasion areas but in the Morocco invasion the United States occupation forces made landings on three separate peach heads while our covering force fought the French fleet at Casablanca did this mean loss of concentration no because all forces were coordinated this means first that there was unified command it meant also that there was a single main objective the capture of Casablanca lastly the forces were mutually supporting able to mass at any point within their strategic disposition before any enemy could mast they're in superior strength besides being coordinated our forces were disposed with regard to the strategic center which was Casablanca the objective the assaults north and south of Casablanca held the opposing forces in their area while the main attack succeeded all three confused other French Garrison's as to which was our main attack thus our main strength was directed against only part of the French force while the remainder were held at all other points the fleet paved the way for and supported all of these landings it was us performing a second important mission of the Navy the support of amphibious operation having secured their beachhead the American forces to right and left now marched on the objective Casablanca to strengthen our forces already their fleet elements at the same time moved along the coast to support their advancing troops there by performing a third important mission of the Navy the strategic and tactical support of forces assurance all Allied forces been converged on the next strategic center the objective of the whole African campaign Tunisia they thus captured the axis African army and were then poised to invade Sicily across the Narrows of the Mediterranean after Sicily the Italians surrendered and the Allies invaded Italy moving north to push the Germans past wrong [Music] at the same time the Soviet Red Army was thrusting towards Germany from the east meanwhile we had built up powerful forces in the United Kingdom with German forces held thus in the south and east our forces struck across the English Channel at the weakened centre of the enemy front this was the Normandy invasion of June 1944 the greatest amphibious assault in history [Music] [Music] the Red Army from the east and the British and American armies from the south and west now advance into Germany the Nazis were thus forced into unconditional surrender let us summarize what we have learned thus far the primary mission of the Navy is to protect our sea routes and disrupt the enemy's routes this is best achieved by convoy and by destroying enemy forces in the air on the speed and under the seat another wartime mission of the Navy is to pave the way for and support amphibious operation do another mission is strategic and tactical support of courses assured in order to carry out these missions naval commanders must decide where to place their forces for maximum results the decision where and when to place forces is strategy the three elements which determine naval strategy are communication the system of routes and transport position that is terminal points and focal areas where a possession of bases is vital to success in naval warfare concentration which is bringing sufficient strength under the right conditions to the right place concentration implies coordination of forces which requires unified command mutual support of forces and pursuit of a single objective concentration also implies concentric action which requires disposal of forces with regard to the strategic center concentration in short consists of coordinated concentric action [Music]