RE: [Epic] Saving Private Ryan

From: Ian Haskins <Ian_Haskins_at_...>
Date: Fri, 25 Sep 1998 11:45:20 +0100

The USMC in the South Pacific used a mixture of "higgins" boats (wooden
landing craft in effect) that drafted only 3 feet of water and some form of
floating tank (called a xxxxxx tractor I think) that was originally designed
in the 1930's for taking people on tours of the Florida Swamps

The main problem in the South Pacific was the coral reefs surroding the
atolls, even at high tide you rarely got more than 3 feet of clearance so
the landing craft had to dump their men in water up to their chest and watch
as they wading up to 3/4 of a mile under withering enemy fire. The tractors
could get over the reefs but were so badly shot up that going back and
picking up more troops was quite often impossible. This explains why the
casulty figures were so high. (over 1,000 men were killed on the beach at
Guadacanal, and the landing area was only 800 yards long)

As a point of History the final invasion of Japan was timed for spring 1946
The Japanese had an estimated 2,000,000 troops plus the local militia
defending the main island, had this gone ahead then the Americans had
planned to loose at least 200,000 men. Japanese losses were expected to be
in the Millions.

"at last" he cries "all those long hours spent watching the History Channel
have finally paid off..."


> ----------
> From: Thane Morgan[SMTP:thane_at_...]
> Reply To: space-marine_at_...
> Sent: Friday, September 25, 1998 4:46 AM
> To: space-marine_at_...
> Subject: Re: [Epic] Saving Private Ryan
>
>
>
> Sauron1 wrote:
>
> > Sauron1 writes; Colen;
> >
> > I believe the landings were originally set for High Tide, but the
> > proliferation of wood poles with landmines set on top" Romels Garden"
> > planted by the thousands along the European beaches. caused a lowtide
> > assault
> >
>
> Yes, the delimma was do we want a short water zone but lose craft to the
> traps
> which would be below the water line, or have a long water assault where we
> see
> most of the traps. They chose the second.
>
> > As I remember, the Landing craft used in Normandy were supplanted by
> > fully tracked and enclosed units in the South Pacific, I think. The
> Pacific
> > theatre was not an area I studied.
> >
>
> I believe the marines (which did nearly all of the pacific invasions
> exclusively, except minor elements from the navy and army) had ducks
> designed
> for seaborne invasion, which is their primary mission. I think they used
> them
> before normandy. I think that the army didn't consider it as critical, and
> may
> have feared pulling vehicles up onto the heavily mined beaches before
> infrantry
> could clear them anyways. I think the landing craft they used were more
> easily
> mass produced as well.
>
> Thane
>
Received on Fri Sep 25 1998 - 10:45:20 UTC