Evening star., 1943-11-19
(Last of a SerieS.)
By CARTER BROOKE JONES.

BY CARTER BROOKE JONES.
At the moment, Louis Marcel, %
is coxswain of an LCP-a small
Landing boat carrying personnel
Imeaning troops-at the amphibious
training base at Little Creek, Va.
But this is tame stuff for Cox
swain Marcel. It's an anti-climax
For he has taken part in actual
Handing operations in North Africa
and Sicily. Yet his experience is
valuable in helping to mold green
Navy crews to precision in handling
the craft they soon may be called
on to land on hostile shores.
The coxswain was aboard a trans
port off North Africa. He took his
place in the stern of landing craft
his hand on the tiller. Soldiers came
over the side in the cargo nets and
filled the boat. 1t moved through
the choppy surf toward shore. This
was year and 10 days ago.
The French, he recalled, opened
fire before they had a chance to
start landing their troops. But he
added: Our batteries kind of
quieted them down"
Ship Is Torpedoed.
| They got their men ashore and
made several more trips. Four days
later, when the transport was not
quite unloaded of supplies, CoxsWain
Marcel had craWled into his bunk
and was almost asleep when there
was jar. The ship had been tor
pedoed. He grabbed a lifejacket
and headed for the main deck. The
next thing he was in the water. He
stayed there three quarters of an
hour, until a boat picked him up
and took him ashore. There the
Army made him comfortable.
The next June he found himself
again welding the tiller of a land
ing craft. This time his ship was
anchored off Sicily. His boat was in
the first assault wave.
THE surf was pretty high" he
said. They waited for the H" hour,
then ran into shore and dropped
off their soldiers. They made four
more trips with troops. Then the
coxswain's rudder snapped. When
it was fixed, they carried supplies
to the beachhead.
They started to open fire on U.s."
he added, but our ships in the bay
silenced their shore batteries"
In the course of the operations
CoXswain Marcel was buffeted until
he got sprained ankle and a law
injury that required five stitches,
Louis is none too happy at being
back at training base.
Prefers Action.
Il want to get back on a ship" he
said. And I'd like to see what the
Japs are like before this thing is
over"
The point of Louis Marcet's story
is that individual initiative is of the
utmost Importance in ship-to- shore
lnvasions. It's not matter of rank.
High officers plan the strategy and
work out the details. But the lives
OF men, the timing of the expedition,
perhaps the element of surprise, NAV
depend on sailors like this young
coxsWaln. An ensign usually COM
mandS whole group of landing
craft, and he has his heavy respon-
sibilities, but many bluejackets like
Louis are on their own when the
boat leaves the ship with its cargo
OF men or supplies.
The soldiers and the life stream of
their operation-ammunition, guns.
medical supplies, food-rely to an
important extent on the GOODNESS,
resourcefulness and daring OF young
sailors from the ranks, many seeing
their first action.
This becomes increasingly appar-
ent as you watch the training at the
series of schools directed by the
Amphibious Training Command of
the Atlantic Fleet.
One of the toughest Jobs IN a
Water-borne invasion is carried out
by the shore party. 1t lands soon
after the first waves of assault
troops, and 1t must organize the
beach for the arrival of reinforce
ments, heavy vehicles and supplies
Lit. A. G. Witteborg, U. S. N. r., who
was beachmaSter in Africa and
Sicily, explained at Camp Bradford
what has to be done. One of the
most important missions is entrusted
TO the photographic section. which
charts the beach for obstacles and
depths. A demolition squad blows
up rocks, submerged trees or other
underwater objects which may him
DER the continuous movement to the
beach head.
Ancient Battles Recalled.
When we visited headquarters of
the Amphibious Training Command
near Norfolk, some one asked the
commanding officer, Commodore Lee
F. johnson. who in history origi-
mated amphibious operations.
L think" said the commodore
1t must have been Noah"
Decisive battles of ancient history
ne pointed out, were based on ship
to-shore invasions.
At Camp Bradford, Capt. J. w
Whitfield, U. S. N, the commanding
officer, explained that he had taken
part in amphibious warfare nearly
25 years ago. In 1919 he landed
from cruiser on the Siberian coast
under fire. This was a joint opera
ton of our Navy and the Army, to-
gether with White Russian forces
against hostile Red Russian troops
And Capt. Whitfield mentioned Vera
Cruz and other sea-to-shore attacks
In which the United States had TAX
en- part.
Commodore johnson pointed out
@