Evening star., 1946-08-19
Niddies, Cadets
StormAshorein
Mock Assault
Army. Navy Leaders
Hail Exercises as
Cooperative Example
BY Thomos 6. Buchonon
BY Thomos 6. Buchonon
Stor Stoff Corrs,poode,t


ssor ssoff Correspondent
LITTLE CREEK, Va, Aug. 1e.-
West Point cadets and Annapolis
midshipmen stormed ashore under
skies In a practice as
sault landing here this morning
that was hailed by Army and Navy
leaders as a practical demonstra-
tion of interservice cooperation.
Second class men of the two
academies, training side by side
this summer for the first time in
the history of the services wrested
from the control of a mythical
enemy force a narrow strip of
beach 13 miles east of Norfolk on
the Chesapeake Bay.
Secretary of the Navy Forrestal
boarded the U. S. S. Catoctin, flag
ship of the operation, last nigfa
to witness today's joint amphibious
operation.
Admiral Marc A. Mitscher. COM
mander in chief of the Atlantic
Fleet; Vice Admiral Aubrey w,
Fitch. superintendent of the Naval
Academy; Brig. Gen. S. ]. Higgins,
commandant OF cadets at West
Point, and Gov. Tuck of Virginia
were among the notables present.
A-Bomb Site Objective.
The problem presented to the
future Army and Navy officers was
the capture of prospective enemy
atomic bomb site In the Little
Creek area. Battle trained Marines
from the End Battalion, First Spe-
cial Brigade, from Camp Lejeune.
N. c., acted as instructors and nom
CONS who mingled with the cadets
and midshipmen during the land
ings.
Designation of the amphibious
landing as Operation Camid +"
taken from the first syuables Of
cadets" and "midshipmen," was
an Illustration of the joint nature
OF the training program.
Threatening weather this MORN
ing grounded about 100 Hellcats.
Helldivers and Avengers which
were scheduled to have softened up
resistance on the beach by a series
OF four air strikes between 8 and
$3.50 am. A simulated naval bar
rage was laid down during this
period, however, by light rocket
nrlng craft and other naval vessels.
LVTA's Lead Assault.
A few minutes before Q am fo,,r
LVTAs, armored amphibious tanks.
came in toward the beach, flanked
by guide boats. They opened firs
with blank ammunition a few hun
dred yards out, hit the beach pre-
cisely at 8 am, while underwater
mines exploded just in front of
them.
As they penetrated inland, land
mines went off.
A few minutes later, eight LVTs
another type of armored amphi.
bious tank, hit the shore and un.
loaded Marine boat teams. TIL.
LVT at the right flank discharged
a group OF Marines who attacked
an enemy machine gun division and
knocked 1t out with flame thrower
Next came the LCVP's, LANDING
craft vehicle personnel, with the
first wave of cadets and middies
They hastily unloaded their crews
which were greeted by further deto-
nations OF mines on the beach. The
crews continued inland to distance
OF 100 yards before halting to dig in.
Army and Navy Parties Dig In.
Avance elements of the Army,s
shore party and the Navy's beach
party were now digging in and set
ting up command posts as quickly
as possible.
The fourth wave included two
Lens, heavier craft. A flare was
fired at this time to indicate sue
cessful establishment of the beach,
head. LVTs on the west flank were
called on for fire support and opened
barrage.
The fifth wave. containing two
LCIU)s and three LSMs, was forced
to land well out from the shore and
troops waded in, waist high, trying
to hold their rifles out of the water.
Five tanks also were landed from
an Ism, one of which nearly got
stuck on the steep slope of the beach.
One Ism at the west flank flooded
and stuck.
Four Lens in Last Wave.
Four Lens came in with the sixth
and last wave, carrying beach mark
ers for the shore parties. Rear
Admiral Ralph o. Davis, commander
Of Amphibious Group 2, followed
them ashore, his uniform fiecked
with sea spray after observing the
operations from his launch.
Admiral Davis expressed disap-
pointment that air support could
not be obtained for the problem,
but pointed out that in actual war
fare 1t would have been necessary
to carry out the amphibious oper-
ations without such support.
Landing of supporting artillery
and other heavy equipment con-
Icluded the operation.
Today's demonstration was inn
portant not only as a means of
matchmaking West Point and
Annapolis undergraduates in the
tactics of modern amphibious war
fare, Secretary Forrestal declared,
but as an opportunity for the fu-
ture Army and Navy officers to
make personal contact and to un-
derstand each others problems.
Cooperation on Human Basis.
"Co-operation has to be on hui
man basis. 1t can't be learned from
a mechanical chart" said Vice Ad-
miral Daniel E. Barley, commander
of the Atlantic Fleet amphibious
force, over all director Of the oper-
alton. ..-
The middies and cadets began to
fraternize almost Immediately after
arriving at Norfolk Naval Base Au-
gust 10. They shared living quar-
ters in mixed groups aboard Navy
vessels, attended various demonstra-
tions together all last week and
from Saturday noon until pm.
yesterday went ashore on liberty
together.
The Secretary of the Navy said
Operations Camid" was not the
exclusive idea of either the Army or
the Navy. but was indicative of a