Engineer Special Brigade ( United States ) Engineer Special Brigades were amphibious forces of the United States Army developed during World War II . Initially designated Engineer Amphibian Brigades , the first four brigades were redesignated ESBs in 1943 . Concept and Development . At the onset of direct American involvement in World War II , it was obvious that the U . S . military would need a large strategic and tactical amphibious capability . In 1941 , the United States ' amphibious forces were divided into two corps : one Atlantic ; one Pacific . Both amphibious corps were combined Army and Marine Corps commands , administered by the U . S . Navy . The Atlantic Corps consisted of the 1st Infantry Division and the 1st Marine Division , and the Pacific Corps consisted of the 3rd Infantry Division and the 2nd Marine Division . As this set - up quickly proved itself unwieldy , the Joint Staff surprisingly appointed the U . S . Army , and not the Marine Corps , to develop doctrine for sustained amphibious operations . On May 20 , 1942 , the Army activated its Amphibious Training Command at Camp Edwards , Massachusetts . Subsequently , the Army also activated the Engineer Amphibian Command . Initially , the Amphibious Training Command ( later , Amphibious Training Center ) was tasked to train no fewer than 12 Army divisions ( including 1 armored division ) in amphibious operations . As the war progressed , the Marine Corps expanded to six divisions and the Army and the Navy began to fight over the procurement and assignment of landing craft and other amphibious assault equipment , resulting in the Army ' s decision to ultimately close the Amphibious Training Center . Per its agreement with the Navy , the Army continued to train Engineer Amphibian Brigades , for while the Marine Corps was adept at the initial waves of amphibious assaults , the Marine Corps had yet to create an effective doctrine concerning subsequent support waves . This task fell to the EABs . Deployment and Subordinate Units . The 1st , 5th , and 6th Engineer Special Brigades were assigned to the European Theater of Operations , while the 2nd and 4th Engineer Special Brigades were assigned to the Pacific Theater of Operations . The 3rd Engineer Special Brigade was assigned directly to the Amphibious Training Center ; responsible for the training of various Army units in amphibious warfare until the dissolution of the Amphibious Training Center . It was then assigned to the Pacific Theater of Operations . The 1st Engineer Special Brigade was the only ESB to fight in both theaters of the war . The various subordinate Engineer Boat , Engineer Amphibian , and Engineer Shore regiment s were all redesignated as Engineer Boat & Shore Regiments ( EB & SR ) by the end of the war . 1st Engineer Special Brigade . 1st Engineer Special Brigade was activated on June 15 , 1942 , at Camp Edwards , Massachusetts as the 1st Engineer Amphibian Brigade . Due to necessity , it was pulled from the Amphibious Training Center early and sent to England , arriving in August 1942 . In December of that year , it landed in North Africa , where it was redesignated the 1st Engineer Special Brigade , and subsequently participated in the assaults on Sicily and Italy . In December 1943 , the 1st ESB returned to England and participated in the Invasion of Normandy ( Utah Beach ) . The brigade operated as Utah Beach Command until October 23 , 1944 , when it began its transition to the Pacific Theater of Operations . It participated in the assault on Okinawa and was inactivated in Korea on February 18 , 1946 . 2nd Engineer Special Brigade . 2nd Engineer Special Brigade was activated on June 20 , 1942 , at Camp Edwards , as the 2nd Engineer Amphibian Brigade . The brigade arrived in Australia on April 17 , 1943 , where it was redesignated an Engineer Special Brigade . It participated in the assault on Leyte on October 20 , 1944 , and returned to the United States on December 16 , 1945 . The 2nd ESB was deactivated the following year . 3rd Engineer Special Brigade . Commanded for almost the entire war by David Ayres Depue Ogden , the 3rd Engineer Special Brigade was activated on August 6 , 1942 , at Camp Edwards , as the 3rd Engineer Amphibian Brigade . It was transferred to Fort Ord , California , where it was redesignated an Engineer Special Brigade . The 3rd ESB landed on New Guinea on February 24 , 1944 ; Biak Island on September 30 ; and the Philippine Islands on July 24 , 1945 . It returned to the United States on December 20 , 1945 , and was inactivated two days later . 4th Engineer Special Brigade . 4th Engineer Special Brigade was activated on February 1 , 1943 , at Fort Devens , Massachusetts , as the 4th Engineer Amphibian Brigade . In 1943 , the brigade was redesignated an Engineer Special Brigade and transitioned to Camp Stoneman , California . The 4th ESB arrived in New Guinea on May 18 , 1944 , and participated in the assaults on Morotai Island , Netherland East Indies ( September 15 , 1944 ) and Lingayen Gulf , Luzon ( January 9 , 1945 ) . The brigade was inactivated in Japan on April 15 , 1946 . 5th Engineer Special Brigade . 5th Engineer Special Brigade was formed from Headquarters and Headquarters Company , 1119th Engineer Combat Group on November 12 , 1943 , at Swansea , Wales . 5th ESB participated in the Invasion of Normandy ( Omaha Beach ) and operated Omaha Beach until November 19 , 1944 . On January 4 , 1945 , the brigade was transferred to the Seine section of Paris , where it supervised construction activities . It returned to the United States on July 11 , 1945 , and was inactivated at Camp Gordon Johnston , Florida , on October 20 of that year . 6th Engineer Special Brigade . 6th Engineer Special Brigade was formed from HHC , 1116th Engineer Combat Group on May 15 , 1944 , in England . The brigade participated in the Invasion of Normandy ( Omaha Beach ) and operated Omaha Beach until Christmas Eve , 1944 . 6th ESB moved into France on New Year ' s Day , 1945 , and remained there until redeploying to the United States on July 14 , 1945 . The brigade arrived in the United States on July 23 , 1945 , and was inactivated at Camp Gordon Johnston on October 20 of that year .