Seventh Amphibious Force

Command History

10 January 1943-23 December 1945

Vice Admiral Daniel E. Barbey, U.S. Navy,
Commander Amphibious Force, Southwest Pacific
and Commander SEVENTH Amphibious Force
from 10 January 1943 to 23 December 1945
which included the entire period of existence of these Commands.

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Contents

				Page
Foreword				v
Part I	Narrative Summary			I-1
Part II	Command, Staff Organization and Administration			II-1
	(a)	Staff Organization and History		II-1
	(b)	Amphibious Training of Ground Forces by SEVENTH Amphibious Force		II-10
	(c)	Special Problems, Functions and Organizations
		1.	Echelon Movement of Amphibious Shipping	II-27
		2.	Beach Parties	II-31
		3.	Engineer Special Brigades (Shore Parties)	II-39
		4.	Landing Craft Control Officers--SEVENTH Amphibious Force Representatives	II-46
		5.	Assignment of Australian and British Ships	II-48
	(d)	Special Operations
		1.	Minesweeping--Philippines and Borneo	II-51
		2.	Movement of Service Units, Supplies and Equipment from Rear to Forward Bases	II-57
	(e)	Medical Services and Casualty Care		II-61
	(f)	Air Support Operations		II-80
	(g)	Administrative Command		II-86
Annexes	(A)	Chart of the Pacific Area Showing Operations by the SEVENTH Amphibious Force
	(B)	Designation of Operation Plans and Operation Orders for Major Amphibious Operations
	(C)	Charts of Task Organization of Forces
	(D)	List of Naval Commanders, Landing Force Commanders and Major Landing Units
	(E)	Table and Chart Showing Troops and Cargo Transported in Major Assault Operations
	(F)	Chart Showing Number and Displacement Tonnage of Amphibious and Supporting Ships Employed in Major Operations
	(G)	Miscellaneous Data
	(H)	List of Code Names used to designate Operations, Geographical Locations and Task Forces in the Southwest Pacific Area

Illustrations	Page
Vice Admiral DANIEL E. BARBEY, USN	Frontispiece
Rear Admiral WILLIAM M. FECHTELER, USN, Deputy Commander and first Commander Amphibious Group Eight	I-18
Vice Admiral BARBEY with Rear Admiral ARTHUR D. STRUBLE, USN, Commander Amphibious Group Nine and Rear Admiral WILLIAM M. FECHTELER, USN, Command Amphibious Group Eight	II-25
Vice Admiral BARBEY with Rear Admiral FORREST B. ROYAL, USN, Commander Amphibious Group Six	II-50
Commodore RAY TARBUCK, Chief of Staff and Rear Admiral ALBERT G. NOBLE, USN, Former Chief of Staff and later Commander Amphibious Group Eight	II-78

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Foreword

For almost three years, the SEVENTH Amphibious Force trained its personnel, fought a determined enemy, and carried Allied troops forward with accelerating pace and swelling power. Its strength and its success derived from the qualities of the individuals who composed it--foresight, courage, indefatigable energy, resourceful "know-how", the will to endure danger and suffering and hardship.

I am tremendously proud of the performance of the officers and men of the SEVENTH Amphibious Force, and, that others may more fully share my pride in their accomplishments, I hope that a more complete history some day will be written.

We have collected here the material from which the future historian may frame an outline for a more finished and detailed work. Our purpose has been to record significant incidents and conditions, dates and statistics, methods and opinions of participants, while they are fresh in the minds of those who were a part of the SEVENTH Amphibious Force.

Supplements to this Command History will deal separately with the amphibious phases of the various campaigns in which the SEVENTH Amphibious Force took part.

/signed/
DANIEL E. BARBEY,
Vice Admiral, U.S. Navy,
Commander Seventh Amphibious Force.

U.S.S. ESTES
SHANGHAI, CHINA
23 December 1945

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