Landing Operations Doctrine

United States Navy
1938

F.T.P. 167

Office of Naval Operations
Division of Fleet Training

United States
Government Printing Office
Washington: 1938

Contents

Section   Page
  Chapter I. Landing Operations, General  
I. Objectives of landing operations 1
II. Forces to be employed 4
III. Advance forces 5
IV. Main and subsidiary landings 7
V. Beachheads 9
VI. Selection of landing areas 12
VII. Scheme of maneuver 15
VIII. Comparative times of landing 26
IX. Plans and orders 28
  Chapter II. Task Organizations  
I. Organization and command 29
II. Beach and shore parties 34
III. Station and maneuver areas 36
IV. Coordination of operations 38
  Chapter III. Landing Boats  
I. General 43
II. Standard Navy boats 47
III. Special equipment for standard Navy boats 50
IV. Special Navy landing boats 54
  Chapter IV. Ship to Shore Movement  
I. General 61
II. Task organizations 62
III. Formations, frontages, and distances 69
IV. Planning 81
V. Execution 94
VI. Reconnaissance patrols 101
VII. Boat formation signals 106
VIII. Salvage operations 108
  Chapter V. Naval Gunfire  
I. Mission 111
II. Classification of batteries and ships 116
III. Basic organization 122
IV. Coordination of naval gunfire 125
V. Techniques 131
VI. Naval gunfire annex 134
VII. Illustrative problem 134
  Chapter VI. Aviation  
I. General 151
II. Aerial missions 153
III. Aerial operations preliminary to landing 154
IV. Aerial operations during debarkation 155
V. Aerial operations during approach to the beach 155
VI. Aerial operations during the advance inland 157
VII. Air bases 158
VIII. Communications 158
IX. Requirements in bombs 159
  Chapter VII. Communications  
I. General 161
II. Ship to shore movement 162
III. Communication between ship and shore 164
IV. Initiation of the shore communication system 169
  Chapter VIII. Field Artillery, Tanks, Chemicals, and Smoke  
I. Field artillery 173
II. Tanks 181
III. Chemicals 184
IV. Smoke 187
  Chapter IX. Logistics  
I. Classification of Marine Corps matériel 201
II. Administrative plans 202
III. Embarkation 205
IV. Transport loading 211
V. System of supply 221
VI. Military police 226
VII. Engineers 226
VIII. Medical service 230
   

Index

  

239

CHANGE No. 1 to
FTP-167

Navy Department,
Headquarters, Commander in Chief,
U.S. Fleet, and Chief of Naval Operations.

Washington, D.C., May 2, 1941.

Landing Operations Doctrine, U.S. Navy, 1938 (FTP-167) was approved on August 5, 1938, for the use and guidance of the naval service, and was made effective on receipt. This publication supersedes "Tentative Landing Operations Manual" of 1935, all copies of which were ordered destroyed by burning.

FTP-167 is intended as a guide for forces of the Navy and Marine Corps conducting a landing against opposition. It considers, primarily, the tactics and technique of the landing operation and the necessary supporting measures therefor. Purely naval or military operations are dealt with only to the extent to which these operations are influenced by the special nature of amphibious warfare.

Change No. 1 to FTP-167 is a complete revision of FTP-167 except for the title page. All pages of FTP-167 (except the title page) bearing Registered Nos. 1-1500 are to be removed and destroyed by burning. Change No. 1 shall be inserted in FTP-167 bearing Registered Nos. 1-1500.

FTP-167, bearing Registered Nos. 1501 and above, has Change No. 1 and the title page entered in process of preparation.

After entry of Change No. 1 to FTP-167 in any copy bearing Register Nos. 1-1500, or after receipt of FTP-167, Register Nos. 1501 and above, the fly leaf receipt shall be executed and forwarded to the Chief of Naval Operations (D.N.C. Registered Publication Section), or District Library, as appropriate.

FTP-167 is a [formerly] confidential registered publication. It shall be handled and accounted for in accordance with the instructions contained in the U.S. Navy Regulations and the current edition of the Registered Publication Manual. It is assigned Class C stowage. It shall not be carried in aircraft for use therein.

It is forbidden to make extracts from or additional copies of this publication without specific authority from the Chief of Naval Operations, except as provided for in the current editioin of the Registered Publication Manual.

H.R. Stark,
Admiral, U.S. Navy,
Chief of Naval Operations.

--(iii)--

CHANGE No. 2 to
FTP-167

Navy Department,
Headquarters, Commander in Chief,
U.S. Fleet, and Chief of Naval Operations.

Washington, D.C., August 1, 1942.

Change No. 2 to Landing Operations Doctrine, U.S. Navy, 1938 (FTP-167) is approved. Change No. 2 has been incorporated in the following numbered pages which are transmitted herewith:

Pages:

VII
9
14
34
35
36
41
42
43
45
46
47
48
49
50		 51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
84
85
89
93		 95
98
103
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
170
171
174
175
178		 181
182
200
214
218
220
228
239
240
241
242
243
244

These pages will be inserted immediately on receipt, and superseded pages will be destroyed by burning, no report of destruction being required.

/S/ R.E. Edwards,
for and in the absence of
E.J. King,
Admiral, U.S. Navy,
Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet and
Chief of Naval Operations.

--(iv)--
COMINCH FILE
FFI/A10
Serial: 02593		 CHANGE No. 3 to
FTP 167

Navy Department,
Headquarters of the Commander in Chief,
UNITED STATES FLEET

Washington, D.C., 1 August 1943.

From: Commander in Chief, United States Fleet, and Chief of Naval Operations.
To: All Holders of F.T.P. 167.
Subject: Change No. 3 to F.T.P. 167.
Enclosure: (A) New pages nos. IVa, IVb, VII, VIII, IX, X, 111 to 150 (inclusive), 239 to 244 (inclusive).

  1. Change No. 3 to F.T.P. 167, Landing Operations Doctrine, U.S. Navy, 1938, is promulgated herewith and is effective upon receipt. It is [formerly] confidential and nonregistered and shall be stowed, transported and handled in accordance with the current edition of the Registered Publications Manual.

  2. This change shall be entered as follows:
      Pen changes:
        Par. 223c, p. 38--change HYPO to HOW; change PREP to PETER.
        Fig. 2, p. 41--change OPTION to OBOE; change HYPO to HOW.
        Par. 230, p. 42--change "Section VI" to "Section IV."
        Par. 322, p. 54--insert "(FTP 207)" at end of paragraph.
        Fig. 16, p. 91--change "Affirm" to "Able."
        Fig. 17, p. 93--change CAST to CHARLIE in two places.
        Fig. 23b, p. 107--change "Affirm" to "Able."
        Fig. 23c, p. 108--change "Unit" to "Uncle" in three places; change "Hypo" to "How."
        Par. 615b, p. 154--change "par. 553" to "par. 522."
        Par. 624c, p. 157--change "par. 543" to "section IV, Chapter V."
        Par. 637a, p. 159--at end of first sentence, strike out "as described in section III, Chapter V."
        Par. 811a, p. 178--change "see pars. 542, 552c, and 731" to "see section IV, Chapter V."
        Par. 833b, p. 188--change "par. 543" to "section IV."

    1. Insert the numbered pages transmitted herewith as Enclosure (A). Superseded pages will be destroyed by burning, no report of destructon being required.

/s/ R.S. Edwards,
Chief of Staff.

--IVa--
[BLANK]

--IVb--
CORRECTION PAGE

Change No. R.P.M. Date entered Signature
1      
(In registered numbers 1501 to 3500 Change No. 1 was entered in preparation)
2   November 1942  
3   16 October 1943 /s/ M.V. Heesaker, Y 3/c
       
       
       
       
       
       
       

--(V)--
[BLANK]

--(VI)--
LIST OF EFFECTIVE PAGES

Subject matter Page No. Change in
effect
  Title Page    ---    Original. 
  Promulgating letter    III    Ch. 1. 
  Promulgating letter    IV    Ch. 2. 
  Promulgating letter    IVa    Ch. 3. 
  Correction Page    V    Original. 
  List of Effective Pages    VII-VIII    Ch. 3. 
  Contents    IX    Ch. 3. 
  Text    1-8    Ch. 1. 
      9    Ch. 2. 
      10-13    Ch. 1. 
      14    Ch. 2. 
      15-33    Ch. 1. 
      34-36    Ch. 2. 
      37-40    Ch. 1. 
      41-43    Ch. 2. 
      44    Ch. 1. 
      45-61    Ch. 2. 
      62-83    Ch. 1. 
      84-85    Ch. 2. 
      86-88    Ch. 1. 
      89    Ch. 2. 
      90-92    Ch. 1. 
      93    Ch. 2. 
      94    Ch. 1. 
      95    Ch. 2. 
      96-97    Ch. 1. 
      98    Ch. 2. 
      99-102    Ch. 1. 
      103    Ch. 2. 
      104-110    Ch. 1. 
      111-150    Ch. 3. 
      151-160    Ch. 1. 
      161-167    Ch. 2. 
      168-169    Ch. 1. 
      170-171    Ch. 2. 
      172-173    Ch. 1. 
      174-175    Ch. 2. 
      176-177    Ch. 1. 
      178    Ch. 2. 
      179-180    Ch. 1. 
      181-182    Ch. 2. 
      183-199    Ch. 1. 
      200    Ch. 2. 
      201-213    Ch. 1. 
      214    Ch. 2. 
      215-217    Ch. 1. 
      218    Ch. 2. 
      219    Ch. 1. 
      220    Ch. 2. 
      221-227    Ch. 1. 
      228    Ch. 2. 
      229-238    Ch. 1. 
  Index    239-244    Ch. 3. 
  Blank pages      ii, ivb, vi, 52, 53, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 110, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 160, 172, 238, 244 

Transcribed and formatted by Patrick Clancey, HyperWar Foundation