Naval Infantry

[S. Quentin Quale, Esq.]

Here is some interesting information for the Navy side of GAF.

Naval Infantry has long been used as a tactical and strategic force.  The transition from sail to steam meant the type of seaman found aboard a ship would be different.  This would mean a change in the way Naval Infantry would be organized.

In 1891 a new Landing-Force Manual was promulgated.  It was based upon Upton’s Infantry Tactics and was written by two Navy officers and one Army officer.  The Navy chose to follow the Army’s tactical doctrine (vice the Marine Corps tactical doctrine) so that in combined operations there would be a “seamless” operational joining.

I’ve searched for a copy on line of the 1891 Manual but have not found one.  I’m still trying to get to the Naval Historical Center at the Washington Navy Yard to spend a day or so in their library.  I hope they have one there.  I’m going to try again this fall.

I did find an on line version of the 1920 revision, which notes that it is a revision of a version promulgated in 1918.  I’m still researching the number of revisions.  Here is the like to the 1920 revision.
 http://books.google.com/books?id=oOD1xJwL2rcC&printsec=frontcover&dq=landing+party+manual&source=bl&ots=DpD2NKsyfm&sig=Faucid-br-vDhjCzsqYpNbkrsFk&hl=en&ei=enNQTZO-EcrbgQe76J00&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CEIQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q&f=false

As you can see it is quite long and quite comprehensive.  Naval personnel in those days would not have had much basic infantry training.  The detail provided allows an officer or petty officer to at least get a “book learning” foundation.

Another interesting link is found here:

http://warships1discussionboards.yuku.com/topic/7833

This is interesting because with the Spanish-American War the U.S. would enter into its short era of “imperialism.”  The Navy was active in that expansion.  The occupation of Vera Cruz was the largest pre-WWII USN/USMC operation that I’m aware of.  While that is somewhat later than the emphasis of most GAF folks it’s interesting as it shows the U.S. military establishment learned a bunch of lessons from the SAW and put them to good use.

Some folks here do a Naval Officer impression.  The photos posed here show a discrepancy in the uniform worn.  The Uniform Regulations of the day specify white shoes with the Service Dress White uniform.  I was long puzzled by photos from Vera Cruz (and some other operations) showing some officers wearing white shoes and some that were clearly black shoes with the SDW uniform.  Then I found the answer.  Para. 61(2) on page 30 of the Manual states:  “White shoes shall never be worn with leggings.”  While I do not have a copy of the earlier versions of this Manual the photographic evidence suggests that this rule is quite old.  I’ve modified the impressions I was planning for this year’s National Cavalry Competition. 

Here is a final link summarizing much of the history of the use of Naval Infantry to the present day.  This is relevant as there are several thousand sailors deployed ashore as infantry in Iraq and Afghanistan.

http://www.history.navy.mil/library/online/naval_infantry.htm

SQQ

[Grizzly Adams]

Great post!  The use of Bluejackets as Naval Infantry was common, indeed.  Ship board Marine companies were small and Bluejackets were often used to augment those units.  Leading up to and even after the SAW, many folks in the Navy Department were NOT a big fans of the Marine Corp during the 1890s.  Most sailors despised Marines, who they saw only as the "Sailor's hitching post" as Marines were primarily used aboard ship as policemen who arrested the unfortunate sole who returned to the ship with a little too much liberty in him!  In fact, many line officer in the Navy felt that Bluejackets could be used more effectively than Marines, and  pressed Theodore Roosevelt to disband the Marines, as being unnecessary.  He came close, and   on 12 November, 1908, issued executive order 969, which relegated Marines to garrison and guard duties ashore.  From 1898 to 1914 not a single graduate of Annapolis chose to go into the Corps.  Historical events and friends in congress would reverse that course, however, and the USMCs role would become better defined.

For those more interested in this period of our history, and in US Naval history, I highly recommend "The American Steel Navy", by Cdr. John D. Alden, USN (Ret)  Lots of great photos of the men, the uniforms, and the ships.

Here is a link to a site with lots of period photos of Naval Infantry used in the occupation of Vera Cruz, Mexico.

http://www.thortrains.com/online/veracruz1.htm

Note that the Bluejackets dyed their whites with coffee as an early form of "cammo."

[JimBob]

Good posts and good links,thanks.The Vera Cruz pictures are very interesting,one of them shows a sailor with a shotgun.Interesting in that it's a long barrel field gun and not a riot model.

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[S. Quentin Quale, Esq.]

Thank you Mr. Adams for the photo links!!!   

I have been looking for photos of mounted Naval Officers in field gear for a very long time.  The second last photo of the third link is the answer to a prayer!!!!!

Of course now I've go to "photo interpret" the picture.  It's of an LCDR and a Surgeon.  The Surgeon looks like he's wearing a Marine Corps shirt with an armband (possibly Red Cross).  He does not appear to be armed.  He is wearing a shoulder board that appears "soft" but that may just be distortion.  He's also wearing a Campaign Hat.

The LCDR appears to be wearing a dyed SDW blouse and trousers, with leggings.  I can't tell if he's armed or not, but his blouse is clearly "belted."  He might be wearing a sword on his left.  He's wearing a Fedora and it has something on the front (Eagle, Globe, and Anchor; did he borrow the hat from a Marine?).  The photo quality is just not good enough to tell for sure.

Behind the LCDR there appears to be a mounted Chief in un-dyed whites.

The LCDR seems to be riding an English-type saddle; the Surgeon may be on a Mac.  I'm not familiar enough with them; the rigging doesn't look right, but then maybe it is.

The LCDR's horse is carrying a bit and bradoon, but I don't think the bridle is an M1909 (but it might be; the detail just isn't good enough to be sure).  My guess is that it's a civilian bridle.  The Surgeon's horse looks like it's carrying a civilian bridle with a "Tom Thumb-type" bit.

IIRC the 1907 Uniform Regulations permitted the Captain of a ship to authorize enlisted members of the landing force to dye up to two uniforms khaki.  In a later document the ship was permitted to purchase two bottles of dye for this purpose.  I would not be surpised that coffee or tea might be used as a dye in the abscence of a formal material.

These photos are Mondo Kool!!!!!

SQQ

[pony express]

That's a great site! I'll have to spend a little time going through that one. I noticed that the sailors seem about equally divided on wearing the caps with the brim up, or down.

Is there a source for navy uniforms, or maybe a sewing pattern? I've considered trying a navy impression to go with one of the European rifles of our time period, and it seems that many of the naval uniforms are similar,(especially the whites) main difference is the headgear and different color stripes on the collar and sleeves.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Good posts and good links,thanks.The Vera Cruz pictures are very interesting,one of them shows a sailor with a shotgun.Interesting in that it's a long barrel field gun and not a riot model.

Probably a private purchase?  The guy looks like Steve McQueen's older brother.  (The Sand Pebbles)

[Grizzly Adams]

Is there a source for navy uniforms, or maybe a sewing pattern? I've considered trying a navy impression to go with one of the European rifles of our time period, and it seems that many of the naval uniforms are similar,(especially the whites) main difference is the headgear and different color stripes on the collar and sleeves.

I don't know of a source for period European Navy stuff, although Royal Navy, Russian and Chinese Navy uniforms can be found on ebay. 

I know of a couple of sources for American Civil War USN and CSN uniforms, and for WWII US Navy uniforms.
http://www.civilwarnavalmuseum.com/shop/index.php?cPath=2&&page=1 (Reasonable price and fair quality.)
http://www.hesson-clothiers.com/  (Steve hand makes these, and they are the best quality and most authentic.)
http://www.wwiiimpressions.com/usn.html (Great stuff, but wrong period!)

Unfortunately, the SAW and WWI period is pretty much a custom option.  I found a local seamstress here who was able to produce a set of SAW blues and a set of dress whites (with blue collar and cuffs.) for me based on regulations, period pics and actual period uniform items I have collected..  See pics of the WR color guard for pics of the blues.

The current USN uniform is entirely different in terms of construction and materials from even those worn in the 1950 and 1960s.  The Whites are some kind of strange cotton/poly blend, and the blues are black gabardine wool. 

Actual period uniforms do show up on ebay occasionally, but most are too old and valuable to wear, even if you could find a size big enough for most of us!

[S. Quentin Quale, Esq.]

The new Navy uniforms are pretty easy care, but are synthetics and are like wearing a plastic bag on hot days.   

You can get polywool blends and they are much more comfortable.  They are also considerably more expensive.

For officers the cut of the Service Dress White (choker) has changed little since the 1890s.  The Service Dress Blue (coat and tie version) has been pretty stable since the 1920s. 

One of the "firsts" in Vera Cruz was that is was the first combat deployment of Naval Avaition assets.  As I thought of that I remembered that the Naval Aviators of the day wore a modified M1912 Marine Corps uniform (khaki cotton in the summer and green wool in the winterr).  It is possible that LCDR Keating was wearing that early aviation uniform.

During operations in Vera Cruz LT Richard Saufley is credited with two firsts.  He and his copilot, LT Patrick Bellinger, drew the first airborne maps of enemy positions.

LT Saufly carried out the first air-ground ordiance delivery.  The story is that the early Aviators were forbidden to carry weapons aloft.   On one of his mapping flight LT Saufley took fire from a Mexican ground position.  On his next flight he carried a bag of cakes of yellow soap.  He "bombed" the hostile position with these bars of soap.  This can be seen as tactically questionable but a great PR move.   

LT Saufley died in a crash on Santa Rosa Island, FL in 1916.  VADM Bellinger passed on in 1962.

Iron men in wooden airplanes.

SQQ

[Hangtown Frye]

Good posts and good links,thanks.The Vera Cruz pictures are very interesting,one of them shows a sailor with a shotgun.Interesting in that it's a long barrel field gun and not a riot model.

It looks like a Spencer pump shotgun, from what I can see of it.  I'd guess it was a local, confiscated piece.

Great info here, BTW.  And Quentin, if you can find the "Naval Encyclopedia" from the 1890's, it's a wealth of information.  I borrowed a copy from a friend years ago, and it includes the proper make-up of landing parties for various actions, including how many guys are to be provided with gun-cotton and revolvers, how many to serve the various artillery pieces, and how many officers and men to act as infantry.  I'll try to dig to see if I can turn up a copy on-line somewhere for you.

Good Luck with the project!

Cheers!

Gordon

[pony express]

 

Actual period uniforms do show up on ebay occasionally, but most are too old and valuable to wear, even if you could find a size big enough for most of us!

I know about those "size problems" with old uniforms. I have a set of my dad's blues from early '50's, as well as one pair of white pants. I can't believe how skinny he was! Measuring the waist with a tape measure, I think maybe 28"!!

[Hangtown Frye]

I found the Naval Encyclopedia I had mentioned above, it's from 1884, rather than the '90's as I had remembered:

A Naval Encyclopedia V1:
Comprising a Dictionary of Nautical Words and Phrases; Biographical Notices, and Records of Naval Officers; Special Articles of Naval Art and Science (1884)

Sadly, while Google Books lists it, they don't have it on line as of yet.  Dang!  It is, however, available through Amazon for $38 bucks:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?index=books&linkCode=qs&keywords=116173063X

Excellent information within it, I may have to break down and get my own copy!

Cheers!

Gordon

[JimBob]

For anyone interested on e-bay is the 1905 edition Landing Force and Small Arms Manual for sale.Missing covers but complete in readable condition.Item #220685615523 $130 or best offer.

[MUD MARINE]

The leading intellectual swabbie officers of the period wanted the Marines to be used to take, hold and protect ADVANCED BASES ESPECIALLY FOR COALING. tHERE WAS NEVER ANY INTEREST IN GETTING RID OF mARINES.

 The commandants of the day wanted to keep the marines aboard and denigrated the idea of what would eventually become the Fleet Marine Force. Not until Commandant Lejeune was their any effort on the FMF.

TR was a fan of the Corps BUT not as a part of the ship's company.

[Pony Racer]

Even the Revenue Cutter Service employed the Naval infantry concept in the Seminole Indian wars where we had to restore order in Florida.

one of the reasons that I love the period we dress and shoot in is for the revenue Cutter Service the small arms and rifle choices were varied depending on commanding officer and where the ships were located.

If you are ever in the Quantico VA area - their library is a treasure trove of books and plates that showcase our period - stop in and work with the workers to get some copies made of specific plates - they won't copy a whole book - but they will help as much as they can.

PR

[S. Quentin Quale, Esq.]

The leading intellectual swabbie officers of the period wanted the Marines to be used to take, hold and protect ADVANCED BASES ESPECIALLY FOR COALING. tHERE WAS NEVER ANY INTEREST IN GETTING RID OF mARINES.

 The commandants of the day wanted to keep the marines aboard and denigrated the idea of what would eventually become the Fleet Marine Force. Not until Commandant Lejeune was their any effort on the FMF.

TR was a fan of the Corps BUT not as a part of the ship's company.

Concur with this.

During the Age of Sail the Marines were used at least as much for "internal security" as anything else.  Needless to say they were not generally popular with the rank and file seamen of the time.     With the coming of the Age of Steam there was a notion that "internal security" forces would no longer be required.  This proved to be untrue and Marines to this day have such duties in limited circumstances (security pf "Special Weapons"  magazines is an example.

SQQ