[MarkSheppard]

I have some notes for US style beach assaults if you want to make your assaults more realistic (generated or edited scenarios)

Sources:
FM 60-5: Amphibious Operations – Battalion in Assault Landing (February 1951)
FM 60-10: Amphibious Operations – Regiment in Assault Landings (January 1952)
FM 60-30: Amphibious Operations – Embarkation and Ship Loading (Unit Loading Officer) (September 1952)

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TYPES OF AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS AND MOVEMENT

There are FIVE types of AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS, broken down as:

INVASION. An invasion is a large scale operation to seize and secure a beachhead from which to launch and support a major land offensive such as the Normandy, Southern France, and Lingayen operations in World War II.

OCCUPATION. An occupation is a limited objective operation to seize and secure a land area for use as an air, naval, or logistic base to support further operations, or to deny use of the area to the enemy. Examples include the Admiralty Islands, Bougainville, and Iwo Jima operations in World War II.

RAID. A raid is an operation, usually small scale, involving the temporary seizure of a limited objective, or a swift penetration of hostile territory to secure information, confuse the enemy, or destroy his installations. It ends with a planned withdrawal upon completion of the assigned mission. Examples include the Dieppe, Narvik, and Makin Island operations in World War II.

DEMONSTRATION. A demonstration is an operation designed to confuse the enemy, to delay or reduce the effectiveness of his dispositions, and to cause him to commit his reserves against the demonstrating force. Generally, reserve RCT or BLT's are used for demonstrations, through appearing off enemy shores and staging mock landings (smoke screens, limited naval gunfire and unloading of a select few landing craft) to make the defender think that a genuine landing is occurring, causing the enemy to retain or move his forces to the area as a result.

WATERBORNE ENVELOPMENT: A waterborne envelopment is the movement of landing forces and their equipment by water to attack the flanks or rear of an enemy position.

Furthermore, within these five types of OPERATIONS, there are two types of MOVEMENT, which are:

SHIP-TO-SHORE. The transfer of troops, supplies, and equipment from the transports or other oceangoing vessels into smaller landing craft or landing vehicles for movement to the beaches.

SHORE-TO-SHORE. Where the landing force elements move directly from the embarkation area to the landing beaches without transfer at sea.

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SELECTION OF BEACHES

A beach should be large enough for the landing of at least one BLT—about 500 to 1,000 yards wide. More than one beach should permit mutual support by adjacent BLT's and should provide immediate access to the natural inland avenues of approach to critical terrain features.

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BEACHHEAD LINES

THE BATTALION BEACHHEAD LINE extends far enough inland (3 km) to prevent enemy direct fire of small arms weapons and ground observed high angle fire from being placed on the beach. (Machine guns and Mortars)

THE REGIMENTAL BEACHHEAD LINE extends far enough inland (about 11 km) to prevent enemy ground observed light artillery fire (75mm Howitzers etc) from being placed on the beach.

THE DIVISION BEACHHEAD LINE protects the beach from enemy ground observed medium artillery fire (105/155mm Howitzers etc; or about 25 km inland), and provides for expansion of the beachhead to provide room for the landing and maneuver of division and force elements.

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In U.S. Army planning, the Reinforced Infantry Division is the basic large Army unit that can be trained and equipped for amphibious operations.

A reinforced infantry division is organized into three Regimental Combat Teams (RCT's).

Each RCT is further divided into three Battalion Landing Teams (BLT's).

BLTs are designed around the Infantry Battalion as it's core, with mission specific attachments as needed according to the needs of that BLT, and each BLT can be roughly categorized as follows:

Assault BLT: These are reinforced, self-supporting BLTs intended to go in on the first wave.

Reserve BLT: These are held in reserve to either land and exploit the success of prior Assault BLTs, or take over the mission of the Assault BLT if it fails (ref: Omaha Beach).

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At the tactical level, amphibious operations are basically organized as follows:

ASSAULT RIFLE PLATOON: Lands in two or three landing craft in the same wave in either line abreast or inverted V formation. Frontage assigned is 100 to 200 yards (91 to 182m). To ensure that the platoon front is covered with fire upon immediately landing, the distance between landing craft is 40 to 70 yards (36.5 to 64m).

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ASSAULT RIFLE COMPANY: Frontage assigned is 250 to 500 yards (228.6 to 457.2m) and the company lands in the following configurations:

TWO PLATOONS IN ASSAULT. In this formation the two leading platoons, usually accompanied by some supporting weapons, make up the first wave of the assault. The support platoon, company headquarters, and the rest of the supporting weapons normally make up the second wave. The support platoon follows the leading wave at enough interval to let the assault platoons clear the immediate beach of the enemy. The landing of the second wave is scheduled to provide timely support to the platoons of the assault wave, the time interval varying from 3 to 12 minutes.

ONE PLATOON IN ASSAULT. In this formation one platoon lands in the first wave. The other two land abreast in the second wave. The leading platoon may be assigned the task of clearing the immediate beach of enemy resistance, and of securing enough ground to protect it from close observation and small arms fire. The platoon normally is given a limited objective. Upon landing, the support platoons pass through it and carry the attack forward. The leading platoon, upon being passed through, then becomes the company support.

COLUMN OF PLATOONS. Using this formation, the company normally covers a frontage of less than 250 yards (228.6m). Hence, the formation reduces congestion and is useful for landing on a limited beach or under conditions of reduced visibility. Since this formation subjects each platoon successively to concentrated enemy fires, the time interval between waves is reduced as much as possible without congesting landing craft and intermingling units on the beach. This time interval should be from 3 to 6 minutes.

PLATOONS ABREAST. This formation may be used when the initial enemy resistance is expected to be light, or to deliver a powerful frontal assault to seize an objective at the water's edge preliminary to a passage of lines. When this formation is used, all platoons are committed at the same time and the company has little chance to maneuver. This formation seldom is used by an assault company.

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ASSAULT BATTALION LANDING TEAM: Frontage assigned is 500 to 1,000 yards (457.2 to 914.4m) and the following formations may be used:

TWO COMPANIES IN ASSAULT AND ONE IN RESERVE.

Option A: Each assaulting company uses two platoons in the assault, with one in reserve. This formation permits the BLT to land on a frontage of 500 to 1,000 yards, with a battalion reserve available to extend the front or to exploit the success of either assault company. The same formation may be used for frontages of less than 500 yards by having one or both assault companies land in a column of platoons. This formation is particularly applicable where the beach line is regular, and where open terrain extends inland for a considerable distance. Under such conditions, the first troops to land need enough power to drive in quickly to seize their initial objectives.

Option B: Each assault company uses a platoon as the assault force, with two in reserve. This formation provides an assault force of only two platoons, but it has the advantage of initially providing a BLT reserve to meet any situation.

ONE COMPANY IN ASSAULT AND TWO IN RESERVE. The assaulting company has two platoons in assault and one in support. The two remaining rifle companies land abreast. This formation has the advantage of putting one company commander in command of the initial assault on the beach with a support platoon at his disposal to influence the action. The remaining two companies, landing abreast, are in proper formation to pass through the assault force, continue the attack, and extend the front. In this formation, the whole BLT is committed to a single course of action soon after landing.

COLUMN OF COMPANIES. This formation may be used under conditions of limited visibility when the attack is on a narrow front, or it may be used to prevent congestion on a very restricted beach

THREE COMPANIES ABREAST. This formation is used when the initial enemy resistance is expected to be very light, and when it is desired to land the BLT elements as quickly as possible. It also is used to deliver a powerful frontal assault to seize an important objective at the water's edge.

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The BLT commander assigns elements of his BLT to each wave, according to various factors. But generally, the following principles are kept:

FIRST WAVE: Assault rifle units, engineer demolition teams, and light-weapon teams are included in the first landing-craft wave. This wave must be capable of quickly crossing the beach, overrunning beach positions, and driving inland unhampered by heavy equipment. Each boat team is a self contained tactical unit capable of independent action upon landing. This requires reinforcement of boat teams with appropriate weapons and personnel (rocket launchers, light machine guns, flamethrowers, recoilless weapons, etc).

SECOND WAVE: Remainder of the rifle companies in the BLT.

THIRD WAVE: Rifle Company Support Weapons and crew-served weapons (LMG's 75mm RCL, etc) of the Heavy Weapons Company along with the Shore Party Reconnaissance Team.

FOURTH WAVE: Reserve Rifle Company and first half of the Shore Party.

FIFTH WAVE: Platoon Heavy Mortar Company and the second half of the Shore Party.

SIXTH & SEVENTH WAVES: Vehicles and towed artillery. These are normally not landed until roadways across the beach are accessible and firing positions secured.

NOTE ON BLT COMMANDER: The BLT Commander, XO and reduced staff, along with the Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) and Field Artillery Liaison officer (FO) are not scheduled to land in any specific wave. Instead, they are assigned to ride in independent, free boats. This way, they are free to land at the time and place where they can best control the ashore action.

NOTE ON THIRD WAVE AND ONWARDS ORGANIZATION: Boats are organized to maintain tactical integrity where possible, based upon the principle of distribution of personnel, equipment and vital supplies across multiple boats. For example, all mortar ammunition is not loaded on a single landing craft, since if that craft is lost, the assault is seriously affected. Towed weapons are boated with their crews and prime movers on board, to enable them to be moved ashore as fast as possible.

NOTE ON FOLLOWING THE PLAN: Amphibious Operations reinforce success and don't reinforce failure. At Omaha Beach, for example; the initial landing at DOG GREEN (aka Saving Private Ryan first 30 minutes) was not reinforced by higher command. Instead, the follow up waves saw the first wave being cut to pieces and changed their landing zones to Dog White to avoid Dog Green.

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Timing is generally:

Wave 1 (H-Hour)
Wave 2 (3+ Minutes)
Wave 3 (7+ Minutes)
Wave 4 (ON CALL / 12 Minutes)
Wave 5 (ON CALL / 17 Minutes)
Wave 6 (ON CALL / 30 Minutes)
Wave 7 (ON CALL / 35 Minutes)

NOTE: ON CALL is for when strong initial enemy resistance is expected to be encountered.

The waves are held in abeyance to see how the initial first three waves of landing develop before they're committed.

In a landing where weak or no enemy resistance is expected, you may land on schedule.

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NOTES for Landing Craft:

Generally, an assault BLT requires about 40 LCVP's and from 6 to 8 LCM's to land its BOAT TEAMS in one trip.

An amphibious tank company will usually be attached to each assault BLT. These tanks, known as LVT(A)'s, normally constitute the leading wave of assault BLT's, and may also furnish flank protection for the BLT's landing on the flank. Amphibious tanks place howitzer and machine-gun fire upon the beach area while moving toward the beach, and provide fire support ashore until the arrival and commitment of land tanks.

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NOTES For Naval Gunfire Support:

BATTLESHIPS (BB): These ships carry a large supply of ammunition and are most commonly employed in general support of the landing force at CORPS or DIVISION level, but when fortifications are expected to be encountered that only a battleship can reduce, they may be employed in direct support of an RCT.

HEAVY CRUISERS (CA): These ships carry a large supply of ammunition and organic spotting planes so that they are best employed in direct support of an DIVISION or RCT.

LIGHT CRUISERS (CL): These ships carry a large supply of ammunition and organic spotting planes so that they are best employed in direct support of a RCT or BLT.

DESTROYERS (DD): Destroyers are very maneuverable, have a simple ship gunnery organization, and are most commonly employed in direct support of assault BLT's.

LSM(R)s: LSM(R)'s are employed to deliver a heavy volume of rocket fire on the landing beaches and adjacent areas. After the landing, they may be used in direct support of any echelon that can effectively employ them, and in general support of the landing force.

Generally, combat ships heavier than light cruisers (CL) are not usually placed in direct support of BLT's but are held in general support by higher commanders; so a typical Fire Support Unit (FSU) might consist of one CL and one or more DD's.