FM 31-5

War Department
Basic Field Manual

Landing Operations On Hostile Shores

Prepared under direction of the
Chief of Staff

United States
Government Printing Office
Washington: 1941


WAR DEPARTMENT.
WASHINGTON, June 2, 1941.

FM 31-5, Landing Operations on Hostile Shores, is published for the information and guidance of all concerned.

The general policies of the Army and the Navy on oversea expeditions are contained in Joint Action of the Army and the Navy.

This manual is based to a large extent on Landing Operations Doctrine, U.S. Navy, 1938. The arrangement of subject matter is similar to the Navy publication and many of the illustrations are taken from it.

BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR:

OFFICIAL:

DISTRIBUTION:


Table of Contents

        Paragraphs Page
Chapter 1. General    
  Section I.   General 1-8 1
  II.   Advance forces 9-12 7
  III.   Main and secondary landings 13-16 9
  IV.   Selection of landing areas 17-26 11
  V.   Time of landing 27-33 15
Chapter 2. Organization for Landing Operations    
  Section I.   Organization and command 34-45 18
  II.   Beach and shore parties 46-51 24
  III.   Station and maneuver areas 52-57 27
Chapter 3. Landing Boats    
  Section I.   General 58-65 32
  II.   Standard Army and Navy boats 66-73 35
Chapter 4. Ship-to-Shore Movement    
  Section I.   General 74-75 42
  II.   Organization 76-80 44
  III.   Boat group formations, platoon and company 81-88 48
  IV.   Boat group formations, assault battalion 89-97 52
  V.   Landing of regimental, division, or landing force reserves 98-101 57
  VI.   Planning 102-111 59
  VII.   Execution 112-119 71
Chapter 5. Operations on Shore    
  Section I.   General 120-122 83
  II.   Reconnaissance patrols prior to and during landing phase 123-132 84
  III.   Beachhead 133-140 91
  IV.   Scheme of maneuver 141-145 95
  V.   Withdrawal and reembarkation 146-150 99
Chapter 6. Naval Gunfire    
  Section I.   Targets and fire missions 151-157 101
  II.   Characteristics 158-166 104
  III.   Requirements in guns and ammunition 161-171 107
  IV.   Coordination of fire 172-175 110
Chapter 7. Aviation    
  Section I.   General 176-181 113
  II.   Air operations preliminary to landing 182-184 116
  III.   Air operations during debarkation 185-187 117
  IV.   Air operations during approach to beach 188-192 118
  V.   Air operations during advance inland 193-194 120
Chapter 8. Signal Communication    
  Section I.   General 195-198 122
  II.   Ship-to-shore and ashore 199-207 125
Chapter 9. Field Artillery, Antiaircraft Protection, Tank and Engineer Units, and Chemicals    
  Section I.   Field artillery 208-211 131
  II.   Antiaircraft protection 212-215 133
  III.   Tank units 216-221 135
  IV.   Engineer units 222 137
  V.   Chemicals 223-230 137
Chapter 10. Administration    
  Section I.   General 231-234 140
  II.   Embarkation 235-241 141
  III.   Transport loading 242-246 147
  IV.   System of supply 247-255 158
  V.   Military police 256-260 163
  VI.   Engineers 261-266 164
  VIII.   Medical service 267-271 167
Chapter 11. Special Training for Landing Operations    
  Section I.   General 272-276 171
  II.   Training prior to embarkation 277-283 172
  III.   Joint signal communication training 284-287 175
Appendix I. Boat nomenclature   177
Appendix II. Types of Navy ships and aircraft   184
Appendix III. Small boat types   185
Appendix IV. Definitions of sea terms   186
Index 192


Transcribed and formatted by Patrick Clancey, HyperWar Foundation