Page 602 - 1992 - XVIII Congresso Internazionale di Storia Militare

568 JOHN T. GllEENWOOO

mand the landings and operacions of America n ground forces in French Morocco
while Hewitt, commanding the Western Naval Task Force, headed naval planning
and operadons. Although rhe planning was done separarely, Patton and the War
Departmenc racicly accepced unìry of command under Hewin from alter the con-
voy saiJed undl the ground forces had establisbed rhemselves ashore <48l. Eisenbow-
er's policy on uniry of command and ÌtS parti al exrension m the Western Task Force
was a major stc:p toward resolving the uoubling quescioo of comma od of joinc am-
4
phìbious operations and the transicion from naval co land commander C91,
In Europe and the Mediterranea n from "Torch" on, joinr amphibious assault
forces carne under naval command until lodgements were successful, ar v.•hich cime
command rransferred ro the ground commandersClOI. With some thearer variatious,
Eisenhower's approach became srandard for mosr of che Army's warrime joint am-
phibious operations and was also siroilar w rbe uoified command arrangements
for American joint operations approved by che JCS in Aprii 1943 <Sll.
By Seprember 1942, the EAC's once brighe furu.re had quickly faded. Deci-
sions at che joint and combined levels on "Toreh" resulted in cutting the planned
eighteen engineer regimenrs ro eighc engineer amphibian brigades and chen co three
2
operational and rwo reserve brigades <) l. When me l.st Brigade wem co England,
the 2nd Brigade men became the training brigade wich me AGF's Amphibious T rain-
ing Command. Bue irs future and thac of the 3rd Bcigade, whose full acrivacion
was placed on hold, were now bleak indeed as many of cheir rrained amphibian
perso n nel were sipboned off as cadres for che shore engineer unirs (36th and 540th
Engineer Regimencs) char would supporr Parron's "Torch'' landings CHl.
Just as the simation appeared losc alrogerber, Colonel Arrbur G. Trudeau, the
E A C' s Chief of Sraff, learned rbac ~neral Douglas MacArthu.r' s Southwesc Padfìc
Area (SWPA) lacked che landing craft and amphibious forces ro suscain any offen-
sive opecations. He quickly sa w a furore for che amphibian brigades and approached
che Services of Supply an d Operarions Division wirh a pian to send tbe brigades
co MacAnhur. Within weeks rbe Army andJoinc Chiefs agreed ro deploy rhe 2nd,
3rd, and 4th EABs co SWPA along wich a complete landing craft assembly unir
and plam C5 4 1.
ln November 1942. the 2nd Engineer Amphibian Brigade was ordered co Aus-
tralia where ir anived eady in 1943. MacArthur enrbusiasricaUy wdcomed rbese
unics because mei.r smaU crafc were ideally suired for moving men, equipment, and
supplies in che shallow coasral and island-srudded wacers in his cheater <nl. This
was especiaUy aue along che norrh coasr of Papua-New Guinea where che Navy
had feared co go because of)apanese land-based aviaùon ar RabauJ1)61 . These ac-
tions so significandy increased rbe Navy's inreresr in providù1g amphibious sup-
porc ro MacA.rcbur thac in Decerober l942, after severa! mooths of delay, ir bastily
creared che 7rh Amphibious Force under Admiral Dao Barbey <m.
The year long tug-of-war berween rhe Army and Navy and wirhin the Army
icself over orgaoizadon, planning, and uaining for amphibious operations fìnaJJy