[bert]

The record of history is that naval gunfire support is ineffective against hardened defensive sites.

At Normandy, at Tawara, at Iwo Jima, the enemy poped up after the fire ended and killed many soldiers and Marines.

The preparation was sound and fury but accomplished little besides giving Marines a false sense of security.

[neverdem]

The record of history is that naval gunfire support is ineffective against hardened defensive sites.

At Normandy, at Tawara, at Iwo Jima, the enemy poped up after the fire ended and killed many soldiers and Marines.

The preparation was sound and fury but accomplished little besides giving Marines a false sense of security.

I agree with indiscriminate area fire being largely ineffective, except the occasional, lucky hole in one which do happen. A point target with a competent forward observer, fire direction control and gun grews was a piece of cake before GPS. Now they have GPS artillery rounds. See Kinder, Gentler Artillery.

[GOP_Party_Animal]

The preparation was sound and fury but accomplished little besides giving Marines a false sense of security.

I shudder to think what those landings would have been like if we only had 5" guns for preparatory bombardment. Although they were bloody days for the Marines, those landings would simply have not been possible without big guns.