Daniel E. Barbey
Encyclopedia
Vice Admiral Daniel Edward Barbey (23 December 1889 – 11 March 1969) was an officer in the United States Navy
who served in World War I
and World War II
. A graduate of the Naval Academy
, he participated in the 1912 United States occupation of Nicaragua and the 1915 United States occupation of Veracruz. While serving with the War Plans Section of the Bureau of Navigation in Washington, D.C.
between the World Wars, developed an interest in amphibious warfare
. In 1940 he produced Fleet Training Publication 167 – Landing Operations Doctrine, United States Navy, which would become the Navy's "bible" of amphibious operations, and would remain in use throughout World War II.
As commander Amphibious Force, Atlantic Fleet in 1940 and 1941 he supervised amphibious training and conducted Fleet Landing Exercises
. In May 1942, Barbey was appointed to organize a new Amphibious Warfare Section within the Navy Department, which was charged with responsibility for the coordination of amphibious training and the development and production of the new generation of landing craft
. In January 1943 he assumed command of Amphibious Force, Southwest Pacific Force, which became the VII Amphibious Force. He planned and carried out 56 amphibious assaults in the Southwest Pacific Area between September 1943 and July 1945. After the war, he commanded the Seventh Fleet and Fourth Fleet
.
on 23 December 1889. He graduated from the Naval Academy
and was commissioned an ensign
in June 1912. His first assignment was aboard the armored cruiser
, which participated in the 1912 United States occupation of Nicaragua. In May 1914 he was transferred to the destroyer
as engineering officer, participating in the United States occupation of Veracruz. He remained on Lawrence, where he was promoted to lieutenant (junior grade) on 8 June 1915, serving first as engineering officer, and later as executive officer and commanding officer. In October 1916 he became engineering officer of the gunboat
, serving in Central American and Mexico waters. He received a Letter of Commendation from the Secretary of the Navy
for the ship's service during the Mexican Revolution
. Barbey was involved in the fitting out of the destroyer from December 1917 to May 1918, becoming its executive officer when it was commissioned on 24 May. Under an accelerated wartime promotion system, he was promoted to Lieutenant
on 8 June 1918.
, Wales
in January 1919, becoming the Naval Port Officer at Cardiff from July to August 1919, when he was transferred to the U.S. Naval Headquarters in London
. In November 1919 he became Naval Port Officer, Constantinople
, Turkey
. In October 1920, he also became operations officer and flag secretary to Rear Admiral
Mark L. Bristol, Commander U.S. Naval Detachment in Turkish Waters and High Commissioner to Turkey. Barbey was ceased to be Naval Port Officer in July 1921, but continued as flag secretary to Admiral Bristol. During this time, Barbey served as the U.S. delegate on the Allied Commission for the Control of Trade with Turkey and as an observer with the White Army in the Crimea
.
Returning to the U.S. in February 1922, he served briefly on the cargo ship before becoming assistant engineering officer of the battleship
in the Pacific. He was promoted to lieutenant commander
on 15 October 1922. Continuing the pattern of alternating duty afloat and ashore, he then spent two years as Officer in Charge of the Portland Navy Recruiting Station, before returning to the Atlantic as engineering officer of the light cruiser
in June 1925. From February 1927 to June 1928, he was executive officer of the oil tanker
. He then spent the next three years as aide to the Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy, Rear Admiral Samuel S. Robison. From June 1931 to June 1933 he commanded the destroyer . He then spent two years as an inspector of ordnance at the Mare Island Naval Ammunition Depot
in California
, where he was promoted to the rank of commander
in September 1933. In February 1935, he was posted to the battleship as damage control officer. He briefly commanded the before becoming Commander of Destroyer Division 17 in the Pacific.
In June 1937 Barbey was assigned to War Plans Section of the Bureau of Navigation in Washington, D.C.
. During this assignment, he worked on mobilization plans, and developed an interest in amphibious warfare
from studying reports of Japanese amphibious operations in the Second Sino-Japanese War
. He was particularly intrigued by photographs of special landing craft with hinged bow ramps. In 1940 he produced Fleet Training Publication 167 – Landing Operations Doctrine, United States Navy (FTP 167). This would become the Navy's "bible" of amphibious operations, and would remain in use throughout World War II. He was promoted to captain in February 1940.
along the coast of North Carolina
. In May 1942, Admiral
Ernest King
, Commander in Chief U.S. Fleet
appointed Barbey to organize a new Amphibious Warfare Section within the Navy Department. Barbey was charged with responsibility for the coordination of amphibious training and the burgeoning amphibious craft construction program. He became involved with the development and production of the new generation of landing craft
. He was promoted to the rank of rear admiral in December 1942.
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On 8 January 1943 Barbey assumed command of Amphibious Force, Southwest Pacific Force. He established his headquarters aboard the attack transport
(APA) on the Brisbane River
and set about building up his small training command into a major amphibious force capable of carrying out the strategy of the Supreme Commander, Southwest Pacific Area (SWPA), General
Douglas MacArthur
, for an amphibious advance from Australia
to the Philippines
. On 15 March 1943, "by a stroke of Admiral King's pen," the Southwest Pacific Force became the Seventh Fleet and its Amphibious Force became the VII Amphibious Force. On meeting Barbey for the first time, MacArthur had only one question: "are you a lucky officer?"
The VII Amphibious Force inherited the Royal Australian Navy
amphibious training center HMAS Assault
at Port Stephens
, New South Wales
and a Combined Training School at Bribie Island and nearby Toorbul Point in Queensland
. There was only one APA, the , which was in a poor state of repair and trailed an oil slick wherever it went, precluding its use in a combat zone, but VII Amphibious Force had three Australian assault transports, known as Landing Ships, Infantry (LSI): , and . For the moment, they were too valuable to risk in forward areas. They were augmented by a flotilla each of the new beaching craft, Landing Ships, Tank (LST), Landing Craft, Infantry (LCI) and Landing Craft, Tank (LCT). There were also a small number of high speed transport
s (APD). MacArthur directed that the two navies would use a common doctrine, FTP 167. However, this was written with the assumption that APDs would be available and carry
beach parties
. Doctrine therefore required modification from the start.
, the landings at Kiriwina
and Woodlark Island
s, was the VII Amphibious Force's first operation, presented no great difficulty as the islands were known to be unoccupied. However half the assault troops experienced seasickness, problems were encountered with clearing the sand bar at the entrance to Guasopa
Harbor, and Barbey's decision to land at night and withdraw before dawn in order to avoid encountering Japanese aircraft highlighted the inexperience of his crews and deficiencies in their training. Unloading activities on the coral-fringed Kiriwina dragged on for a fortnight.
For the landing at Lae
, Barbey elected to make a night approach and a dawn landing. As the LCIs approached the beach, they were set upon by three Mitsubishi G4M
"Betty" bombers which score a bomb hit and two near misses on USS LCI-339
. Badly damaged and riddled by strafing bullets and fragments, the ship was beached but became a total loss. That afternoon, six LSTs were attacked by a force of about 80 Japanese aircraft. Some 48 Lockheed P-38 Lightnings were vectored to assist but USS LST-471 and USS LST-473 were hit, killing 57 crewmen and Australian troops.
A few weeks later Barbey was called upon to make a landing at Finschhafen. Not confident of the promised air support, Barbey decided to make another night landing, with the landing ships clearing the beach before dawn. Major General
George Wootten
, the commander of the assault troops, doubted that the VII Amphibious Force could find the correct beach in the dark, and was proven correct by events; the VII Amphibious Force was not yet proficient enough to conduct night landings. Fortunately, this time Japanese air attacks failed to sink or damage any amphibious ships. For his part in the landings at Lae and Finschhafen, Barbey was awarded the Navy Cross
. His citation read:
The Battle of Arawe
and the Battle of Cape Gloucester
involved a number of "firsts" for the VII Amphibious Force. It marked the first use of an Australian LSI, , in combat, and the first appearance in SWPA of a Landing Ship, Dock (LSD), . The LSD was used to carry amtracs, also making their debut in SWPA, which were necessary to cross the coral reef
s. Fire support was provided by two LCIs equipped with rockets. This proved so successful that Barbey had another six modified for the purpose. Casualties were evacuated using specially modified LCTs and LSTS equipped as hospital ships. For the first time, Beach Party 1 participated, providing a fully trained naval beach party for the first time. Contrary to doctrine, it was not affiliated with a particular APA. The Arawe operation also saw the first use of another innovation of Barbey's, the landing craft control officers. However, an attempt to land a force in rubber boats was a total failure, and was not repeated. Afterward, Barbey received his first properly equipped amphibious command ship, the . He also acquired an experienced deputy in Rear Admiral William M. Fechteler. Fechteler commanded the assault on the Admiralty Islands
, in which APDs were employed in order to meet the Army's requirement for a reconnaissance in force.
, Barbey personally directed the landing at Tanahmerah Bay
. The beaches there proved to be unsuitable, and Barbey diverted the follow-up forces to Humboldt Bay
. MacArthur told war correspondent Frazier Hunt
that Barbey was "just about the number one amphibious commander in the world," but Admiral Chester Nimitz
was more critical. VII Amphibious Force carried nearly 80,000 personnel, 50,000 tons (56,000 m3) of stores and 3,000 vehicles to the area but the resulting accumulation of stores on and immediately behind the beach included dumps in which fuel and ammunition were stored together. A lone Japanese aircraft bombed a dump and set off fires and explosions. Twenty men were killed and over a hundred wounded, and twelve LST loads of stores were destroyed. Meanwhile three Japanese bombers attacked and torpedoed the cargo ship . The ship was severely damaged and towed back to Finschhafen with half its cargo still on board. For these operations, Barbey was awarded the Navy Distinguished Service Medal
. His citation read:
Barbey paid a visit to Washington, D.C.
in June 1944 to discuss his needs but his trip was mistimed, for the Joint Chiefs of Staff
had left for Europe to observe the Invasion of Normandy and Barbey had to wait for Admiral King to return. In their discussions, King emphasised that it was his intention that MacArthur's advance would proceed no further than Mindanao
. This was scuttled in September 1944 by his own admirals, who recommended a descent on Leyte
. By July enough amphibious ships had arrived in SWPA to allow Barbey to divide the VII Amphibious Force. Fetchteler assumed command of Amphibious Group 8, while Amphibious Group 9 was formed under Rear Admiral Arthur D. Struble. In 1945, a third group, Amphibious Group 6, was formed under Rear Admiral Forrest B. Royal. For the invasion of Leyte, MacArthur and his naval commander, Vice Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid
expected that Barbey would continue in command of the amphibious forces, but Nimitz preferred the commander of the III Amphibious Force, Vice Admiral Theodore S. Wilkinson
, who was senior and in Nimitz's opinion, more experienced. In the end, a compromise was reached, with both amphibious forces participating, and Kinkaid in overall command. For his part, Barbey was awarded a second Navy Distinguished Service Medal. His citation read:
Promoted to vice admiral on 9 December 1944, Barbey directed 30 more assaults in 1945, mostly in the southern Philippines and Borneo
. He conducted the last amphibious operation of the war, the landings at Balikpapan
, Borneo
on 1 July 1945. In all, "Uncle Dan", as he was known, planned and conducted 56 amphibious operations, landing more than one million Australian and American soldiers and marines. For his wartime service in the Southwest Pacific, the U.S. Army awarded Barbey the Army Distinguished Service Medal
. On Australia Day
in 1948 the Australian government honored him with an honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire, which was presented at the Australian embassy in Washington by Norman Makin
, the Australian Ambassador to the United States.
and North China. While providing training, transportation and support to the Chinese Nationalist Party forces, he attempted to prevent his own forces from becoming embroiled in the Chinese Civil War
, which was engulfing North China. In March 1946 he became Commander Amphibious Force, Atlantic Fleet. In September he became commander of the Fourth Fleet. He briefly returned to the Far East
in February 1947 as Chairman of the Joint Military Board on fact-finding mission to evaluate strategic requirements there. He returned to the U.S. in March to become Commandant of the 10th Naval District and commander of the Caribbean Sea Frontier from 1 May 1947 until 10 October 1950. His final assignment was as Commandant of the 13th Naval District. He retired as a vice admiral on 30 June 1951.
on 11 March 1969. His papers are in the Naval Historical Center
at the Washington Navy Yard
in Washington, D.C. The Navy named a , in his honor, which was launched at the Avondale Shipyard
s in Westwego, Louisiana
by his widow on 4 December 1971.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
who served in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. A graduate of the Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
, he participated in the 1912 United States occupation of Nicaragua and the 1915 United States occupation of Veracruz. While serving with the War Plans Section of the Bureau of Navigation in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
between the World Wars, developed an interest in amphibious warfare
Amphibious warfare
Amphibious warfare is the use of naval firepower, logistics and strategy to project military power ashore. In previous eras it stood as the primary method of delivering troops to non-contiguous enemy-held terrain...
. In 1940 he produced Fleet Training Publication 167 – Landing Operations Doctrine, United States Navy, which would become the Navy's "bible" of amphibious operations, and would remain in use throughout World War II.
As commander Amphibious Force, Atlantic Fleet in 1940 and 1941 he supervised amphibious training and conducted Fleet Landing Exercises
Fleet Landing Exercises
The Fleet Landing Exercises, or FLEX were a series of annual large-scale amphibious landings exercises conducted to test the United States Marine Corps' legitimation of the Fleet Marine Force...
. In May 1942, Barbey was appointed to organize a new Amphibious Warfare Section within the Navy Department, which was charged with responsibility for the coordination of amphibious training and the development and production of the new generation of landing craft
Landing craft
Landing craft are boats and seagoing vessels used to convey a landing force from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. Most renowned are those used to storm the beaches of Normandy, the Mediterranean, and many Pacific islands during WWII...
. In January 1943 he assumed command of Amphibious Force, Southwest Pacific Force, which became the VII Amphibious Force. He planned and carried out 56 amphibious assaults in the Southwest Pacific Area between September 1943 and July 1945. After the war, he commanded the Seventh Fleet and Fourth Fleet
Fourth Fleet
Fourth Fleet or 4th fleet may mean:* United States Fourth Fleet* IJN 4th Fleet, Imperial Japanese Navy* Luftflotte 4-See also:* Fourth * Fleet * Third Fleet * Fifth Fleet...
.
World War I
Daniel Edward Barbey was born in Portland, OregonPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
on 23 December 1889. He graduated from the Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
and was commissioned an ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
in June 1912. His first assignment was aboard the armored cruiser
Armored cruiser
The armored cruiser was a type of warship of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Like other types of cruiser, the armored cruiser was a long-range, independent warship, capable of defeating any ship apart from a battleship, and fast enough to outrun any battleships it encountered.The first...
, which participated in the 1912 United States occupation of Nicaragua. In May 1914 he was transferred to the destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
as engineering officer, participating in the United States occupation of Veracruz. He remained on Lawrence, where he was promoted to lieutenant (junior grade) on 8 June 1915, serving first as engineering officer, and later as executive officer and commanding officer. In October 1916 he became engineering officer of the gunboat
Gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...
, serving in Central American and Mexico waters. He received a Letter of Commendation from the Secretary of the Navy
United States Secretary of the Navy
The Secretary of the Navy of the United States of America is the head of the Department of the Navy, a component organization of the Department of Defense...
for the ship's service during the Mexican Revolution
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime autocrat Porfirio Díaz. The Revolution was characterized by several socialist, liberal, anarchist, populist, and agrarianist movements. Over time the Revolution...
. Barbey was involved in the fitting out of the destroyer from December 1917 to May 1918, becoming its executive officer when it was commissioned on 24 May. Under an accelerated wartime promotion system, he was promoted to Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
on 8 June 1918.
Between the wars
Barbey was assigned to the Naval Base at CardiffCardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
in January 1919, becoming the Naval Port Officer at Cardiff from July to August 1919, when he was transferred to the U.S. Naval Headquarters in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. In November 1919 he became Naval Port Officer, Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. In October 1920, he also became operations officer and flag secretary to Rear Admiral
Rear admiral (United States)
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. The uniformed services of the United States are unique in having two grades of rear admirals.- Rear admiral :...
Mark L. Bristol, Commander U.S. Naval Detachment in Turkish Waters and High Commissioner to Turkey. Barbey was ceased to be Naval Port Officer in July 1921, but continued as flag secretary to Admiral Bristol. During this time, Barbey served as the U.S. delegate on the Allied Commission for the Control of Trade with Turkey and as an observer with the White Army in the Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
.
Returning to the U.S. in February 1922, he served briefly on the cargo ship before becoming assistant engineering officer of the battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
in the Pacific. He was promoted to lieutenant commander
Lieutenant commander (United States)
Lieutenant commander is a mid-ranking officer rank in the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, with the pay grade of O-4 and NATO rank code OF-3...
on 15 October 1922. Continuing the pattern of alternating duty afloat and ashore, he then spent two years as Officer in Charge of the Portland Navy Recruiting Station, before returning to the Atlantic as engineering officer of the light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
in June 1925. From February 1927 to June 1928, he was executive officer of the oil tanker
Oil tanker
An oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a merchant ship designed for the bulk transport of oil. There are two basic types of oil tankers: the crude tanker and the product tanker. Crude tankers move large quantities of unrefined crude oil from its point of extraction to refineries...
. He then spent the next three years as aide to the Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy, Rear Admiral Samuel S. Robison. From June 1931 to June 1933 he commanded the destroyer . He then spent two years as an inspector of ordnance at the Mare Island Naval Ammunition Depot
Mare Island Naval Shipyard
The Mare Island Naval Shipyard was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located 25 miles northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates the peninsula shipyard from the main portion of the...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where he was promoted to the rank of commander
Commander (United States)
In the United States, commander is a military rank that is also sometimes used as a military title, depending on the branch of service. It is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the military, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Naval rank:In the United States...
in September 1933. In February 1935, he was posted to the battleship as damage control officer. He briefly commanded the before becoming Commander of Destroyer Division 17 in the Pacific.
In June 1937 Barbey was assigned to War Plans Section of the Bureau of Navigation in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. During this assignment, he worked on mobilization plans, and developed an interest in amphibious warfare
Amphibious warfare
Amphibious warfare is the use of naval firepower, logistics and strategy to project military power ashore. In previous eras it stood as the primary method of delivering troops to non-contiguous enemy-held terrain...
from studying reports of Japanese amphibious operations in the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
. He was particularly intrigued by photographs of special landing craft with hinged bow ramps. In 1940 he produced Fleet Training Publication 167 – Landing Operations Doctrine, United States Navy (FTP 167). This would become the Navy's "bible" of amphibious operations, and would remain in use throughout World War II. He was promoted to captain in February 1940.
Amphibious warfare
Barbey assumed command of in the Pacific but in January 1941 he returned to the Atlantic to become Chief of Staff to Rear Admiral Randall Jacobs, Commander Service Force, Atlantic Fleet. This included the embryo Amphibious Force, Atlantic Fleet. In 1940 and 1941 he supervised the amphibious training of the 1st Marine Division and the 1st Infantry Division, conducting Fleet Landing ExercisesFleet Landing Exercises
The Fleet Landing Exercises, or FLEX were a series of annual large-scale amphibious landings exercises conducted to test the United States Marine Corps' legitimation of the Fleet Marine Force...
along the coast of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. In May 1942, Admiral
Admiral (United States)
In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard and the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, admiral is a four-star flag officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. Admiral ranks above vice admiral and below Fleet Admiral in the Navy; the Coast Guard and the Public Health...
Ernest King
Ernest King
Fleet Admiral Ernest Joseph King was Commander in Chief, United States Fleet and Chief of Naval Operations during World War II. As COMINCH, he directed the United States Navy's operations, planning, and administration and was a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He was the U.S...
, Commander in Chief U.S. Fleet
United States Fleet
The United States Fleet was an organization in the United States Navy from 1922 until after World War II. The abbreviation CINCUS, pronounced "sink us", was used for Commander-in-Chief, United States Fleet. This title was disposed of and officially replaced by COMINCH in December 1941 . This...
appointed Barbey to organize a new Amphibious Warfare Section within the Navy Department. Barbey was charged with responsibility for the coordination of amphibious training and the burgeoning amphibious craft construction program. He became involved with the development and production of the new generation of landing craft
Landing craft
Landing craft are boats and seagoing vessels used to convey a landing force from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. Most renowned are those used to storm the beaches of Normandy, the Mediterranean, and many Pacific islands during WWII...
. He was promoted to the rank of rear admiral in December 1942.
Attack transport
Attack Transport is a United States Navy ship classification.-History:In the early 1940s, as the United States Navy expanded in response to the threat of involvement in World War II, a number of civilian passenger ships and some freighters were acquired, converted to transports and given hull...
(APA) on the Brisbane River
Brisbane River
The Brisbane River is the longest river in south east Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay. John Oxley was the first European to explore the river who named it after the Governor of New South Wales, Thomas Brisbane in 1823...
and set about building up his small training command into a major amphibious force capable of carrying out the strategy of the Supreme Commander, Southwest Pacific Area (SWPA), General
General (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a four-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. General ranks above lieutenant general and below General of the Army or General of the Air Force; the Marine Corps does not have an...
Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
, for an amphibious advance from Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. On 15 March 1943, "by a stroke of Admiral King's pen," the Southwest Pacific Force became the Seventh Fleet and its Amphibious Force became the VII Amphibious Force. On meeting Barbey for the first time, MacArthur had only one question: "are you a lucky officer?"
The VII Amphibious Force inherited the Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
amphibious training center HMAS Assault
HMAS Assault
HMAS Assault was a Royal Australian Navy Naval Training Centre at Nelson Bay in the Port Stephens area of New South Wales, Australia during World War II....
at Port Stephens
Port Stephens
Port Stephens is a large natural harbour located about north-east of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia. It lies wholly within the Port Stephens Local Government Area although its northern shoreline forms the boundary between the Port Stephens and Great Lakes LGAs...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and a Combined Training School at Bribie Island and nearby Toorbul Point in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
. There was only one APA, the , which was in a poor state of repair and trailed an oil slick wherever it went, precluding its use in a combat zone, but VII Amphibious Force had three Australian assault transports, known as Landing Ships, Infantry (LSI): , and . For the moment, they were too valuable to risk in forward areas. They were augmented by a flotilla each of the new beaching craft, Landing Ships, Tank (LST), Landing Craft, Infantry (LCI) and Landing Craft, Tank (LCT). There were also a small number of high speed transport
High speed transport
High Speed Transports were converted destroyers and destroyer escorts used to support amphibious operations in World War II and afterward. They received the US Hull classification symbol APD; "AP" for transport and "D" for destroyer....
s (APD). MacArthur directed that the two navies would use a common doctrine, FTP 167. However, this was written with the assumption that APDs would be available and carry
beach parties
Beach Party
Beach Party was the first of several beach party films from American International Pictures aimed at a teen audience. It was directed by William Asher and written by Lou Rusoff. The main actors included Robert Cummings, Dorothy Malone, Frankie Avalon, and Annette Funicello...
. Doctrine therefore required modification from the start.
New Guinea campaign
Operation ChronicleOperation Chronicle
Operation Chronicle was the Allied invasion of Woodlark and Kiriwina Islands during World War II, in the South West Pacific as part of Operation Cartwheel. An early planning name for this operation was Operation Coronet...
, the landings at Kiriwina
Kiriwina
Kiriwina is the largest of the Trobriand Islands, with an area of 290.5 km². It is part of the Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea. Most of the 12,000 people who live in the Trobriands live on Kiriwina. The Kilivila language, also known as Kiriwina, is spoken on the island...
and Woodlark Island
Woodlark Island
Woodlark Island, known to its inhabitants simply as Woodlark or Muyua, is an island in Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea. It is called Murua by the inhabitants of some other islands in the province...
s, was the VII Amphibious Force's first operation, presented no great difficulty as the islands were known to be unoccupied. However half the assault troops experienced seasickness, problems were encountered with clearing the sand bar at the entrance to Guasopa
Guasopa
Guasopa is a village on Woodlark Island, Milne Bay Province Papua New Guinea. It is served by Guasopa Airport....
Harbor, and Barbey's decision to land at night and withdraw before dawn in order to avoid encountering Japanese aircraft highlighted the inexperience of his crews and deficiencies in their training. Unloading activities on the coral-fringed Kiriwina dragged on for a fortnight.
Landing at Lae
The Landing at Lae was an amphibous landing, as part of ', to the east of Lae in the Salamaua-Lae campaign of World War II between 4–6 September 1943....
, Barbey elected to make a night approach and a dawn landing. As the LCIs approached the beach, they were set upon by three Mitsubishi G4M
Mitsubishi G4M
The Mitsubishi G4M 一式陸上攻撃機, 一式陸攻 Isshiki rikujō kōgeki ki, Isshikirikkō was the main twin-engine, land-based bomber used by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service in World War II. The Allies gave the G4M the reporting name Betty...
"Betty" bombers which score a bomb hit and two near misses on USS LCI-339
USS LCI(L)-339
USS LCI-339 was an amphibious assault ship , commissioned in 1942 by the United States Coast Guard. She participated in the Australian Army's 9th Division's landing at Lae on September 4, 1943, where she was abandoned after being hit during an enemy air attack. The bomb exploded on the deck...
. Badly damaged and riddled by strafing bullets and fragments, the ship was beached but became a total loss. That afternoon, six LSTs were attacked by a force of about 80 Japanese aircraft. Some 48 Lockheed P-38 Lightnings were vectored to assist but USS LST-471 and USS LST-473 were hit, killing 57 crewmen and Australian troops.
A few weeks later Barbey was called upon to make a landing at Finschhafen. Not confident of the promised air support, Barbey decided to make another night landing, with the landing ships clearing the beach before dawn. Major General
Major General (Australia)
Major General is a senior rank of the Australian Army, and was created as a direct equivalent of the British military rank of Major General. It is the third-highest active rank of the Australian Army, and is considered to be equivalent to a two-star rank...
George Wootten
George Wootten
Major General Sir George Frederick Wootten KBE, CB, DSO & Bar, ED , was an Australian soldier, public servant, right wing political activist and solicitor. He rose to the rank of temporary Major General during World War II....
, the commander of the assault troops, doubted that the VII Amphibious Force could find the correct beach in the dark, and was proven correct by events; the VII Amphibious Force was not yet proficient enough to conduct night landings. Fortunately, this time Japanese air attacks failed to sink or damage any amphibious ships. For his part in the landings at Lae and Finschhafen, Barbey was awarded the Navy Cross
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
. His citation read:
Battle of Arawe
The Battle of Arawe was a battle during the New Britain Campaign of World War II. This campaign formed part of Operation Cartwheel and had the objective of isolating the key Japanese base at Rabaul. Arawe was attacked on 15 December 1943 by U.S...
and the Battle of Cape Gloucester
Battle of Cape Gloucester
The Battle of Cape Gloucester was a battle in the Pacific theater of World War II, which took place between late December 1943 and April 1944, on the island of New Britain, part of the Territory of New Guinea....
involved a number of "firsts" for the VII Amphibious Force. It marked the first use of an Australian LSI, , in combat, and the first appearance in SWPA of a Landing Ship, Dock (LSD), . The LSD was used to carry amtracs, also making their debut in SWPA, which were necessary to cross the coral reef
Coral reef
Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps...
s. Fire support was provided by two LCIs equipped with rockets. This proved so successful that Barbey had another six modified for the purpose. Casualties were evacuated using specially modified LCTs and LSTS equipped as hospital ships. For the first time, Beach Party 1 participated, providing a fully trained naval beach party for the first time. Contrary to doctrine, it was not affiliated with a particular APA. The Arawe operation also saw the first use of another innovation of Barbey's, the landing craft control officers. However, an attempt to land a force in rubber boats was a total failure, and was not repeated. Afterward, Barbey received his first properly equipped amphibious command ship, the . He also acquired an experienced deputy in Rear Admiral William M. Fechteler. Fechteler commanded the assault on the Admiralty Islands
Admiralty Islands campaign
The Admiralty Islands campaign was a series of battles in the New Guinea campaign of World War II in which the United States Army's 1st Cavalry Division occupied the Japanese-held Admiralty Islands....
, in which APDs were employed in order to meet the Army's requirement for a reconnaissance in force.
Western New Guinea campaign
During Operations Reckless and PersecutionOperations Reckless and Persecution
Operation Reckless, known as the Landing at Hollandia and Operation Persecution known as the Aitape landing, were Allied amphibious landings which commenced the Western New Guinea campaign. Both operations commenced on 22 April 1944....
, Barbey personally directed the landing at Tanahmerah Bay
Tanahmerah Bay
Tanahmerah Bay, or Tanah Merah Bay, is a bay on the north coast of New Guinea, in the Indonesian province of Papua, about 50 km northwest of the provincial capital of Jayapura ....
. The beaches there proved to be unsuitable, and Barbey diverted the follow-up forces to Humboldt Bay
Humboldt Bay
Humboldt Bay is a natural bay and a multi-basin, bar-built coastal lagoon located on the rugged North Coast of California, United States entirely within Humboldt County. The regional center and county seat of Eureka and the college town of Arcata adjoin the bay, which is the second largest enclosed...
. MacArthur told war correspondent Frazier Hunt
Frazier Hunt
Frazier Hunt was an American radio announcer, writer and war correspondent during both World War I and World War II...
that Barbey was "just about the number one amphibious commander in the world," but Admiral Chester Nimitz
Chester Nimitz
Fleet Admiral Chester William Nimitz, GCB, USN was a five-star admiral in the United States Navy. He held the dual command of Commander in Chief, United States Pacific Fleet , for U.S. naval forces and Commander in Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas , for U.S...
was more critical. VII Amphibious Force carried nearly 80,000 personnel, 50,000 tons (56,000 m3) of stores and 3,000 vehicles to the area but the resulting accumulation of stores on and immediately behind the beach included dumps in which fuel and ammunition were stored together. A lone Japanese aircraft bombed a dump and set off fires and explosions. Twenty men were killed and over a hundred wounded, and twelve LST loads of stores were destroyed. Meanwhile three Japanese bombers attacked and torpedoed the cargo ship . The ship was severely damaged and towed back to Finschhafen with half its cargo still on board. For these operations, Barbey was awarded the Navy Distinguished Service Medal
Navy Distinguished Service Medal
The Navy Distinguished Service Medal is a military award of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps which was first created in 1919. The decoration is the Navy and Marine Corps equivalent to the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, and the Coast...
. His citation read:
Philippines campaign
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in June 1944 to discuss his needs but his trip was mistimed, for the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Joint Chiefs of Staff is a body of senior uniformed leaders in the United States Department of Defense who advise the Secretary of Defense, the Homeland Security Council, the National Security Council and the President on military matters...
had left for Europe to observe the Invasion of Normandy and Barbey had to wait for Admiral King to return. In their discussions, King emphasised that it was his intention that MacArthur's advance would proceed no further than Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
. This was scuttled in September 1944 by his own admirals, who recommended a descent on Leyte
Leyte
Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...
. By July enough amphibious ships had arrived in SWPA to allow Barbey to divide the VII Amphibious Force. Fetchteler assumed command of Amphibious Group 8, while Amphibious Group 9 was formed under Rear Admiral Arthur D. Struble. In 1945, a third group, Amphibious Group 6, was formed under Rear Admiral Forrest B. Royal. For the invasion of Leyte, MacArthur and his naval commander, Vice Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid
Thomas C. Kinkaid
Thomas Cassin Kinkaid was an admiral in the United States Navy during World War II. He built a reputation as a "fighting admiral" in the aircraft carrier battles of 1942 and commanded the Allied forces in the Aleutian Islands Campaign...
expected that Barbey would continue in command of the amphibious forces, but Nimitz preferred the commander of the III Amphibious Force, Vice Admiral Theodore S. Wilkinson
Theodore S. Wilkinson
Theodore Stark "Ping" Wilkinson was a Vice-Admiral of the United States Navy during World War II. He also received the Medal of Honor for his actions in Veracruz, Mexico.-Early life and career:...
, who was senior and in Nimitz's opinion, more experienced. In the end, a compromise was reached, with both amphibious forces participating, and Kinkaid in overall command. For his part, Barbey was awarded a second Navy Distinguished Service Medal. His citation read:
Promoted to vice admiral on 9 December 1944, Barbey directed 30 more assaults in 1945, mostly in the southern Philippines and Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
. He conducted the last amphibious operation of the war, the landings at Balikpapan
Battle of Balikpapan (1945)
The Battle of Balikpapan was the concluding stage of the Borneo campaign . The landings took place on 1 July 1945. The Australian 7th Division, composed of the 18th, 21st and 25th Infantry Brigades, with support troops, made an amphibious landing, codenamed Operation Oboe Two a few miles north of...
, Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
on 1 July 1945. In all, "Uncle Dan", as he was known, planned and conducted 56 amphibious operations, landing more than one million Australian and American soldiers and marines. For his wartime service in the Southwest Pacific, the U.S. Army awarded Barbey the Army Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal (Army)
The Distinguished Service Medal is a military award of the United States Army that is presented to any person who, while serving in any capacity with the United States military, has distinguished himself or herself by exceptionally meritorious service to the Government in a duty of great...
. On Australia Day
Australia Day
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia...
in 1948 the Australian government honored him with an honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire, which was presented at the Australian embassy in Washington by Norman Makin
Norman Makin
Norman John Oswald Makin AO , Australian politician, was a Cabinet minister, Speaker of the House of Representatives and diplomat.-Early life:...
, the Australian Ambassador to the United States.
Post-war
After the war, Barbey replaced Kinkaid as commander of the Seventh Fleet. He continued the task of landing occupation forces in South KoreaSouth Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
and North China. While providing training, transportation and support to the Chinese Nationalist Party forces, he attempted to prevent his own forces from becoming embroiled in the Chinese Civil War
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang , the governing party of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China , for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China and People's Republic of...
, which was engulfing North China. In March 1946 he became Commander Amphibious Force, Atlantic Fleet. In September he became commander of the Fourth Fleet. He briefly returned to the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
in February 1947 as Chairman of the Joint Military Board on fact-finding mission to evaluate strategic requirements there. He returned to the U.S. in March to become Commandant of the 10th Naval District and commander of the Caribbean Sea Frontier from 1 May 1947 until 10 October 1950. His final assignment was as Commandant of the 13th Naval District. He retired as a vice admiral on 30 June 1951.
Retirement and last years
In retirement, Barbey published his memoirs of his wartime service as MacArthur's Amphibious Navy in 1969. He died at the Naval Hospital in Bremerton, WashingtonBremerton, Washington
Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 38,790 at the 2011 State Estimate, making it the largest city on the Olympic Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerton Annex of Naval Base Kitsap...
on 11 March 1969. His papers are in the Naval Historical Center
Naval Historical Center
The Naval History & Heritage Command is the official history program of the United States Navy and is located at the historic Washington Navy Yard in the District of Columbia.-Mission :...
at the Washington Navy Yard
Washington Navy Yard
The Washington Navy Yard is the former shipyard and ordnance plant of the United States Navy in Southeast Washington, D.C. It is the oldest shore establishment of the U.S. Navy...
in Washington, D.C. The Navy named a , in his honor, which was launched at the Avondale Shipyard
Avondale Shipyard
Avondale Shipyard was an independent shipbuilding company, acquired by Litton Industries, in turn acquired by Northrop Grumman Corporation. Now, along with the former Ingalls Shipbuilding, the yard is part of Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding. The yard is located on the West Bank of the Mississippi...
s in Westwego, Louisiana
Westwego, Louisiana
Westwego is a city in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States, and a suburb of New Orleans. The population was 10,763 at the 2000 census. It lies along the west bank of the Mississippi River.-Geography:...
by his widow on 4 December 1971.