Engineer Special Brigade (United States)
Encyclopedia
Engineer Special Brigades were amphibious forces
of the United States Army
developed during World War II
. Initially designated Engineer Amphibian Brigades, the first four brigades were redesignated ESBs in 1943.
, it was obvious that the U.S. military would need a large strategic and tactical amphibious
capability. In 1941, the United States'
amphibious forces were divided into two corps
: one Atlantic; one Pacific. Both amphibious corps were combined Army and Marine Corps commands, administered by the U.S. Navy
. The Atlantic Corps consisted of the 1st Infantry Division and the 1st Marine Division, and the Pacific Corps consisted of the 3rd Infantry Division and the 2nd Marine Division. As this set-up quickly proved itself unwieldy, the Joint Staff surprisingly appointed the U.S. Army
, and not the Marine Corps
, to develop doctrine for sustained amphibious operations. On May 20, 1942, the Army activated its Amphibious Training Command at Camp Edwards
, Massachusetts
. Subsequently, the Army also activated the Engineer Amphibian Command.
Initially, the Amphibious Training Command (later, Amphibious Training Center) was tasked to train no fewer than 12 Army divisions
(including 1 armored
division) in amphibious operations. As the war progressed, the Marine Corps expanded to six divisions and the Army and the Navy began to fight over the procurement and assignment of landing craft and other amphibious assault equipment, resulting in the Army's decision to ultimately close the Amphibious Training Center. Per its agreement with the Navy, the Army continued to train Engineer Amphibian Brigades, for while the Marine Corps was adept at the initial waves of amphibious assaults, the Marine Corps had yet to create an effective doctrine concerning subsequent support waves. This task fell to the EABs.
, while the 2nd and 4th Engineer Special Brigades were assigned to the Pacific Theater of Operations
. The 3rd Engineer Special Brigade was assigned directly to the Amphibious Training Center; responsible for the training of various Army units in amphibious warfare until the dissolution of the Amphibious Training Center. It was then assigned to the Pacific Theater of Operations. The 1st Engineer Special Brigade was the only ESB to fight in both theaters of the war.
The various subordinate Engineer Boat, Engineer Amphibian, and Engineer Shore regiments
were all redesignated as Engineer Boat & Shore Regiments (EB&SR) by the end of the war.
, where it was redesignated the 1st Engineer Special Brigade, and subsequently participated in the assaults on Sicily
and Italy
. In December 1943, the 1st ESB returned to England and participated in the Invasion of Normandy (Utah Beach
). The brigade operated as Utah Beach Command until October 23, 1944, when it began its transition to the Pacific Theater of Operations. It participated in the assault on Okinawa
and was inactivated in Korea
on February 18, 1946.
on April 17, 1943, where it was redesignated an Engineer Special Brigade. It participated in the assault on Leyte
on October 20, 1944, and returned to the United States on December 16, 1945. The 2nd ESB was deactivated the following year.
, the 3rd Engineer Special Brigade was activated on August 6, 1942, at Camp Edwards, as the 3rd Engineer Amphibian Brigade. It was transferred to Fort Ord
, California, where it was redesignated an Engineer Special Brigade. The 3rd ESB landed on New Guinea
on February 24, 1944; Biak Island
on September 30; and the Philippine Islands
on July 24, 1945. It returned to the United States on December 20, 1945, and was inactivated two days later.
, Massachusetts, as the 4th Engineer Amphibian Brigade. In 1943, the brigade was redesignated an Engineer Special Brigade and transitioned to Camp Stoneman
, California. The 4th ESB arrived in New Guinea on May 18, 1944, and participated in the assaults on Morotai Island
, Netherland East Indies (September 15, 1944) and Lingayen Gulf
, Luzon (January 9, 1945). The brigade was inactivated in Japan
on April 15, 1946.
, 1119th Engineer Combat Group on November 12, 1943, at Swansea
, England. 5th ESB participated in the Invasion of Normandy (Omaha Beach
) and operated Omaha Beach until November 19, 1944. On January 4, 1945, the brigade was transferred to the Seine
section of Paris
, where it supervised construction activities. It returned to the United States on July 11, 1945, and was inactivated at Camp Gordon Johnston
, Florida, on October 20 of that year.
on New Year's Day, 1945, and remained there until redeploying to the United States on July 14, 1945. The brigade arrived in the United States on July 23, 1945, and was inactivated at Camp Gordon Johnston on October 20 of that year.
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...
of the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
developed during 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...
. Initially designated Engineer Amphibian Brigades, the first four brigades were redesignated ESBs in 1943.
Concept and Development
At the onset of direct American involvement in World War IIWorld 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...
, it was obvious that the U.S. military would need a large strategic and tactical amphibious
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...
capability. In 1941, the United States'
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
amphibious forces were divided into two corps
Corps
A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
: one Atlantic; one Pacific. Both amphibious corps were combined Army and Marine Corps commands, administered by the U.S. Navy
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...
. The Atlantic Corps consisted of the 1st Infantry Division and the 1st Marine Division, and the Pacific Corps consisted of the 3rd Infantry Division and the 2nd Marine Division. As this set-up quickly proved itself unwieldy, the Joint Staff surprisingly appointed the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, and not the Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
, to develop doctrine for sustained amphibious operations. On May 20, 1942, the Army activated its Amphibious Training Command at Camp Edwards
Camp Edwards
Camp Edwards is a United States military training installation which is located in western Barnstable County, Massachusetts. It forms the largest part of the Massachusetts Military Reservation, which also includes Otis Air National Guard Base and Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod. It was named after...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. Subsequently, the Army also activated the Engineer Amphibian Command.
Initially, the Amphibious Training Command (later, Amphibious Training Center) was tasked to train no fewer than 12 Army divisions
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
(including 1 armored
Armoured warfare
Armoured warfare or tank warfare is the use of armoured fighting vehicles in modern warfare. It is a major component of modern methods of war....
division) in amphibious operations. As the war progressed, the Marine Corps expanded to six divisions and the Army and the Navy began to fight over the procurement and assignment of landing craft and other amphibious assault equipment, resulting in the Army's decision to ultimately close the Amphibious Training Center. Per its agreement with the Navy, the Army continued to train Engineer Amphibian Brigades, for while the Marine Corps was adept at the initial waves of amphibious assaults, the Marine Corps had yet to create an effective doctrine concerning subsequent support waves. This task fell to the EABs.
Deployment and Subordinate Units
The 1st, 5th, and 6th Engineer Special Brigades were assigned to the European Theater of OperationsEuropean Theater of Operations
The European Theater of Operations, United States Army was a United States Army formation which directed U.S. Army operations in parts of Europe from 1942 to 1945. It referred to Army Ground Forces, United States Army Air Forces, and Army Service Forces operations north of Italy and the...
, while the 2nd and 4th Engineer Special Brigades were assigned to the Pacific Theater of Operations
Pacific Theater of Operations
The Pacific Theater of Operations was the World War II area of military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, a geographic scope that reflected the operational and administrative command structures of the American forces during that period...
. The 3rd Engineer Special Brigade was assigned directly to the Amphibious Training Center; responsible for the training of various Army units in amphibious warfare until the dissolution of the Amphibious Training Center. It was then assigned to the Pacific Theater of Operations. The 1st Engineer Special Brigade was the only ESB to fight in both theaters of the war.
The various subordinate Engineer Boat, Engineer Amphibian, and Engineer Shore regiments
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
were all redesignated as Engineer Boat & Shore Regiments (EB&SR) by the end of the war.
1st Engineer Special Brigade
1st Engineer Special Brigade was activated on June 15, 1942, at Camp Edwards, Massachusetts as the 1st Engineer Amphibian Brigade. Due to necessity, it was pulled from the Amphibious Training Center early and sent to England, arriving in August 1942. In December of that year, it landed in North AfricaNorth African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
, where it was redesignated the 1st Engineer Special Brigade, and subsequently participated in the assaults on Sicily
Allied invasion of Sicily
The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis . It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.Husky began on the night of...
and Italy
Allied invasion of Italy
The Allied invasion of Italy was the Allied landing on mainland Italy on September 3, 1943, by General Harold Alexander's 15th Army Group during the Second World War. The operation followed the successful invasion of Sicily during the Italian Campaign...
. In December 1943, the 1st ESB returned to England and participated in the Invasion of Normandy (Utah Beach
Utah Beach
Utah Beach was the code name for the right flank, or westernmost, of the Allied landing beaches during the D-Day invasion of Normandy, as part of Operation Overlord on 6 June 1944...
). The brigade operated as Utah Beach Command until October 23, 1944, when it began its transition to the Pacific Theater of Operations. It participated in the assault on Okinawa
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945...
and was inactivated in Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
on February 18, 1946.
- 531st Engineer Shore Regiment
- 591st Engineer Boat Regiment
- 2759th Engineer Combat Battalion
2nd Engineer Special Brigade
2nd Engineer Special Brigade was activated on June 20, 1942, at Camp Edwards, as the 2nd Engineer Amphibian Brigade. The brigade arrived in AustraliaAustralia
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...
on April 17, 1943, where it was redesignated an Engineer Special Brigade. It participated in the assault on Leyte
Battle of Leyte
The Battle of Leyte in the Pacific campaign of World War II was the invasion and conquest of the island of Leyte in the Philippines by American and Filipino guerrilla forces under the command of General Douglas MacArthur, who fought against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Philippines led by...
on October 20, 1944, and returned to the United States on December 16, 1945. The 2nd ESB was deactivated the following year.
- Brigade Headquarters
- Medical Detachment
- 532nd Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment
- 542nd Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment
- 592nd Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment
- 562nd Engineer Boat Maintenance Battalion
- 1458th-1460th Engineer Maintenance Companys
- 1570th Engineer Heavy Equipment Shop Company
- 1762nd Engineer Parts Supply Platoon
- 262nd Medical Battalion
- 162nd Ordnance Maintenance Company
- 189th Quartermaster Supply Company
- 287th Signal Company
- 695th Truck Company
- 3498th Ordnance Medium Maintenance Company
- 5204th Transportation Corps Amphibious Truck Company
- Support Battery (Provisional) 2nd ESB
- 4116th Army Service Forces Band (should this be 416th ?)
3rd Engineer Special Brigade
Commanded for almost the entire war by David Ayres Depue OgdenDavid Ayres Depue Ogden
David Ayres Depue Ogden was a United States Army Lieutenant General. He was noteworthy for his command of the 3rd Engineer Special Brigade during World War II, the Ryukyus Command in the early 1950s, and his culminating assignment as the US Army's Inspector General.-Early life:Ogden was born in...
, the 3rd Engineer Special Brigade was activated on August 6, 1942, at Camp Edwards, as the 3rd Engineer Amphibian Brigade. It was transferred to Fort Ord
Fort Ord
Fort Ord was a U.S. Army post on Monterey Bay in California. It was established in 1917 as a maneuver area and field artillery target range and was closed in September 1994. Fort Ord was one of the most attractive locations of any U.S. Army post, because of its proximity to the beach and California...
, California, where it was redesignated an Engineer Special Brigade. The 3rd ESB landed on New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
on February 24, 1944; Biak Island
Biak
Biak features a tropical rainforest climate with nearly identical temperatures throughout the course of the year. The average annual temperature in the city is 27 degrees celsius, which is also generally the average temperature of each day in Biak...
on September 30; and the Philippine Islands
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 July 24, 1945. It returned to the United States on December 20, 1945, and was inactivated two days later.
- Brigade Headquarters
- Medical Detachment
- 533rd Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment
- 543rd Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment
- 593rd Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment
- 563rd Engineer Boat Maintenance Battalion
- HQ and HQ Detachment
- 1461st-1463rd Engineer Maintenance Companies
- 1571st Engineer Heavy Equipment Shop Company
- 1763rd Engineer Parts Supply Platoon
- 263rd Medical Battalion
- 163rd Ordnance Maintenance Company
- 198th Quartermaster Gasoline Supply Company
- 288th Signal Company
- 693rd Truck Company
- 3499th Ordnance Medium Maintenance Company
- 417th Army Service Forces Band
4th Engineer Special Brigade
4th Engineer Special Brigade was activated on February 1, 1943, at Fort DevensFort Devens, Massachusetts
Devens, Massachusetts is an unincorporated village and census-designated place in the towns of Ayer and Shirley, in Middlesex County and Harvard in Worcester County in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It is the successor to Fort Devens, a military post that operated from 1917 to 1996. The area...
, Massachusetts, as the 4th Engineer Amphibian Brigade. In 1943, the brigade was redesignated an Engineer Special Brigade and transitioned to Camp Stoneman
Camp Stoneman
Camp Stoneman was a United States Army military facility located in Pittsburg, California. It served as a major staging area for the Army in World War II and the Korean War....
, California. The 4th ESB arrived in New Guinea on May 18, 1944, and participated in the assaults on Morotai Island
Battle of Morotai
The Battle of Morotai, part of the Pacific War, began on September 15, 1944, and continued until the war ended in August 1945. The fighting began when United States and Australian forces landed on the south-west corner of Morotai, a small island in the Netherlands East Indies , which the Allies...
, Netherland East Indies (September 15, 1944) and Lingayen Gulf
Invasion of Lingayen Gulf
The Liberation of Lingayen Gulf was an Allied amphibious operation in the Philippines during World War II. In the early morning of 9 January 1945, an Allied force commanded by Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf began approaching the shores of Lingayen. U.S...
, Luzon (January 9, 1945). The brigade was inactivated in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
on April 15, 1946.
- Brigade Headquarters
- Medical Detachment
- 534th Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment
- 544th Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment
- 594th Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment
- 564th Engineer Boat Maintenance Battalion
- 264th Medical Battalion
- 164th Ordnance Maintenance Company
- 199th Quartermaster Gasoline Supply Company
- 289th Signal Company
- 694th Truck Company
- 3492nd Ordnance Medium Maintenance Company
- 4th Engineer Amphibian Brigade Band (August 1945 became 434th Army Service Forces Band attached to 6th Army)
5th Engineer Special Brigade
5th Engineer Special Brigade was formed from Headquarters and Headquarters CompanyHeadquarters and Headquarters Company
In United States Army units, a headquarters and headquarters company is a company sized military unit, found at the battalion level and higher. In identifying a specific headquarters unit, it is usually referred to by its abbreviation as an HHC...
, 1119th Engineer Combat Group on November 12, 1943, at Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
, England. 5th ESB participated in the Invasion of Normandy (Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach is the code name for one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II...
) and operated Omaha Beach until November 19, 1944. On January 4, 1945, the brigade was transferred to the Seine
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
section of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, where it supervised construction activities. It returned to the United States on July 11, 1945, and was inactivated at Camp Gordon Johnston
Camp Gordon Johnston
Camp Gordon Johnson was a World War II United States Army training center located in Carrabelle, Florida, United States.-History:Camp Johnson opened in September 1941 as Camp Carrabelle and was later named after Colonel Gordon Johnston, a well decorated soldier who served in the Spanish-American...
, Florida, on October 20 of that year.
- 37th Engineer Combat Battalion37th Engineer Battalion (United States)The 37th Engineer Battalion was an airborne combat engineer battalion in the United States Army, and a subordinate unit of the 20th Engineer Brigade and XVIII Airborne Corps, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina....
- 336th Engineer Combat Battalion
- 348th Engineer Combat Battalion
6th Engineer Special Brigade
6th Engineer Special Brigade was formed from HHC, 1116th Engineer Combat Group on May 15, 1944, in England. The brigade participated in the Invasion of Normandy (Omaha Beach) and operated Omaha Beach until Christmas Eve, 1944. 6th ESB moved into FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on New Year's Day, 1945, and remained there until redeploying to the United States on July 14, 1945. The brigade arrived in the United States on July 23, 1945, and was inactivated at Camp Gordon Johnston on October 20 of that year.
- 147th Engineer Combat Battalion
- 149th Engineer Combat Battalion
- 203rd Engineer Combat Battalion
Sources
- Baldwin, William C. (1985). "Amphibian Engineers in World War II", Engineer, 4.
- Becker, Marshall O. (1946). The Amphibious Training Center. Washington, D.C.: Historical Section, Army Ground Forces.
- Stanton, Shelby L. (2006). World War II Order of Battle: An Encyclopedic Reference to U.S. Army Ground Forces from Battalion through Division, 1939-1946 (Revised Edition). Mechanicsburg: Stackpole.