Advanced Base Force facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Advanced Base Force
Active	1913–1933
Country	United States
Branch	United States Marine Corps
Type	Advanced base operations
Part of	U.S. Navy Department

The United States Marine Corps's Advanced Base Force was a special group of Marines. It was created to set up and defend temporary naval bases. These bases were needed for the United States Navy during big operations, both near and far from the United States.

Started in the early 1900s, this force was the first of its kind for the U.S. It showed the Marine Corps' important role in expeditionary warfare, which means fighting far from home. The Advanced Base Force allowed the Navy to operate independently. It meant they didn't always need the United States Army for troops and supplies. This force could defend naval bases against attacks. It could also land with many guns, machine guns, and infantry. Today's Fleet Marine Force grew out of the Advanced Base Force.

Why Was the Advanced Base Force Needed?

After winning the Spanish–American War, the United States grew much larger. By 1898, the U.S. had gained new territories. These included the Philippines, Guam, the Hawaiian Islands, and parts of Samoa. Puerto Rico was also added to help defend Cuba. The U.S. also wanted to build a canal in Panama.

With all this new land, the Navy had many more duties. In 1900, the "General Board of the Navy" was formed. Its job was to plan for naval challenges.

Planning for Possible Wars

The General Board made plans for possible attacks on the U.S. and its territories. They thought about attacks on the East Coast, the Caribbean, or the Panama Canal. At first, they worried about the British Royal Navy. But relations improved.

Instead, they focused on Germany's Imperial Navy. Germany had bought islands in the Pacific and set up a naval base in China. After the Russo-Japanese War, Imperial Japan also planned to expand in the Pacific. The U.S. Navy needed Pacific islands to refuel its coal-powered ships. These islands were like a lifeline to bases in the Philippines and Guam. If Japan attacked, a system of naval bases was crucial. This led to War Plan Orange, a plan to respond to a Japanese attack on the Philippines.

So, after 1900, the Navy knew that attacks on U.S. interests could happen in both the Pacific and the Caribbean. The fleet would have to travel thousands of miles. The General Board realized they needed quick-to-build advanced bases. They couldn't rely on the small U.S. Army to defend these bases quickly.

How the Force Was Created

In 1901, a group of four companies, called a battalion, was formed. It was set up at Annapolis, Maryland and Newport, Rhode Island. This was for training in expeditionary and advanced base operations. The Commandant of the Marine Corps, Major General Charles Heywood, was pushed by the General Board and the Secretary of the Navy to create this force. It was meant to be ready quickly for duties in any U.S. territory.

Organization of the Force

The Advanced Base Force was officially created on December 23, 1913. It was called the 1st Advanced Base Brigade. This brigade is the ancestor of today's 1st Marine Division. It had two main parts:

• The Fixed Defense Regiment
• The Mobile Defense Regiment

These two regiments are the ancestors of Marine regiments today. The 1st Regiment of the Advanced Base Force became the 2nd Marine Regiment. The 2nd Regiment became the 1st Marine Regiment.

An aviation group was also started in 1911. This was led by Lieutenant Bernard L. Smith. Later, in 1917, a "permanent" Aviation Company was formed. This was led by Marine officer Alfred A. Cunningham, the Marine Corps' first aviator.

Fixed Defense Regiment

This regiment was formed in June 1913 at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. It was the early version of the Marine Defense Battalions used in World War II. These battalions defended naval bases in the Pacific.

In January 1914, the Fixed Defense Regiment joined the Mobile Defense Force. Together, they formed the Advanced Base Force Brigade at Culebra, Puerto Rico. This brigade was led by Colonel George Barnett.

By 1915, the Fixed Defense Regiment included:

• A headquarters company.
• A company for laying mines to protect harbors.
• A signal company for radio, telephone, and visual signals.
• Companies for setting up fixed batteries (large guns) for harbor defense.
• A company trained as combat engineers and for heavy automatic weapons.
• A field artillery battery with 3-inch (76 mm) field guns.

The Aviation Company, the first permanent aviation group in the Marine Corps, was set up in February 1917.

Mobile Defense Regiment

This regiment was put together at the Pensacola Navy Yard. It was led by Lieutenant Colonel John A. Lejeune. It had rifle companies, a machine gun company, and a field gun battery. These groups were like the early versions of today's Battalion Landing Teams (BLT). These BLTs have done many landing operations from World War II to the Korean War and Vietnam War.

In January 1914, the Mobile Defense Regiment sailed to Culebra, Puerto Rico. There, it met the Fixed Base Regiment. Together, they formed the Advanced Base Force Brigade. This was the first time a unit of this size and type operated.

Developing the Force

1900–1905

Captain Dion Williams, a U.S. Marine intelligence officer, wrote an important paper in 1902. He said that U.S. safety depended on the Navy's ability to refuel its ships during war. He believed future wars would be "naval wars." He suggested having a permanent "fixed defense" regiment of Marines to man artillery and set up minefields. He also wanted a "mobile defense" force that could be quickly formed from Marines at naval bases. He pushed for storing equipment, having permanent transport ships, and holding yearly training exercises.

In 1902, Secretary of the Navy William H. Moody ordered an advanced base force battalion to prepare for exercises in the Caribbean. This training showed the Marines how important it was to set up naval guns and base defenses.

The first advanced base exercises happened in Culebra, Puerto Rico in 1903. They proved that Marines could do what was planned. However, there were problems. Naval officers didn't always understand the challenges of moving heavy equipment. Also, many Marines were sent to Panama and Cuba, which slowed down the advanced base force's development.

1905–1910

In 1907, an exercise at Subic Bay showed how quickly Marines could set up many heavy guns. This was during a time of worry about war with Japan. This convinced the Navy Department to organize equipment for an advanced base force. They wanted one ready in the Philippines and another in Philadelphia. The Marine Corps had grown, so the General Board decided to create a "permanent" advanced base force. This would make cooperation with the Army less necessary.

By 1909, the General Board was disappointed. They felt little progress had been made since 1900. Commandant George F. Elliott was criticized.

However, new leaders helped renew interest. In 1909, George von L. Meyer became the new Secretary of the Navy. He created a system where naval aides helped with policy. These aides pushed for war readiness and a strong naval fleet. Also, more Marines became available for advanced base training because of conflicts like the Nicaraguan Expedition of 1912 and the Veracruz landing in 1914.

Colonel William P. Biddle became the new Commandant of the Marine Corps. He made three important changes:

• He created the position of Assistant to the Commandant. This person was in charge of Marine training. Lieutenant Colonel Eli K. Cole was the first to hold this job.
• He created permanent expeditionary companies at each Marine Barracks.
• He made three months of recruit training mandatory for all new Marines.

Biddle also continued sending Marine officers to Navy and Army schools for advanced training.

1910–1915

In March 1910, Assistant Secretary of the Navy Beekman Winthrop ordered Commandant Biddle to take charge of the advanced base equipment. He also told him to train officers and men to use it. By the next summer, the Advanced Base School moved to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard.

Two other big changes helped the Advanced Base Force. First, the Marine Corps Association (MCA) and the Marine Corps Gazette were formed in 1911 by John A. Lejeune. Second, Marine and Naval Aviation began to grow. The Marine Corps' first aviator, 1st Lieutenant Alfred A. Cunningham, saw a role for planes in the advanced base force. He and Lieutenant Bernard L. Smith joined the force in 1913 to create an aviation section.

In June 1913, the Advanced Base Force brigade was formed. It had two permanent regiments: the Fixed Defense Regiment and the Mobile Defense Regiment. Each was designed for its specific role. By December 1913, the Marine Corps had made more progress on the advanced base force in one year than in the previous twelve.

By 1914, the force included reconnaissance seaplanes. Marine aviation was closely linked to advanced base operations from the start.

In 1915, the Marine Corps received money to build new bases. These included one in San Diego, California on the west coast and another at Quantico, Virginia, on the east coast. This funding also helped establish an aviation company.

After George Barnett became Commandant, the Advanced Base School moved to Newport, Rhode Island. It became part of the Naval War College's lessons. This was a key step for the force's future success. Early supporters of this idea at the Naval War College included Dion Williams, Eli K. Cole, John H. Russell, and Robert H. Dunlap.

Lieutenant Colonel Earl H. Ellis, a brilliant Marine intelligence officer, was also influenced by the advanced base concept. He created war plans and procedures that were very important for the U.S. Pacific island-hopping campaign in World War II. He also made accurate maps. He believed that taking a well-defended island depended on the advanced base force. He thought the Marine Corps' future relied on this force for both defense and attack. Ellis's ideas even impressed John A. Lejeune, who became a supporter of the concept.

Ellis helped write war plans against Japan. These plans later became the main ideas for the island-hopping campaign in the Pacific during World War II.

Also in 1915, Colonel Eli K. Cole continued to support the force. As commander of the Advanced Base School and the 1st Regiment (Fixed Defense), he focused on getting new weapons and equipment and providing technical training.

Colonel John A. Lejeune became the Assistant to Commandant George Barnett from 1915 to 1917. He strongly supported the missions of the Advanced Base Force. He argued that the entire Marine Corps should be organized for advanced base duty. He believed this should be the Marine Corps' main job in the U.S. naval services.

However, other duties, like those in the Caribbean, sometimes interfered with forming a permanent advanced base force. In August 1914, World War I began in Europe. After the American entry into World War I in April 1917, two Marine regiments, the 5th and 6th Marines, were sent to France. They fought in World War I from 1917 to 1919. These battles tested the Marine Corps' new ideas about maritime combat. From 1900 to 1916, the Marine Corps changed a lot. The "advanced base force concept" became the foundation of modern amphibious warfare. This was another idea that would change the Marine Corps in the years to come.

How the Force Operated

Veracruz, 1914

The Marine Corps' Advanced Base Force took part in a U.S. intervention in Mexico. This happened after Mexican President Francisco I. Madero was killed in February 1913. About 500 Marines from the 2nd Advanced Base Regiment were among the first to land at Veracruz, Mexico in April 1914. The aviation company with the Advanced Base Force, however, missed this chance. They hadn't yet figured out how to get their two seaplanes to the area in flying condition.

Training the Force

Advanced Base School

The Advanced Base School was set up at New London, Connecticut in April 1910. The General Board asked the Secretary of the Navy, George Meyer, to order the new Commandant of the Marine Corps, Colonel William P. Biddle, to take charge of the advanced base equipment. The Commandant was responsible for making sure all officers and enlisted Marines were well-trained in advanced base operations.

The training was very tough. Marines had mostly been restricted to ship duty before. This new concept opened up revolutionary methods. Marines worked by day and studied by night. Officers trained their men to assemble and aim different types of guns, lay land mines, use searchlights, and operate automatic weapons.

In March 1910, Assistant Secretary of the Navy Beekman Winthrop sent the order to the Commandant. The school began training a few officers and men. The next summer, the school moved to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. This allowed them to work more closely with the actual equipment. However, training was often interrupted by various expeditionary duties in the Caribbean.

Fleet Exercises

The Advanced Base Force Brigade, led by Colonel George Barnett, landed on Culebra, Puerto Rico in January 1914. They joined the landing forces of the Atlantic Fleet. They spent a week preparing coastal defenses for their first advanced base exercise.

The Culebra exercises were the first of many "fleet landing exercises." They involved taking over and defending the island. The brigade set up 3-inch (76 mm) field guns on both sides of Culebra's harbor entrance. They also laid controlled mines offshore. An "attacking" force was simulated by a detached Marine battalion. The signal company laid mines and provided communications (telegraph, telephone, radio). Engineers helped set up gun positions, built docks, and placed machine guns.

However, they found problems when unloading equipment. The landing craft were not very suitable. Once ashore, they lacked engineering tools and transportation. Even with a portable rail system, moving equipment was hard. Still, the Marines got into position, manned their guns, and dug in. A counterattack force hid in the hills. The "attacking" force made simulated raids with cruisers and large landing teams.

The chief umpire, Captain William Sowden Sims, and Navy observers gave advice to the Marine artillery crews. They suggested that Marines should not fight enemy warships directly with artillery. Instead, they agreed that high-angle artillery and flat-trajectory naval gunfire would make fixed defenses the best choice. Captain Sims concluded that the "mock" landing force of 1,200 sailors and Marines could not break through the island's defenses. Despite smoke and blank fire, the Advanced Base Force successfully defended Culebra. The Navy umpires officially agreed that the Marine Corps had finally perfected the advanced base concepts. They were able to organize the units needed for the General Board's war plans.

See Also

• Fleet Marine Force