Abstract
One of the most serious challenges facing the Allies in World War II was the necessity of conducting amphibious landings against fortified enemy coasts. German and Japanese engineers shaped concrete, metal, and wood into a variety of fixed obstacles designed to damage or destroy landing craft and stop an invasion before it ever could really begin. By the end of 1942 American military planners were already pondering how to smash through such defenses so the European continent could be liberated from the Nazis. Soldiers, sailors, and civilian scientists sought a mechanical means of removing these sometimes ingenious traps. In the end, however, it was decided that these man-made obstacles would have to be tackled by a special breed of sea-going warriors. These warriors learned their dangerous trade in Florida’s waters and on its beaches.
Recommended Citation
Taylor, Robert A.
(1996)
"The Frogmen in Florida: U.S. Navy Combat Demolition Training in Fort Pierce, 1943-1946,"
Florida Historical Quarterly: Vol. 75:
No.
3, Article 5.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/fhq/vol75/iss3/5
