Armed Bluejackets Ashore

Among other major navies, that of the United States put armed naval landing parties ashore during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Although done primarily to protect American interests, they also safeguarded international communities against the "savage hordes" of "uncivilized" nations. Specially designed light field guns carried aboard gunboats and larger warships sometimes supported the bluejackets and marines, customarily when larger parties more likely to face sharp actions went ashore. Most American naval landings of the nineteenth century took place in Africa, Asia, and Central and South America, whereas the following century saw landings against larger and otherwise civilized nations such as Mexico and Russia. The last of these landings were made in conjunction with the Allied assaults on North Africa in November 1942. The first purpose-built landing guns, the bronze Dahlgren muzzleloading smoothbore howitzers, saw extensive deployment during the Civil War, and postwar in Korea. The US Navy's very first steel breechloading guns were landing pieces. Five different marks of 3-inch breechloading guns and several guns of other calibers followed in successive decades, serving for varying periods. The history and characteristics of these landing guns are chronicled.