Page 17 - NAVAL SCIENCE 3 TEXTBOOK

22 NAVAL KNOWLEDGE

more rugged materials than would be necessary for purely COlll - oLisly considered. At present, however, most U.S. foreign aid and
mercia 1 lise. trade goods arc shipped in foreign-flag ships. ~ ... Ioreo\'er, the trend
toward larger ships with cargoes in containers further diminishes the
Direct Support of Military Operations opportunity to "show the flag" in underdeveloped countries. Such
countries may have only small ports that lack the expensi\'e facilities
Ships of the merchant marine can be used in direct support
to handle containerships, and the local market for goods may be too
of some military operations. This was done to a considerable
small to make calls by huge containerships profitable.
extent in \'\'orld \Var II, particularly with tankers that were fitted
with underway refueling rigs. Some bulk freighters were also fit-
ted for transfer of cargo at sea. More recently, there has been some
The F uture
design work and testing using containerships in this role, but more
The hard fact is that the United States is an island nation that needs
remains to be done.
merchant ships at sea and trained Sailors in those ships. The ships
Another example of direct tleet support is the sealift of fol-
must be able to serve the needs of the nation in both commercial
low-on supplies to support an amphibious operation. This was
and defensive capacities.
also done extensively during \'\'orld \·Var n. The follow-on support
The U.S. shipbuilding industry Illust push technology to cut
should arrive within five days of the initial amphibious assault. It
cost. The nation Illust intensify eA-orts to develop modern modu-
consists mainly of troops, weapons, and supplies that cannot be
lar weapons installations for the defense of merchant ships and to
put ashore during the initial landings but arc necessary to keep the
facilitate the use of containerships in support of the naval !leet.
offensive going. Normal resupply thereafter would also most likely
The American people mllst not lose sight of the fact that the
be delivered by merchant ships.
nation's prosperit)' and survival depends on our ability to use
Auxiliary Combatant Role the seas for international trade. The combination of strong naval
lorces and a strong merchant marine. together serving the com-
~v1erchant ships can be easily converted to perform a vari-
mercial and strategic needs of the nation, is the beginning of true
ety of combatant roles. The history of this adaptation goes back
sea power.
to the privateer in the Revolutionary \·Var and \·Var of 1812. Later,
merchant raiders, or Q ships (ships that looked like cargo vessels
but that had camouflaged weapons). were used, principally by
the Germans, in the two world wars. The United States converted STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS
tankers and freighters into escort carriers in \'\'orld \Var II. Also,
most \·\'orld \-Var II amphibious troop and cargo ships were con~ 1. \Vhy is the U.S. merchant marine an important part of U.S.
sea power?
verted merchant ships. There are many possible milit<lqr applica~
tions to r the fast, modern ships now entering the merchant marine. 2. \·Vhy did our merchant marine decline during and after the
Por example, they could be fitted with defensive weapon systems Civil \Var?
or sonar, and RoRo ships with their large clear main decks could 3. \,Vhat did the Merchant Marine Act of 1936 authorize in
support military aircraft such as helicopters and V/STO L (vertical order to help Am erican shipping companies compete against
takeoff) planes. to reign companies?
4. \Vhat is the basic means lor moving vast quantities of raw
Support of Foreign Policy materials and manufactured goods th roughout the world?

A frequently overlooked contribution of the merchant 5. \Vhat are the key factors that have caused American cargo in
marine to national defense is its role in support of foreign policy. Am erican ships to drop to less than 3 percent of total?
Historically, the British and American merchant fleets were very 6. A.\·Vhat are the five leading ports in the United States?
instrumental in developing the nineteenth-century toreign poli-
13. \Vhat are the five largest U.S. shipyards, and where are
cies of those nations, and the Soviets made much use of their mer- they located?
chant marine to support their foreign policy toward Third \"'orld
7. "Vhat is the most numerous type of ship in the U.S. merchant
nations during the Cold \Var years of the twentieth century.
marine and the most cOlllmonly seen on the high seas?
The United States, however, has not actively pursued this option
8. A. How does the containership work?
for a long time. The potential to promote U.S. foreign policy through
the American merchant marine is great and should be more seri- 13. \Vhat are its most significant advantages?