Preparing for Victory - Thomas Holcomb and the Making of the Modern Marine Corps, 1936-1943
by David J Ulbrich, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD (2011)
Reviewed by Colonel Curt Marsh, USMC (Ret.)
The story of General Thomas Holcomb who was Commandant of the Marine Corps from 1936 to 1943 illuminates a crucial period of Marine Corps history and the very significant contributions of one key participant. Most Marines know all about the battles of World War II and the names of those who fought the battles, but the story of Commandant Holcomb is not as well known. The author, David J. Ulbrich provides a well written and thoroughly documented account of Thomas Holcomb's life and long service to the Corps and country. Along with his story the development and growth of the Marine Corps is revealed from its small parochial status at the beginning of the 20th century to the powerful fighting force it became during WWII.
Born in 1879 to a well-established American family, Holcomb wanted to attend the Naval Academy. Unfortunately, his family fell on hard times during the depression of the mid 1890's and he decided to set aside his goal to help support his family by working as a clerk for Bethlehem Steel near Baltimore. However, he was able to support his younger brother through school to be selected for the Naval Academy. As a result, Holcomb never attended college. He originally applied to be an officer in the Marine Corps in 1898 to fight in the Spanish-American War but he was famously turned down because at 5'7", he was deemed too short and scrawny to survive the toughness of the Corps. After continuing to work as a clerk for two more years he reapplied in 1900 and was accepted to take the officer exams. After studying hard, Holcomb was able to finish 4th out of a pool of 15 applicants.
The author notes early on that in his thirty-six years in the Marine Corps prior to Holcomb becoming Commandant that "he always seemed to be in the right position at the right time to maximize the benefits of fighting in the First World War, studying in the American military's advanced education system, and serving in key line and staff positions." Early in his career he gained notoriety for his marksmanship and became the Commanding Officer of the Marine Corps Rifle Team. His emphasis on the marksmanship for every Marine would extend throughout his service.
When the Marines reached France in WWI, Holcomb commanded a rifle battalion as part of the 6th Marine Regiment. During the Battle of the Marne his battalion captured the town of Boursches and then moved into the Belleau Woods to reinforce other units engaged there. He later led his battalion in the Battle of Soissons. He was subsequently assigned as the assistant regimental commander and promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. With this assignment he was introduced to the U.S. Army staff organization which was modeled after the French Army General Staff. He finished the war as one of the most decorated Marines with a Navy Cross, Silver Star with three Oak Leaf Cluster, a Purple Heart; and from France he was awarded the Chevalier de la L�gion d'Honneur and three Croix de Guerre.
After the war Holcomb came under the mentorship of General Lejeune serving for a time as his assistant. One key assignment was as the Director of the Operations and Training Division of HQMC during the development of war plans in support of War Plan Orange to defend the Pacific against the Japanese. He directed the effort to carve out a new amphibious assault mission for the Corps of in addition to the traditional one of base defense. While attending the U.S. Army War College in 1931-32 he authored a paper that became a blueprint for the expanded Marine Corps mission and organization that was realized during World War II. Later as Commander of Marine Corps Schools, Holcomb oversaw the revisions to many doctrinal publications including the Tentative Manual for Landing Operation, Tentative Manual for Defense of Advanced Bases and Small Wars. As a Brigadier General 1936 he was selected to succeed Commandant Russell. With his selection he leapfrogged a number of more senior generals to the 'Major General Commandant' position.
Commandant Holcomb faced the difficult challenges of leading a military service during the Great Depression. By 1936 the Corps staffing had dropped to 1,208 officers and 16,040 enlisted Marines, less than New York City's Police Department. Holcomb was well served by his long experience working within the Navy bureaucracy and the politics of Washington. Early in his career he had established a close friendship with Franklin Delano Roosevelt that had continued. He was also good friends of some key Senators and Congressmen with oversight of the Navy/Marine Corps budget. Regardless, funding was very tight during this period. With the beginning of war in Europe, the U.S. military was finally being built up, but the Marine Corps had to compete with the Army and Navy for many of its needs. Commandant Holcomb ably led the Corps through the critical period of buildup of both manpower and equipment. This continued to be a challenge during his entire term as Commandant. Holcomb was well respected among his peers to include General George Marshall and Admirals Stark and King. Alexander Vandegrift served as Assistant to the Commandant during much of the prewar period, (note there was no position of Assistant Commandant like today).
With the outbreak of war Holcomb made command changes that ensured that the Marines were led by the best leaders, including Vandegrift and Holland "Howlin' Mad" Smith. During the latter part of the battle for Guadalcanal, he made a trip to the South Pacific and toured the island battlefield. The major result of trip was a meeting at Noumea with Admiral Halsey, Admiral Turner and General Vandegrift that resulted in a new document adjusting the command structure for amphibious operations that had plagued operations on Guadalcanal. This new structure would lead to success throughout the rest of the war and remains essentially intact today. When Holcomb reached the mandatory retirement age of sixty-four he handed the reins to Vandegrift, a man he had mentored for a number of years. He then served as Ambassador to South Africa from 1944-1948 prior to fully retiring from federal service.
The book includes an exhaustive set of notes and references at the back. In fact the book has 285 pages of which only 190 comprise the actual narrative. The author makes a point, numerous times, of the "progressive management" style of Holcomb. He also makes various references to his "cognitive style" and "organization capacity," along with some other terms of leadership qualities as defined by political scientist Fred Greenstein. Such comments are somewhat distracting to an otherwise excellent narrative. The author also criticizes Holcomb for his resistance to integrating blacks and women into the Corps, although some have offered excuses based on the cultural climate of the times. Interestingly, as Ambassador to South Africa Holcomb became an outspoken opponent of apartheid.
This book is strongly recommended to anyone interested in a fuller picture of the Marine Corps and its leaders than is normally understood during the first half of the 20th century. Thomas Holcomb is properly described in a manner that illustrates his seminal importance in the storied history of the Marine Corps.
Curt Marsh is a retired Marine Corps Colonel and Naval Aviator.
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The Ablest Navigator: Lieutenant Paul N. Shulman, USN, Israel's Volunteer Admiral
By J. Wandres, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD (2010).
Reviewed by Kempton Baldridge
It is a special treat to learn about a 20th century naval hero who has, until now been little more than a footnote in history. The name Paul Shulman might not ring any bells for many naval historians, but thanks to the well-researched biography by J. Wandres, The Ablest Navigator, the name should be an inspiration not just to young naval officers, but also to young Jews.
Through articles, interviews, oral histories and exhaustive archival research, Wandres has pieced together a portrait of a young New York Jew who served in the U.S. Navy during World War II only to later immigrate to Israel and volunteer in the Israeli War of Independence. Immediately following the war, Shulman oversaw the purchase of many surplus vessels that helped in the Jewish Exodus of 1946-1948. Later, through his close friendship with David Ben-Gurion, Israel's first Prime Minister, Shulman essentially set up the modern Israeli Navy, becoming its first admiral at the age of 26. This is a new story of naval history, and adds much to the scholarly study of not only U.S. Navy and Israeli history, but also the American Jewish experience.
Furthermore, it makes a strong case why the name Paul Shulman should be held in equal reverence to Uriah Levy, the Navy's first Jewish Commodore. Although it may be true that Shulman did not achieve greatness while serving in the American Navy, Wandres notes the dedication he had to the Zionist cause and how the skills he learnt as midshipman at Annapolis served him well in setting up the first Israeli naval academy.
Wandres has done an admirable amount of research, as evident from his detailed bibliography, endnote and glossary of modern Hebrew terms that was very useful for understanding the book. However, since many of his endnotes are written in such depth, it is rather difficult to read at times; flipping back and forth between the chapter and the back of the book. The history of Zionism and Israel is, of course, necessary for Paul Shulman's story to be told, however this is sometimes done in a confusing manner. For instance, the last chapter of the book tells of the history of modern Zionism and Israel pre-1947; this would be much better placed at the beginning of the book.
J. Wandres, a retired Navy public affairs officer who has written articles in a variety of military magazines including Naval History and All Hands has shed new light on the part that American Jews played in Israeli independence in a way that is both interesting to naval historians and comprehensive to a casual non-fiction reader.
Kempton Baldridge is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University with a major in history and recently returned from teaching English in the Marshall Islands.
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Leadership in Action: Principles Forged in the Crucible of Military Service Can Lead Corporate America Back to the Top
by Rear Admiral Greg Slavonic, USN (Ret.), Fortis Publishing, (2010)
Reviewed by Rear Admiral Ed Keats , USN (Ret.)
Greg Slavonic, justifiably proud of rising from Seaman Apprentice to Rear Admiral in the Navy, considers the United States military services to be a superior clan. This conceit has caused him to write Leadership in Action and encouraged him boldly to announce as the sub-title, Principles forged in the crucible of military service can lead corporate America back to the top. He provides fifteen sketches about members of the military services, extracting from their careers those parts he sees as examples of the skills they exhibited in leadership. All of the accounts disregard other facets of their lives.
The basis of the book is the proposition that corporate America has fallen from the top it once occupied and can return by taking his advice on leadership, as if the reversion were so simple. Slavonic, however, neglects even to offer proof of the fall of corporate America. It is obvious he passionately believes that big corporations do not lead as well as they should. He does not identify, however, why or how such a failure occurred. To him the descent appears clear enough to remove the need to explain. He adheres to many widespread political and cultural beliefs in America's decline. Thus, he feels comfortable in simply announcing that if those in charge of the non-military part of the United States would follow the examples of outstanding military officers the result would be an improvement in the functioning of corporate America.
Some of the military figures, such as General David Petraeus and Admiral Elmo Zumwalt, portrayed by Slavonic as examples of leadership are well recognized. His choice of others is questionable. One in particular, Commander Lloyd Bucher, although eventually cleared by a court martial, has had many naval officers disparage him for surrendering his ship, Pueblo, to North Korean attackers without engaging in a substantial fight. More damaging to the reputation of overall naval leadership was the action of the naval high command in the Western Pacific in not dispatching assistance promptly to Bucher when the North Koreans attacked. Later they even refused to give support to the minimal actions he took.
Another counter to Slavonic's thesis comes from the early days of World War II. The U.S. Navy's torpedo firing mechanisms failed to initiate an explosion when torpedoes hit Japanese ships. During the first years of the war, submarine commanders were frustrated when they took risks to gain a position to fire their torpedoes and after firing heard them hit Japanese ships but not detonate. Reports from the Fleet told of the malfunctions. The senior officers at the Navy's Bureau of Ordnance demonstrated their leadership by claiming that the fault must lay with the method of firing, as nothing was or could be wrong with the Bureau's own product, designed and manufactured in the Bureau's own facility. They completely dismissed the complaints. However, test firings conducted by the thwarted Pacific submarine command against underwater rocks clearly demonstrated that the firing mechanisms were faulty. Finally, civilian contractors engaged by direct orders from top naval officials over the opposition of the Bureau, redesigned the explosive process to make it reliable.
Slavonic would have his readers believe without providing any evidence in the improvement in leadership by the Navy and other military services during recent years while the civilian world was declining in effectiveness. If corporate America followed the military's example of leadership, he asserts, their results would bring them "back to the top." He focuses on leadership while ignoring the beneficial effects innovation and forward thinking have had on corporate America. He also overlooks the demonstrated leadership of Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and similar outstanding people.
Memorial Hall at the Naval Academy displays banners, paintings, statues and documents commemorating the achievements of naval heroes. Its artifacts are devoted to bravery while its walls avoid describing the qualities of leadership the heroes exhibited. Naval Academy officials over the years have obviously assumed leadership of naval officers as a fundamental part of their intrepidity. Special commendation of their leadership qualities was never necessary.
Slavonic displays a machismo attitude toward women. In the biographical accounts of men the references to them is always by their surnames as "O'Shea is a recognized..." and O'Shea is a qualified..." With Major Paula Broadwell (author of the sketch of General Petraeus) he reduces her to just a given name, "Paula served as the Deputy..." and "Paula is a Ph.D. ..."
The book feels incomplete from a lack of endnotes and an index.
Slavonic has added one more to the ever-expanding shelf of books on leadership. However his book suffers from his avoidance of examples to support his theme of the certainty of corporate America's improvement should those in control follow the examples of military leadership.
Retired RAdm Keats participated in the battles for Tarawa, Saipan, Iwo Jima and Okinawa in World War II.
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PILOT ERROR - A Naval Aviator's Career - WWII Black Cats to Korean War PBYs to Annapolis Professor
by Capt. Vadym V. Utgoff., NRA Associates, Annapolis, MD. (2006). Reviewed by Charles Bogart This is the story of one man's love affair with flying. We follow the author's path from growing up as the child of an immigrant Russian naval officer; entrance into the Naval Academy; winning his naval wings; service in PBYs in the South Pacific; commanding a PBM squadron during the Korean War; post war naval service at Whidbey Island, Dahlgren Proving Grounds, and NAS Sigonella; and as professor of Aerospace Engineering at the Naval Academy following retirement from the Navy. The author fills his book with enough stories of potential and actual flight mishaps; he was involved in or witnessed, to provide Grampaw Pettibone with material for a decade of writing. The author's own aircraft mishaps are all given in a three phase account: how I got into the problem, how I got out of the problem, and what I learned from that. Captain Utgoff's World War II service was with VPB-34 flying PBY aircraft. The Squadron, when he joined, was involved in anti-submarine duties over the Caribbean Sea during 1942 and early 1943. In July 1943, the Squadron was ordered to the South Pacific Theater. Here VPB-34 would become a component of the legendary anti-shipping Black Cats. VPB-34, during its service in the southwest Pacific, would conduct long distance night time patrols attacking Japanese shipping targets of opportunity. The account the author provides of these aerial attacks is well-written and gives a clear idea of the difficulties the pilot and crew had to overcome to successfully complete a mission. In 1944, as a Lieutenant Commander, Utgoff would assume command of VPB-34. When relieved of command of VPB-34, he returned stateside and took command of VPB-91, flying PBY-5As. Following the war Utgoff returned to school concentrating on aeronautical engineering. Following graduation in 1950, he took command of VP-40, which was flying PBM's, and led them to action in Korea. His account of being a commanding officer during wartime provides insight into a number of issues of command: accident investigation, pilots turning in their wings, and enforcing discipline. In 1952, he returned stateside and went to work for the Office of Naval Research. Two years later he reported on board USS Valley Forge (CVS 45) as operations officer. After a year on board Valley Forge, the author was detached and assigned to the staff of Commander Fleet Air Whidbey Island. While at Whidbey, the author's brother Vic was killed flying the experimental P6M Seamaster. The author provides a clear account of what caused this aircraft to crash. At Whidbey, the author flew R4Ds, R5Ds, P2V-5Fs, and P5M-2s. There are a number of learning curve stories. After 11 months at Whidbey, the author, in November 1957, was ordered to Dahlgren Proving Grounds. While at Dahlgren, the author was diagnosed as having diabetes. He spends considerable time discussing the psychological problems he experienced from what later turned out to be a misdiagnosis. The author completed his service with the Navy as Commanding Officer, NAS Sigonella, 1961-1963. This chapter has little on NAS Sigonella but instead concentrates on lessons he learned on being over confident while flying various aircraft. The book closes with the author recounting his time at MIT earning an advanced degree in Aerospace Engineering, then being hired as an instructor by the Naval Academy, and his efforts to build an accredited Aerospace Engineering Department at the Academy. This account is far too short to give one a true idea of how this Department went from concept to a fully functioning entity. This is a well-written book that provides information on being a naval officer and a pilot. Each reader of this book will come away with a better understanding of naval aviation development during the 1940s and 1950s. I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone who is a pilot or thinking of becoming a pilot, for the lessons learned accounts within the book. Charles H. Bogart
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Yangtze River Gunboats 1900-49
By Angus Konstam, Illustrated by Tony Bryan, Osprey Publishing, Oxford, UK (2011)
Reviewed by Captain Roger F. Jones, USN (Ret)
This small gem is one of Osprey's comprehensive series of books on military history, units, and warriors. Despite the date in the book's title, the history of western nations' gunboats patrolling the Yangtze River goes back to June 1858, upon signature of the Treaty of Tientsin. This allowed British warships the right to visit any port in China, and to conduct "protective" and "punitive" actions in the event that British citizens were threatened or harmed. Similar agreements were negotiated by other western countries, following the establishment of the "Open Door" policy that called for unrestricted access for trade. Access to ocean ports had long been allowed, but these agreements opened up inland ports. The Yangtze River is more than 3,900 miles long - the longest river in Asia - and was the most important internal trade route. Navigation on the Yangtze had some limitations, however: about 1000 miles inland, a series of gorges and seasonal changes in river depth make navigation perilous. Only small warships with shallow draft and powerful engines could safely access the upper Yangtze. Initially, ships designed for operation on the Nile River were transferred to China, but eventually most such ships were specifically designed for this service, built in sections in England, and then shipped to China for assembly and commissioning. In addition to the US and UK, Japan, Germany, France, and Italy also maintained gunboats on the Yangtze.
In 1911, the Chinese Revolution took place, and the Manchu Dynasty was overthrown; the revolutionaries then split into the Nationalist and Communist factions and the country was effectively beset by civil war. Local warlords - essentially well-armed bandits - threatened the lives and property of western diplomats, merchants, and missionaries living in China. The importance of the protection afforded by these small warships and their crews would be hard to overstate. During World War I, the Japanese occupied several cities and regions in China; relations remained strained until Japan attacked again in 1937, effectively conquering most of China. Japan treated the Western countries' gunboats as something less than neutral, bombing and sinking the USS Panay ("the Panay incident"), which soon after led to a withdrawal of US military and citizens from China. Following the end of World War II, only the British sent gunboats back to the Yangtze, but withdrew permanently in 1949, following an attack by Chinese Communists on the HMS Amethyst.
Konstam is an excellent writer and the colored drawings of gunboats by Tony Bryan are truly superlative. Numerous black-and-white photographs plus detailed descriptions of US and British gunboats by class add to the reader's appreciation of the uniqueness of this aspect of naval power. I could have wished for a map or two, but the omission is a minor failing. For naval history buffs, this work is well worth reading and one that would grace any collector's bookshelf.
Captain Jones is a frequent contributor to Naval History Book Reviews
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Books Currently Available for Review
We have a number of books here in our offices that are available to be reviewed. If you are interested, please contact Dr. Dave Winkler at dwinkler@navyhistory.org .
Horrible Shipwreck! Andrew C.A. Jampoler, Naval Institute Press, 2010, 294 pages.
Battle Surface! Lawson P. "Red" Ramage and the War Patrols of the USS Parche. Stephen L. Moore, Naval Institute Press, 2011, 342 pages.
Silent Killers: Submarines and Underwater Warfare. James P. Delgado, Osprey Publishing, 2011, 264 pages.
Among Heroes: A Marine Corps Rifle Company on Peleliu. First Sergeant Jack R. Ainsworth (edited by Ambassador Laurence Pope), preview copy, 83 pages.
Counterinsurgency Leadership in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Beyond. Edited by Nicholas J. Schlosser and James M. Caiella, Marine Corps University Press, 2011, 204 pages.
Kamikaze: Japanese Special Attack Weapons 1944-45. Steven J. Zaloga (illustrated by Ian Palmer), Osprey Publishing, 2011, 48 pages.
Decatur's Bold and Daring Act: The Philadelphia in Tripoli 1804. Mark Lardas, Osprey Publishing, 2011, 80 pages.
The 14-Hour War: Valor on Koh Tang and the Recaptur of the SS Mayaguez. James E. Wise, Jr. and Scott Baron, Naval Institute Press, 2011, 297pages.
No Ordinary Summer. David T. Lindgren. Authorhouse, 2010, 275 pages.
Horatio Nelson. Angus Konstam, Osprey Publishing, 2011, 64 pages.
The Patrol Frigate Story: The Tacoma-class frigates in World War II and the Korean War 1943-1953. David Hendrickson, Fortis Publishing, 2011, 164 pages.
Steam Coffin: Captain Moses Rogers and the Steamship Savannah Break the Barrier. John Laurence Busch, Hodos Historia, 2010, 726 pages.
The Untold Experiences of a Navy Corpsman: A US Navy Hospital Corpsman with a US Marine Corps Reconnaissance Patrol Team in the 1950's on covert Korean missions. C. Gilbert Lowery, Authorhouse, 2011, 167 pages.
The Role the USS Casablanca (CVE-55) Played in World War II in the Pacific. Barbara G. Jones, The Edwin Mellen Press, 2010, 515 pages.
Normandy Crucible: The Decisive Battle That Shaped World War II in Europe. John Prados, NAL Caliber, 2011, 320 pages.
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