Naval gunfire support (NGFS) comprises the use of naval artillery to provide fire support support for amphibious assault troops. USS Iowa (BB-61) fires a full broadside of nine 16/50 and six 5/38 guns during a target exercise near Vieques Island, Puerto Rico, 1 July 1984. ... Fire Support is a military term referring to long-range firepower provided to a front-line unit. ... Amphibious warfare is the utilization of naval firepower, logistics and strategy to support land warfare. ...

USS Iowa (BB-61) fires a full broadside of nine 16"/50 and six 5"/38 guns during a target exercise near Vieques Island, Puerto Rico, 1 July 1984.

Naval gunfire is one of the three main components of amphibious warfare assault operations support, along with aircraft and ship-launched missiles. Image File history File links Uss_iowa_bb-61_pr. ... Image File history File links Uss_iowa_bb-61_pr. ... USS Iowa (BB-61), the lead ship of her class of battleship, was the fourth ship of the United States Navy, but second to be commissioned, to be named in honor of the 29th state. ... Vieques is an island-municipality of Puerto Rico. ... Amphibious warfare is the utilization of naval firepower, logistics and strategy to support land warfare. ... An aircraft carrier is a warship whose main role is to deploy and recover aircraft. ... A missile (CE pronunciation: ; AmE: ) is, in general, a projectile—that is, something thrown or otherwise propelled. ...

World War II

Naval gunfire against fortresses is as old as the use of cannon on ships. The practice reached its zenith during World War II, when the availabilty of man-portable radio systems and sophisticated relay networks allowed forward observers to transmit targeting information and provide almost instant accuracy reports — once troops had landed. Battleships, cruisers and destroyers would pound shore installations, sometimes for days, in the hope of reducing fortifications and attriting defending forces. Obsolete battleships unfit for combat against other ships were often used as floating gun platforms expressly for this purpose. However, given the relatively primitive nature of the fire control computers and radar of the era combined with the high velocity of naval gunfire, accuracy was poor until troops actually hit the beach and were able to radio back reports to the ship — usually after great numbers of them had died. HMS Victory in 1884 Battleship was the name given to the most powerfully gun-armed and most heavily armored warships between the 15th and 20th Centuries. ... USS Port Royal, a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser, launched in 1994. ... USS Lassen, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet or battle group and defend them against smaller, short-range attackers (originally torpedo boats, later submarines and aircraft). ... A fire-control system is a computer, often mechanical, which is designed to assist a weapon system in hitting its target. ...

The solution was to engage in longer and longer bombardment periods — up to two weeks, in some cases— saturating target areas with fire until a lucky few shells had destroyed the intended targets. This had the unfortunate effect of "telegraphing the punch", alerting an enemy that he was about to be attacked. In the Pacific War, this mattered little, as the antagonists were usually expecting their island strongholds to be invaded at some point and had already committed whatever combat resources were available. Bombardment periods were usually shorter in the European theater, where surprise was more often valued and ships' guns were responding to the movements of mobile defenders, not whittling away at static fortifications. US landings in the Pacific, 1942–1945 The Pacific War occurred in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in Asia. ...

Naval gunfire can reach as far as 10 miles inland, and was often used to supplement land-based artillery. The heavy-caliber guns of some eighteen battleships and cruisers were used to stop German Panzer counterattack at Salerno. Naval gunfire was also used to help curb German operations in Normandy, although the surprise nature of the attack precluded the drawn-out bombardment necessary to reduce the Atlantic Wall sufficient to reduce the horrendous casualties suffered, especially at the American beaches (Omaha & Utah). PzKpfw V-D, a Panther tank   Panzer? is German for armour. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Combatants Allied Powers Germany Commanders Dwight D. Eisenhower (Supreme Allied Commander) Bernard Montgomery (land) Bertram Ramsay (sea) Trafford Leigh-Mallory (air) Gerd von Rundstedt (OB WEST) Erwin Rommel (Heeresgruppe B) Strength 326,000 (by June 11) Unknown Casualties 53,700 dead, 18,000 missing, 155,000 wounded About 200,000... German coast artillery in the Pas-de-Calais area, with laborers at work on casemate. ... Troops from the First Division landing on Omaha beach. ... American assault troops move onto Utah Beach, carrying full equipment. ...

Vietnam era

Task Unit 70.8.9, the Naval Gunfire Support Unit, was made up of destroyers, armed with 5"/38 or 5"/54 guns, and continuously patrolled the coast of South Vietnam to provide NGFS at short notice. If greater firepower was required then larger gunned cruisers were called in for reinforcements. NGFS was controlled by the United States Marines First Air/Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO) who provided spotters, usually airborne in light aircraft but sometimes on foot, in all military regions. USS Lassen, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet or battle group and defend them against smaller, short-range attackers (originally torpedo boats, later submarines and aircraft). ... Official language Vietnamese Capital Saigon Last President Duong Van Minh Last Prime Minister Vu Van Mau Area  - Total  - % water 173,809 km² N/A Population  - Total  - Density 19,370,000 (1973 est. ... USS Port Royal, a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser, launched in 1994. ... United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is the second smallest of the five branches of the United States armed forces, with 170,000 active and 40,000 reserve Marines as of 2002. ...

Modern Era

Naval Gunfire is still used for many of its traditional purposes. In the United State Marine Corps, artillery units have a Naval Gunfire Liaison Officer in each battalion to maintain close contact between the branches for amphibious operations despite the disbanding of active duty ANGLICO units. The navies of the world have almost universally moved away from the large caliber guns seen during the 20th century. Naval guns used on modern ships tend to be smaller caliber weapons with more advanced targeting systems. It is unlikely that the large caliber guns will make a return and much of the traditional role of Naval Gunfire has been taken over by naval air power.