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F.T.P. 143(A)

War Instructions

United States Navy
1944

UNITED STATES FLEET
Headquarters of the Commander in Chief

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Table of Contents

					Page
Preface					vii
Chapter 1	The Human Element in Naval Strength				1
Chapter 2	Command and Operations:
		Section	I --	General comment	3
		Section	II --	Command	3
		Section	III --	Initiative	4
		Section	IV --	Naval directives	4
		Section	V --	Information	5
		Section	VI --	Cooperation with Army, with Allies, and with Merchant Marine	6
		Section	VII --	Doctrines of action	6
Chapter 3	Bases:
		Section	I --	Protection of naval units at a base	9
Chapter 4	Individual Ship Readiness:
		Section	I --	Conditions of readiness	11
		Section	II --	Darkening ship	11
		Section	III --	Lights	12
		Section	IV --	Speed requirements	12
		Section	V --	Material casualty	12
		Section	VI --	Exhaustion of fuel and ammunition	12
Chapter 5	General Instructions for Communications, Contact Reports, Recognition and Identification, Radar, Aviation Personnel Rescue:
		Section	I --	Communications	13
		Section	II --	Contact reports	13
		Section	III --	Recognition and identification	16
		Section	IV --	Combat information center	17
		Section	V --	Radar	17
		Section	VI --	Air sea rescue provisions for aviation personnel	18
Chapter 6	Dispositions and Instructions:
		Section	I --	Requirements of cruising dispositions	19
		Section	II --	Selection of cruising dispositions	19
		Section	III --	Forms of cruising dispositions	20
		Section	IV --	Covering force	23
		Section	V --	Miscellaneous instructions	23
		Section	VI --	Convoys	24
		Section	VII --	Scouting	25
Chapter 7	Action Against Submarines, Aircraft, Mines, Chemicals:
		Section	I --	Antisubmarine measures	29
		Section	II --	Antiaircraft measures	30
		Section	III --	Mines	33
		Section	IV --	Chemical defense	34
Chapter 8	Night Actions:
		Section	I --	General	35
		Section	II --	Night battle plans	36
		Section	III --	Use of star shells and searchlights	37
		Section	IV --	Night action instructions	39
Chapter 9	Employment of Submarines:
		Section	I --	Submarine characteristics	43
		Section	II --	Submarine tactics	43
		Section	III --	doctrine of general employments	44
		Section	IV --	Submarine operation in conjunction with other types	46
		Section	V --	Submarines cruising in company with or in the vicinity of friendly forces	47
Chapter 10	Aircraft Operations:
		Section	I --	Aircraft employment	49
		Section	II --	Forms of air attack	49
		Section	III --	Tactics of attacking aircraft	50
		Section	IV --	Aircraft operating in the vicinity of friendly ships	50
		Section	V --	Night operations	51
Chapter 11	Sortie and Entry:
		Section	I --	General	53
		Section	II --	Sortie	54
		Section	III --	Entry	55
Chapter 12	Major Action:
		Forward			57
		Section	I --	Task groups for a major action	57
		Section	II --	Initial contact	59
		Section	III --	The approach	59
		Section	IV --	Battle task groups during approach	60
		Section	V --	Forces in contact	63
		Section	VI --	Deployment	64
		Section	VII --	Battle dispositions	66
		Section	VIII --	Battle plans	67
		Section	IX --	Types of major actions	68
		Section	X --	General instructions for battle task groups in major actions	70
		Section	XI --	Fire distribution	76
		Section	XII --	Torpedo instructions	78
		Section	XIII --	Smoke screens in battle	79
		Section	XIV --	Own vessels disabled in action	80
		Section	XV --	Flagship disabled in action	81
		Section	XVI --	Enemy vessels disabled in action	81
		Section	XVII --	Aircraft disabled in action	81
		Section	XVIII --	Assistance to disabled vessels during action	82
		Section	XIX --	Rescue of survivors during action	83
		Section	XX --	Night attacks before main engagement	83
		Section	XXI --	Normal action	83
		Section	XXII --	Reverse action	86
		Section	XXIII --	Day pursuit action	88
		Section	XXIV --	Retirement action	90
		Section	XXV --	Delay action	92
		Section	XXVI --	Withdrawal action	93
		Section	XXVII --	Night action	95
Chapter 13	Procedure Following a Day Engagement:
		Section	I --	General	99
		Section	II --	Chase	100
		Section	III --	Disabled vessels after action	101
		Section	IV --	Assistance to disabled vessels and rescue of survivors after action	101
Chapter 14	Amphibious Operations:
		Section	I --	Definition, purpose, and scope	103
		Section	II --	Organization	103
		Section	III --	Command relationship	104
		Section	IV --	Major group tasks	105
		Section	V --	Plans	105
		Section	VI --	Training	106
		Section	VII --	General	106
Index					107

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F.T.P.143(A)

 

UNITED STATES FLEET,
HEADQUARTERS OF THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF,
NAVY DEPARTMENT,
Washington 25, D.C., 1 November 1944.

F.T.P. 143 (A)

1. War Instructions, 1944 (F.T.P. 143 (A)), is approved for the use and guidance of the Naval Service, and is effective upon receipt. Its purpose, scope and applicability is as set forth in the preface.

2. This publication supersedes War Instructions, 1934 (F.T.P. 143), copies of which shall be destroyed by burning. No report of destruction is required.

3. F.T.P. 143 (A) is a [formerly] confidential [but now declassified], non-registered publication which shall be transported, handled and stowed as prescribed by Article 76, U.S. Navy Regulations, 1920, and the Registered Publication Manual.

4. IT IS FORBIDDEN TO MAKE EXTRACTS OR COPY THIS PUBLICATION WITHOUT SPECIFIC AUTHORITY FROM THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY, OR CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS, EXCEPT AS PROVIDED FOR IN THE REGISTERED PUBLICATION MANUAL. [Unlimited distribution of this document is authorized since its declassification.]

5. The Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (Registered Publication Section) has cognizance of the distribution of this publication.

6. This publication shall not be carried for use in aircraft.

/signed/
E.J. King
Commander in Chief, United States Fleet,
and Chief of Naval Operations.

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Preface

Purpose

War Instructions 1944, derived from experience, is issued to indoctrinate officers in a common concept of naval combat warfare, and fighting procedures. Acceptance and understanding of these basic principles reduces the necessity for detailed instructions in orders.

Scope

War Instructions 1944 defines the doctrine of command, operation of ships and fleets, and encounters with the enemy. All paragraphs assume that there is a state of war or armed resistance, actual or probable.

Amplification of this doctrine, with application to specific circumstances, is found in Navy Regulations, General Tactical Instructions, Current Tactical Orders and Doctrine U.S. Fleet, and other appropriate publications.

The publication Joint Action of the Army and Navy defines the assigned common mission of the Army and Navy, the general functions of the two services, and the demarcation between them. The Joint Chiefs of Staff may establish specific joint functions and command relationships by addition to or modification of the general directives of the above publication.

Applicability

War Instructions 1944 do not limit in any respect the authority of a fleet or force commander to issue supplementary instructions or to suspend within his command the provisions of any paragraph. in the absence of such modifications, lower echelon commanders are governed by the instructions contained herein.

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Table of Contents

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Source: A photocopy of this document is in the Navy Department Library. The original document is located in the World War II Command File of the Operational Archives Branch, Naval History & Heritage Command.

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