Princeton (LPH 5) - Naval Cruise Book

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Third, targets such as bridges, light fortifications, and lines of communication, may be captured rather than destroyed thus allowing our own use of these essential items in the push inland. In short, vertical envelopment can be used in many Ways, for many purposes. Helicopter-borne troops can bypass beach opposition normally encountered in am- phibious landings, land far behind enemy lines in min- utes, split enemy forces, or transport needed supplies quickly. An assault of this nature has the advantages of the swiftness of flight, the depth of penetration in enemy territory and shock from the unexpected. It is versatile, efficient, and adaptable to all kinds of com- bat in all kinds of terrain. During the WESTPAC cruise the PRINCETON Was the command ship of Amphibious Ready Group, com- prised of l LPH, l APA, and l LSD. Embarked among the 3 ships was a Battalion Landing Team of about 1400 Marines, and a squadron of helicopters. As part of Task Group 76.5 her job was simply to be ready if needed near a 'chot spot in the Pacific. As an LPH, this ship can expect to play a large role in the future in protecting the -interests of the free world. 1 'Emi - 4 pig ' l Y 1' --' ly 1 1 lg ' l 'fl' Al

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Since World War II there has developed a new doctrine of amphibious Warfare, the concept of vertical envelopment coupled with an assault from the sea. The employment of this concept is the mission of the PRINCETON. She is designated an LPH fAmphibious Assault Carrierj and is commonly referred to as a Landing Platform-Helicopter. In an amphibious op- eration, she launches helicopters for transporting troops to an assault area. The technique used for such assaults has been aptly named uVertical Envelopmentf' What is Vertical En- velopment, and how is it used? The term is applied to the system of landing assault troops against enemy held territories using helicopters as the ship-to-shore movement vehicles. What are the advantages of this technique? Firstg the fact that the Navy and Marines possess such a capability forces an enemy to disperse more widely, thus spreading his defense thinner. The shock effect of a helicopter landing is enormous and ideally should 'impose complete tactical surprise upon the defenders. Secondg an enemy defending a shore must prepare himself to meet an attack from any direction, since vertical envelopment, as the name implies is not re- stricted by unfavorable beaches or surf conditions and may be employed rapidly in attacks on the enemy's rear or flank. This in effect greatly enlarges our tacti- cal perimeter and completely eliminates the uone front handicap resulting from a waterborne assault. The enemy defenders in the beach area are constantly confronted with the danger of complete encirclement and subsequent annihilation.

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