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While Battleship Texas may evoke the thought of naval superiority or an image of the dreadnought cutting through the waves, a significant portion of her personnel was focused on the shore side aspect of naval warfare. The tradition itself has been practiced throughout American history, starting with Continental Marines during the Revolutionary War. Into the nineteenth century, the practice expanded to include sailors as well. Throughout her entire commission, Texas possessed the ability to disembark a contingent of armed men to the shore of any adversary. In her first year under commission, Texas sailed to the waters off Veracruz, due to the Tampico Affair, in which Mexican soldiers briefly took US sailors prisoner as the men came ashore. In response, the US invaded Veracruz with marine and sailor landing forces on April 21, 1914. Veracruz was occupied until November, in part by forces from Texas beginning in May. In her first deployment, Texas’s landing forces proved inextricably linked with the operations of the battleship.

While the 14” main battery guns of Texas are well known, as are her smaller caliber secondary battery, she commissioned with a substantial number of smaller arms not all on board by the end of World War II. According to the first deck logs written in March of 1914, Texas had two one-pounder guns for boat use to support the landing parties, along with at least one 75mm field gun to be brought ashore. While none of these such guns have yet made their way into the museum collections, photos of them on the ship and on shore certainly have. Landing forces also had access to almost four hundred .30cal bolt-action rifles, over one hundred .45cal pistols, and two 12-gauge shotguns.

Prior and throughout World War I, the US Navy published multiple pamphlets and bulletins with instructions for landing parties. This included such examples as “The Landing-Force and Small-Arm Instructions” from 1905 into World War I. However, as the war continued, a more comprehensive manual emerged. The simply titled “Landing Force Manual” became the backbone of instruction for the practice in 1918. A 1920 edition, owned by Marine crew members, and later brothers-in-law, Joseph Nemanic and John Dergantz, is preserved within their shared collection. As noted by the preface of the 1920 edition, the landing force personnel “carries out the same tactics, and in the same manner, as would a similar force of the U.S. Army under the same conditions,” demonstrating the necessity of naval ground forces.

The training of landing forces was much more difficult than just giving men a manual. According to one critic in 1940, parades were often the most experience landing forces had at kitting up and disembarking as a unit. Limitation of space meant training was seldom, and often rushed. As Texas was a larger capital ship, her decks provided more space than typical for this occasion, albeit not an ideal amount. Men were still cramped, often filling much of the free space for drills, formation, or arms training. Everything from calisthenics to bayonet training could be done on deck, but range practice often required men to depart for land-based facilities, though training would still occur as a unit. During these training exercises, sailors and marines wore specific pieces just as they would during an actual landing.

In addition to special weapons for their task, Navy landing forces also carried specialized gear. Sailors did not get whole new uniforms but rather elements to augment existing ones. In addition to their blues and whites, the men would receive brown cartridge belts for their small arms, and khaki leggings to cover their lower calf and ankles. William J. Hynes, a World War I veteran sailor who joined the crew of Texas in 1922, had all such articles. Elsewhere in his collection are several photographs from the Western Front as well as a single photo of a young and excited Hynes holding a rifle. One could certainly imagine the sailor excited to go away to war. Thankfully, he was never called upon to land on the shores. Critics of the uniform practice existed long before such forces existed on Texas. They noted the Navy blues and whites made for painfully visible forces, and regardless of inaction, should be equipped properly as befits a unit capable of combat.

Elsewhere within the crew, Marines had their own uniforms better suited to shore-side environments. Like their non-warship stationed counterparts, shipboard Marine detachment uniforms were khaki. However, they too had the leggings and cartridge belts just as their fellow sailor crew members. While Battleship Texas Foundation does not have any specific uniform piece owned by marines that were associated with landing forces, we do have the dress uniform of Millard Murdock, who was assigned to Texas in the 1920s. On his uniform, across the left breast is a Sharpshooter medal, which no doubt proved a beneficial skill for any landing force personnel. For the proper storage of all parts of a uniform, for dress or shore landing, placing each article in archival boxes, and providing acid-free tissue paper to preserve shape is advised. Hanging uniforms is acceptable, but should be done in enclosed bags with padded hangers to avoid damage in that position.

All landing force items within collection pertain to the early history of Battleship Texas through 1925. Dealing with documents and uniforms all over a century old requires specific measures to ensure longevity. As many of the items currently within collection did not have ideal storage across their near hundred years before reaching the Foundation, many photographs have faded, or otherwise been damaged. Thus, as with all photographs, careful storage in acid free folders within archive boxes ensures that dust and the elements remain off, further creases and bends are prevented, and light damage is avoided. Despite the museum only having artifacts relevant to Texas landing forces up to 1925, the practice persisted throughout her entire commission.

Generous donors give new and interesting artifacts to Battleship Texas Foundation regularly. Articles from the landing parties of Battleship Texas help highlight the diverse roles men on board held. While not as famous or noteworthy as the actions of the ship itself, landing parties proved an essential component of 20^th century naval combat. The Battleship Texas Foundation is actively collecting historic items, photographs, and documents related to Battleship Texas (BB-35), Battleship New York (BB-34), or the other commissioned ships named USS Texas (SSN-775, CGN-39, and the first USS Texas commissioned in 1895). If you have an item that makes you say, “It belongs in a museum!” please email us at [email protected] with photos and any relevant information. Our staff is working diligently to collect, accession, and archive historical items of the Last Dreadnought.