A Joint Assault Signal Company (JASCO) was a joint service unit that provided ship to shore, air to ground communications to coordinate and control Naval Gunfire and Close Air Support to the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

. They were composed of specially trained Marines, Sailors and Army officers and enlisted. The Army component was composed of Air Liaison Officers, modern day

Forward Air Control Forward air control is the provision of guidance to close air support (CAS) aircraft intended to ensure that their attack hits the intended target and does not injure friendly troops. This task is carried out by a forward air controller (FAC). ...

lers and enlisted communications technicians. JASCOs were created in the Pacific because of communication clutter, too many small teams to be effective. After the costly invasion of Tarawa the need for centralized command and control of air and naval fire support, utilizing Navy, Marine or Army gunners, spotters and radiomen was seen. Based on the

Guadalcanal Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the south-western Pacific, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomon Islands by area, and the seco ...

experience of

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

Alexander A. Vandergrift the Joint Assault Signal Companies were formed.

Background

The formation of JASCOs parallels the formation of US Army

Pathfinder Pathfinder may refer to: Businesses * Pathfinder Energy Services, a division of Smith International * Pathfinder Press, a publisher of socialist literature Computing and information science * Path Finder, a Macintosh file browser * Pathfinder (w ...

teams. Because of a lack of foresight a deficiency was recognized and special units formed to correct the deficiency. The Pathfinder teams were formed to solve a problem discovered with the

Battle of Sicily The Allied invasion of Sicily, also known as Operation Husky, was a major campaign of World War II in which the Allied forces invaded the island of Sicily in July 1943 and took it from the Axis powers ( Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany). It bega ...

. Lacking guidance and control the paratroops were dropped all over the island. They managed to achieve their objectives due to the initiative and leadership of the officers and NCOs and the scattered airdrops made the occupying Germans feel overwhelmed. The German ''

Fallschirmjäger The ''Fallschirmjäger'' () were the paratrooper branch of the German Luftwaffe before and during World War II. They were the first German paratroopers to be committed in large-scale airborne operations. Throughout World War II, the commander ...

'' had the same experience during the

Battle of Crete The Battle of Crete (german: Luftlandeschlacht um Kreta, el, Μάχη της Κρήτης), codenamed Operation Mercury (german: Unternehmen Merkur), was a major Axis airborne and amphibious operation during World War II to capture the island ...

; however,

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

drew the wrong conclusion and never again committed his paratroops to an airborne operation, despite the great success they had at the

Battle of Fort Eben-Emael The Battle of Fort Eben-Emael was a battle between Belgian and German forces that took place between 10 May and 11 May 1940, and was part of the Battle of Belgium and ''Fall Gelb'', the German invasion of the Low Countries and France. An assault ...

during the attack on the

Maginot Line The Maginot Line (french: Ligne Maginot, ), named after the French Minister of War André Maginot, is a line of concrete fortifications, obstacles and weapon installations built by France in the 1930s to deter invasion by Germany and force the ...

. By contrast the US Army sought to rectify the problem by creating a special unit, which would jump in ahead of a parachute assault and mark the drop zones, providing terminal air guidance to the drop aircraft. These were Pathfinder units; JASCOs were a similar response to command and control deficiencies noted in the after action reports for

The Battle of Guadalcanal The Guadalcanal campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by American forces, was a military campaign fought between 7 August 1942 and 9 February 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in th ...

and the

Battle of Tarawa The Battle of Tarawa was fought on 20–23 November 1943 between the United States and Japan at the Tarawa Atoll in the Gilbert Islands, and was part of Operation Galvanic, the U.S. invasion of the Gilberts. Nearly 6,400 Japanese, Koreans, an ...

Units

The first Joint Assault Signal Company (JASCO) was formed in October 1943 as a

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...

-sized unit named the 1st Joint Assault Signal Company attached to the

4th Marine Division The 4th Marine Division is a reserve division in the United States Marine Corps. It was raised in 1943 for service during World War II, and subsequently fought in the Pacific against the Japanese. Deactivated after the war, the division was re-fo ...

, under command of

Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

James G. Bishop Jr,

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Murrary L. Thompson (

Executive officer An executive officer is a person who is principally responsible for leading all or part of an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization. In many militaries and police forces, an executive officer, o ...

Warrant Officer Warrant officer (WO) is a rank or category of ranks in the armed forces of many countries. Depending on the country, service, or historical context, warrant officers are sometimes classified as the most junior of the commissioned ranks, the mos ...

William T. Farrar Jr (

Adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...

). The

Navajo The Navajo (; British English: Navaho; nv, Diné or ') are a Native American people of the Southwestern United States. With more than 399,494 enrolled tribal members , the Navajo Nation is the largest federally recognized tribe in the United ...

code talker A code talker was a person employed by the military during wartime to use a little-known language as a means of secret communication. The term is now usually associated with United States service members during the world wars who used their k ...

s were under their command. JASCOs did not operate as a single unit, but were composed of 13 detachments supplied to Army and Marine divisions,

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

s and battalions. Although JASCO units were first created for the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

to coordinate ship-to-shore communications for naval gunfire and air support operations, they included

personnel, Army pilots and enlisted communication personnel. As the

Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vast ...

advanced the need for more JASCO units was realized, and units were created and attached to Marine divisions. By the time of invasion of the Philippines, the U.S, Army was creating its own JASCO's to support its infantry divisions. These JASCOs were primarily staffed by Army personnel, but had US Navy personnel as well. Each JASCO was divided into a battalion shore and beach party communication section, a shore fire control section, and an air liaison section, with each section further subdivided into teams.

Unit assignments

Each Marine division had their own JASCO as follows: *1st Joint Assault Signal Party, Signal Company – 1st Provisional Marine Brigade *1st JASCO – 4th Marine Division *2nd JASCO – 2nd Marine Division *3rd JASCO – 3rd Marine Division *4th JASCO – 1st Marine Division reorganized after Pelliu into 1st JASCO *5th JASCO – 5th Marine Division *6th JASCO – 6th Marine Division

Operations

JASCOs took part in the following Pacific Theater Operations: US Marine Corp JASCOs *1st JASCO: Roi-Namur, Saipan, Tinian, Iwo Jima *2nd JASCO: Enewitok, Saipan, Tinian *3rd JASCO: Guam, Iwo Jima *4th JASCO: Peleliu, Okinawa *5th JASCO: Iwo Jima *6th JASCO: Okinawa *1st Joint Assault Signal Party: Guam :US Army JASCOs :74th JASCO Okinawa :75th JASCO Army – southern half

Kwajalein Kwajalein Atoll (; Marshallese: ) is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island, which its majority English-speaking residents (about 1,000 mostly U.S. civilia ...

, Marshall Islands attached 7th Infantry Division (US Army) :292nd JASCO Okinawa :295th JASCO Army – Kwajalein-Marshall Islands, Marianas and

Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...

– Marshall Islands attached 27th Infantry Division :593rd JASCO: Leyte Gulf,P.I., Okinawa :594th JASCO Okinawa :1st Joint Assault Signal Party: Guam

Marshall Islands

The first JASCO operation involved the 1st JASCO and the capture of the island

Roi-Namur Roi-Namur ( ) is an island in the north part of the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Today it is a major part of the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site, hosting several radar systems used for tracking and characterizing missi ...

, the northern half of the

Battle of Kwajalein The Battle of Kwajalein was fought as part of the Pacific campaign of World War II. It took place from 31 January – 3 February 1944, on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Employing the hard-learned lessons of the Battle of Tarawa, the Un ...

, Marshall Islands, attached to the

4th Marine Division (United States) The 4th Marine Division is a reserve division in the United States Marine Corps. It was raised in 1943 for service during World War II, and subsequently fought in the Pacific against the Japanese. Deactivated after the war, the division was re-fo ...

under command of Major General

Holland Smith Holland McTyeire "Howlin' Mad" Smith, KCB (April 20, 1882 – January 12, 1967) was a general in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. He is sometimes called the "father" of modern U.S. amphibious warfare. His nickname, "Howli ...

V Amphibious Corps The V Amphibious Corps (VAC) was a formation of the United States Marine Corps which was composed of the 3rd, 4th and 5th Marine Divisions in World War II. The three divisions were the amphibious landing force for the United States Fifth Fleet ...

. Landing on 1 February, the islands were seized and cleared the next day. No JASCO casualties were incurred. The short duration of the battle was, in essence, a live fire training operation, which enabled JASCO to work out some kinks. After the operation, on 24 August 1944 they returned to Hawaii for refitting and training.

Mariana Islands

The next operation was in the

Mariana Islands The Mariana Islands (; also the Marianas; in Chamorro: ''Manislan Mariånas'') are a crescent-shaped archipelago comprising the summits of fifteen longitudinally oriented, mostly dormant volcanic mountains in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, betw ...

, the capture of

Tinian Tinian ( or ; old Japanese name: 天仁安島, ''Tenian-shima'') is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Together with uninhabited neighboring Aguiguan, it forms Tinian Municipality, one of th ...

and

Saipan Saipan ( ch, Sa’ipan, cal, Seipél, formerly in es, Saipán, and in ja, 彩帆島, Saipan-tō) is the largest island of the Northern Mariana Islands, a Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), commonwealth of the United States in the western Pa ...

. The

battle of Saipan The Battle of Saipan was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on the island of Saipan in the Mariana Islands from 15 June to 9 July 1944 as part of Operation Forager. It has been referred to as the "Pacific D-Day" with th ...

lasted from 15 June to 9 July 1944, while the

battle of Tinian The Battle of Tinian was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on the island of Tinian in the Mariana Islands from 24 July until 1 August 1944. The 8,000-man Japanese garrison was eliminated, and the island joined Saipan ...

was from 24 July to 1 August 1944. The battle cost JASCO 4 officers and11 enlisted dead, 6 officers and 9 enlisted wounded, and 5 enlisted MIA. The communications teams of the 1st JASCO were the key to controlling the complex amphibian operation. On Tinian,

s were used only on a few occasions and proved unsatisfactory due to the time it took to decipher long encrypted communications.

Iwo Jima

Participating JASCOs were: *1st JASCO assigned 4th Marine Division *3rd JASCO assigned 3rd Marine Division *5th JASCO assigned 5th Marine Division The after action report for the 1st JASCO was critical of the Army component, stating that while the enlisted personnel were well trained, the officers provided were grounded pilots, and the qualifications of half of them "left much to be desired". The report also indicated a priority need for replacement personnel. There was such a loss of equipment, that the first two months of training back in Hawaii had to be limited to physical training, weapons training, and classroom work.

Okinawa

The following JASCO units took part in the

Battle of Okinawa The , codenamed Operation Iceberg, was a major battle of the Pacific War fought on the island of Okinawa by United States Army (USA) and United States Marine Corps (USMC) forces against the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA). The initial invasion of ...

: * 1st JASCO attached to 4th Marine Division * 4th JASCO attached 1st Marine Division * 6th JASCO attached 6th Marine Division * 292nd JASCO attached 77th Infantry Division * 593rd JASCO attached 96th Inantry Division * 594th JASCO attached 27th Infantry Division * 74th JASCO, attached 7th Infantry Division

Central Pacific Army JASCOs

Two Army JASCOs supported the Central Pacific. These were: *75th JASCO Army – southern half

, Marshall Islands attached 7th Infantry Division (US Army) *295th JASCO Army – Kwajalein-Marshall Islands, Marianas and

– Marshall Islands attached 27th Infantry Division (US Army) By the time of the Okinawa landing, the JASCO had improved its communications and transportation capabilities, with new equipment including radio jeeps. Air Liaison Parties (ALPs) from the Joint Assault Signal Companies (JASCOs) attached to each division enabled the smooth functioning of coordinating agencies and front line direction of close air support from carrier aircraft and Tactical Air Force at 10th Army Headquarters.

Africa and Europe

In the African Campaign JASCO units were part of special engineer battalions, performing the same duties with a mix of Army and Naval personnel. On 6 June 1944 there were three distinct JASCO units storming the beaches of

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

. They were: * 293rd JASCO * 294th JASCO * 296th JASCO *

Legacy

JASCO units were disbanded and their responsibility transferred to the US Navy with the signing of the

National Security Act of 1947 The National Security Act of 1947 ( Pub.L.br>80-253 61 Stat.br>495 enacted July 26, 1947) was a law enacting major restructuring of the United States government's military and intelligence agencies following World War II. The majority of the pro ...

, at that time the Marine Corps began recreating JASCO capability under the

ANGLICO Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO) is an Airborne forces, airborne fire support and liaison unit of the United States Marine Corps. The mission of ANGLICO is "To provide Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Commanders a liaison capabili ...

designation. The United States Army created its own JASCO units for the

European Theater of Operations The European Theater of Operations, United States Army (ETOUSA) was a Theater of Operations responsible for directing United States Army operations throughout the European theatre of World War II, from 1942 to 1945. It commanded Army Ground For ...

. Its function has been incorporated into the

Signal Corps (United States Army) ) , colors = Orange and white , colors_label = Corps colors , march = , mascot = , equipment = , equipment_label = ...