ABSTRACT
Within the field of popular history there is a general acceptance that the losses incurred by the landing forces at Gallipoli convinced most military officers in the inter-war period that opposed amphibious landingswere not possible in conditions of modern war. This view is usually accompanied by statements congratulating either the US Marine Corps or the Japanese armed forces for refusing to accept this assessment and for developing the equipment and doctrine required to overcome enemy defences at the beach thereby spearheading the development of amphibious warfare as a modern military capability. Typical of such views are the following:
This dismal experience [at Gallipoli] made a profound impression on military thinking the general conclusion was that large scale amphibious operations against a defended shore, especially conducted in daylight, were almost certain to be suicidal.1
