What did the declassified documents reveal?

Document: The Amphibians Came to Conquer, Volume I Agency: U.S. Marine Corps Date: 26 September 1991 Notable: A 626-page war history of the development of U.S. amphibious doctrine that defeated Japan in the Pacific. The document, Fleet Marine Force Reference Publication (FMFRP) 12-109-I, was released through The Black Vault, a website archiving various WWII reports and documents. The canonical PDF is available at https://www.theblackvault.com/documents/wwii/marine1/12109i.pdf. The document was published to ensure the retention and dissemination of useful information, not intended to become doctrine or to be published in Fleet Marine Force manuals. It is Volume 1 of a two-volume biography of Vice Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner, who commanded the Navy amphibious forces in the Pacific theater during World War II. The Amphibians Came to Conquer and Coral and Brass (FMFRP 12-37) are companion publications providing insight into how amphibious operations can be replanned and executed successfully. The document was reviewed and approved by Major General M. P. Caulfield, Director of the MAGTF Warfighting Center. The story begins with a letter from Admiral Kelly Turner to the Director of Naval History, dated 9 November 1956. Turner wrote that he would not write a book about his experiences, citing the difficulty of writing history and the potential for controversy. The author, Vice Admiral George Carroll USN (Retired), worked on the volumes for nine years, interviewing hundreds of personnel from all ranks and ratings. He expresses gratitude to those who contributed to the work, particularly those who allowed themselves to be quoted when they had something critical to say about the subject. The foreword explains that the book is a story of a fighting man, Kelly Turner, and the maturing United States Navy. It deals primarily with the amphibious matters of the World War II Pacific campaigns, but does not pretend to tell the whole story of the naval war or the amphibious campaigns in the Pacific from 1942 to 1945. The author consulted with many of the titans of the World War II Navy, including Nimitz, Kinkaid, and Spruance, to get a well-rounded picture of Kelly Turner and the various amphibious operations. This is what the public record looks like at its most ordinary. The document is available at https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/various-wwii-reports-and-documents/.

Why was this case declassified?

This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process.

The Amphibians Came To Conquer, Volume I

◆ BLUF — The short version

S. S. amphibious doctrine that defeated Japan in the Pacific. The document, Fleet Marine Force Reference Publication (FMFRP) 12-109-I, was released through The Black Vault, a website archiving various WWII reports and documents. pdf.

Date: JUL 6 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)

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Episode notes

Document: The Amphibians Came to Conquer, Volume I Agency: U.S. Marine Corps Date: 26 September 1991 Notable: A 626-page war history of the development of U.S. amphibious doctrine that defeated Japan in the Pacific. The document, Fleet Marine Force Reference Publication (FMFRP) 12-109-I, was…

Questions about this case

What was The Amphibians Came To Conquer, Volume I about?: S. S. amphibious doctrine that defeated Japan in the Pacific. The document, Fleet Marine Force Reference Publication (FMFRP) 12-109-I, was released through The Black Vault, a website archiving various WWII reports and documents. pdf.
Why was this case declassified?: This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. Storyflo narrates it directly from the public release.

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