imported>Fakescientist8000: Adding short description: "US Navy task force"

2024-12-24T14:06:09Z

Adding short description: "US Navy task force"

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{{Short description|US Navy task force}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{Use American English|date=October 2019}}
'''Task Force 61''' (CTF-61) is a [[task force]] of the [[United States Navy]] that today denotes what used to be designated the [[Mediterranean]] [[Amphibious ready group]] (MARG) of the [[United States Sixth Fleet]]. It is composed of approximately three [[Amphibious assault ship]]s, but in 2008 is designated the [[Expeditionary Strike Group]] that includes their embarked [[landing craft]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://fas.org/man/dod-101/navy/unit/task-force.htm |title=Task Force |website=fas.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000824054556/http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/navy/unit/task-force.htm |archive-date=2000-08-24}} </ref> From these ships, [[United States Marine Corps]] ground forces can move ashore by sea and air in [[amphibious assault]] or emergency evacuation missions. Once ashore, the ships of Task Force 61 are able to [[Military logistics|logistically support]] the ground forces, until the objective of the landing has been accomplished.

The TF 61 designation has been used by the United States Navy since [[World War II]].

==World War II==
Task Force 61 seems to have first been formed in advance of the [[Guadalcanal campaign]] of 1942.
Admiral [[Robert L. Ghormley]], Commander, [[South Pacific Area]], issued his Operation Plan No. 1–42 on 16 July 1942.<ref>Source HyperWar</ref> It was to govern the execution of Task One which was to be divided into three phases. The first would be a rehearsal in the Fiji Islands; the second would be the seizure and occupation of [[Battle of Tulagi and Gavutu–Tanambogo|Tulagi]] and [[Guadalcanal]] ([[Operation Watchtower]]).<ref>p. 64, Lane</ref> Additionally, the task force executed [[Operation Cleanslate]] on the [[Russell Islands]] in August 1942. The projected occupation of Ndeni in the Santa Cruz Islands would be the third and final phase.

Operation Plan No. 1–42 organized two forces, Task Forces 61 and 63. The Expeditionary Force of eighty-two ships (designated as Task Force 61), was to be commanded by Vice-Admiral [[Frank Jack Fletcher]],<ref>p. 64, Lane</ref> and included the amphibious force of Task Group 61.2 under Rear Admiral [[Richmond K. Turner]], escorted by the vessels of [[Task Group 61.1]] Rear Admiral [[Leigh Noyes]]. The main landing force was to be the [[1st Marine Division (United States)|1st Marine Division]]. Later, in October 1942, the Task Force, now under Rear Admiral [[Thomas C. Kinkaid]], confronted a force directed by [[Isoroku Yamamoto|Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto]] in the same area. In late October, the Task Force consisted of the [[USS Enterprise (CV-6)|USS ''Enterprise'']], [[USS South Dakota (BB-57)|USS ''South Dakota'']], the cruisers [[USS Portland (CA-33)|USS ''Portland'']] and [[USS San Juan (CL-54)|USS ''San Juan'']], and eight destroyers.<ref>p. 195, Griffith</ref> The Task Force formed one of the two U.S. carrier groups that took part in the [[Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands]]. As such it represented the combined command of [[Task Force 11]], [[Task Force 16]] and [[Task Force 18]].

Task Force 61 was dissolved in the Pacific Theater and became Task Group 92.4 while TF-61 was reactivated in the Atlantic under the Royal Navy command, and participated in convoy escort duties, although initially it included US Navy [[Destroyer Division 60]], [[Destroyer Escort Division 5]], and a number of [[United States Coast Guard]] and [[Free French Navy]] vessels.<ref>p. 53, Andrews & Andrews</ref> In May 1944 it included {{HMS|Queen Elizabeth|1913|6}}, [[French battleship Richelieu|''Richelieu'']], {{HMS|Cumberland|57|6}}, the [[Royal Netherlands Navy]] [[light cruiser]] [[HNLMS Tromp (1937)|HNLMS ''Tromp'']], 21st Carrier Squadron, and HM Destroyers {{HMS|Saumarez|G12|2}}, {{HMS|Vigilant|R93|2}}, {{HMS|Verulam|R28|2}}, {{HMS|Nubian|F36|2}} and {{HMS|Tartar|F43|2}}.

==Cold War==
The TF 61 designation has been used in the Mediterranean since the late 1940s.{{citation needed|date=January 2020}}

In the early 1960s the Task Force included rotation of [[Amphibious Squadron Six]] CTF {{USS|Casa Grande|LSD-13|6}}, and [[Amphibious Squadron Four]] CTF {{USS|Fremont|APA-44|6}}.{{citation needed|date=January 2020}}

On 22 July 1974, 466 foreign nationals were air-lifted via helicopter to the {{USS|Coronado|LPD-11|6}} and {{USS|Trenton|LPD-14|6}} of Task Force 61 for transport to Beirut, Lebanon.<ref>Polmar et al. ''Chronology of the Cold War at Sea'', p. 153.</ref> U.S. naval forces in the area remained on high state of readiness through 2 September 1974 as the situation on Cyprus began to stabilize.{{citation needed|date=January 2020}}

In 1982, during the Multi-National Force deployment to Lebanon, the Commander, Amphibious Task Force (CTF 61) was designated Commander, U.S. Forces Lebanon.{{citation needed|date=January 2020}}

==Fiction literature==
Task Force 61 is the subject of several [[military fiction]] novels by [[David Poyer]].{{citation needed|date=January 2020}}

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
* Lane, Kerry, ''Guadalcanal Marine'', University Press of Mississippi, 2004
* Griffith, Samuel B., The Battle for Guadalcanal, University of Illinois Press, 2000
* Andrews, Jr., Lewis M., Andrews, Lewis M., ''Tempest, Fire and Foe: Destroyer Escorts in World War II and the Men Who Manned Them'', Trafford Publishing, 2004

[[Category:United States Navy task forces]]

Task Force 61 - Revision history

imported>Fakescientist8000: Adding short description: "US Navy task force"