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Reconnaissance is the military art of obtaining intelligence on the enemy through direct observation. The ideal reconnaissance mission gathers detailed information on enemy dispositions without being detected, but this is not always possible. During the Pacific War reconnaissance was carried out by land, sea, and air forces.
Reconnaissance by land forces is typically carried out by infantry patrols. An infantry patrol is essentially a party of soldiers sneaking around in front of their own lines in an effort to spot enemy positions before the enemy spots them. It is one of the more difficult military skills to master, and it is a mark of green troops that they conduct few and unaggressive patrols.
Elite troops such as the Fiji and the Alamo Scouts and the Navy's Underwater Demolition Teams, as well as irregular forces such as guerrillas and the coast watchers, were usually particularly adept at reconnaissance. They were trained (or compelled) to operate for days outside their own lines and to observe enemy positions while avoiding combat.
Reconnaissance at sea was largely a function of submarines and small craft such as PT boats, which could slip into enemy waters undetected. Reconnaissance by cruisers and other larger warships was largely superceded by aerial reconnaissance. Submarines frequently were employed to do photographic surveys of possible landing areas, building up a montage of photographs taken through their periscopes. PT boats operated mostly at night, when most aircraft were unable to operate.
Aerial reconnaissance dominated strategic
reconnaissance and reconnaissance at sea. Reconnaissance aircraft were
usually fast, high-flying aircraft that could evade fighter defenses and antiaircraft to photograph
positions of interest or spot enemy naval forces at sea.
The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia © 2007, 2010 by Kent G. Budge. Index
