Naval gunfire support

Naval gunfire support is the use of guns aboard ships to attack targets ashore in support of land forces. It can suppress defenses, destroy positions, or provide covering fire.

Naval gunfire liaison officer: A military officer who coordinates naval gunfire with forces operating ashore. Liaison officers connect ground units’ requests and target information to ships offshore.
Amphibious warfare: Military operations that project forces from the sea onto a hostile or potentially hostile shore. Ship guns can support landings by attacking defenses before and during the assault.
Naval artillery: Artillery weapons designed for use aboard naval vessels. Ship-mounted artillery is the weapon system from which naval gunfire support derives.
Field artillery: Mobile land-based artillery used to deliver indirect fire in support of ground forces. It can sustain land operations without relying on ships positioned offshore.
Naval gunfire support in the Korean War: The use of ship guns to support United Nations ground forces during the Korean War. Korean coastal operations became a prominent example of naval guns aiding troops ashore.
Forward observer: A trained military observer who identifies targets and adjusts indirect fire onto them. Observers report impacts and corrections so ship crews can refine their fire.
Shore bombardment: The attack of coastal or inland targets from the sea using naval weapons. It is the direct attack mission most closely associated with naval gunfire support.
Age of Sail: The period when sailing ships dominated long-distance maritime warfare, roughly from the sixteenth to the mid-nineteenth century. Early ship-to-shore attacks emerged when sailing warships carried heavy cannon.
Rocket artillery: Artillery that launches unguided or guided rockets, often in salvos. Rocket systems can deliver larger area effects, while naval guns offer repeated shell fire.
Naval gunfire support in the Vietnam War: The use of U.S. naval guns to attack targets ashore during the Vietnam War. Vietnam shows how ships supported ground units while operating along an extended coastline.

Linked from 14 pages