Editing Seabee (section)

===Naval Combat Demolition Units===
[[File:Naval Combat Demolition Unit 45.jpg|thumb|"NCDU 45", Ensign Karnowski (CEC), ChCarp. Conrad C. Millis, MMCB2 Lester Meyers and three gunners mates. The unit received a Presidential Unit Citation with Ens. Karnowski earning the [[Navy Cross]] & French [[Croix de Guerre]] with Palm, while MM2 Meyers received a [[Silver Star]].<ref name="KarnowskiNCDU-45">{{cite web |url=http://seabeemagazine.navylive.dodlive.mil/2014/06/06/opening-omaha-beach-ensign-karnowski-and-ncdu-45/ |first=Frank A. |last=Blazich |title=Opening Omaha Beach: Ensign Karnowski and NCDU-45 |date=6 June 2014 |website=Seabees Online |publisher=Navy Facilities Engineering Command |location=Washington Navy Yard, DC |access-date=18 October 2017 |archive-date=3 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170903115317/http://seabeemagazine.navylive.dodlive.mil/2014/06/06/opening-omaha-beach-ensign-karnowski-and-ncdu-45/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Two men were wounded and one killed.]]

In early May 1943, a two-phase "Naval Demolition Project" was ordered by the [[Chief of Naval Operations]] "to meet a present and urgent requirement" for the [[invasion of Sicily]]. Phase-1 began at Amphibious Training Base (ATB) [[Solomons, Maryland]] with the creation of Operational Naval Demolition Unit # 1. Six Officers led by Lt. Fred Wise CEC and eighteen enlisted reported from Camp Peary dynamiting and demolition school.<ref name="seabeemagazine.may14">{{cite web |url=http://seabeemagazine.navylive.dodlive.mil/2017/05/12/this-week-in-seabee-history-week-of-may-14/ |first=Frank A. |last=Blazich |title=This Week in Seabee History (Week of May 14) |date=12 May 2017 |website=Seabees Online |publisher=Navy Facilities Engineering Command |access-date=18 October 2017 |archive-date=5 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805062249/http://seabeemagazine.navylive.dodlive.mil/2017/05/12/this-week-in-seabee-history-week-of-may-14/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Seabees called them "Demolitioneers".<ref name="specwarnet.net">{{cite web |url=http://www.specwarnet.net/americas/NCDU.htm |title=Naval Combat Demolitions Units |website=SpecWarNet.net |access-date=18 October 2017}}</ref>
[[Naval Combat Demolition Units]] (NCDUs) consisted of one junior CEC officer,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://navysealmuseum.pastperfectonline.com/photo/6B94AEB7-9A2E-4CED-8EA7-546476702240|title=1988.0022.23 - B&W photo of Navy officers &#124; UDT-SEAL Museum Association|website=navysealmuseum.pastperfectonline.com|accessdate=May 11, 2022}}</ref> five enlisted, and were numbered 1–216.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://seabeemagazine.navylive.dodlive.mil/2018/06/03/this-week-in-seabee-history-june-3-june-9/|title=This Week in Seabee History: 3–9 June, Official Online Magazine of the U.S. Navy Seabees, Naval Facilities Engineering Command.|accessdate=May 11, 2022|archive-date=16 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181016081358/http://seabeemagazine.navylive.dodlive.mil/2018/06/03/this-week-in-seabee-history-june-3-june-9/|url-status=dead}}</ref> After that first group had been trained, Lt. Commander [[Draper Kauffman]] was selected to command the program. It had been set up in Camp Peary's "Area E"(explosives) at the dynamiting and demolition school. Between May and mid-July, the first six NCDU classes graduated at Camp Peary. While the program was at Camp Peary the men were given head-of-the-line privileges at the mess hall. The program was moved to [[Fort Pierce]] where the first class began mid-July.<ref name="specwarnet.net"/> Despite the move, Camp Peary remained Kauffman's primary recruit center. "He would go back to the dynamite school, assemble the (Seabees) in the auditorium and say, ''"I need volunteers for hazardous, prolonged and distant duty."''<ref name="dailypress.com"/> Fort Pierce had two CB units assigned, CBD 1011 and CBMU 570. They were tasked with the construction and maintenance of obstacles needed for demolition training.

The [[invasion of Normandy]] had 34 NCDUs. When the first ten arrived in England they had no CO. Lt. Smith (CEC) assumed the role, splitting them up to train with the 146th, 277th and 299th [[Combat Engineers]].<ref name="NCDU Report"/> As more NCDUs arrived they did the same, with 5 combat engineers attached to each NCDU.<ref name="ALLHands">{{Cite web|url=https://digital.evpl.org/digital/collection/p16848coll2/id/4511|title=evpl-lst325bk-147-0028|website=digital.evpl.org|accessdate=May 11, 2022}}</ref> Group III (Lt. Smith) did [[research and development]] and is credited with developing the Hagensen Pack.<ref name="NCDU Report"/> NCDUs had a 53% casualty rate at Normandy.<ref name="dailypress.com"/> Four from Utah beach later took part in [[Operation Dragoon]].

With Europe invaded, Admiral Turner requisitioned all available NCDUs from Fort Pierce for integration into the UDTs for the Pacific. That netted him 20 NCDUs that had received Presidential Unit Citations and another 11 that had gotten Navy Unit Commendations.<ref name="NHHC"/> Prior to Normandy 30 NCDUs<ref name="UDT Cold"/> had embarked to the Pacific and another three had gone to the [[United States Eighth Fleet|Mediterranean]]. NCDUs 1–10 were staged at Turner City on [[Florida Island]] in the beginning of 1944.<ref>WWII USN Special Warfare Units, Eugene Lipak, Osprey Publishing, New York, 2014, p. 25</ref> NCDU 1 was briefly in the [[Aleutians]] in 1943.<ref name="NCDU">{{Cite web|url=https://www.navy.mil/Ah_online/ftrStory.asp?id=106553|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327195036/https://www.navy.mil/Ah_online/ftrStory.asp?id=106553|url-status=dead|archive-date=27 March 2019|title=Navy SEAL History Part One, A Glance at the Origins of Naval Special Warfare, Aug. 2018, MC2 Taylor Stinson, Defense Media Activity, All Hands Magazine, Defense Media Activity, U.S. DOD|accessdate=May 11, 2022}}</ref> The first NCDUs in combat were 4 and 5 with the 4th Marines on [[Green Island, Papua New Guinea]] and [[Emirau Island]].<ref name="NCDU"/> Later, NCDUs 1–10 were combined to form the short-lived UDT Able. NCDUs 2, 3, 19, 20, 21 and 24<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.navysealmuseum.org/about-navy-seals/seal-history-the-naval-special-warfare-storyseal-history-the-naval-special-warfare-story/seal-history-origins-of-naval-special-warfare-wwii|title=SEAL History: Origins of Naval Special Warfare-WWII|website=National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum|accessdate=May 11, 2022}}</ref> were assigned to MacArthur's 7th Amphibious Force and were the only NCDUs remaining at the war's end.

see Notes