{1}Copyright 2006 T. Sheil & A. Sheil All Rights Reserved
In 1914, Mexican General Huerta took control of his country’s government. Among attempts to wield power, he made an unfortunate decision. A United States Navy ship, the dolphin, had sent an unarmed boat and sailors to buy supplies in Tampicio. Huerta had the sailors and marines jailed. Huerta released them but admitted no wrongdoing. The Navy demanded a show if respect. This was not forthcoming. The result was an American intervention at Vera Cruz.
As was common practice at the time, the landing force included marines and sailors. Navy personnel were issued rifles, shotguns and pistols. They acted as infantry. The use of sailors as infantry was a common practice in the days of Gunboat Diplomacy.
To prepare for house-to-house fighting, the sailors dyed their “whites” a browning shade with coffee grounds. This field expedient camouflage was intended to make them less conspicuous. From images of the time, we can see that the actual results ranged from very light to medium, possibly a tan to a butternut brown.
The American attack ended with the city being occupied and Mexican resistance crushed. Mexican losses were high, compared to those of the Americans. The attack was not meant to crush Mexico, but was part of an ongoing American policy to keep Mexico stable. The removal of Huerta was key to restoring peace to the troubled country.
The sailor of the day was uniformed much like a modern sailor. In the infantry role, he wore khaki leggings and the M1910 cartridge belt, as well as a canteen and bayonet. His weapon was the standard-issue bolt action rifle, the M1903. Some wore pistol belts with smaller pouches for pistol magazines or shotgun shells. Photos show sailors wielding the rifle, pump-action shotgun and M1911 .45 caliber automatic pistol. Headgear was the standard “Popeye” type sailor hat. Chief petty officers and regular officers wore a blue cap with visor and the standard CPO’s uniform, which differs from that of the rank and file sailors.
Belts, pouches and canteens are khaki. The color ranges from light tan to a slightly greenish shade.
Uniform colors for regular sailors vary from a light tan to medium, brown. As you can see from photos ,the impromptu coffee-grind camouflage did not color clothing evenly, nor was it consistent in shade. The general color varied from ship to ship.
The photos shown are from the National Archives. Being published in 1914, they are now public domain.
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Sailors in coffee-dyed whites,, khaki leggings, M1910 cartridge belts. |
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Navy men in blue uniforms and flat cap take the post office.. |
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Sailors search a Mexican for weapons |
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Sailors guarding a house. The man in the center is an officer or CPO. The sailor on the right has a shotgun and bandolier.
Click here for the second set of photos of American Sailors in Vera CruzClick here for the third Set of photos of American Sailors in Vera Cruz |
