The Underwater Demolition Team (UDT), or frogmen, were amphibious units created by the United States Navy during World War II with specialized missions. They were predecessors of the Navy's current SEAL teams.

Sep 22, 2022 · US troops watch as four tons of tetrytol placed below the ocean’s surface by Underwater Demolition Teams (UDTs) explode and open a hole in the reef, allowing for an approach to what’s believed to be the Palau Islands, 1944.

Sep 11, 2023 · The Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT) originated during World War II to clear beach obstacles for amphibious landings. They pioneered combat swimming and played crucial roles in many significant battles.

In July 1945, a U.S. Navy UDT team member rigs blocks of explosive TNT for the demolition of beach obstacles at Balikpapan, Borneo. The UDTs operated at Balikpapan in support of amphibious landings by the Australian 7th Division.

The Underwater Demolition Teams next saw action during the Korean War. Read how, from the start of the Korean War in 1950, to the Inchon Landings, to the armistice in July, 1953, Navy UDTs demonstrated remarkable versatility; laying the groundwork for expanded capabilities that would eventually evolve into the Navy SEALs.

Aug 18, 2022 · With no charts or technology available to guide vessels onto enemy shores, the job fell to the roughly 1,000 young swim scouts of the U.S. Navy’s Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT), who were...

The men of the Underwater Demolition Teams in the Pacific were born out of the necessity of the moment in World War II, and blasted their way from one island to another to help achieve American victory over Japan.

Jun 2, 2023 · The United States Navy established the Underwater Demolition Teams (UDTs) during World War II to clear obstacles for landing craft during amphibious landings. 34 UDTs were formed, and Draper Kauffman founded two separate schools for specialized training in underwater demolition techniques.