LVT Class, Allied Landing Craft

National Archives #80-G-303914. Cropped by author.

LVT(1)

Specifications:

Landing Vehicle, Tracked, or LVTs, were also known as amtracks, alligators, or (in their fire support variants) as buffaloes. They were amphibious tracked vehicles capable of crawling out of the water and onto the beach and beyond. Later versions were thinly armored, and some were equipped with a light tank turret to provide fire support, making them equivalent to light amphibious tanks.

The LVT was derived from the Alligator, an amphibious vehicle invented by Donald Roebling in 1933 as a rescue vehicle for downed aviators in the Florida Everglades. A Life article in October 1937 brought the Alligator to the attention of Marine brass, but both the Navy and Roebling resisted Marine procurement, the Navy because it felt it had its hands full with conventional landing craft, and Roebling because he wished his invention to be used only for peaceful purposes. Roebling was persuaded otherwise by Army general E.P. Moses after war broke out in Europe, and the Marines finally got their opportunity to test the design in November 1940. A production order followed and the first units were delivered in July 1941.

LVTs proved remarkably seaworthy and, with their low silhouette, were difficult to hit while still in the water. Their steel hull was too thin to provide much protection from fire, but some were retrofitted with 9mm of cab armor in time for the Tarawa invasion, and some degree of armor protection became a standard feature thereafter. They could climb an incredible 60 percent grade. Their greatest weakness was their very slow speed afloat, due to the inefficiency of the tracks in water. However, they did not need to stop at the waterline to disembark troops and cargo, where the defenders often had their guns zeroed in.

LVTs first saw use at Guadalcanal, but only for landing supplies. They were not especially successful, being prone to throw a track or stall in the water. Turner was unimpressed with the craft, but Smith and the Marines saw their potential and continued to make improvements. They were first used to bring troops ashore at Tarawa, where they were the only landing craft able to make it over the shallow reef and deliver their troops to the beach. Unfortunately, there were only about 100 immediately available for the assault, which not nearly enough for the entire landing force, and most of the troops had to disembark from less capable landing craft and wade across the reef in the face of withering fire. Following the Tarawa campaign, production of LVTs received a high priority, reaching 500 per month in the early part of 1944. Later invasions were thus more amply supplied with LVTs, which were deemed essential whenever the shore was protected by a fringing reef. LCVPs continued to be used where there was a sandy beach without a shallow reef.

The craft proved highly versatile. From the Peleliu campaign on, a number of LVTs were fitted with a flamethrower for use against fortifications. The vulnerable LVT was usually flanked by a pair of gun tanks for protection. As the craft became more available, a number were converted to armored ambulances carrying a doctor and three corpsman. LVTs were also employed as guide boats for tanks unloading onto submerged reefs, since if the LVT ran into a shell hole it would float and the tanks would not.

They were relatively expensive landing craft at $35,000 apiece.

Total Production

The following table gives total production.  About 38% of this was allocated to the Pacific until the final year of the war, when most of the amphibious fleet began to be shifted to the Pacific.

References

Cowdrey (1994)

Friedman (2002)
Gilbert (2001)

HyperWar (accessed 2007-12-28)
Leighton and Coakley (1955)

Morison (1951, 1953)

The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia © 2007-2009 by Kent G. Budge.  Index

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