The Story of Amphibious Vehicles in WWII

A familiar sight from many war movies, a soldier jumping from it as it comes ashore, the LVT, short for Landing Vehicle Tracked, served in many locations in World War II, from the Far East to Western Europe. So today we take a look at the history of this unique vehicle. As usual, we start with the origins and development. The origins of the LVT reach back to 1935, when Donald Roebling designed an amphibious vehicle called the Alligator, which was intended to be used in swampy areas Two years later, in 1937, he built a newer version of the vehicle with better performance and redesigned hull. About that time, the US Marine Corps became interested in his design, as they saw potential for military use. But Roebling at first was not interested in the military use of his invention, but he changed his mind shortly after the outbreak of the war. He designed a military version and completed a prototype in 1940. A second prototype with a more powerful engine was requested, and in the tests it made such an impression that 100 vehicles were ordered just after the testing. The first production vehicle was delivered in July 1941, but even before that, another 200 were ordered. LVT variants and the evolution of the vehicle. LVT1, the first military model. These vehicles were not armored, and the 6-9mm thick hull didn't offer much protection, so they were not intended as assault vehicles, more like second-wave transports. Later versions received additional armor plates on the front and armor protection around the guns. The LVT1 had a troop capacity of 18 soldiers of 4,500 pounds of cargo. The vehicle's armament consisted of two .30 or .50 caliber machine guns. It was powered by a six-cylinder Hercules engine producing 165 horsepower. Top speed was 12 miles an hour on water. LVT2 Buffalo. The LVT2 was a big redesign of the original LVT1 when the US Marine Corps got interested in a more heavily armored and armed version of the vehicle. It was a very successful design, served as a base for many variations, such as more heavily armored or infantry support versions fitted with 37mm guns or 75mm howitzers. This vehicle received the M3 light tank's drivetrain as well, giving it a better performance than its predecessor. It had a maximum speed of 20 miles an hour on land and 6.2 miles an hour in water. Its carrying capacity was 24 troops or 6,500 pounds of cargo. LVT-A1. This was the first infantry support variant. After the first experiences in the Pacific, the US Marine Corps realized the amphibious vehicles need more firepower and armor to effectively support the landing troops. The A in the name stands for Armored. It had 12mm of armor instead of the former 6-9mm and it received the M3 light tank's turret, mounting a 37mm gun and a .30 caliber machine gun. Also featured two additional .30 caliber machine guns mounted at the back of the vehicle. Because of the added weight of the turret, the carrying capacity decreased to 1,000 pounds. LVT-A2. This was an armored version of the LVT-2. This version had 12mm armor around the crew cabin and 6mm everywhere else. Later versions received gun shields around the guns. This version's carrying capacity decreased to 18 troops instead of 24 because of the added weight. LVT-4 Water Buffalo. The LVT-4 was a different design from the LVT-2 based on the battle experience with the earlier models. Though it looks very similar, there are major differences from its predecessor. The engine was moved to the front just behind the driver's cab from the back, allowing to install a loading ramp at the back of the vehicle and increase the carrying capacity to 30 troops. The rear loading ramps allowed the troops to leave the vehicle in that direction, decreasing the losses when performing landing operations. This variant was the most produced with more than 8,300 units. LVT-A3. This was a planned upper mode version of the LVT-4. It never went to production. LVT-3 Bushmaster. This was a model developed by the BorgWarner Corporation. The design of this vehicle took more time than the LVT-4 as this differed from the LVT-2 in more areas. It had twin Cadillac V8 petrol engines from the M5 light tank, which were moved to the side to the sponsons to make the cargo area even bigger and more importantly wider so it could accommodate a jeep. Its payload was even bigger than the earlier models, being able to carry 30 soldiers or 9000 pounds of cargo. Its maximum speed was 17 miles an hour on land and 6 miles an hour in water. LVT-3C variant. This was a later modification of the LVT-3 with an armoured roof and extended bow. LVT-A4. This was the armoured infantry support version of the LVT-4. As the experience showed, the 37mm gun on the LVT-A1 was inadequate to support the infantry, especially against bunkers. The LVT-A4 received the howitzer motor carriage M8 turret mounting the 75mm howitzer. LVT-A5. This was basically a late model LVT-4 with power assisted turret and a gun stabilizer. Combat history. Pacific theater. The LVT seen combat in the Pacific first and this is where it was used most extensively during the American forces island hopping campaign. The first combat use of the LVTs happened at Guadalcanal, where they were only used as logistical support, not in assault role. Originally the LVT-1 was unarmed, but the marines modified them, installing .30 and .50 caliber machine guns. The first time LVTs were used in assault role was at Tarawa, where the reefs prevented the other landing craft like the Higgins boat to reach the shore. The American forces suffered heavy casualties on the well defended shores. By the end of the first day, only 35 operational LVTs remained from the original 125. After the landings at Tarawa, the U.S. Marine Corps realized they need more fire support for the infantry, so the LVT-A1 and later LVT-A4 were developed. The Marine Corps also raised the number of amphibious vehicles assigned to every division for the amphibious operations. After Tarawa, every division was assigned one battalion of armored LVTs, two battalions of cargo LVTs and two companies of ducks. They also raised the number of LVTs in every battalion, from 1 to 300. During the Pacific campaign, the LVTs successfully participated in the landings at the Marshall Islands, Saipan, Tinian, Peleliu, Leith, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. The LVTs were crucial taking these islands. They were exceptionally useful on Iwo Jima, where wheeled vehicles and heavier tanks had difficulties on the soft volcanic ash. Europe and North Africa The first operation for the LVTs in North Africa was in November 1942, where a small number of them participated in Operation Torch. In Western Europe they were used in many operations, including the Normandy landings, although in Normandy they only had a secondary role, complementing the Sherman DDs. Later they participated in every major river crossing operations and were also used extensively in the swampy areas of the Low Countries. After WWII At the end of WWII, most earlier LVTs were decommissioned, only LVT-3 and LVT-A5 variants remained in service. Some of these saw action in the Korean War. Also, the French army used LVT-4 and LVT-A4 variants in Indochina and the Suez Canal crisis. In the 1950s the old LVTs were replaced by the LVT-P5 family, and later the LVT-P7. Hope you guys enjoyed this video! Please leave a like and in the comments let me know if there's any interesting events or vehicles you'd like to see!