Invasion Bridge

One of the great U.S. building jobs in World War II was the high-speed construction of the swarming fleets of landing craft for the Allied amphibious attacks on Sicily, Italy, Attu, Kiska and Rendova.

The Navy had the task of turning out these clumsy, homely, efficient invasion boats by the thousands. It had to be done in a tearing hurry with the greatest possible secrecy. And it had to be superimposed on the regular shipbuilding program, which already had existing shipyard facilities fully occupied.

This week the Navy told how the job was done, listed the various types of boats now in use, and incidentally revealed that two of the largest did not exist even as pilot models two years ago. Less than 20 months before the amphibious operations began, the giant LST vessels (Landing Ship, Tank) were nothing more than an idea. It was four months later than that before British studies revealed the need for an extra big troop landing boat; to meet the need the big LCI-L (Landing Craft, Infantry-Large) was developed.

War Boats. The LST, 327 ft. long and 5,500 tons, is really a medium-sized freighter whose bow gapes open like jaws to discharge cargo. Developed late in 1941, the vessel was a peculiarly tough problem in design, since it had to be capable of carrying and loading hundreds of tons of tanks, seaworthy enough to cross oceans under its own power, shallow-draft enough to put the tanks directly ashore. It carries a full operational crew and is usually commanded by a senior grade lieutenant, Navy or Coast Guard.

The LCI-L, only other vessel of the group able to navigate by itself on the high seas, is 155 ft. long and can carry about 200 infantrymen in an attack. Its crew and command are similar to those of the LST; officers and men on both develop great esprit de corps, become inordinately fond of their strange craft, and look with pained incredulity on finical civilians who consider the ships something less than yare and yachtlike.

The 36-ft. Higgins landing boat turns up in the list under two designations: LCV (Landing Craft, Vehicle), when it ferries, a light tank, or LCP (for Personnel) when 50 men ride it ashore.

As early as 1936 the Navy experimented with tank lighters, and from these tests emerged the LCM (Landing Craft, Mechanized)., a 50-footer which carries a crew of four and a medium tank. As an intermediate step between this small boat and the ocean-going LST, the Navy designed a 100-ft. LCT (Landing Craft, Tank), which can be carried to zones of operation on the deck of an LST or a cargo vessel.

War Builders. Deadlines for invasion operations had been set by the Allied Joint Chiefs of Staff. In order to meet them it eventually became necessary to divert some naval construction facilities to the task. Even such an urgent program as the construction of destroyer escorts was deferred. The landing-boat program has cost more than a billion dollars. And the Navy is turning out more of them for future operations.

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