Landing Craft Mechanized

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The Landing Craft Mechanized (LCM) was a landing craft designed for carrying vehicles. They came to prominence during the Second World War when they were used to land tanks during Allied amphibious assaults.

1 History
2 Variants
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] History

[edit] Variants

There was no single design of LCM used, unlike the LCVP or "Landing Craft Assault" (LCA) landing craft made by the US and UK respectively. There were several different designs built by the UK and US and by different manufacturers.

[edit] LCM (1)

Early british model, able to be slung under the davits of a liner. It could carry a 16 ton tank.

[edit] LCM (2)

Displacement: 29 tons
Length: 45 ft
Beam: 14 ft 1 in
Draft: 13 ft
Speed: 8.5 knots
Armament: two .50-cal M2 Browning machine gun
Crew: 4
capacty; 100 troops, or one 13.5 ton tank, or 15 tons of cargo

approx 150 built

[edit] LCM (3)

Two designs.

BUREAU

Capable of carrying 120,000 lb of cargo.

Higgins

The builder responsible for the LCVP. In appearance very similar to the LCVP with a 10 foot wide load area at the front and a small armoured (1/4 inch steel) wheelhouse on the aft decking over the engineroom. Capable of carrying a single 30-ton tank (e.g., an M4 Sherman) or 60 troops or 60,000 lb of cargo.

[edit] LCM (4)

British model of LCM

[edit] LCM (5)

British model of LCM

[edit] LCM (6)

An LCM (3) extended by 6 feet amidships.

Power Plant: 2- Detroit 6-71 Diesel engines; 348 hp sustained; twin shaft, or 2- Detroit 8V-71 Diesel engines; 460 hp sustained; twin shaft
Length: 56.2 feet (17.1 meters)
Beam: 14 feet (4.3 meters)
Displacement: 64 tons (65 metric tons) full load
Speed: 9 kt (10.3 mph, 16.6 km/h)
Range:130 miles (240 km) at 9 kt
Military lift: 34 tons (34.6 metric tons) or 80 troops
Crew: 5