The Landing Craft Mechanized (LCM) or Landing Craft Mechanical was a landing craft designed for carrying vehicles. They came to prominence during the Second World War when they were used to land troops or tanks during Allied amphibious assaults.
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There was no single design of LCM used, unlike the Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel (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.
The Landing Craft Mechanical Mark I was an early British model, it was able to be slung under the davits of a liner or on a cargo ship boom with the result that it was limited to a 16 ton tank. The British LCM was conceived and tested in 1920 and was used from 1924 in exercises.[1]
The Landing Craft Mechanical Mark I was used during the Allied landings in Norway, and at Dieppe and some 600 were built.
Approximately 150 were built.
There were two designs:
Capable of carrying 120,000 lb (54,000 kg) of cargo.
The builder responsible for the LCVP. In appearance very similar to the LCVP with a 10-foot (3.0 m) 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), 60 troops, or 60,000 lb (27,000 kg) of cargo. There is a Higgins LCM-3 on display at the Battleship Cove maritime museum in Fall River, Massachusetts.[4]
British model of LCM
British model of LCM
An LCM (3) extended by 6 feet (1.8 m) amidships.
British model of LCM
General characteristics, LCM 8 Type
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