Tuesday, December 1, 2015

WWII US Navy LCM (3) Landing Craft

Here are some images of Trumpeter's 1/35 scale  WWII US Navy LCM (3) Landing Craft

From Wikipedia"
The Landing Craft Mechanized (LCM) or Landing Craft Mechanical is 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.

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 British Motor Landing Craft was conceived and tested in the 1920s and was used from 1924 in exercises. It was the first purpose built tank landing craft. It was the progenitor of all subsequent LCM designs.

LCM (3)

Higgins LCM-3 at Battleship Cove
There were two designs:
  • BUREAU
Capable of carrying 120,000 lb (54,000 kg) of cargo.
  • Higgins
The builder, Higgins Industries, was also 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 engine room. A Higgins LCM-3 is on display at the Battleship Cove maritime museum in Fall River, Massachusetts.
  • Displacement: 52 tons (loaded); 23 tons (empty)
  • Length: 50 feet (15 m)
  • Beam: 14 feet (4.3 m)
  • Draft: 3 feet (0.91 m) (forward); 4 feet (1.2 m) (aft)
  • Speed: 8 knots (9.2 mph) (loaded); 11 knots (13 mph) (empty)
  • Armament: two .50-cal M2 Browning machine guns
  • Crew: 4
  • Capacity: One 30-ton tank (e.g. M4 Sherman), 60 troops, or 60,000 lb (27,000 kg) of cargo

2 comments:

  1. Looks very good, a nice model. I see these and my mind goes straight to the opening scenes of Saving Private Ryan...

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  2. I think the one in SPR was an LCM (2). slightly smaller but essentially the same.

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