LVT(A) Landing Vehicle, Tracked (Armored)
The early LVT(1) was unarmed, though capable of mounting machine guns. The Marines, now that they had made a start, wanted sometking more: an armored, turreted mode1 capable of mounting at least a 37mm gun and serving as the equivalent of a seagoing tank in landing operations. At Clearwater in January 1940, Roebling sketched a turreted version of the LVT, the plans for which Major Linsert, Secretary of the Equipment Board, later completed. Nothing more was done about the armored LVT until June 1941, when the Commandant recommended that such a vehicle be developed, using the existing LVT as a basis. The new vehicle should be ". . . capable of sustained point-blank combat against shore-based weapons . . . . It should be able to approach a defended beach from the sea, land, over-run enemy weapons, destroy them, and continue operations ashore to support our ground troops." Armor protection against .50 caliber machine-gun fire and an armament including a 3 inch antitank gun and three .30 caliber machine guns would be required to accomplish this mission.
The Chief of Naval Operations approved the project and directed the Bureau of Ships to perfect a design. Bureau engineers began development in cooperation with Roebling and the engineers of the Food Machinery Corporation. But theirs was not to be the first armored LVT completed. Working independently and at its own expense, the Borg-Warner Corporation produced model "Al," the first turreted amphibian tractor. Design work on the Roebling-Food Machinery model, LVT(A)(1) was not completed until December 1941, and the prototype did not emerge from the Food Machinery plant until June 1942. It was an LVT(2) hull mounting a 3 inch gun in a standard light tank turret. It was quickly put in production, and the first vehicle rolled off the assembly line in August 1943.
LVT(A)1 - LVT(A)1 used the LVT(A)2's chassis, but with an armored superstructure over the cargo compartment. A turret with a 37mm gun and a coaxial .30cal MG was mounted on the superstructure, and two more .30cal MG mounts were emplaced on either side of the vehicle behind the turret.
LVT(A)2 - LVT(A)2 was an LVT2 with the 10- and 14-gauge steel on the cab front and rear, hull front, and pontoon sides replaced with armor plate.
LVT(A)4 - The LVT(A)4 was based on LVT(A)1, but with a new turret mounting a 75mm howitzer. Both early and late armored cabs were fitted to LVT(A)4. In later vehicles, the ring-mounted .50cal MG was replaced by a mount for a .30cal MG on either side of the rear of the turret. Late-production turrets had vision blocks installed in their rears and sides.
LVT(A)5 - The LVT(A)4 was fitted with a power traverse mechanism and elevation stabilizer and was then designated LVT(A)5.
Complications arose for the newly formed 3d Armored Amphibian Battalion (Provisional), because it was scheduled to receive the recently developed LVT(A), or armored amphibian tractor, which would form the initial assault wave at Peleliu and furnish fire support for the following troop waves. Lacking any of the new vehicles for demonstration purposes, the battalion's Marines, completely unfamiliar with the LVT(A) or its armament, were forced to rely solely upon blueprints for acquaintance with the tractor they would be handling in combat. Although the first delivery of the armored amphibians arrived early in August, difficulties still persisted. After feverishly practicing with the new vehicles, the crews were dumbfounded to find that the next shipments were of a later model, mounting 75mm howitzers instead of the 37mm's with which the crews had previously familiarized themselves. Approximately two-thirds of the battalion had to be retrained as a result.
The amphibian tank was already in being and had proved its worth in combat in the Central Pacific. At Peleliu LVT(A)s formed the first waves. Dawn on 15 September 1944 broke calm and clear. Fortunately for the Marine division scheduled to assault the strongly held enemy island, the weather was ideal for amphibious operations. Only a slight surf was running, and visibility was unlimited in practically every direction. The green-clad Marines slated to comprise the assault waves were loaded in their assigned LVTs and were being dispatched toward the line of departure. As the amphibian tractors formed into waves behind the LVT A)s and began their approach to the beaches, the steady stream of naval shells overhead increased in fury. The initial assault wave of LVT(A)s crossed the line of departure at 0800 and churned toward White and Orange Beaches, closely followed by the LVTs filled with infantry.
Situated on the southern approaches to Japan, the Ryukyu Island chain was geographically situated as to be virtually unavoidable in any American offensive strategy against mainland Japan. The inevitable soon became history when Okinawa became the arena for one of the most ferocious battles of the war. Okinawa was next in line and, on April 1, 1945, the invasion began.
Landing vehicles quickly formed into waves behind the LD and at 0800, when the signal pennants fluttering from the masts of the control vessels were hauled down, the first wave, composed of LVT(A)s (landing vehicle, tracked (armored)), moved forward to the beaches in an orderly manner behind a line of support craft. Following on schedule, hundreds of troop-carrying LVTs, disposed in five to seven waves, crossed the lines of departure at regular intervals and moved determinedly towards the shore.
Despite the ferocity of the prelanding bombardment, enemy artillery and mortars continued scattered but ineffectual fire on the invasion waves as they made the 4,000-yard run to the beach. On approaching the shoreline, the LVT(A)s fired upon suspected targets, while naval gunfire lifted from the beach area to hit inland targets. Carrier fighters that had been orbiting lazily over the two flanks of the beachhead began diving over the landing area and neutralized it with repeated strafing, bombing, and napalming runs.
Despite unexpected deviations from the landing plan, all the LVT(A)s spearheading the IIIAC attack reached the beach by 0830 and all eight assault battalions were ashore by 0900. The beaches had not been mined and opposition to the landing consisted only of sporadic mortar and small arms fire.
Prior to Okinawa, commanders had become convinced that the armored amtracs could be trained as field artillery and used as such immediately after landing on L-Day at H-Hour and until direct support battalions arrived ashore. Thereafter, the LVT(A)s would reinforce corps and divisional artillery. After landing on L-Day, the LVT(A)s had their "batteries laid and ready to shoot for forward observers as early as H plus 30 minutes - but the Japanese wouldn't accommodate us with targets." After 11 weeks of fierce fighting, the battle of Okinawa was over June 20, 1945. Two months later Japan surrendered. Okinawa was one of the longest and hardest fought campaigns in the history of World War II.
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