Landing_craft_mechanized

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 troops or tanks during Allied amphibious assaults.

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.

LCM (1)

An early British model, it was able to be slung under the davits of a liner. It could carry a 16 ton tank.

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 guns
• Crew: 4
• capacty; 100 troops, or one 13.5 ton tank, or 15 tons of cargo

Approximately 150 were built.

LCM (3)

There were 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), 60 troops, or 60,000 lb of cargo.

LCM (4)

British model of LCM

LCM (5)

British model of LCM

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

LCM (7)

British model of LCM

LCM (8)

Main article: LCM-8

General characteristics, LCM 8 Type

• Power Plant:2- Detroit 12V-71 Diesel engines; 680hp sustained; twin shafts
• Length: 73.7 feet (22.5 meters)
• Beam: 21 feet (6.4 meters)
• Displacement: 105 tons (106.7 metric tons) full load
• Speed: 12 kt (13.8 mph, 22.2 km/h)
• Range: 190 nm (350 km) at 9 kt full load
• Capacity: 180 tons (183 metric tons)
• Military lift: one M48 or one M60 tank or 200 troops
• Crew: 5

See also

• Landing Craft, Tank

External links

• Skill in the Surf: A Landing Boat Manual
• LCM-6 principal characteristics
• History of "Logistics over The Shore" operations
• LCM & LCU fact file
• LCM information
• USS Rankin (AKA-103): LCM
• LCM-6 Xj3D/VRML model
• LCM-6 surface textures required for Xj3D/VRML model

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