*** landimg craft World War II -- technology naval campaigns ship types








LSTs during World War II
Figure 1.--Before World War II, most naval strategists believed that war at sea would be settled by battleships. As it played out, the primary battke ship role during the War was to attract the Japanese Kido Butai to Pearl Harbor. The LST in contrast dis not even exist before the War. nut played a critical role during the War. Here we see a LST being laubched. The caption read, "Mrs. Andrew Vavrek, LST-779’s sponsor (center) holding the traditional bottle and bouquet, beams for the camera with others of the launching party before christening the ship that looms behind her, 1 July 1944." Some 1,059 LSTs were built, mostly by women and some boys--none of which had any experience at ship building before the War and at shipyards that did not exist before the War. (Source: U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships Photograph 19-N-67841, National Archives and Records Administration, Still Pictures Branch, College Park, Md.)

World War II Naval Ship Types: Landing Craft

The LST is arguably the most important ship type of World War II. It was, however not designed for sea wortyhiness. It was designed to carry men and equipmrent. The men aboard had to endure a constant jarring and pinding. One sailor explained, "Some ships sail through the waves. Others sail over or even bebeath the waves. The LST clubs them to death."

An entirely new class of ship was developed during World War II, during, not before -- the landing ship. Some new vessel types emerged during the War, including PT-boats and a variety of landing craft. But most of the vessels types existed before the War. Landing craft at the outset of World War II were not much different than those used in the 18th century. They were not a specialized type--just small boats carried aboard naval vessels. Landing craft had nothing of the breath-taking drama of a navy combat ship. But after the German Western Offensive (May June 1940) and the Japanese Pacific offensive (December 1941-May 1942) it became clear to the American and British that to win the War, amphibious operations on a massive scale would be needed. Up until that time there were no real purpose built landing craft. The Germans did not need them like the Allies, but early on the lack of such craft caused problems. Using destroyers resulted in huge losses when they inaded Norway (April 1940). There was a push to build landing craft to invade Britain -- Operation Sea Lion (September 1940). There answer was jerry-rigging Rhine River barges. Hardly suitable for the Channel. This may have resulted in disaster if Hitler had actually ordered the invasion. The lack of landing craft caused huge losses during the Crete invasion. And was a factor in the failure to invade Malta. The Japanese basically used craft like the classic Boston Whaler. These boats could deliver men, but not heavy equipment. This would sufice becuase they were attacking poorly defended colonial outposts. After Midway (June 1942), the easy invasions ended. And a major reason the Japanese failed at Guadalcanal (August-November 1942) was their inability to land supplies and heavy equipment. And the Marines on Guadalcanal almost failed because of the inability to quickly land heavy equipment and supplies. Clearly if the Allies were going to launch successful amphibious operations, innovative landing craft would be needed. The Dieppe Disaster made this crystal clear (August 1942). Fortunately shipyards in the United States were already churning out what was needed. This was done mostly in America. British shipyards were fully engaged buiding and sevicing Royal Navy vessels. The two most famous of these craft were the Higgins Boats carrying assault troops ashore. The other was the Landing Ship Tank (LST). The nost important amphibious landing of the War (Operation Overlord) would have been impossible without the LSTs. The German strategy behind the Atlantic Wall was to fortify the ports (such as Dieppe) so that they could withstand a heavy assault. And without a port the Allies could not land heavy weapons or the supplies in large quantity needed by a major army. Actually this strategy worked. The Allies were not able to capture a major port in working order. This handicapped Allied operations after the D-Day landings. Allied armored forces began running out of fuel (September 1944). But the only reason that the Allies got as far as they did because the LSTs which became the work horse of the Allied logistical system. LSTs landed supplies and heavy equipment directly on beaches. The supplies were delivered to the front by truck as the French Rail System had been destroyed. Herr the Red Ball Express was vital. Ships like the Landing Ship Tank (LST), better known as Large Slow Targets revolutionized amphibious operations.

New Class

An entirely new class of ship was developed during World War II, during, not before -- the landing ship. Some new vessel types emerged during the War, including PT-boats and a variety of landing craft. But most of the vessels types existed before the War.

Landing Craft Needed

Landing craft at the outset of World War II were not much different than those used in the 18th century. They were not a specialized type--just small boats carried aboard naval vessels. Landing craft had nothing of the breath-taking drama of a navy combat ship. Up until World War II there were no real purpose built landing craft.

The Alies

After the German Western Offensive (May June 1940) and the Japanese Pacific offensive (December 1941-May 1942) it became clear to American and British commanders that to win the War, amphibious operations on a massive scale would be needed. Clearly if the Allies were going to launch successful amphibious operations, innovative landing craft would be needed.

The Germans

The Germans did not need them like the Allies, but early on the lack of such craft caused problems. Using destroyers resulted in huge losses when the Germans y inaded Norway (April 1940). There was a push to build landing craft to invade Britain -- Operation Sea Lion (September 1940). There answer was jerry-rigging Rhine River barges. Hardly suitable for the Channel. This may have resulted in disaster if Hitler had actually ordered the invasion. The lack of landing craft caused huge Gerrman losses during the Crete invasion. And was a factor in the failure to invade Malta.

The Japanese

The Japanese basically used craft like the classic Boston Whaler. These boats could deliver men, but not heavy equipment. This would sufice becuase they were attacking poorly defended colonial outposts. After Midway (June 1942), the easy invasions ended. And a major reason the Japanese failed at Guadalcanal (August-November 1942) was their inability to land supplies and heavy equipment. And the Marines on Guadalcanal almost failed because of the inability to quickly land heavy equipment and supplies.

Origins

The two most imprtant landing craft had curious origins, both the Higgin's boats (LCVPs) and the landing ship tanls (LSTs). The United States was resoonsuble for both, but only one was the work of the U.S. Navy. The LCVPs that landed Allied soldiers and marines were the work of Andrew Jackson Higgins. He created the LCVP that brought the Marines ashire on countless Pascifuc beaches and the alkies ashore at Normandy. They were so impportant that Gen. Eisenhower once said that Higgins was 'the man who won the war for us'. Higgins began building plywood boats in New Orleans before the War. They were were the kind of boats that were useful in the shallow bayous of Louisiana. The Navy at first wanted nothing go do with Huiggins, but his durable little boats proved invaluable. At the other end of the landing shipxs were the LSTs. Their origins were rather surprising. The Britush with one vglaring exceoption did not need landing craft durung either workd war I or the beginning of Workd War II. Theu had the French oports to move in men and supplies. It was need to evscuatre that led to the British working on a LST. The Brutish Expeditionary Force (BEF) had to leave its tanks and heavy equipment ashore at Dunkirk (May 1940). This left the Britsh Army dusarmned and Britain essentilly defenseless for several months while the British Army was rearmed. Churchill came up weith some ideas and the ritish created two prototypes. At the Atlantic Conference iff Newfoundland (August 1941), the Americans agreed to take on the task so British yards could focus on the Battle of the Atlantic.

Types

There were several different types of landing craft. Almos all were desihned abnd buiolt in the United Stastes. The best known and most important were the Higgins boats (LCVPs) and Landing Shop Tanks (LSTs). There were several other more specialised types.

The Atlantic Wall

The Germans could not fortify the entire Atlantic coast of occupied Europe. They fortified a good bit of it. But the primary strategy was to harden the defenses of all ports. Without a port, the Allies could not land tanks, artillery and trucks. Or the huge quantities of supplies needed by any substantial landing force. The German strategy behind the Atlantic Wall was to fortify the ports (such as Dieppe) so that they could withstand a heavy assault. This inhibited the asbility of an invading force to build up a sizeable beachead and bought time to amass a superior force to attack and reduce the beachead.

Dieppe

The Dieppe Disaster made the need for LSTs crystal clear (August 1942). The Germasns had substsntil forces asround potrys, including uiepp. And the asllies could not get tanks abnd artillery ahiore. And the few tanks that gor shore ciuld not get off the pebbled beach.

Production

British shipyards were more than capzble of producing LSTs. But British yards were fully erngasged in maining the British fleet and building naval vessels, primarily for the ll imprtasnt Battle of the Atlntic. Fortunately shipyards in the United States by the time of the Dueppe disdaster were already churning out what was needed. The two most famous of these craft were the Higgins Boats carrying assault troops ashore. The other was the Landing Ship Tank (LST). The nost important amphibious landing of the War (Operation Overlord) would have been impossible without the LSTs.

D-Day (June 1944)

The Germans correctly caslculated that without a port the Allies could not land heavy weapons or the supplies in large quantity needed by a major army. Actually this strategy worked. The Allies were not able to capture a major port in working order. This handicapped Allied operations after the D-Day landings. Allied armored forces began running out of fuel (September 1944). But the only reason that the Allies got as far as they did because the LSTs became the lynch-pin of the Allied logistical system. LSTs landed supplies and heavy equipment directly on beaches. The supplies were delivered to the front by truck as the French Rail System had been destroyed. Here the Red Ball Express was vital. Ships like the Landing Ship Tank (LST), better known as Large Slow Targets to its sailors revolutionized amphibious operations. he prodigious industrial capacity of thev United Stastes was on diolay on D-Day. Not only did American yards privide Ge. Eusenhiwer the LSTs and other lsnding crsdt he he needed, but at the same time Afm. Nimitzas supplied with the lnding crasft beed ed fir the lrge scsle Marianads landings.






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Created: 1:20 AM 4/10/2020
Last updated: 11:34 PM 11/18/2022