"Pacific War tactics" Topic

I have been trying to find an answer to a specific question regarding the use of LVT's in the invasions in 1944-45.

I am talking exclusively about the troop carrying LVT's, not the supporting gun armed LVT's.

Once the LVT reached the beach, and the troops were "delivered", were they meant to return to pick up a second or third wave of troops ?

Or, were they to actually support (how??)the troops?

Was it just assumed that most would be lost once ashore?

I know that in later invasions the LVT's moved inland with the troops, but in the early 1944 invasions, it seems to me that they were almost a disposable delivery vehicle.

Any help on this very specific question would be appreciated.

I think that they were used to ferry waves ashore, I recall that they were used to evac wounded where possible -some landings where losses to Amtracks were heavy – had major delays in getting follow up waves ashore…..

I don't specifically know the answer to that question, but this might help:

link

LVT's were quite valuable, so I am not sure that they were viewed as expendable, though I may stand corrected.

Mike

In some operations, there were limited numbers of LTV's. Once the troops of the first wave were ashore they were used to transport more troops to the beach. At Ebeye Island, Kwajalien Atoll, the invasion occured during a low or receeding tide. Only the LTV could get over the reef to the beach. Troops in traditional landing craft had to debark at the reef edge and wade ashore 400 to 500 yards unless they were picked up by a functional LTV. Bulldozers worked the reef to clear a channel but that took time.

If you have a look through the USMC section on Hyperwar there are good descriptions of the various assaults of late 1943 through to 1945.

Betio (Tarawa) was the first assault use of LVTs as a means of getting over the reef that fringed the objective. Hyperwar's piece indicates the first wave was to go in via LVT with the follow-ups using LCMs and LCVPs. Partly due to the horrendous amount of fire directed at the assault wave, and partly due to the LVTs having minimal, extemporised, protection, casualties among the vehicles were extremely high. Surviving machines, and crews, were used to ferry supplies ashore once the foothold was gained.

The later war landings all appear to have seen the first wave go in via LVT, increasingly supported by gun armed models, but not subsequent waves. I'm not sure this was simply a use of the LVTs as disposable items, but they were somewhat fragile vehicles. Trusting a given number to make the turnaround for a second wave would be interesting.

Gary

Yes, Gaz has it right. They would drive back out to the ships to pick up the second and third wave. When returning to the ships, they would carry wounded, messages, etc.

Occasionally they were used for various types of support work, such as shuttling ammunition (Okinawa, for example – LVTs carried ammunition to Marines fighting for Sugar Loaf Hill, and taking away the wounded) or direct troop support (with 2 x .30 cals and a .50 cal machine gun, that's a fair amount of firepower in them).

On New Britain, Marines were stymied by a well placed and defended series of bunkers containing an HMG platoon on a raised road in the middle of a swamp. From out of nowhere, an LVT appeared and began caving in the bunkers by driving over them until it became wedged between two trees. So, yes, though not a typical role for them, they did occasionally provide troop support.

There was another incident on Saipan, IIRC, in which a couple of standard LVTs were about to be shot up by a couple of Japanese tanks, when a pair of howitzer armed LVTs saw what was happening and finished off the Japanese tanks. This did not take place on a beachhead but inland – I don't know why they were there, but they were roaming the island for some reason.

PDF link

The USMC Landing Manual, 1944, says as GAZ said, "from LOD to beach and only when the LVCP is not able to be employed." Pg 210

Osprey do two beach landing tactics books in the elite series. One on the pacific and one on Normandy

Thank you all. Really helpful and I think I have all I need.