"Pacific LVT(A)" Topic

Any thoughts about LVT (A) unit organisation in 1944? I've been assuming 5 amphib tanks to a platoon, but maybe that's just plan wrong? I've also assumed a platoon would have either Scott-type howitzer turrets or Stuart turrets, but maybe they were mixed through? We are staging a large presentation of the Ngesebus landing (September 1944) at the Claymore show in Scotland in August….basically a 1/1 figure scale…. and I am toiling to find much info on the armour.

It appears that the amphib tanks were organized into battalions from what I have read:

This from Saipan, Elements of two Marine Divisions were to land abreast, the Second Division on the left on RED beaches 2 and 3 and GREEN Beaches 1 and 2; the Fourth Marine Division on the right on BLUE 1 and 2 and YELLOW 1 and 2. The Army amphibious units attached to the Marine Divisions for the operation were prepared to land half of the assault troops. A total of three hundred and ninety-three Amphibious Tractors (LVTs) and one hundred and forty Amphibious Tanks (LVT(A)s) formed the assault waves. Of these, the Army units furnished two hundred tractors and sixty-eight tanks.4 Seven hundred and nineteen amphibious vehicles participated in the operation. Of this number, the Army furnished three hundred and sixty-seven.5

For the Marines they usually organized with three line companies per battalion, I would expect the Army was similar. At Saipan, the Army had 300 LVT's in 3 battalions and 67 (or 68) LVT(a)'s in one battalion.

Look here to get some ideas. link

Maybe this will help. The amtrac stuff is a ways down, but covers the tractor and armored assault battalions. 4 companies to the battalion, roughly 100 tracks, so 5 per platoon is just about right. Think at Ngesebus, the tracks would have the 75mm turret across the board as this variant hit action in May.

link

PDF link

There's a bit of newsreel for Ngesebus; looks like mostly 105s and a couple of ATs, so I'm wondering if the assigned company had a mix of vehicles or if a couple of ATs were assigned from another company. I've found a TO&E that gives 3 platoons of 5 vehicles and a HQ of 3. I'd imagine it's possible that the AT vehicles were assigned to the company to bring it up to strength from losses incurred. Regardless, it looks like we are going to need to get some more LVTs to supplement my wife's collection.