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Landing Craft Mechanized

The Landing Craft Mechanized (LCM) or Landing Craft Mechanical 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 or on a cargo ship boom with the result that it was limited to a 16 ton tank. The British LCM was conceived and tested in 1920 and was used from 1924 in exercises.

The Landing Craft Mechanical Mark I was used for the Allied Invasion of Norway and some 600 were built.

*Displacement: 35 tonnes
*Length : 13.6 m
*Width : 4.27 m
*Draught : 1.22 m
*Machinery : two Chrysler 100 hp petrol engines
*Speed : 7 knots
*Crew : 6 men
*Armament : two .303 mm Lewis guns
*capacity:
**100 men
**54,500 lbs with 9 inches of freeboard

LCM (2)


* Displacement: 29 tons
* Length: 45 ft (14 m)
*Beam: 14 ft 1 in (4.3 m)
*Draft: 13 ft (4.0 m)
*Speed: 8.5 knots (15.7 km/h)
*Armament: two .50-cal M2 Browning machine guns
*Crew: 4
*capacity; 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 of cargo.
*Higgins
The builder responsible for the LCVP. In appearance very similar to the LCVP with a 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 of cargo.

LCM (4)


British model of LCM

LCM (5)


British model of LCM

LCM (6)


An LCM (3) extended by amidships.
*Power Plant: 2- Detroit 6-71 Diesel engines; sustained; twin shaft, or 2- Detroit 8V-71 Diesel engines; sustained; twin shaft
*Length: 56.2 feet (17.1 m)
*Beam: 14 feet (4.3 m)
*Displacement: 64 tons (65 metric tons) full load
*Speed: 9 kt (10.3 mph, 16.6 km/h)
*Range:130 miles (240 km) at
*Military lift: 34 tons (34.6 metric tons) or 80 troops
*Crew: 5

LCM (7)


British model of LCM

LCM (8)



General characteristics, LCM 8 Type
*Power Plant:2- Detroit 12V-71 Diesel engines; sustained; twin shafts
*Length: 73.7 feet (22.5 m)
*Beam: 21 feet (6.4 m)
*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 full load
*Capacity: 180 tons (183 metric tons)
*Military lift: one M48 or one M60 tank or 200 troops
*Crew: 5

Landing_Craft_Mechanized
Source: Wikipedia