Falklands War Landing Craft

[Kev]

[iain]

Great pics Kev

I was just about to send you a message on Flickr to ask where that is - so I may as well ask it here!

[Max]

Is that near the docks?

[Kev]

Royal Marine Reserve (RMR) Merseyside Headquarters, Brunswick Dock is its location. Next to the old Harry Ramsdens.

[iain]

Got it now. I recognised a couple of places in the background - the Honda dealer and the light brown building - but couldn't place them.

[ChrisGeorge]

Very interesting. Thanks, Kev!

Chris

[drone_pilot]

Took this when she first arrived.



More info.

The Landing Craft Assault (LCA) was the British and Commonwealth landing craft of the Second World War. It was the main small landing craft used to put troops ashore on Juno, Gold and Sword Beaches.

History

After the problems experinced at Gallipoli during the First World War, it was obvious that for a successful landing, troops had to be put ashore safely and quickly in large numbers. The design and production, and use of landing craft was the responsibility of the Royal Navy

The first LCAs were put into service at the start of the Second World War and were used for landing British forces thereafter, though among their first duties was evacuation from Dunkerque (Operation Dynamo).

The LCA was used for every landing in Europe, for Madagascar and with the Commonwealth fleets (RN, RAN and RNZN) in the Far East. Following the invasions of Normandy and southern France, production of LCAs was stopped in Europe. Some manufacture continued in the Far East up until the end of the war there.

The LCA was never operated by the US, though on occasions RN LCAs were used to transport US troops. Some were used to this end on D-Day, for the US Army Rangers on Omaha and Pointe du Hoc and some for other army battalions at Utah and Omaha.

Design

The LCA was built of wood with steel armour bolted on to protect the occupants. The LCA had a long central section with seating for the troops, this was divided from the landing ramp in the bow by bulkead fitted with two vertically hinged doors. Immediately behind the bulkhead were a steering position and a light machine gun (eg Bren gun) position, the wheel to the starboard and the LMG to the port.

Drive was by two shafts from the pair of low-powered Ford engines which limited the boat's speed. Steering was by two rudders. The landing ramp was relatively narrow at only 4 ft 6 inches wide, limiting the speed at which the troops could disembark.

Total production was about two thousand.

Specification

* Length: 41 ft 6 in
* Beam: 10 ft
* Draught: o light: 1 ft 1 in fwd, 1 ft 9 in aft o loaded: 1 ft 9 in fwd, 2 ft 3 in aft
* Weight o empty: 9 tons o loaded: 13 tons
* Engines: 2 Ford V-8 petrol
* Power: 2 x 65 hp
* Fuel: 64 Imperial gallons
* Range 50-80 miles
* Speed: o light: 10 kt o loaded: 6 kt
* Capacity: 36 troops and 800 lb cargo
* Crew: 4, coxswain, two seamen and a stoker plus 1 officer per group of 3 boats

[Kev]

Thanks for the info and original pic, I couldn't get in when it first arrived.

[ChrisGeorge]

Hello drone_pilot

Thanks for this information. I was curious why a "stoker" would be needed for a petrol-driven vessel. I did a bit of research and came across the following reminiscence of D-Day by Walter Palmer who was a stoker aboard on a diesel-driven three-man Thames barge that carried petrol cans on D-Day.

While this was not exactly the same as a petrol-driven landing craft and was obviously more hazardous because of the cargo on board the barge, Mr. Palmer's description of what he experienced, which I found at "Memories of D-Day: Naval Memories", gives an excellent idea of the dangerous, tense, and traumatic time that the brave sailors and soldiers went through during the landings:

"The next nightmare was the acoustic mine, which exploded under a ship when it picked up the sound of the ship’s engine. We really feared this one as all our craft were driven by large diesel engines, so their echo through the water was noisy. We lost a lot of craft this way and a lot of lives. Being a stoker, my job was to look after the diesel engines on my craft, and when I went below in the engine room for four hours I was scared stiff in case we caught a packet from these mines. In fact I was so scared that I used to take my meals on the upper deck and sleep near the bows, so if we did sink I was ready to jump in the water. One night we were going to join the rest of the craft and I was sat near the bows when there was a hellish explosion and I found myself in the air and then in the water, swimming for dear life. Our luck had run out, in the form of an acoustic mine. Those of us that survived were picked up."

Chris

[Max]

Kev you didn't say that Falkland boat was on a site which has a big secrets act sign on.

Did you ask the guards wether you could snap a shot of It?

I know the boat wouldn't be under the secrets act but the sign says they could take you In for questioning when on the site I think.