Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel (LCVP)

Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel (LCVP). . , The need for a swift and safe landing craft was recognized by Marine Lieutenant Victor Krulak who had observe a Japanese amphibious landing in China. In March of 1941, he met with Andrew Higgins, who was experienced in building shallow-draft boats. He used Krulak's photographs and sketches as a guide to fit his plywood Eureka boat with a retractable bow. Thus by December of 1941, the first prototypes of the LCVP or Higgins Boat, were completed.

Constructed mainly of wood with quarter inch steel plate on the bow and side for protection, the LCVP was inexpensive and simple to build. The LCVP could arrive on the beaches and unload up to 36 fully equipped troops and the retractable bow formed a full-width ramp, making loading and unloading more efficient. The V-shaped keel with a semi-tunnel beneath the hull protected the shaft and screw from obstacles in the water, allowing the craft to beach itself, unload, and the retreat safely from the beach without damage.

LCVPs would see service with Army Engineer Special Brigades and the US Navy and Coast Guard, operating from assault ships and LSTs. By the end of the war Higgins had produced more than 20,000 boats for Allied forces. General Eisenhower stated that without Higgins' LCVP, "We never could have landed over an open beach. The whole strategy of the war would have been different."

The Army would begin phasing out their LCVPs and slightly larger LCM-6s in the 1950s when the LCM-8s were produced. The US Navy continued to use the LCVP in small numbers for several more decades, though fiberglass would replace plywood as the main hull material.

Lineage of this LCVP is unknown but when it was last restored, US Navy markings "PA-33-21" were applied. The markings were for boat #21 assigned to the Attack Transport USS Bayfield (APA-33).

Specifications , Engine: Gray Marine diesel , Horsepower: 225 hp , Dimensions: , Length 36 feet, 3 inches , Beam 10 feet, 10 inches , Displacement: 18,000 pounds , Draft: Bow 2 feet, 2 inches - Aft 3 feet , Crew: 4 , Load Capacity: , 36 equipped soldiers , 8,100 pounds cargo , Jeep plus 12 equipped soldiers

Performance , Speed: 12 knots , Range: 102 miles