D-Day information that only guys like us appreciate

[Louis of PA]

These assorted landing craft were all designed to operate from ship to beach, not ship to pier.

By June 6th, 1944, many or all of these designs had proved their worth in the Pacific, then in the invasion of Sicily and Italy.

The LST; my Seabee Uncle Carl, enlisting in his late 30s, rode in one prior to the invasion of Guam.

Regards,
Louis of PA

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Louis of PA]

It wouldn't have been quite so bad if there weren't men with automatic weapons, mortars and artillery blasting at you and your buddies the whole time.

[Louis of PA]

The assault vest. I don't know how extensively these were issued, though I've seen them in photos from the period.
Regards,
Louis of PA

[P. Greaney]

If anyone is interested in touring an LST, we have one here in Evansville, Indiana that is open for tours.
They were made here during the war. The one we have was made elsewhere, Cincinatti, I think.

[Art]

There is a landing craft not mentioned above because it was sort of a SeaBee inventioin. The "Rhino Barge" which was used to take heavy equipment right up to and on the beach.

[Bob Womack]

The illustrations of the various classes of landing craft and the scaling are very interesting.

Bob

[Louis of PA]

There is a landing craft not mentioned above because it was sort of a SeaBee inventioin. The "Rhino Barge" which was used to take heavy equipment right up to and on the beach.

Art - That Rhino barge was a great example of ingenuity by the Seabees. I believe it started life as an ordinary pontoon. Then the Seabees decided to install enormous outboard engines on the stern. Eureka! A high-capacity, self-propelled barge that served to unload materiel from craft having ramps, then transporting the supplies and vehicles to the beach. Nifty!
Regards,
Louis of PA

[paid4c4]

My father was at D-Day as a motor mac on board an LCI #331 (Landing Craft Infantry). They were small ships with flat bottoms. The ship would run ashore left their troops and equipment off and winch the ship back to deep water. The winch was connected by cable to a large anchor the ship would drop on the way to the beach. Dad's little ship made landings at North Africa, Salerno and Normandy. They made one other landing but I can't remember it tonight. Dad said they dropped their troops and then took out the injured to large hosptial ships. Thanks for an interesting thread.
Bill

[Fredtheobviouspseudonym]

"Spearheading D-Day" -- a very good book on the topic of the technical and doctrinal preparation for the landings, and how it worked out.

They have a set of images of re-enactors showing the uniforms and gear among their pages. I would have preferred original photos of the guys who were really there but it's a minor beef. Apparently there are Dutch organizations for WW II re-enacting.

[Louis of PA]

"Spearheading D-Day" -- a very good book on the topic of the technical and doctrinal preparation for the landings, and how it worked out.

They have a set of images of re-enactors showing the uniforms and gear among their pages. I would have preferred original photos of the guys who were really there but it's a minor beef. Apparently there are Dutch organizations for WW II re-enacting.

Oddly, that fine book was printed in France; I forget the publisher's name. I don't object to the staged photos; to show the gear clearly would have been virtually impossible if original photos had been used; those folks didn't have a lot of time to pose for pictures in those days.

Regards