This film about the LCVP, or Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel, provides an introduction and look at the nomenclature (00:44) of systems aboard these vessels. The film dates to 1944. LCVP is short for Landing Craft, Vehicle-Personnel, also known as a Higgins boat (named after its creator Andrew Higgins). The film begins by detailing the stats of the LCVP while showing footage of LCVPs skipping along the water then landing on shore (02:11), where they unload soldiers (02:15), vehicles (02:23), and cargo—such as ammunition (02:35). LCVPs are a crucial part in land-sea operations, which can involve ships as well as aircraft, such as dirigibles (03:04). The LCVP’s exterior construction details are recounted while one of the vessels is suspended by a crane (03:17), allowing the viewer to see every part of the boat, including the scuffle boards (03:53) and the keel-like skeg (04:01). That is followed by a look at the interior of the LCVP (05:08), covering the layout. This overview also briefly discusses the engine, engine controls, and how to operate the LCVP (05:37). The film then shows some of the features of the boat, such as the electric compass repeater (07:12), the adjustable wheel (07:23), and the gun pits in the decked-over aft, called the transom (08:21). Next, the film reviews the essential equipment the LCVP is stocked with (09:33). After covering the boat and necessary gear, the film explains the members and roles of the crew (12:03): the coxswain, engineer, sternman, and bowman. The film ends with the bowman and engineer releasing the ramp and troops deploying onto a beach (13:09), followed by the sternman acting as the signalman (13:47).
The landing craft, vehicle, personnel (LCVP) or Higgins boat was a landing craft used extensively in amphibious landings in World War II. The craft was designed by Andrew Higgins based on boats made for operating in swamps and marshes. More than 20,000 were built, by Higgins Industries and licensees. Typically constructed from plywood, this shallow-draft, barge-like boat could ferry a platoon-sized complement of 36 men to shore at 9 knots (17 km/h). Men generally entered the boat by climbing down a cargo net hung from the side of their troop transport; they exited by charging down the boat’s bow ramp.
At just over 36 ft (11 m) long and just under 11 ft (3.4 m) wide, the LCVP was not a large craft. Powered by a 225-horsepower Diesel engine at 12 knots, it would sway in choppy seas, causing seasickness. Since its sides and rear were made of plywood, it offered limited protection from enemy fire. The Higgins boat could hold either a 36-man platoon, a jeep and a 12-man squad, or 8,000 lb (3.6 t) of cargo. Its shallow draft (3 feet aft and 2 feet, 2 inches forward) enabled it to run up onto the shoreline, and a semi-tunnel built into its hull protected the propeller from sand and other debris. The steel ramp at the front could be lowered quickly. It was possible for the Higgins boat to swiftly disembark men and supplies, reverse itself off the beach, and head back out to the supply ship for another load within three to four minutes.
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
