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In early 1942
the US Navy requested designs for a larger craft than
the existing LCVP capable of landing a light tank. Higgins
Industries responded with the LCM2, building the prototype
in only 60 hours! 3,400 were built before being superceded
by the LCM3 which could carry a 30ton tank, although
in practice their usual task was to carry troops (upto
120) or cargo (upto 60,000 Lbs.) to the beach head.
First seeing
action in November 1943 at Tarawa, and in every subsequent
"island hopping" operation accross the Pacific, they
also saw combat in the Mediterranean and North Atlantic
theatres, as well as in the Korean war.
The LCM6 was
an improved version of the LCM3, at 6 feet longer, it
measured was 56 feet long. This allowed it to carry
a 34ton tank or 68,000lbs. of cargo or 120 fully equiped
troops. The great majority of these craft were used
in the Pacific campaign.
Our
model faithfully reproduces this vessel down to the
weld seams for the additional 6 feet added section and
the ever present "oil canning" effect so prevalent in
all the photographs of these craft.
The
tank used in the photographs is an M4 Composite used
by the US Marines in the late Pacific campaign. The
model shown is our kit US22
plus Deep Wading from our Accessory Range, Ref number
WAD.2.
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