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During the 1930's Higgins Industries
had perfected a workboat, dubbed the 'Eureka' model, designed
to work in the swamps and marshes of south Louisiana. The shallow-draft
boat could operate in only 18 inches of water, running through vegetation
and over logs and debris without fouling its propeller. It could also
run right up on shore and extract itself without damage. As part of
his sales demonstrations, Higgins often had the boats run up on the Lake
Ponchartrain seawall.
The "headlog" - a solid block of pine at the bow - was the strongest part
of the boat, enabling it to run at full speed over floating obstacles, sandbars,
and right up on to the beach without damaging the hull. |
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| A deep vee hull forward led to a reverse-curve section amidships and
two flat planing sections aft, flanking a semi-tunnel that protected the
propeller and shaft. Aerated water flowing under the forefoot of the
boat created less friction when the boat was moving and allowed for faster
speeds and maneuverability. Because of the reverse curve, objects in
the water would be pushed away from the boat at a point between the bow and
amidships (including the aerated water - only solid water reached the propeller).
This allowed continuous high-speed running and cut down on damage to
the propeller, as floating objects seldom came near it. The flat sections
aft, on either side of the shaft tunnel, actually had a catamaran/planing
effect which added to the hull speed. |
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| All of these features contributed to the boat's successful adaptation
as a landing craft, and when a bow ramp was added at the request of the Marine
Corps, the LCVP design was complete. |
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The boat could land a platoon of 36 men
 with their equipment, or a jeep and 12 men, extract itself
quickly, turn around without broaching in the surf, and go back out to get
more troops and/or supplies. This was critical - any landing craft
that could not extract itself would hinder the ability of succeeding waves
to reach the beachhead. The tough, highly maneuverable Higgins boats
allowed Allied commanders to plan their assaults on relatively less-defended
coastline areas and then support a beachhead staging area rather than be
forced to capture a port city with wharves and facilities to offload men
and material. The 20,000+ Higgins boats manufactured by Higgins Industries
and others licensed to use Higgins designs landed more Allied troops during
the war than all other types of landing craft combined. Col. Alexander
(cited above) was accurate in calling the LCVP "...a world-shaking
innovation, one that would defeat Germany and Japan as ineluctably as any
other technology." |
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SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE HIGGINS INDUSTRIES 36-FOOT LCVP |
| Construction Material: |
Wood (oak, pine and mahogany) |
| Displacement: |
15,000 Pounds (light) |
| Length: |
36-Feet, 3-Inches |
| Beam: |
10-Feet, 10-Inches |
| Draft: |
3-Feet Aft and 2-Feet, 2-Inches Forward |
| Speed: |
12 Knots |
| Armament: |
Two .30-Caliber Machine Guns |
| Crew: |
Three - Coxswain, Engineer and Crewman |
| Capacity: |
36 Troops with gear and equipment, or |
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6,000-Pound vehicle, or |
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8,100-Pounds of Cargo |
| Power Plant: |
Gray 225-HP Diesel Engine |
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