LCP(L) US landing craft 1:56 (28mm)

LCP(L) US landing craft 1:56 (28mm)

The Landing Craft, Personnel (Large), aka "T" boat, was developed by Andrew Higgins as a modified version of his Eureka boat designed in 1926 for use in the swamps and marshes of south Louisiana. The 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. It was constructed of wood, with a shallow draft and a solid bow that allowed it to be grounded safely.

All of these features contributed to the boat's successful adaptation as a landing craft. The Navy named it the LCPL, or Landing Craft, Personnel, Large.

The LCP(L) was developed at about the same time as the small LCP, which had been ordered early in 1940 for the Marine Corps. The larger version was originally produced for the British Admiralty, which wanted a vessel capable of carrying a full platoon of infantry.

Source : ONI 226 - ALLIED LANDING CRAFT AND SHIPS - NAVY DEPARTMENT

This was the first purpose-build landing craft to be acquired by the US Marine Corps, and was the first in a series of designs that culminated in the LCVP, one of the most important Allied weapons of the Second World War.

Pictures from http://www.6juin1944.com/assaut/amphib.php?id=12

The LCP(L) was constructed entirely of wood, with internal armored cross bulkheads to protect the crew, engine and fuel tanks. The troops sat on low benches, and disembarked over the sides of the boat. This was its biggest design flaw, and in 1941 production moved on to the Landing Craft, Personnel (Ramp) (LCP(R))