LCM(3) D-Day Landing Craft

Plastic kit for a U.S. Navy LCM-3 landing craft

• Scale 1:72
• Dimensions LxWxH (built): 221.5 x 59 x 72 mm
• 140 parts
• photo-etched parts and twine included
• not built, not painted
• Paint and glue not included

Between 1942 and 1945, over 8,500 LCMs (Landing Craft Mechanized) were built in American shipyards. Since Britain had no lighter tank transport vehicles than the LCT (Landing Craft Tank), LCMs were also readily adopted by the Royal Navy. LCMs could either be transported on ships' davits or towed across the English Channel. Due to the risk of overflowing in rough seas, most LCMs were towed across the Channel and not loaded with troops until the morning of D-Day. LCMs were easily identified by their unique perforated bow ramp. As tanks became larger and heavier, the LCM-3 was developed with a longer hull and greater buoyancy, allowing it to carry a 30-ton tank. They could also carry up to 30 tons of cargo or 60 soldiers. The LCM-3 had a crew of four and was armed with two .50-caliber machine guns. The LCM-3 was not designed for the crew to live on board and remained dependent on a mother ship for long periods of time. In addition to participating in the D-Day landings, LCM-3s were also used in large numbers in the Pacific Island Campaigns and the crossing of the Rhine in Germany.