US Marine Corps - The Black Vault

334 Amphibians Came To Conqaer
TurnerCollectim
Landing crtift from the Humer Liggett (AP–27), later APA–14, lands its
)ast Marines at Tongs Island in October 1942. Note the lack of la~ding
ramps.
(d) .8 LCM (45-foot Landing Craft, Medium, for tanks and trucks, with
ramp) .27
None of the landing craft were really old and most had been built within
the year. The eight oldest type landing craft in the WATCHTOWER Oper-
aticm were the 30-foot “X boats,” four in the flagship McCawley and four
in the Barnett (AP- 11 ). The LVTS ( amtracs ) of the Amphibian Tractor
Battalion of the First Marine Division were in addition to the craft listed
above.
On 22 June 1942, COMINCH had changed the designations of many
of the landing boats, but his written order was circulated by slow sea mail
to the South Pacific, and was not passed on to Task Force 62 until rnid-
August, so that the official reports of this period all use the earlier designa-
= Annex George to COMPHIBSOPAC Op Plan A3--42, 30 Jul. 1942, listed the craft anticipated
to b available 8/7/42. Up until 22 June 1942, the LCPR had been designated ‘‘TR boats,” the
LCP(L) “T boats;’ and the LCM were “WL lighters.”