US Amtracs and Amphibians at War 1941-1945

Amphibious assault is one of the most difficult challenges in modern warfare. The defender has a natural advantage since the sea poses a formidable natural barrier to most military operations. With the advent of powerful coastal guns and steel-reinforced concrete fortifications, amphibious assault became all the more difficult. But amphibious assault also has it advantages. Coastlines are often long, and it is impossible to defend all locations. If a weak spot can be found, forces can be landed in relative safety. Until World War II, amphibious landings were conducted by improvised means, usually using ship's boats. In World War I, with major amphibious assaults such as Gallipoli. attempts began to develop specialized craft bener suited to amphibious landings, based on river barges. Further experimentation in the 1930s led to a whole range of practical craft from the small LCVP to the large LST. Although these naval craft were essential to modern amphibious assaults, they had one problem. They could only Transport the troops to the water's edge, at which point they could go no further. So there was some interest in amphibian craft, that is, craft that cuuld not only swim ashore, but once reaching the beach, could move on land.