Unidentified Vehicle in the Invasion Area

Hi all,

Can anyone tell me what the vehicle/vessel/object in the water in the attached NCAP screenshot is? The photo was taken over the western end of King Green on Gold Beach at about H+90. There's a Sherman DD, Churchill Crocodile, an M10 and an M14 there too for scale.

US7/1738 S_0099
Le Paisty-Vert; Lower Normandy; France | NCAP - National Collection of Aerial Photography

 

I am trying not to get my hopes up.

 

As a recent thread also indicated, it could be a Terrapin.

 

Yep looks like a LVT 4 to me.

Cheers

Kevin

 

Can you point me towards that thread, Don Juan? I seem to have missed it. I think it looks too wide to be a Terrapin but would be interested to see what other people think.

 

For comparison purposes LVT next to DUKW at Normandie beach

Original by M. Kenny at AHF here:
LVT and D Day - Axis History Forum

 

Here you go: Terrapin

 

With an obscure title like that, no wonder I missed it!

 

Thank you as well, by the way.

 

Blimey it's a LVT 3. I have seen videos of them training in Wales and Northern Ireland but didn't know that LVT 3's were used in NWE only 2's and 4's.

Cheers

Kevin

 

I think you will find that it is an LVT-1. Note the four “footholds” on the side. The LVT-3 had two at most.
Photos for comparison here.
http://the.shadock.free.fr/Surviving_LVTs.pdf

The LVT-3 was yet to enter production in mid-1944.

More info on LVTs here
https://backup.kjeks.io/Screenshots...roductions/SSP - In Action 0031 - AMTRACS.pdf

Page 44 shows LVT-1 & 2 in an English tank park before D-Day.

 

The caption to that photograph rather unhelpfully contradicts the text above it which suggests LVT's didn't arrive until LATE summer 1944. Anyone know for sure which is correct?

Assuming it is an LVT, who would have operated it and what would it likely have replaced in the landing tables? My best guess is that the photo was taken shortly after 09:30.

I have somewhere a veteran account stating he landed a Terrapin, or a Weasel on Gold Beach on D-Day - a Terrapin being another possibility for this vehicle. I can't remember which of the two it was and, for the life of me, neither can I find it at the moment.

 

I found this document in WO205/151 which I thought might be of interest:



There might be more in the Canadian files.

Regards

Tom

 

Oh, and just a bit later:



Regards

Tom

 

"It is probable therefore that the existing allotment for NEPTUNE..."

A fascinating find, first written evidence of LVT's in Neptune I've seen. Thanks for sharing.

 

Terrapin is always possible. I came across this film from Aug 1943 demonstrting one.
THE AMPHIBIOUS JEEP, AQUACHEETAH, DUKW, TERRAPIN (PART 1) [Main Title]

Which "Weasel"? The M29 had a very limited amphibious capability due to its low freeboard. The M29C was the fully amphibious version but it didn't enter production until May 1944 so couldn't have been around for D-Day given transport times from the USA. The latter was sometimes referred to as the Water Weasel. As far as I can see their first use was at Walcheren on 1 Nov 1944.

 

"Which "Weasel"?

Hi,
1451 M29 were shipped from the US to the UK in May 1944.

Some were issued in time for Normandy. There is footage of one on an LCT on the way to Sword Beach and a couple of others are mentioned in different threads on the forum.

141 M29C were shipped to the UK in June 1944.

Regards

Danny

 

Of the 4,476 M29 built between Sept 1943 and May 1944 plus a batch in Nov 1944, Britain and the Commonwealth received an eventual 1,158.
Of the 10,647 M29C built between May 1944 and Aug 1945 Britain and the Commonwealth received 1,930. 90 M29C were built in May 1944 (plus 635 M29) and 560 in June.

 

I am very interested to see that some hard evidence of LVTs being used on the Normandy beaches. It has long been rumoured but I could never find any mention in the great pile of war diaries I obtained and studied.

The M29 Weasel is clearer. A fair but unkown number were used on the British beaches. They were certainly issued to RE Field Companies of the Beach Groups, one document suggests three per company to replace Lloyd Carriers which had been issued for beach use. I only know of two photos and only one has visible markings so it is difficult to know how widespread their use was. Perhaps it is time to open a new thread for Weasels. The US used large numbers but in tactical roles.

Mike.