Why This Was WW2’s Most Important Boat

During WWII, the Allied and Axis powers manufactured thousands of vessels, many of them built for long journeys including aircraft carriers, battleships, and cargo ships.

However, there’s one particular vessel that’s arguably considered as WWII’s most important boat – the Higgins boat. Why was it so pivotal to the Allied victory?

The Origins

Before the war, the US Marine Corps sought an efficient boat for troop landings on beaches.

Andrew Higgins, president of Higgins Industries, answered this need by developing the Landing Craft Personnel (LCP). The LCP was a small boat that could carry up to 12 men, later expanded to accommodate up to 24 men.

However, this design left troops heavily exposed to enemy fire before they could disembark, prompting the search for a new design.

An Improved Version

The solution was the Landing Craft Vehicle and Personnel (LCVP). The LCVP was significantly larger than the LCP, measuring 36 feet in length, 10 feet in width, and powered by a 225 hp engine, allowing a top speed of 12 knots (approximately 14 mph).

It could carry up to 36 troops or 8,100 pounds of cargo with a range of 100 miles.

Notably, the LCVP was constructed primarily from plywood, with steel reinforcements on the sides and ramp to protect the crew from enemy fire.

Two Main Advantages

The Higgins boat had two primary advantages.

First, its hull design allowed it to be grounded high on the shore, with propellers positioned to operate in shallow water. This capability was crucial for effective beach landings.

The second advantage was its ramp. The design meant that the soldiers onboard were protected from the enemy right until the ramp was dropped. With such a wide space, the men could quickly disembark, get up to the beach, and take cover.

A Huge Success

The Higgins boat was deemed a huge success. Over 23,000 were manufactured during the war and they played a critical role in key amphibious operations, including the D-Day landings in Normandy.

These boats were responsible for transporting hundreds of thousands of soldiers from larger troop carriers to invasion beaches, under heavy enemy fire.

Without the use of these boats, it’s likely invasion strategies would need to be changed to find a better way to protect and bring troops on the shore. Even Dwight Eisenhower deemed it to be WWII’s most important vessel.