Landing craft

Landing craft are small and medium seagoing watercraft, such as boats and barges, used to convey a landing force (such as infantry and its vehicles) from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. The term excludes landing ships, which are larger, and smaller craft, such as paddled soft-bottomed rubber rafts. Production of landing craft peaked during World War II, with a significant number of different designs produced in large quantities by the United Kingdom and United States.

Because of the need to run up onto a suitable beach, World War II landing craft were flat-bottomed, and many designs had a flat front, often with a lowerable ramp, rather than a normal bow. This made them difficult to control and very uncomfortable in rough seas. The helm (too rudimentary to call a bridge on the smaller craft) was normally at the extreme rear of the vessel, with the notable exception of the LCA, where an armoured box was provided. In all cases, WWII landing craft were known by an abbreviation derived from the official name rather than by the full title.