Crew on amphibious tractor 3 March1944
The LVT(A)-1 was an armored variant of the Landing Vehicle Tracked (LVT) specifically designed to provide close fire support for assault troops during amphibious operations. The “(A)” in its designation signifies “Armored”. It was developed from the LVT-2 and was notably the first fully armored LVT.
Its primary armament consisted of a 37mm gun, housed within an M3 Light Tank turret. For secondary armament, it typically carried three .30 caliber machine guns. Early models had one .50 caliber machine gun and two .30 caliber machine guns, while later production models sometimes featured an additional .30 caliber machine gun mounted in front of the assistant driver’s position. The turret also had an access room for the radio and machine gun ammunition. The LVT(A)-1’s hull and superstructure were armored to 6mm and 12mm respectively, designed to provide protection against shrapnel and small arms fire.
The LVT(A)-1 had a crew of five. In terms of specifications, it was 26 feet 1 inch (7.95m) long, 10 feet 8 inches (3.25m) wide, and 8 feet 1 inch (2.46m) high, weighing 30,000 pounds (13,608 kg). It was powered by a 250 hp Continental engine, enabling it to achieve speeds of 20 mph (32.18 km/h) on land and 7.5 mph (12.06 km/h) in water. Its operational range was approximately 300 miles (482.79 km) on land and 150 miles (241.39 km) in water.
While a prototype was available by August 1942, the LVT(A)-1 first saw combat in Kwajalein and Okinawa. However, its 37mm gun was found to be largely insufficient against heavily fortified Japanese bunkers and other strongholds, often being described as “too weak” or “non-existent” in terms of effectiveness for landing operations. This critical limitation led to requests for a larger weapon, which later materialized in the LVT(A)-4 model with its 75mm howitzer.
Production numbers for the LVT(A)-1 vary across sources: one source indicates that 1,225 units were built, another states 510 units were built by early 1944, and yet another source reports that 1,489 LVT(A)-1s were produced, with 533 manufactured in 1945 as a newer version designated LVT(A)-5. The Army formed seven AMTANK battalions utilizing 1,307 LVT(A)-1s, and 50 units were supplied through Lend-Lease. The LVT(A)-1 was considered the first successful U.S. amphibious tank and played a role in paving the way for later, more powerful amphibious assault vehicles.