93-845: LCA may refer to: Technology [ edit ] Landing Craft Assault , a British landing craft of the Second World War. LCA (Low Cost Apple), code name for the Apple IIe Light Combat Aircraft program, pursued by India for the development of the HAL Tejas 4th generation fighter jet. Liquid Crystal Attenuator Lower control arm , component of an automobile suspension Luminance-Chrominance-Audio , video signal standard, carrying brightness and color information on separate wires. Mathematics [ edit ] Latent class analysis in statistics,
186-462: A British Army platoon and five assault engineers or signallers – and be so shallow drafted as to be able to land them, wet only up to their knees, in eighteen inches of water. The troops had to unload quickly. All of these specifications made the LCA personnel carriers; a separate set of requirements were laid down for a vehicle and supplies carrier, although previously the two roles were combined in
279-489: A Sternsheetsman, whose action station was at the stern to assist in lowering and raising the boat at the davits of the Landing Ship Infantry (LSI), a Bowman-gunner, whose action station was at the front of the boat to open and close the armoured doors, raise and lower the ramp, and operate the one or two Lewis guns in the armoured gun shelter opposite the steering position, a stoker -mechanic responsible for
372-562: A U.S. company providing LASIK vision services Legal & Corporate Affairs (internal legal department, e.g. at Microsoft ) Leeds College of Art Legalise Cannabis Alliance Lexington Christian Academy (disambiguation) Lutheran Church in America Lutheran Church of Australia Other [ edit ] Labor Condition Application , included in H-1B visa application Leaving Certificate Applied ,
465-542: A bombardment of the town intended to destroy all buildings on the foreshore. The LCAs landed soon after 01:00, when the LCM (Mk. I) had delivered a tank to the beach (the other tanks in MLCs were delayed). The LCA crews manoeuvered their craft to the left of the village of Bjerkvik, the intended landing place, and under a slight rise in the ground in order to spare the soldiers casualties from opposing machine gun fire. Though touchdown
558-432: A hinged double-door roof. Most LCAs were fitted with a compass. Drive was by two shafts from the pair of Ford V8 engines to two 19 inch x 14 inch 2-bladed propellers. Fuel capacity was 64 imperial gallons (290 L). The craft were steered by twin rudders with steering wires that ran from the coxswain 's shelter aft through the well and engine compartment, and the last three foot (unarmoured) buoyancy section in
651-453: A merchant ship, SS Clan MacAlister . Designed to be hoisted on the standard passenger liner davits used for the 99 man lifeboats , the LCA could be carried and launched from a large number of Merchant Navy vessels. Clan MacAlister began hoisting out LCAs upon arriving off Dunkirk, 29 May, but was attacked and sunk before releasing half the craft. Five LCAs were lost with Clan MacAlister . The remaining eight began taking soldiers off
744-407: A metre or more (6' swells were not uncommon on D-Day). A combination of skill and luck could redeem a failure to cast-off, nevertheless. On D-Day , an LCA of Royal Marine 535 Flotilla, LSI Glenearn , released all but its after falls, which were jammed, and the craft tilted alarmingly to 45 degrees. The coxswain kept his head, calming the passengers, while seamen worked to free the falls. Once free,
837-585: A proper bow, making them more seaworthy. Thus the LCS(M)(3) was produced and stayed in production for the rest of the war. The LCS(M)(3) used Scripps marine conversions of the Ford V8 engine and had 98 gal. fuel tanks. The power-operated turret was armed with twin .50 inch Vickers machine guns . The LCA(HR) ('Hedgerow') was another support weapon variant. The troop well was filled by a Hedgehog spigot mortar weapon . The additional weight of this weapon and
930-422: A prototype to a revised design based on a double-diagonal mahogany hull. The silhouette and bow wave were small, and the twin engines could be made silent beyond 25 yards. Armour could replace the outer mahogany planking. Beaching qualities were satisfactory, something retained by the LCA. There was a lowerable ramp, but disembarkation speed remained unsatisfactory due to the narrowness. The revised Thornycroft became
1023-410: A set of observed discrete multivariate variables to a set of latent variables Linear Correspondence Axiom , linguistic term belonging to the theory of antisymmetry Lowest common ancestor , in graph theory, the lowest node in T that has both v and w as descendants Large cardinal axiom , a type of proposed axiom in the field of set theory Science [ edit ] Last Common Ancestor ,
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#17327726047081116-662: A small airport in the London Docklands Saint Lucia (ISO 3166-1 country code, IOC country code) Organizations [ edit ] Lambda Chi Alpha , one of the largest fraternities in North America. Land Commissioners Association , an association of state land administrators in the United States from 1931 to 1934 Last Chance for Animals , a not-for-profit animal welfare organization Law Council of Australia LCA-Vision ,
1209-473: A transfer in February 1943. The 15/13th Frontier Force Rifles Regiment voted similarly. These battalions were transferred despite the fact that few of the men had ever seen the sea. Their training suffered severely from lack of landing craft, spares, and trained instructors. From around mid-1943 there was also a Burma Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in existence working closely among LCA and LCS crews. By 1945,
1302-544: A two-year programme of the Irish Department of Education and Science linux.conf.au , the annual conference organised by Linux Australia (aka LCA) Liquor Control Act (Manitoba ministry) Lithocholic acid Low cost airline Landscape character assessment, the process of identifying and describing variation in character of the landscape; see Landscape assessment § Landscape Character Assessment (or Landscape characterisation) Topics referred to by
1395-483: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Landing Craft Assault Landing Craft Assault (LCA) was a landing craft used extensively in World War II . Its primary purpose was to ferry troops from transport ships to attack enemy-held shores. The craft derived from a prototype designed by John I. Thornycroft Ltd. of Woolston, Hampshire , UK . During
1488-514: The Merchant Navy for standard 99 man lifeboats. As the weight of LCAs increased through the war (eventually approaching 14 tons) heavier davits were required. Later LSIs and those being refitted were provisioned with luffing davits of a crossbeam type. The davits themselves provided a demarcation between the responsibilities of the LSI crew (either Royal Navy or Merchant Navy) and the members of
1581-651: The Norwegian Campaign . The army commander, General Antoine Béthouart , responsible for capturing the area north of Rombaks, realized that a landing behind German lines in the Herjangsfjord was required to force the enemy to retire. To assure that plans he made with the Royal Navy were understood by the Legionnaires, a meeting took place aboard HMS Effingham . The plan agreed involved
1674-468: The Vestfjorden before 04:00 on 4 March, and launched their attack. The morning weather was clear, cold, and calm, and the landing craft approached all four landing points more or less simultaneously in broad daylight (sunrise was approximately 06:20). The LCAs were crowded with raiders; one craft ferrying 41 officers and men in addition to the four man crew. The occasional ice-cold wave would lop over
1767-404: The 10 LCAs of Flotillas 510 and 522 which carried the 2nd Ranger Battalion to Pointe du Hoc was fitted with 3 pairs of rocket tubes, firing six-tine grapnels. These pulled up (by pairs) ¾" plain ropes, toggle ropes, and rope ladders. The ropes and ladders were stowed in three large tackle boxes mounted down either side of the LCA decks and the rocket tubes were positioned down either side behind
1860-792: The 1920s and 1930s, animated discussion in Staff Colleges in Britain and the Indian Army Staff College, Quetta surrounded the strategic potential of the Dardanelles campaign compared with the strategic stalemate of the Western Front . The economic austerity of the worldwide economic depression and the government's adoption of the Ten Year Rule assured that such theoretical talk would not result in
1953-469: The 3,975+ ton HMCS Prince David able to hoist 6 LCAs, and larger ones, such as the nearly 16,000 ton HMS Glengyle with room for 13 LCAs. Throughout World War II, LCAs travelled under their own power, towed by larger craft, or on the davits of LSIs or Landing Ship, Tank (LSTs). In larger operations such as Jubilee , Torch , Husky , and Overlord , LCAs were carried to invasion areas by Landing Ship Infantry (LSI). The location chosen for
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#17327726047082046-543: The Admiralty decided not to place orders exclusively through Thornycroft and leaving them to sub-contract, rather, the Admiralty placed orders directly with cabinet makers, carpenters, and yacht-builders in all parts of Britain. After February 1942, LCAs began being manufactured with deck armour in addition to their vertical armour. In the 42 months prior to the end of 1944 Britain was able to produce an additional 1,694 LCAs. Certain details were modified as production ran, but
2139-411: The Admiralty's many small boat orders as Thornycroft yards were overtaxed building war-emergency convoy escorts and the like . Some LCAs - Numbers 24-29 and 51 - were fitted with Parsons conversions of the Ford V8, driving propellers similar to the standard type but on a 2:1 gear reduction ; these LCAs did 12 knots (22 km/h) at 3,300 revolutions. The standard engine fitted in almost all other craft
2232-523: The BRNVR seems to have been formed into the 59th Motor Launch Flotilla. In all likelihood, it had been put together at least partly from those with maritime experience escaping from the 1942 Japanese onslaught in Burma. A junior naval or Royal Marine officer commanded three LCAs and was carried aboard one of the craft. The officer relayed signals and orders to the other two craft in the group by signal flags in
2325-734: The British had left. After returning, the LCA flotilla from Queen Emma was used for a time in Combined Operations training in Scotland. In December there were two raids. The first was Operation Anklet , a raid on the Lofoten Islands by No. 12 Commando on 26 December. The German garrison was in the midst of their Christmas celebrations and was easily overcome; the Commandos re-embarked after two days. Operation Archery
2418-514: The DNC, though their criticisms were not specific. They introduced representatives of three shipbuilding firms. The ISTDC were only interested in the Fleming design submitted already, and in trying the craft at a landing on the east coast of England in a matter of months. The DNC accepted this, but asked ISTDC to give their specifications to the firms present so that they could also submit designs. Two of
2511-595: The L.C.A., run out of their craft, open out and, without a moment's pause, advance across and over the knoll that covered the village from the west. They disappeared and later could be seen crossing behind the village on to the Gratangen road to follow the first tank on its way to the north and so take from the rear that was holding up the advance of the Chasseurs from Gratangen. The LCAs, along with towed ship's boats and other landing craft types, then turned to landing
2604-490: The LCA Flotilla. The LCAs were swung down to the level of the loading decks and the crews climbed aboard. At this time the troops were assembled by platoons ready to cross gangways. When the coxswain gave the platoon commander the word, he took his men over and into the stern of the LCA and they filed forward. The platoon divided into three lines, one for each section of the platoon, the outboard two sections sitting under
2697-413: The LCA and performance consequently fell. The equipment had evolved and so had the personnel. The time of needing a few craft for raiding was past and the time for invasion, for scores of flotillas dawned. Another obstacle to getting the best performance out of the LCA was the early war tendency to return ratings to their various barracks who had landing craft and small marine engine training. Unfortunately,
2790-485: The LCAs making the twenty-mile (32 km) approach journey under their own power, a pre-landing bombardment by ships, followed by the landing of three tanks - one from a new LCM (Mk. I), and two from the older Motor Landing Craft (MLC), then the landing of an initial wave of infantry from LCAs, and then a follow on force carried in barges towed by motor torpedo boats. On 12 May, at about 23:40, Royal Navy destroyers commenced
2883-684: The LSI to stop and lower the LCA was a designated point inside the 'Transport Area' when the LSI was operating with a US Navy Task Force, or the 'Lowering Position' when with a Royal Navy Task Force. The transport area or lowering position was approximately 6–11 miles off shore (11 miles was amphibious doctrine for the USN by mid-war, while the RN tended to accept the risks associated with drawing nearer shore). Normally landing ships were fitted with heavy-duty power-operated davits. Early landing ships were fitted with Welin-McLachlin davits – these being generally in use in
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2976-477: The Landing Craft Committee had produced some Motor Landing Craft but had not formed procedures for the assault role of these boats. Now there were specifications for what the new boat must be able to do. It must weigh less than ten long tons , enabling lifting by passenger liner davits . The new craft also had to be built around the load - apart from crew it should carry the thirty-one men of
3069-565: The Mkl LCS(M). The Mk1 had a centrally located armoured steering shelter just fore of the engine compartment, and was armed with two .50 inch machine guns, two .303 Lewis guns, and one 4-inch mortar or 20mm gun. The crew of 11 included one officer, three ratings to sail, and seven gun crew. The Mk2 was similarly armed on a standard LCA hull, except the two machine guns were in a twin turret rather than single mounts. These craft were not expected to beach and later in production boats were given
3162-634: The Motor Landing Craft. When the ISTDC approached the Director of Naval Construction (DNC) at the Admiralty to design a craft to these specifications the DNC staff were urgently engaged in designing new ships to serve more immediate priorities. Germany's coastline was small and the army would be able to engage the enemy through France. Any urgent need for landing craft was not apparent and ISTDC were told it would take seven months to design what
3255-470: The Navy appointed these ratings to duties without regard to the importance of their amphibious skills. In June 1941 this pattern was changed with the establishment of the Combined Operations naval base HMS Quebec at Inveraray . Combined Operations was then able to keep trained landing craft crew until boats became available. Early in the war the arrangements for manning LCAs and structure of LCA units
3348-467: The Pacific close to the end of the war. Below are operations involving LCA and LCA variants, and descriptions of how the attributes of the craft, good or ill, suited operational circumstances. The first four LCAs used in an opposed landing disembarked 120 French Foreign Legionnaires of the 13th Demi-Brigade (13e DBLE) on the beach at Bjerkvik , 8 miles (13 km) north of Narvik, on 13 May during
3441-465: The Thornycroft, the Fleming was superior in many areas. Troops disembarked in a quarter of the time. The silhouette and bow wave were smaller, qualities typically beneficial for surprise landings. However, the Fleming remained noisy. During trials on a misty morning the noisy approaching craft frightened civilians along the shore; tactical surprise was impossible. Afterwards, Thornycroft produced
3534-477: The application of hardened steel plates. The Thornycroft design was being built at the same time with a hull of mahogany , the internal arrangements for the troops and exit being generally similar to the mock-up that had been built in Portsmouth Dockyard. The power plant of two 65 hp Ford V8 engines would be much quieter. The Fleming won competitive trials at Langstone Harbour. Compared to
3627-573: The area. In the Mediterranean, LCAs from HMS Glengyle carried No. 7 Commando (designated A battalion Layforce , 6th Infantry Division at the time) in their raid on Bardia in April. The objective was to silence a coastal defence battery atop 300 ft high cliffs on a rocky coast. Here the sturdy hull of the LCA, coupled with the skill of the crews allowed many of the Commandos to land almost dry-shod. Later that month, following
3720-506: The basic LCA design remained unchanged for the length of the war. By the time production was in full tilt in preparation for Operation Overlord production rose to sixty LCAs a month. Sources differ regarding the speed and endurance of the LCA. By 1945 the all-up loaded weight of an LCA had risen to 13½ tons, due to the addition of further armour and the weight of weaponry an infantry platoon expected to carry into battle. As with all wooden vessels after prolonged immersion, weight increased in
3813-425: The basis for the LCA. DNC and Thornycroft collaborated to develop the design further, leading to a third prototype, ALC No 2. All landing craft designs (and landing ship designs for ships intended to beach) must find a compromise between two divergent priorities; the qualities that make a good sea boat are opposite those that make a craft suitable for beaching. The LCA keel was produced from Canadian rock elm which
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3906-582: The beach they would form line abreast for the final run-in to the beach. When the front of the LCA came to ground on the beach it was called the 'touch down.' Throughout the Second World War, LCAs were used for landing Allied forces in almost every Commando operation, major and minor, in the European theatre. They also saw service in North Africa and the Indian Ocean. They saw a little service in
3999-476: The beaches at La Panne and Dunkirk. One became stranded on the beach and was set afire by its crew. The balance returned to England "in a bad way" after taking some 2,000 soldiers directly off the beaches. Though the LCA had been designed around the most common likely load, a British infantry platoon, the original war establishment of a commando (a headquarters and 10 troops) was formed without reference to this fact. Early in 1941, each Commando unit's establishment
4092-410: The boat by walking over a gangplank from the boat deck of a troop transport as the LCA hung from its davits. When loaded, the LCA was lowered into the water. Soldiers exited by the boat's bow ramp. The LCA was the most common British and Commonwealth landing craft of World War II. Prior to July 1942, these craft were referred to as "assault landing craft" (ALC), but "landing craft, assault" (LCA)
4185-534: The boat would not sink when swamped. In the bow section between the armoured doors and the ramp, each bulkhead was packed with 30 cubic feet (850 L) of Onazote (a type of vulcanised foam rubber) buoyant material. The same Onazote packing was placed along both hull sides for the length of the well, and 42.5 cubic feet (1.20 m ) filled the aft compartment. The LCA had a long central well section fitted with three benches, one centre, one each port and starboard, for seating troops. The side benches were covered by
4278-400: The boats had been fitted with two-way radios. The sternsheetsman and bowman were to be available to take over from the coxswain or stoker should they be killed or injured. On longer journeys they might relieve them to rest. They also manned any additional machine guns and operated the kedge anchor, if it was required. In mine fields and among anti-invasion obstacles and rocks seaman would sit on
4371-489: The bow lines and small ramp made the LCA a reasonably good sea boat. From the start, the Inter-Service Training and Development Centre intended to use armed versions of the LCA to provide close support to the troop-carrying types. These variants were armed with heavy machine guns and smoke-firing mortars. The two prototype LCA from 1938 were converted for this purpose, and other, similar, conversions became
4464-460: The bow or stern or move about the sides of his boat piloting or preventing it from hitting the obstacles. Normally, a flotilla comprised 12 boats at full complement, though this number was not rigid. The flotilla's size could alter to fit operational requirements or the hoisting capacity of a particular LSI. An infantry company would be carried in six LCAs. A flotilla was normally assigned to an LSI. These varied in capacity with smaller ones, such as
4557-448: The central bench in the well removed. At least some of the LCAs also had smoke floats on the stern and the armament in the gunner's shelter was a Lewis gun, but a variety of Brens and other light weapons were also carried. Additional support craft variants included the LCA (OC), which was fitted to clear foreshore obstructions. Neither the LCA (FT) fitted with a flamethrower, nor the LCA (CDL) appears to have been used in action. The latter
4650-426: The corresponding boxes. In addition, each craft carried a pair of small hand-projector-type rockets, which could be easily carried ashore and fired small 100 ft ropes. These could carry to full extension provided the line was dry and used in moderate weather conditions. Each craft also carried tubular-steel extension ladders made up of light, four-foot sections suitable for quick assembly. These modified craft had
4743-408: The coxswain needed to get the LCA away to prevent colliding with the towering side of the LSI as it rose and fell with the swells. Commonly, the LCAs of a flotilla would form line-ahead behind a motor launch or Motor Torpedo Boat (MTB) that would guide them to their designated beach (it was not normal for LCAs to circle the landing ship as was USN and US Coast Guard practice). As the LCA approached
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#17327726047084836-459: The craft had been built in the model shed in Portsmouth dockyard. Fully equipped troops had practiced embarking and disembarking from it, and the design was altered to meet the practical difficulties discovered. The craft to be put into service was to be built of Birmabright , an aluminium alloy. A meeting with the DNC was convened to discuss the results. The Fleming craft had few friends in
4929-537: The craft was doing trials on the Clyde. The craft behaved admirably, though it tended to bury its nose in the sea at full throttle. Noise from the two 120 hp Chrysler engines was excessive, being amplified by the metal hull. Also, there remained the difficulty of applying armour plate to the hull. The sides were not flat, but rounded – a complicated shape for which to roll an armoured skin. The Birmabright alloy used also presented chemical and physical obstacles for
5022-649: The deck line. In September, 8 more were ordered. Ford V8 marine conversions by Thornycroft powered the early groups of LCAs, these water-cooled petrol engines developing 65 hp each when driving the 19"x14" 2-bladed propellers through a 41:20 gear reduction . The twin propulsion units gave a speed of 10½ knots at 2,800 revolutions per minute with a load of 8,300 lb (3,800 kg) in the boat. Later craft used propellers with three blades. The Admiralty placed orders for 30 LCAs in March 1940. By this time, Thornycroft were subcontracting with South Coast yacht-builders to fill
5115-426: The decks amidships, and various other refinements dropped when mass production got into full swing. The finish and performance of these early LCAs were quite fine, which might be expected as these boats were built in established Thornycroft selected yards, but in circumstances of nightly blackouts, air raids, wartime restrictions, and shortages the LCA building programme was a remarkable achievement. About April 1941
5208-532: The earlier part of the war, but by 1944 many of the boats had been fitted with two-way radios. On the wave leader's boat the Sternsheetsman was normally employed as the Signalman but flags, Aldis lamps , and loudhailers were sometimes more reliable than 1940s radio equipment. The communications equipment of the troops being ferried could sometimes prove helpful. The LCA's crew of four ratings included
5301-448: The east shore of the Herjangsfjord. The three LCAs surviving could not be hoisted on available ships when the decision was made to evacuate. An attempt was made to tow them home behind trawlers, but the sea became too rough and the LCAs had to be cut adrift and sunk. More than a dozen LCAs were used in evacuating the BEF from Dunkirk ( Operation Dynamo ). Eight LCAs were sent to Dunkirk on
5394-419: The engine compartment, and a Coxswain who sat in the armoured steering shelter forward on the starboard side. Though in control of the rudders, the coxswain did not have direct control of the engines and gave instructions to the stoker through voicepipe and telegraph . The craft relayed signals and orders to the other two craft in the group by signal flags in the earlier part of the war, but by 1944 many of
5487-405: The firms were unable to tender, the third, Messrs Thornycroft , had a proposal on the drawing board in forty-eight hours and ISTDC and the DNC agreed that construction of a prototype should be paid for. The craft might be constructed for experimental purposes on the understanding that the DNC held no responsibility. J. S. White of Cowes built a prototype to the Fleming design. Eight weeks later
5580-408: The force it placed on the craft when fired required strengthening of the well floor. This was the same Hedgehog used in anti-submarine warfare with the addition of impact fuse extensions in the projectile nose to detonate the warheads above ground - it fired 24 bombs arranged in four rows of six, each bomb containing about 30 lb (14 kg) of explosive. When fired successfully the bomb pattern
5673-519: The hull, ramp, and power plant of the LCA remained the same throughout the war. Early on the coxswain's position was moved from aft to forward on the starboard side. Other particulars could vary greatly; some LCAs having Direction finding antenna loops, others Danforth anchors on vertical racks forward. The hatch layout on the stern deck varied, as did the placement and type of mooring bits , chocks, cleats, fairleads , and fuel caps. Photographic evidence shows all these variations and also differences in
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#17327726047085766-466: The inter-war period, however, a combination of recent experience and economic stringency contributed to the delay in producing a modern infantry assault landing craft. The costly failure of the Gallipoli campaign during World War I coupled with the emerging potential of airpower satisfied many in naval and military circles that the age of amphibious operations had come to a close. Still, throughout
5859-585: The manpower shortage in ending the war in Germany. In Royal Indian Navy (RIN) service, crewing LCAs followed somewhat similar lines. By mid-1941 members of the RIN Reserve and RIN Volunteer Reserve were being trained to operate LCA. In 1942, the RIN began receiving four battalions of Indian army troops to provide crews for landing craft. Seven hundred soldiers of the 9/ 1st Punjab Regiment volunteered for such
5952-790: The most recent common ancestor of two populations that came to be separated by a species barrier Longitudinal (or lateral) chromatic aberration , a form of colour distortion in optical microscopes Life cycle assessment (or life cycle analysis), a technique to assess environmental impacts of products Medicine [ edit ] Leber's congenital amaurosis , a recessive genetic condition that causes blindness Left coronary artery Leukocyte common antigen Places [ edit ] La Crescenta, California (Amtrak station code) Larnaca International Airport , Cyprus (IATA airport code) Little Caesars Arena , sports arena in Detroit London City Airport ,
6045-403: The placement of the lifelines that were looped along either hullside for men in the water. The Admiralty ordered 18 LCAs from Messrs. Thornycroft in April 1939. These early boats weighed more than 9 tons and had flush-decked hulls, an armoured bulkhead forward that wrapped around the steering compartment on the starboard side. The steering compartment's armour plates stood about two feet proud of
6138-571: The ports of Stamsund , Hennmgsvaer , Svolvaer , and Brettesnes . The six LCAs and 2 LCM(1)s of the newly converted Landing Ship Infantry HMS Queen Emma carried men of 4 Commando , as well as Royal Engineer demolition experts and a contingent of men from the Royal Norwegian Navy in a raid on the Lofoten Islands . HMS Princess Beatrix , also new and with a similar flotilla of landing craft, landed No. 3 Commando. The two LSIs, in company with five destroyers, entered
6231-630: The procurement of any equipment. The Munich Agreement of 1938 delayed the inevitable war between Britain and Germany. Munich also led to many changes in Imperial General Staff policies, among which was the acceptance of a proposal in November from the Inter-Service Training and Development Centre (ISTDC) at Fort Cumberland for amphibious assault procedures and for a new type of landing craft . Up to this time
6324-405: The protection of the troop well's armoured decks, the centre section crouched on the low seating bench down the middle. Despite the wires holding the craft to a fender, the LCA rolled with the motion of the ship. The coxswain would then call, 'Boat manned,' to the telephone operator at the loading station, who, in turn, reported to the 'LC' Control Room. The coxswain would then warn the troops to mind
6417-405: The pulleys at the ends of falls fore and aft, which could wave freely about when the craft had been set in the water. The task of hooking on and casting off from the ship required skill and seamanship from the coxswain, bowman, and sternsheetsman. The snatch blocks used were heavy steel and difficult to handle. The bowman and sternsheetsman stood by his respective block, as the craft was lowered into
6510-520: The rest of 13e DBLE and its supporting elements. Maund was most pleased with the efficiency with which the Legionnaires disembarked from the LCA. The small flotilla of LCAs, MLCs, and an LCM (Mk. I) had added greatly to the Allies' tactical latitude. No LCAs were lost to enemy action during these operations in Norway. One craft was lost, sometime before 27 May, being burned out by accident while lying up on
6603-403: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title LCA . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=LCA&oldid=1239071668 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
6696-411: The side to brace the passengers. Surprise was complete and there was little resistance. Though the LCA crews had been told to expect "gently shelving beach", the quay at the landing was quite high, and local civilians had gathered to tie up the landing craft and assist the troops in climbing the quay. All targets selected were located and destroyed. The troops were embarked by 13:00 and within half an hour
6789-456: The soldiers and crews were well trained. Immediately behind the bulkhead were the steering shelter on the starboard, and the Lewis gun shelter on the port. The steering shelter was fitted with a telegraph and voice pipe for communication with the stoker, a featherspray control lever, and a fold-up seat. The shelter was protected on all four sides by non-magnetic bulletproof plate surmounted by
6882-506: The stern. The LCA propulsion system was designed to be quiet. At low speeds the engines could not be heard at 25 yards. The LCA handled well enough in moderate seas when waves were 3 to 5 ft (0.91 to 1.52 m) but could make no speed against rough weather, demonstrated in the number of LCA-hulled support craft that foundered in 6 ft (1.8 m) waves while on tow to Normandy (specifically LCA(HR)). The power-plant, while quiet, has been criticized for being underpowered. Nevertheless,
6975-486: The successful German intervention, LCAs were involved in the evacuation of Greece , where in hastily organized operations some 50,000 troops were embarked from ports including Porto Rafti , Argos , and Kalamata . Leaving Certificate Applied The Leaving Certificate Applied ( Irish : Ardteistiméireacht Fheidhmeach ) is a self-contained two-year programme of the Irish Department of Education . It
7068-428: The top deck. The well was divided from the bow by a bulkhead fitted with two vertically hinged doors. This pair of forward-opening armour-plate doors led to the ramp, which was lowered and raised by a simple arrangement of pulleys and wire. Two rollers on the leading outboard edge providing some freedom of movement for the ramp when it was grounded. Over this ramp troops could come ashore in two to three minutes, or less if
7161-924: The various landing craft types in 1944. Of these, the Royal Canadian Navy provided 60 officers and 300 ratings, on the condition that they be formed into specifically Canadian companies. In July 1943 Royal Marines from the Mobile Naval Bases Defence Organization and other shore units were drafted into the pool to crew the expanding numbers of landing craft being gathered in England for the Normandy invasion . By 1944, 500 Royal Marine officers and 12,500 Marines had become landing craft crew. By 1945, personnel priorities had changed once more. Marines of landing craft flotillas were formed into two infantry brigades to address
7254-587: The war in the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, and the Indian Ocean, the LCA was the most likely sea assault transport of British Commandos , United States Army Rangers , and other special forces . For centuries the Royal Navy had been landing soldiers on hostile shores, prominent examples being Quebec 1759, Peking 1900, during the Dardanelles campaign 1915-16 and the Zeebrugge Raid 1918. During
7347-474: The war it was manufactured throughout the United Kingdom in places as various as small boatyards and furniture manufacturers. Typically constructed of hardwood planking and selectively clad with armour plate, this shallow-draft, barge -like boat with a crew of four could ferry an infantry platoon of 31 and five additional specialist troops, to shore at 7 knots (13 km/h). Men generally entered
7440-422: The water. At a time when there was sufficient slack in the falls both had to cast off at the same instant, and the blocks had to be released while there was slack in the falls. If the boat was not freed at both ends at once the rise and fall of the sea could cause the boat to tip, swamp, and perhaps capsize with loss of life. Casting-off was done in all sorts of sea conditions, and the sea might be rising and falling
7533-461: Was a 100-yard circle about 250 yards forward. The bombs would clear paths through mines and wire on the beach. Using this principle of 'counter-mining' - the explosions from mortar rounds setting off the mines both above and below the water's edge, proved very successful. They were used at Salerno and Normandy. Later in the war, the US built a similar craft the "Woofus" based on the LCM. One experiment
7626-406: Was a conversion by the parent firm of Thornycroft to carry an armoured searchlight ( Canal Defence Light ) originally developed for use in tanks and intended to blind the enemy or create 'Artificial Moonlight' in a night attack. Though plans exist of a prototype conversion it is not clear whether it was ever completed. There was an LCA (Bakery) variant to provide fresh bread. With few exceptions,
7719-518: Was a larger raid at Vågsøy Island. This raid involved men from Nos. 2, 3, 4 and 6 Commandos, a Royal Navy flotilla, and limited air support. The raid caused significant damage to factories, warehouses, and the German garrison, and sank eight ships. After this the Germans increased the garrison in Norway by an extra 30,000 troops, upgraded coastal and inland defences, and sent a number of capital ships to
7812-408: Was changed to consist of a Headquarters and six troops. Each troop would comprise three officers and 62 other ranks; this number was set so each troop would fit into two LCA. In March, LCAs carried the first British Commando raid of the war, directed at Norway. Operation Claymore was conducted by men of No. 3 and No. 4 Commandos. The landing force were to destroy the fish oil producing facilities in
7905-399: Was employed by the 79th Armoured Division (called "Congers"), using Universal Carriers . The nitroglycerin supply for the unit using them accidentally ignited - causing great damage and loss of life. While not, perhaps, a variant, a field modification was developed by US Rangers with assistance from LCA crews and Commandos, for the famous Pointe du Hoc assault of 6 June 1944. Each of
7998-526: Was first introduced in 1995 as an alternative or variant of the established Leaving Certificate programme. According to the Department of Education, the programme is "intended to meet the needs of those pupils who either choose not to opt for other Leaving Certificate Programmes". The programme is aimed at young people who have completed the Junior Certificate and students who have taken
8091-571: Was governed by the expediency of the moment; nevertheless, by mid-war permanent crews and larger formation plans could be kept. In Royal Navy service LCAs were normally crewed by hostilities-only ratings, personnel of the Royal Naval Patrol Service , and officers and ratings of the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve (RNVR). Approximately 43,500 hostilities-only and 5,500 RNVR officers and ratings crewed
8184-399: Was in the early hours of the new day the midnight sun illuminated the battle. Once ashore, the 13e DBLE's companies deployed and moved to seize the high ground to the north and south of the town. This debut of the new LCA was seen, from a distance, by Admiral L. E. H. Maund , who had done much work in its development: We could see the dark forms, like so many ants, after their five hours in
8277-434: Was mounting a "flying hose" on an LCA as a mine-clearing line charge device for clearing mines and obstacles on beaches. The LCA was fitted with a coil of hose, attached to a rocket. The rocket would carry the hose onto the beach, the crew would pump nitroglycerine into the hose, and then attach an explosive charge to the near end and throw it overboard. Fortunately, this system was never used operationally. The same concept
8370-401: Was required. The Board of Trade was therefore approached and asked to suggest a maritime architect. Mr. Fleming of Liverpool was proposed who soon came down to Fort Cumberland and the design of the first LCA began. Following many visits with new drawings and proposals, a plan was ready by November 1938. Approval was sought from the DNC to build a prototype Fleming LCA. A wooden mock-up of
8463-523: Was the Scripps conversion of the Ford V8. Official trial results for craft built in 1940–1 with this engine show a consistent performance with an unladen speed of 11 knots (20 km/h) at 2,800 revolutions. June saw 64 more LCA orders, and then between late September and March 1941 another 104. These early craft did not yet have the later standard portside armoured Lewis gun position, but nevertheless, had framed canvas hold covers, scaling ladders mounted on
8556-423: Was treated with steam to make it pliable and then shaped using a keel block and wedges. Twenty-four mahogany transverse frame pieces were joined to the keel providing the overall structure. The craft had a hull built of double-diagonal mahogany planking. The sides were plated with "10lb. D I HT" armour, a heat treated steel based on D1 steel, in this case Hadfield 's Resista ¼". Steps were taken to ensure that
8649-466: Was used thereafter to conform with the joint US-UK nomenclature system. The LCA design's sturdy hull, load capacity, low silhouette, shallow draft, little bow wave, and silenced engines were all assets that benefited the occupants. The extent of its light armour, proof against rifle bullets and shell splinters with similar ballistic power recommended the LCA. Also, soldiers were able to sit, unlike other landing craft which required them to stand. Throughout
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