Osprey New Vanguard 30 : Amtracs US Amphibious Assault Vehicles

Few military operations are as difficult and risky as an amphibious landing against a contested beachhead. In the 1920s and 1930s, US Marine planners contemplated new solutions to this age-old tactical problem - and the idea of the Amtrac was born. From J. Walter Christie's 1920s prototype through to Roeblings' Alligator, the form and functionality of the amphibious landing vehicle steadily evolved, until the outbreak of World War 2 injected more cash and urgency into the project and FMC's LVT entered mass production. Amtracs first saw action in August 1942 at Guadalcanal, and later took part in the landings on Tarawa, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. They also played key roles in the Western theatre, and later served in Korea, Vietnam, the Falklands and Grenada. Steven Zaloga's study of this specialised assault vehicle tracks the Amtrac's career from early prototypes to modern models, focusing on operational developments, the tactics governing deployment and use, and the numerous variants have continued to demonstrate its military usefulness and relevance over the years since it first saw action. Text by Steven J Zaloga with illustrations by Mike Badrocke.

Contents

• Amphibian Vehicles
• Tarawa - New Tactics
• Amtanks and Fire Support
• Battles for the Marianas
• Late War Landings
• Amtracs in Europe
• Post-War LVT Development