Hi guys,
I built and painted the LVT.
Some background info on the LVT's:
The Landing Vehicle Tracked (LVT) is an amphibious warfare vehicle and amphibious landing craft, introduced by the United States Navy. The Marine Corps and Army used several LVT models during World War II. Originally intended solely as cargo carriers for ship to shore operations, they evolved into assault troop and fire support vehicles. The types were known as amphtrack, amtrak, amtrac etc., being portmanteaus of amphibious tractor, and alligator or gator.
The Alligator
The LVT had its origins in a civilian rescue vehicle called the Alligator. Developed by Donald Roebling in 1935, the Alligator was intended to operate in swampy areas, inaccessible to both traditional cars and boats. Two years later, Roebling built a redesigned vehicle with improved water speed. The United States Marine Corps, which had been developing amphibious warfare doctrine based on the ideas of Lt. Col Earl Hancock "Pete" Ellis and others, became interested in the machine after learning about it through an article in Life magazine and convinced Roebling to design a more seaworthy model for military use.
Both the US Navy and Roebling resisted the idea of a military design, the US Navy because it felt conventional landing craft could do the job, and Roebling because he wished his invention to be used only for peaceful purposes. Roebling was persuaded after war broke out in Europe, and completed a militarized prototype by May 1940. The Bureau of Ships requested a second prototype with a more powerful engine, and the USMC tested the design in November 1940. Impressed by the second prototype, the Bureau of Ships placed a contract for production of 100 units of a model using all-steel construction, for a more rugged and easily produced design, and the first LVT-1 was delivered in July 1941. Another 200 units were ordered even before the first production units were delivered. After more improvements to meet requirements of the Navy, made difficult by Roebling's lack of blueprints for the initial designs, the vehicle was adopted as "Landing Vehicle Tracked" or LVT.
Variants
LVT(A)-1
LVT-2 Water Buffalo with Marines bound for the beaches of Tinian Island, 1944
LVT-3
LVT-3C
The US Army used a different naming system from the Navy. Instead of using the usual Army system of Model or M-numbers, they referred to the LVTs by Mark number using Roman numerals rather than Arabic numerals. Hence the LVT-4 was the "Mark IV" (which was not the same as the "M4").[2]
LVT-1 (1941)
The first military model. Traveling at a respectable 6 knots in the water and 12 mph (19 km/h) on land, it could deliver 24 fully equipped assault troops to the beach, and supply supporting fire from two .30 cal M1919 Browning machine guns though it was only intended for delivering supplies inland until wheeled vehicles could be brought ashore. It was powered by a 146 bhp six-cylinder petrol engine, mounted in a housing in the rear cargo hold. The LVT-1 was propelled on both land and water by tracks which were fitted with Roebling patented oblique shoes that gave good grip on land as well as good drive in the water. Apart of the forward Driver's compartment the bulk of the unarmoured steel hull was given over to a 4,500 lb payload cargo hold which was divided into several watertight compartments. 1,225 LVT-1s were built between 1941 and 1943, 485 were transferred to US Army and 200 to British Army. LVT-1 had a maximum speed of 12 mph on land or 6.1 mph in water; and a range of 210 miles on land or 60 miles in water.
No armor or weapons were included in its design as its role was cargo transport from ship to shore. Many vehicles were refitted prior to the Tarawa landing to hold two .50 cal (12.7 mm) Browning heavy machine guns forward, with the .30 cal guns aft. The vehicle was not armored and its thin steel hull offered virtually no protection, although prior to Tarawa some vehicles received 9 mm of armor plating to the cab. Tracks performed well on sand, but not on tough surfaces. The rigid suspension threw tracks and roller bearings corroded in salt water.[7] Proper maintenance of the new machine was often an issue, as few Marines were trained to work on it, and early models suffered frequent breakdowns. As LVT-1 vehicles experienced many breakdowns they were gradually phased out of operational use before 1945.
LVT-2 Water Buffalo, British designation Buffalo II (1942)
This was an improved version of LVT-1. It featured a new powertrain (To save time and to simplify production it was the same as that in the M3A1 light tank) and torsilastic suspension. The aluminium track grousers were bolted on, making changes much easier since they wore out quickly on land and even more so on coral. Hard terrain performance was much better compared to the LVT-1. 2,962 units produced for US Navy, that transferred 1,507 to US Army and 100 to British Army . With a maximum speed of 20 mph on Land (or 7.5 mph on water) and an operational range of miles on land (or 50 miles on water) the LVT-2 could carry a payload of 6,950-lb. The LVT-2s participated in more campaigns that any other LVTs: Tarawa, Roi-Namur, Cape Gloucester, Northern Kwajalein, Saipan, Guam, Tinian, Peleliu, Iwo Jima, Okinawa and Europe.
LVT(A)-1 (1942)
The first infantry support LVT. With the first experience of pacific amphibious operations it was clear heavier firepower than the usual .50 cal guns was needed. Based on the LVT-2, A standing for armored, this fire support version had an armored (6 to 12 mm) hull. It was fitted with a turret nearly identical to that of the Light Tank M3, with a 37 mm Gun M6 in an M44 mount, and also carried two rear-mounted machine guns. 510 units produced. The vehicle's hull was covered in 6-12mm of armor plate, and the vehicle was powered by a 262 bhp air-cooled petrol engine. Despite the limitations imposed by the turret it could still carry a limited payload of 1,000 lbs of cargo and had a quite respectable speed of 25 mph or land and 6.5 mph in water, and an operational range of 125 miles on land or 75 miles in water.
These vehicles were intended to provide fire support to the assaulting Marines in the early stages of establishing a beachhead. It was common, however, for the LVT(A)s to commence firing whilst still in the water, which, considering the amount of naval gunfire which usually accompanied a landing, may have been a waste of ammunition.
At Roi-Namur, the 24th Marines had support of LVT(A)-1s, but they could not close up enough to effectively support the troops from the beaches. Other LVT(A)-1s supported the 22nd Marines landing at Engebi. By mid-1944 all LVT(A)-1s had been replaced by much more capable 75mm gun armed LVT(A)-4s.
LVT(A)-2 Water Buffalo (1943)
Armored version of the LVT-2 following US Army request of an armored variant of the LVT-2 cargo Amtrac. Service in the South Pacific soon indicated more protection was needed. This version had the driver's cab protected by 1.25 cm of armor plate, and the rest of the hull with 65mm armor plate. By 1944, shields were added to protect the front gunners. Surprisingly the extra weight (27,000-lb total weight compared to the 24,250-lbs weight of the unarmored LVT-2) had no impact on performance and only increased the craft drawing some 5 cm more water when afloat. Capacity 18 troops. 450 units produced.
LVT-4 Water Buffalo, British designation Buffalo IV (1943)
FMC modified an LVT-2 in August 1943 by moving the engine forward and adding a large ramp door in the rear,[8] allowing troops to exit from the rear of the vehicle. Capacity went from 16 in the LVT-2 to 30 making earlier LVTs largely obsolete. This innovation also greatly facilitated the loading and unloading of cargo. Some vehicles received armor kits. It was by far the most numerous version of the LVT, with 8,351 units delivered. US Army received 6,083 and British Army 500. Many of the British LVT versions were armed with a 20 mm Polsten cannon and 2 × .30 in (7.62 mm) Browning machine guns.
Since no major changes were made to the engine and transmission of the LVT-2 the LVT-4 was completed much quicker than the LVT-3, with the first machines going into action at Saipan in June 1944.
Sea Serpent
The Sea Serpent was designed by the 79th Armoured Division for use by the British in the Far East. Its armament was two "Wasp" flamethrowers and a machine gun. These would have been used by the "flame battery" of the 34th Amphibian Support Regiment, Royal Marines in any assault on the Japanese mainland but the war ended before they were used.[9]
LVT(A)-3
Armored version of the LVT-4, never approved for production.
LVT-3 Bushmaster (1944)
Developed by the Borg Warner Corporation as their Model B in April 1943. To allow for rear loading, the engines were moved to the sponsons and a ramp installed in the rear, and slightly wider to provide room for a Jeep to be carried in the cargo hold. Some received armor kits. First used in combat in Okinawa in April 1945. 2,964 units produced, with many remaining in US service until 1955 when they were finally superseded by the LVTP-5. Powered by the same twin 148 bhp Cadillac V-8 petrol engines and transmission of the M5 light tank, it could carry a payload of 9,000 lbs or 30 fully armed soldiers. It performed with efficiency and greater reliability, as more maintenance time was generally available than during the hectic days of the major World War II. The LVT(3)C remained standard with the Marine Corps until the introduction of the first major post—war design, the LVT(P)5, in 1953.Overall weight of the craft was 26,600 lbs, and the maximum speed was 17 mph on land (or 6 mph on water), and the operational range was 150 miles on land (or 75 miles on water).
LVT(A)-4 (1944)
The 37mm gun of the LVT(A)-1 was inadequate for fire support version so the turret of the 75 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M8 - armed with a 75 mm howitzer - was used to produce the LVT (A)-4. In some cases the 75 mm was replaced with the Canadian Ronson flamethrower. A single .50 cal machine gun was installed on the ring mount above the turret rear. In the late production vehicles the heavy machine gun was replaced with two M1919A4 .30 MGs on pintle mounts and one more in the bow mount. 1,890 units produced, and 1,307 were transferred to US Army and 50 to British Army.
The Chinese PLA captured several from Nationalist forces during the Civil War and placed them in service, eventually modifying some with the 37 mm M6 tank gun (?) in place of the 75 mm howitzer and others with the ZiS-2 57 mm anti-tank gun, complete with shield, the conversion necessitating the removal of the original mantlet as well.
LVT(A)-5 (1945) The one I'm building.
LVT(A)-4 with powered turret and a gyrostabilizer for the howitzer. Some were upgraded in the late 1940s by changing armor configuration. 269 units produced.
LVT-3C (1949)
Modified LVT-3. Armored roof was fitted and the bow was extended to improve buoyancy. Armament included .30 MG in a turret and .30 bow MG in ball mount. 1200 LVT3s were converted.
I bought this kit from Bluetank on ebay
The instruction sheet turned out to be from an completely different kit!
The sprue's and decals
Rubber tracks
So I had to build the entire kit without instructions!
The lower hull
Upper hull
Turret, gun and machine guns
Completely assembled with the help of many reference images.
Lots of flesh in the kit but otherwise no issues.
The kit came with two figures
But compared with the figures that I built for the dio, they turned out as pygmies!
Quite off scale!
Needless to say I didn't use them.
Dry fit to the dio with figures.
Painting of the LVT
First a layer of black primer
The green base color
The tracks painted dark grey
Brown pigments for the metal links
Some AK interactive rust settlements
Decals and detail painting
Mig dark wash
Oil paint rendering
Chipping with a sponge and light green color
Second layer of chipping with a dark color in the centers of the light chips
Machine guns chipped in the same way
The back deck chipped
I thought that a jetty needs a little friend. To come visit him every now and then.
So I made a little feathered friend.
A seagull.
I took the standard of a machine gun and turned them in to the feet with some tweaking and bending
The body I made from DAS clay
The beek from flattened sprue
Some sculpting on the body and put the parts together
A little paint and our feathered friend came to life!
A thumbs up for size reference
I sanded away the rope that was molded to the back of the LVT.
So I wanted to fill the void on the LVT's back side with some chain.
I took some copper chain
Painted grey
Weathering with pigments dissolved in water
And rusted up with these
And the result, a very old chain
That's it for now folks.
Next up: Water to the pond!
Like I said, carry on regardless, just loving your build 
Keep up the good work
