Daihatsu-class landing craft

Class overview
Name: Daihatsu class
Operators: Imperial Japanese Army
In service: 1937–1945
Planned: 3,229
General characteristics (Daihatsu-class landing craft)
Type: Landing craft
Tonnage: 21 tons
Length: 47 ft (14.33 m)o/a
Beam: 10 ft (3.05 m)
Draught: 2.6 ft (0.79 m)
Installed power: 60 hp (45 kW)
Propulsion: Diesel engine
Speed: 8 knots (14.8 km/h)
Range:
Capacity: 1 Type 95 7.4 ton tank or 70 men or 10 tons cargo
Complement: 12
Armament: 2 light machine guns or 2-3 25mm/60 AA guns

The Daihatsu-class or 14 m landing craft (大発, abbreviation of 大型発動機艇 which means "large motorized boat") was a type of landing craft used by the Imperial Japanese Army from 1937 to 1945, in the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II. It had a bow ramp that was lowered to disembark cargo upon riding up onto a beach. After reviewing photos of a Daihatsu landing craft, this was adopted by American landing craft designer Andrew Higgins in developing the Landing Craft, Personnel (Large) (LCP(L)) into the Landing Craft, Personnel (Ramped) (LCP(R)) and later the Landing Craft, Vehicle and Personnel (LCVP). However, the Daihatsu landing craft was more seaworthy than an LCVP due to its hull design. It was constructed of a metal hull and powered by a diesel engine.

The landing craft could be modified to carry weapons of up to 37 mm (1.46 inch) caliber as armament and could be uparmoured against 40 mm fire.

Four shirtless men in a large barge moored at a river bank. The barge has a ramp at the front of a catamaran hull.
An example captured at the Battle of Milne Bay

References

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