Hey, has anyone heard of a ship that has treads that are used i the water like a paddleboat, but can use them to climb onto land? Like a LST that lets itself attack the beaches. Perhaps there was an experimental boat intended for D-day. If you find or know of something, Let me know please, because that would be awesome.
baser impulses? jeez, I was just wondering. I like the weird experimental stuff. By the way, what club are you in?
Ben, you may be thinking of an LVT - a tracked vehicle used in a variety of amphibious roles in WWII. The treads served double-duty: paddle-wheel-like propulsion on water, and tracked performance on land: http://olive-drab.com/idphoto/id_photos_lvt_alligator.php Rob
The closest thing to it was an LST. An LST could come in at high tide on a flat beach, anchor, and then sit high and dry until the next high tide. But it was only able to do this because it had a flat bottom, and only needed 3' of water in order to float. It also had ballast tanks that could be flooded or pumped dry, as needed. Here's a great shot of LST 325, sitting on the beach in Normandy, a few days after D-Day. By the way, this LST is now a working museum in Evansville, Indiana: Rob
This photo inspired me to build a working model. Something about a ship deliberately running itself aground, then pulling itself off into deep water, appeals to the crazy side of my brain!
Of course, they were hated by many of their crews, as the shallow draft and high sides left them vulnerable to any wind, and they were very uncomfortable ships, pitching and rolling with no real rythm. On the plus side, they were almost invulnerable to non-magnetic torpedoes. Torps usually ran straight under them.
