AC350134 AMTRAC LVT-2 X 5

The LVT-2 Water Buffalo was an American amphibious vehicle from the Second World War. The vehicle was powered by an engine Continental W-690-9A with 250 HP. The armament of this amphibious vehicle consisted of four machine guns: two 12.7 mm M2HB and two 7.62 mm M1919A4. About 2,950 vehicles of this type were built in the course of serial production. The LVT-2 Water Buffalo was a specially developed amphibious vehicle designed to support and support amphibious operations. It was created as a successor to the LVT-1 car. Compared to its predecessor, it was characterized by significantly improved seaworthiness and better off-road ability - after reaching the shore. It was able to transport 24 landing troops with all their equipment. The disadvantages of the vehicle included the completely exposed landing compartment, which exposed the soldiers to fire, as well as the lack of a landing ramp at the front of the vehicle. In 1943, the modernized version (LVT-2 (A) Buffalo II) entered production, with armor up to 10 mm thick. This resulted in an increase in weight and reduced the capacity to carry people - from 24 to 18 soldiers. The LVT-2 vehicles were used on a large scale during the fighting in the Pacific, including in Tarawa in 1943, Saipan one year later, or during the bloody fights on Iwo-Jima and Okinawa in 1945. Some of these vehicles were also used to cross the Rhine by the Allied forces in 1945.