Amphtrack, amtrak, amptrack, or alligator is a nickname for the amphibious tractor, a type of tracked amphibious armored personnel carrier, first seen in World War II. An amphibian or amphibious vehicle, is a vehicle that, like an amphibian, can move on land as well as on water. ... East German BRDMs on parade during celebrations of the 40th anniversary of East Germany in 1989 Armoured personnel carriers (APCs) are light armoured fighting vehicles for the transport of infantry. ...

Origins

The amphtrack had its origins in a civilian hurricane rescue vehicle called the Alligator invented by Donald Roebling in 1937. The United States Marine Corps, which had been developing amphibious warfare doctrines based on the ideas of Lt. Col. Earl Hancock "Pete" Ellis and others, soon became interested in the machine after learning about it via Life magazine. This article is about weather phenomena. ... United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the United States armed forces. ... Landing ship Rapière Amphibious warfare is the assault of an objective located on land by a force attacking from ships. ... In the U.S. Army, Air Force and Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a commissioned officer superior to a major and inferior to a colonel. ... A cover of Life Magazine from 1911 Life has been the name of two notable magazines published in the United States. ...

LVT 1

The first military model was called the LVT 1, short for "Landing Vehicle, Tracked" and was introduced in 1941. Steaming at a respectable six knots in the water and travelling twelve mph on land, it could deliver 24 fully-equipped assault troops to the beach, covered by two .30 cal. machine guns. It was not armored, but its steel walls offered some protection from shrapnel and small-arms fire. Troops exited from rear doors on dry land, instead of using a forward ramp at the water's edge as on other landing craft of the era. There were some problems when the tracks encountered especially tough surfaces like coral, although they performed well on sand. Proper maintenance of the new-fangled machine was often an issue, as few Marines were trained to work on it, and early models suffered frequent breakdowns. 1941 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... A knot is a non SI unit of speed equal to one nautical mile per hour. ... Miles per hour is a unit of speed, expressing the number of international miles covered per hour. ... The Browning M1919 is a light infantry unit machine gun manufactured by the Browning Arms Company. ... Shrapnel, in the strict sense, is shot deliberately included in a landmine or shell intended to be scattered by the explosion. ... Orders see Anthozoa zsnobordinkid505@aol. ... Patterns in the sand Sand is an example of a class of materials called granular matter. ...

The LVT 1 first saw action at Guadalcanal and was last used in the assault on Tarawa. Japanese artillery disabled half of the tractors by the end of the day. Still, the amphtracks proved their worth by successfully ferrying men across the coral reef and through the shallows to the beach. Marines who arrived in LCVP Higgins boats, on the other hand, could not cross the reef and had to wade through chest-deep or higher water while being raked by Japanese machine guns; casualties were horrific and many who did make it to the beach alive had lost their rifles and other essential gear. The "alligator" was clearly a good idea that worked, but improvements such as added armor were needed to make it more effective. Battle of Guadalcanal Conflict World War II, Pacific War Date August 7, 1942 - February 9, 1943 Place Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands Result Allied victory The Battle of Guadalcanal was one of the most important battles of World War II. The assault on the Japanese-occupied island of Guadalcanal by... Battle of Tarawa Conflict World War II, Pacific War Date November 20 – November 23, 1943 Place Tarawa Result American victory The Battle of Tarawa was a battle in the Pacific Theatre of World War II. It was the second time the United States was on the offensive (the Battle of... Historically, artillery refers to any engine used for the discharge of projectiles during war. ... The Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel (LCVP) or Higgins boat was a landing craft used extensively in World War II. The craft was designed by Andrew Higgins of Louisiana, based on boats made for operating in swamps and marshes. ... A rifle is any long gun which has a rifled barrel. ...

Later Versions

Improvement and experimentation continued throughout the war, especially in the areas of suspension (vehicle) and power plant. Later models included turreted tank-like vehicles with a light cannon or flamethrower, and a special cargo model with a loading ramp. These models included: The front suspension components of a Ford Model T. Suspension is the term given to the system of shock absorbers and linkages which connect a vehicle to its wheels. ... German troops use a flamethrower on the Eastern Front during the Second World War A flamethrower is a mechanical device designed to throw flames or, more correctly, project an ignited stream of liquid. ...

• LVT A1
• LVT 2
• LVT A2 "Water Buffalo"
• LVT 3 "Bushmaster" (also used in Vietnam)
• LVT 4
• LVT A4
• LVT A5
• LVT "Buffalo" (British version of LVT 4)

Modern Descendents

Many of the world's militaries employ more modern versions of the amphtrack. One of the latest is the United States Marine Corps AAAV, slated to replace the AAV in 2008. (Incidentally, the AAV is manufactured by United Defense, formerly FMC—Food Manufacturing Corporation. Originally a cannery, the company was pressed into service to build the first order of 200 LVT1's, and eventually became a defense contractor). United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the United States armed forces. ... USMC Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicle. ... USMC AAV The AAV (Amphibious Assault Vehicle) is the USMCs current amphibious troop transport. ... Canning is a method of preserving food by first heating it to a temperature that destroys contaminating micro-organisms, and then sealing it in air-tight jars or cans. ... A defense contractor (sometimes called a military contractor) is a business organization or individual that provides products or services to a defense department of a government. ...

External Links

• Origins of the Amphtrack (http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/report/1987/RRW.htm)
• Good site with info about LVT; has a few inaccuracies (cites Donald's great-grandfather as the inventor) (http://www.wwiivehicles.com/html/usa/lvt.html)