landing craft

Landing crafts are small and medium seagoing watercraft, such as boats and barges, used to convey a landing force ( infintry and vehicles ) from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. The term excludes landing ships, which are larger. Production of landing craft peaked during World War II, with a significant number of different designs produced in large quantities by the United Kingdom and United States. Because of the need to run up onto a suitable beach, World War II landing craft were flat-bottomed, and many designs had a flat front, often with a lowerable ramp, rather than a normal bow. This made them difficult to control and very uncomfortable in rough seas.

As they sailed in, one landing craft was hit by 20 enemy shells.