Pic from Saipan: What is this?

Modeling Subjects Armor
1

Hi, folks![:)]

Here’s another picture I took while vacationing in Saipan a couple of weeks ago.

Any ideas what this might be the remains of? An LVT, perhaps? Some kind of landing craft? There seems to be two straight-six (or eight) engines, and some other unidentifiable apparatus behind it. Not readily apparent in the picture is the remnants of a hull underneath, but there’s really not enough left to tell what it is.
Here’s the pic:

This picture was taken on Managaha Island, a beautiful little uninhabited island a mile or two off the coast of Saipan. This island was heavily fortified with some very large guns (pix coming soon) to protect Saipan from the allied fleet.

So, if anyone has any ideas what this might be, let’s hear 'em!

2

What kind of length are we talking about? I’m thinking maybe an LCVP. But that depends on the length.

3

Hard to say, Tim. 25, 30 feet, maybe? Not much left to judge the original length. I thought it was a little short for an LCVP, but there’s no telling how much of the original vehicle is there.

4

That would be about right, Brian. Unless someone else has a better idea. I’d say it’s an LCVP. They weren’t all that big, Being the smallest of all Landing Craft.

5

Sounds good to me, Tim.
Is that dual engine arrangement consistent with an LCVP? Can’t say as I know much about 'em.
I was guessing it was an LVT based on the fact that there are tons and tons of LVT trax all over the place. Doesn’t mean they belong to that set of remains, though.
Anybody else?

6

If memory serves the LCVP did have a dual diesel arrangement. I tried looking them up online but I guess the Navy doesn’t use them anymore. No suprise there. They were getting real old 20 years ago when I was serving on “Gators”.

7

The info I found showed the LCVP having single 225 hp Gray Diesels or 250 hp Hall Scott gas engines. Not twins (not to say that my info is conclusive just what I found) But the upright structures are whats fooling me. The picture below shows those upright posts (or what looks like them) and I thought maybe they would be side supports or frames for the ramp but the engine is to the back and the ramp to the front, not consistent with this photo.

Now some LVT’s had two engines towards the ramp end towards the rear and were to the starboard and port side of the craft. But the tracks would have been high up and may have still been there unless this thing was blown at the deck line. Which it may have been or the sides, tracks and wheels were removed at some point. The LVT3 had 2 Cadillac V-8 water-cooled 220 hp gasoline engines.

So maybe this is what this is. Without anymore info its just guessing. Hope this helps Brian.

Mike

8

Wow Mike! Thanks for the fine research.
Unfortunately that pic is all the info I have. The folks that work on the island had no idea what it was, other than it’s from WWII.

Very hard to tell what it is from the picture I took. Definitely two engines, and definitely not Vs, as far as I can see. Straight 6s or 8s, from the looks of it.

Again, thanks for the research!

9

Is it possible that its a Japanese piece of equipment?

Mike

10

Although the folks there thought it was American, it’s entirely possible that it’s Japanese.

11

You guys are better at that than I am… my first guess was the Japanese submarine from Gilligan’s Island… hmm.

Cheers!

Ron.

12

Ya never know! Could very well be!

I wonder if there is any kind of “war relic spotter’s guide to Saipan” guidebook out there…it’s a shame it’s not more fully documented.

13

J-Hulk, it’s probably not an LVT since the particular model that was twin-engined evidently wasn’t in use there.
Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940-1945
LVT – Landing Vehicle, Tracked
LVT(A) – Landing Vehicle, Tracked (Armored)
LVT: Landing Vehicle, Tracked
Landing Vehicle, Tracked (Armored)
LVT(1) LVT(2) LVT(3) LVT(4) LVT(A)1 LVT(A)2 LVT(A)4
Displacement: 16,900 lbs 25,200 lbs 28,000 lbs 23,350 lbs 25,200 lbs 27,600 lbs 38,000 lbs
Length: 21’6" 26’1" 24’1" 26’1" 26’1" 261" 26’1"
Beam: 9’10" 10’8" 10’10" 10’8" 10’8" 10’8" 10’8"
Speed: 4 knots (water)
15 mph (land) 5.4 knots (water)
25 mph (land) 5.2 knots (water>
25 mph (land) 5.4 knots (water)
25 mph (land) 5.4 knots (water
25 mph (land) 5.4 knots (water)
25 mph (land) 5.2 knots (water)
25 mph (land)
Armament: 1 .50-cal mg, 1 .30-cal. mg. 1 .50-cal mg, 1 .30-cal. mg. 1 .50-cal mg, 1 .30-cal. mg. 1 .50-cal mg, 1 .30-cal. mg. 1 37mm., 3 .30-cal. mg. 1 .50-cal mg, 1 .30-cal. mg. 1 75mm. howitzer, 1 .50-cal. mg.
Complement: 3 3 3 3 6 6 5
Capacity: 4,500 lbs cargo or
20 equipped troops 6,500 lbs cargo or
24 equipped troops 8,000 lbs cargo or
24 equipped troops 6,500 lbs cargo max. 1,000 lbs cargo 6,500 lbs cargo 2,000 lbs ammunition and gear
Propulsion: Hercules WXLC 3 6-cylinder, 146 hp. @ 2,40 rpm gasoline engine Continental radial air-cooled 7-cylinder 200 hp. @ 1,800 rpm gasoline engine 2 Cadillac V-8 water-cooled 220 hp @ 3,400 rpm gasoline engines Continental radial air-cooled 7-cylinder 200 hp. @ 1,800 rpm gasoline engine Continental radial air-cooled 7-cylinder 200 hp. @ 1,800 rpm gasoline engine Continental radial air-cooled 7-cylinder 200 hp. @ 1,800 rpm gasoline engine Continental radial air-cooled 7-cylinder 200 hp. @ 1,800 rpm gasoline engine

Built 1,225 2,963 2,962 8,348 509 450 1,890

Manufacturer: Food Machinery Corp. Food Machinery Corp. Borg-Warner Food Machinery Corp. Food Machinery Corp. New Britain Food Machinery Corp.
1st Combat: Guadalcanal Tarawa Okinawa Saipan Kwajalein New Britain Saipan

Sorry, the table that this material was orignally placed in got scrambled in the translation. The LVT-4 and the LVT(A)4 were both at Saipan, and they were both equipped with a single air-cooled radial aircraft engine.

14

Wow! Thanks for all that info!
Yeah, I thought I recalled that LVT’s had radials in them, but something else told me they may have had twin sixes or eights as well.