Query: Aussie Landing Craft

[el cid again]

I have found Australia built a whole series of landing craft - ignoring joint US/UK standards.

Were these ever found on land units - not just put on ships? If so - what units - what craft - when?


I am able to get rid of 80% of Allied landing craft slots - but INCREASE the number represented by almost 11 fold!
This because we are using formations of 50 LCM and 60 LCVP.

The gain for PT boats will be 67% of slots and for minor patrol craft 50% (because they come in 3s and 2s).

[CobraAus]

from what I have found so far they were built by Ford Australia in Geelong and a couple of other plants in Aus and your not going to believe this the first depot I started at as a linesman in 1964 was the old plant where they were built
they were classed as ALC
In 1942 there were three models of Australian Landing Craft (ALCs). The suffix after the ALC denoted their load capacity. So an ALC40 was a 40 ton capacity Landing Craft. Two extra models were introduced in 1944.

Prior to December 1942, the smaller ALC's (32' x 38' x 44') were manufactured at the Ford Factory at Eagle Farm in Brisbane. The two smaller ALC's (ALC5 and ALC20) were built in four sections. The steel hull and the side plates were dipped in sulphuric acid and then washed in phosphoric acid before being coated with zinc chromate.

The ALCs were then assembled at Boggy Creek near Pinkenba on the northern side of the Brisbane River not far from the mouth of the river.

It did not take long to realise that the ALC5 and ALC20 were not suitable for the task ahead. They lacked any adequate sea going capability, had only a range of about 70 to 10 miles, had no accommodation facilities and offered little protection in the event of a surface vessel attack.

The ALC40 was devised in 1943 by cutting the ends off two ALC20's and welding them together. They were manufactured at both the Pinkenba (Brisbane) and Corio Bay (Geelong) factories of the Ford Motor Company.

The 43rd Landing Craft Company used ALC5, ALC15, ALC20, and ALC40 Australian Landing Craft (ALCs). The 43rd also had several launches which were used as fast supply boats and command vessels. A typical launch was 38 foot long, powered by a 6 cylinder 255 horsepower Gray Marine diesel engine with a cruising speed 14 knots and a top speed of 22 knots. It had a Vickers Machine gun and the two crew members each had a .303 " rifle.

class ALC3 ALC5 ALC15 ALC20 ALC40 ALC120


Cobra

[el cid again]

My official manual Allied Landing Craft lists six models - so eventually another must have been added. But indeed they were classified as ALC - and the writers missed that the numbers = capacity!

If there were units, we will add these fine (fast) craft - faster even than IJA air boats (which made 19 knots).

How many in a company?

Were there any other companies?

[CobraAus]

the 42nd company

the numbers 3 to 120 = tons capacity
and I think there were 8 to each company - will have to check

more info as well my Father in Law used to make them in Geelong

cobra aus

[el cid again]

Talk about personal connections to the data!

So why are they not in WITP - or at least CHS - already?

[Reg]

I must confess I didn't have any knowledge of these craft but the AWM Collection came up trumps on a search on 'ALC'.

Picture below from trip from Cairns to New Britain in those small boats. Gotta take your hats off to 'em.

Picture Caption:

ID Number: 018158
Maker: Edwards, Reg J
Physical description: Black & white
Summary: At Sea. 27 May 1945. As the barges emerge from the Coral Sea into calmer waters they make good progress on their journey to Jacquinot Bay on the southern coast of New Britain. Nineteen ALC 40's and one ALC 120 of 41st Landing Craft Company, Royal Australian Engineers crossed the Coral Sea during the epic voyage from Cairns, Qld.
Copyright: clear
Related conflict: Second World War, 1939-1945

[Reg]

Washing day on an ALC40??

Picture Caption:

ID Number: 018167
Maker: Edwards, Reg J
Physical description: Black & white
Summary: At Sea. 27 May 1945. As the barges set off from Milne Bay, Papua, on the last stage of the voyage to Jacquinot Bay members of the crew hang out their washing to dry. Nineteen ALC 40's and one ALC 120 of 41st Landing Craft Company, Royal Australian Engineers crossed the Coral Sea during the epic voyage from Cairns, Qld, to Jacquinot Bay on the southern coast of New Britain.
Copyright: clear

Related conflict: Second World War, 1939-1945

[Reg]

ALC-5

Picture Caption:

ID Number: 076607
Physical description: Black & white
Summary: PORT MORESBY, PAPUA. 1944-10-21.ALC (AUSTRALIAN LANDING CRAFT) 5-AB 1004 OF THE 55TH PORT CRAFT COMPANY, SHOWING LOCAL MODIFICATIONS TO THE VESSEL, INCLUDING CANOPIES FORE AND AFT, NAVIGATION SIGNAL LIGHTS AND A BONDWOOD DINGHY.
Copyright: clear
Related subject: Dinghies
Related unit: Army vessels, AB series; 55 Port Craft Company
Related place: Port Moresby
Related conflict: Second World War, 1939-1945

[el cid again]

Looks like there were at least 41, 42 and 43 Landing Craft companies - and 55th Port Craft Company -
the former of 20 craft each (vice 8) - making them somewhat more comparable to US or IJA companies

[Reg]

Your question regarding Landing Craft Companies jogged a (last remaining) memory cell and I came up with this quote from Dust, Sand and Jungle - A history of Australian Armour 1927-1948 by Paul Handel, 2003.

2/8th Australian Armoured Regiment

.... The regiment remained in New Guinea until February 1944, when it was returned to Australia and disbanded, the personnel of the squadrons forming the nucleus of 41, 42 and 43 Landing Craft Companies. These units served in the South West Pacific for the rest of the War in support of Australian forces.

There were numerous Armoured units disbanded from around Oct'43 as the threat of invasion passed and other unit histories in the book show drafts of men being transferred to water transport units which were gaining importance as the focus of the war shifted to amphibious operations to the north of Australia.

Not much but it might give you some pointers as to where to start looking.

P.S. try this link for organisation of the 3rd Water Transport Group. This site also suggests the 42 LCC had up to 50 craft!!

[Reg]

The AWM Photo Collection is quite amazing once you start digging around. Do a search on the following topics and see what turns up. (and this is only what I found).

"42 Landing Craft Company", "Army vessels, AB series" and "1 Water Transport Group".

42 Landing Craft Company seem to have been on active operations the longest and photos include an amazing array of craft, ALCs of all sizes, tugs, LCMs, motor launches and four ex Royal Marines Landing Craft - Assault!!. Basically if it floated and wasn't painted grey, they operated it. Their TOE doesn't appear to too rigid either though you can't really tell from a collection of photographs.

1 Water transport group seems to be more of a support organisation though they also seem to have done some supply ops in the forward areas. Amazingly they appear to have BUILT new boats from scratch in their New Guinea maintenance yards. Talk about a 'can do' attitude!!

Just beware of contemporary photo captions. HMAS Canberra is described in several AWM captions as a 6 inch cruiser. Mistake or deliberate mis-information?

[el cid again]

ORIGINAL: Reg

Your question regarding Landing Craft Companies jogged a (last remaining) memory cell and I came up with this quote from Dust, Sand and Jungle - A history of Australian Armour 1927-1948 by Paul Handel, 2003.

2/8th Australian Armoured Regiment

.... The regiment remained in New Guinea until February 1944, when it was returned to Australia and disbanded, the personnel of the squadrons forming the nucleus of 41, 42 and 43 Landing Craft Companies. These units served in the South West Pacific for the rest of the War in support of Australian forces.

There were numerous Armoured units disbanded from around Oct'43 as the threat of invasion passed and other unit histories in the book show drafts of men being transferred to water transport units which were gaining importance as the focus of the war shifted to amphibious operations to the north of Australia.

Not much but it might give you some pointers as to where to start looking.

P.S. try this link for organisation of the 3rd Water Transport Group. This site also suggests the 42 LCC had up to 50 craft!!

US companies had 50 or 60 craft - and IJA 40 to 50 - so that seems quite similar.

[el cid again]

I thought the PLAN had invented seagoing landing craft with accomodations for the crew. Now I see they either copied the concept or they reinvented it. [A new type of PLAN landing craft can stay at sea for 10 days - and has a chartroom among other things!]

I am having big time problems with speed and ranges - I have an official Allied publication - but cannot reconcile it with a trip to New Britain from Cairns. I suspect they carried fuel as cargo - and refueled at sea!

With the exception of the ALC-120 - for which no data is given - none of these vessels makes more than 10 knots nor 100 nautical miles - if you believe the Allied book on landing craft. The ALC-120 carried 2000 gallons of fuel - so it probably had a great deal more range.

The craft of interest is the ALC-40. It carried only 240 gallons of fuel = less than one ton (294 gallons = 1 ton).
That is about half the capacity of an LCM-6. I am going to guess 120 nautical miles (for one thing - we need a multiple of 60 - and that seems closer than either 60 or 180).

Ah - this helps: at 6.25 knots a US LCM-3 could go 850 nautical miles - but at 11 knots it only could go 150 nautical miles. These craft are very inefficient at full speed - talk about shoe boxes! So - we need to use range at game speeds - got it.

[Iron Duke]

Hi
Found this info

ALC 120
capacity - open water = 120 tons
armament = one 40 mm , two 20mm
fuel = 2000 gals

ALC 40
capacity - open water = 40 tons , inshore 53tons
endurance = 100 miles @ 8 kts (loaded)
speed = 10 kts (max loaded) , 8kts (cruising loaded)
fuel = 240 gals
armament = one 20mm

ALC 20
capacity - open water = 20 tons , inshore 27 tons
endurance = 100 miles @ 8 kts (light) , 93 miles @ 7.6 kts (20 ton load)
speed = 7 kts (max loaded) , 6 kts (cruising loaded)
armament = one 20 mm

ACL 15
capacity - open water = 15 tons , inshore 20 tons
endurance = 105 miles @8.8 kts (15 ton load) , 120 miles @ 8 kts
speed = 8.4 kts (max load) , 8 kts (cruising loaded)
fuel = 120 gals
armament = one 20mm

ALC 5
capacity - open water = 5 tons , inshore 7 tons
endurance = 137miles @ 10.5 kts (light) , 129 miles @9.4 kts (5 ton load)
speed = 9.4 kts (max loaded) , 7.5 kts (cruising loaded)
fuel = 120 gals
armament = one .303 vickers twin

From The Official USN Reference Manual prepared by the Division of Naval Intelligence 1 sept 1945

[el cid again]

This is all pretty good data. However - now that I am onto the principle - I am rating all landing craft for 5, 6 or 7 knot ranges (depending on type) - and that increases the range at very low speeds. Their shape makes them very inefficient at even medium speeds - but almost anything is efficient at 5 knots.

[kell png]

Hi every one.
As a newby here I'm not sure I am in the right place.
I took a lot of B&W Pictures in Fairfax Harbour in 1967-8.
I am wondering if anyone can positively ID any of these Crafts ?
I will put up one Picture at a time.
Cheers kell

OK how do I add a Picture.