Wars are decided definitively through the occupation of an enemy?s territory. This is a task for military forces, which may have to be transported by sea. In extreme cases, as in the Pacific War of 1941?45, this may involve trans-oceanic passages. Thus is created the conflicting requirement for ships sufficiently large to undertake lengthy voyages, together with craft small enough to put an army and its equipment on to a beach that may be defended by a determined enemy. In the sailing navy, ships landed military contingents in special ?flatboats?, the direct descendents of which were the 1940 LCAs, carried under davits by an LSI. In these were typified the two major categories of amphibious warfare vessel: the ?ship?, travelling from shore to shore, and the ?craft?, moving from ship to shore. This authoritative book details the development of amphibious warfare and, through the use of historical examples, illustrates its great range of scale, from raiding to full-scale invasion. It highlights the many coordinated activities necessary for a successful operation, from surveying and minesweeping to fire support, fighter direction and tri-service control. An illustrated directory of landing ships covers the ocean-going vessels that transport personnel, cargo or vehicles. It includes the most important amphibious vessels of today: float-on, float-off welldeck ships that are designed to operate landing craft large enough to handle main battle tanks. The next part of the book is a directory of landing craft, the majority of which, depending upon voyage length, will have been transported aboard specialist ships. World War II saw basic ramped craft joined by tracked amphibious vehicles. The imperatives of the nuclear age have seen the introduction of helicopters and high-speed air-cushion landing craft. This instructive volume, containing 530 photographs from museums, libraries and other historical sources, provides enthusiasts with a lively and engaging guide to this fascinating subject.
