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US Landing Vehicle, Tracked, LVT(4),

"Water Buffalo"

Picture 1:
The LVT(4) was a natural continuation of the unique US Amtrac series of vehicles that were initially
developed down in the Okeechobee marsh area of Florida back in the 1930s by a gentleman by the
name of Donald Roebling. Originally built from light-weight aluminum, Mr. Roebling's Alligator/
Crocodile tracked vehicles could travel equally well on land and water, and therefore caught the
attention of the US Navy/Marine Corps as a potential rescue vehicle for downed pilots. After the start
of WWII, a contract was awarded to Roebling to build 200 of his vehicles, but this time they were
made from steel instead of aluminum. Originally designed to carry cargo, the Army vehicles
gradually evolved into an armored fighting vehicle with some of the various types covered over and
fitted with gun turrets. Generally called "Amtrac" (armored tractor)- or on occasion "Water Buffalo"-
the LVT series of vehicles became very important assault and transport carriers during the island
hopping campaigns of the Pacific theater in WWII, and to a lesser extent in Europe.

Identifying the vehicles in the LVT series is sometimes difficult, as there were a couple of
manufacturers and models of each type. It was the LVT(4) that was the first of the series to have an
open cargo bay and a rear ramp for loading/unloading. We will be spending most of our time in the
LVT(4) in these pages although some attention will be paid to other types. This is a TM image from
the LVT(4) manual.

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Picture 2:
Like most of the other early Amtracs, LVT(4) vehicles left their assembly plants unarmored, and they
were armed with four .30cal Browning machine guns. In this configuration the LVT(4) was used as a
transport for ferrying supplies from ship to shore. But for combat use, an additional 3,000lbs of armor
plate (1/2in in front and 1/4in on the sides and rear) was bolted on to provide protection for the
occupants. In addition, the front two .30cal Browning machine guns were exchanged for .50cal
Brownings. Most of our attention in this page will be directed toward the armored version of the LVT
(4) like the one in this US Army photograph.

The crew consisted of three men, a driver and assistant driver/radio operator located up front in a
semi-enclosed cab, and a commander or load officer responsible for the cargo behind. A Continental
radial engine was located just behind the drivers in its own compartment and access to the driver's cab
was via their over-head hatches or a short hall from the cargo bay on the left side of the engine. The
451 cubic foot cargo compartment occupied the remainder of the vehicle behind the cab, opening at
the rear via the ramp. By the time the LVT(4) was in series production, its manufacture had been
handed over to larger machine companies and the Ordnance Division of the Food Machinery
Corporation (FMC) was responsible for the production of the LVT(4) from 1943 to 1945. Over 8,000
vehicles were produced before the end of the war with around 6,000 going to the Army, 1,500 to the
Navy/Marines, and the remainder to Lend Lease programs (mostly to British forces).

This is a US Army over-head photo of an early armored LVT(4), shown fully armed and with the
driver's front hatch closed. These early armored vehicles had periscopes in both the driver's and
assistant driver's overhead hatches and an armored flap cover in front of the driver's seat, which could
be closed to protect his glass windshield when in battle. This particular vehicle is one of the very
early versions with no bow MG in front of the assistant driver; later armored vehicles provided a ball
mounted .30cal MG in this position. The final version of the armored LVT(4) had this MG installed

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in front of the assistant driver/radio operator and there were two forward vision flaps, both with
protectoscopes in their armored covers. The two .50cal MGs were normally pintle mounted in the
front of the cargo bay as you see here and the two .30cal MGs were mounted along the hull sides with
a number of ammo boxes lashed to the side shelves above the pontoons. The bumps on the front
armor plate in front of the drivers' front plate are protective covers for the headlights. Another cover
at the far right side of the bow is an armored cover for the antenna base. The radio was typically
mounted over on this side of the vehicle.

Picture 3:
This TM illustration shows
the view looking directly up
the lowered rear ramp into the
cargo compartment and
toward the engine cover and
driver's/assistant driver's cab
beyond. The LVT(4) was
actually just a redesigned LVT
(2), provided with an open top
and canvas cover for
protecting the cargo area
when necessary. The major
improvement of the LVT(4)
over its predecessor was the
requirement for a rear ramp
which necessitated moving
the engine from the back, as it
was in the LVT(2), to this
forward position just behind
the drivers. Moving the
engine forward also removed
the central drive shaft from
the cargo compartment and,
combined with a slight
extension of the vehicle hull,
provided a dramatic increase
in available cargo space.

Locker storage is available in both side pontoons that extend full-width inside the track runs, and
access doors to these compartments are visible on top of the pontoons and on the inside hull wall, as
you see here. A typical 9,000lb payload might consist of 30 troops, or a jeep, or crated/barreled cargo,
or an anti-tank gun/howitzer. Notice the angled water directing vanes behind the tracks and the fact
that this Amtrac is supplied with two .30cal and two .50cal machine guns on the pintle mounts,
indicating that it is probably an armored LVT(4). Notice the location of the ramp winch hand crank
on the inside surface of the left pontoon.

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Picture
4:
A
slightly
closer
look at
the
engine

bulkhead shows the passages forward on both sides of the engine compartment. The passage on the
left continues through a door into the driver's compartment while the one you see on the right only
provides access to the right side of the engine. In these passages you can just see the tops of two red
fire extinguishers (F); these are two fixed 10lb CO2 extinguishers that protected the engine. There
was another portable 15lb extinguisher that was for general use. Above the two fixed extinguishers
seen here are the pintle mounts for the two forward machine guns. The large hatch you see behind the
centrally mounted engine can be removed to provide excellent access to many of the radial engine's
components.

There are two bilge pumps in the LVT(4) that remove water that has entered the vehicle. The primary
electric motor pump is located under the sump screen (H) you see just under the engine access plate.
This bilge pump forces excess water through a pipe under the floor to the center of the bow, the pipe
then splitting to cross the bow in opposite directions and empty the discharged water to both sides. An
auxiliary hand bilge pump is also available and it is located at the radio operator's position in the bow.
It removes water through a pipe located just in front of the radio cabinet, next to the operator's seat. A
rudimentary water ballast system is also included down below the hull floor, and is controlled by the
driver. The system provides some control over weight distribution in the vehicle by the use of
induced water ballast in order to keep the vehicle upright in heavy seas. The inlet is located forward
of the driver's position and the ballast tanks are integral with the hull under the floor. A floor drain
mounted in the center of the cargo area allows water to flow down and forward to the primary bilge
pump. It is the combination of the enclosed/sealed side pontoons and the ballast tanks under the floor
that makes the LVT(4) seaworthy.

Also visible in this image are the side MG mounts (E) and the small square access hatches to the fuel
filler caps, located next to the larger locker doors. Steel plates known as" companion way" covers (A
and C) are over the passages on each side of the engine and the removable engine access hatch over
the engine is clearly seen between them. There are two boat hooks in their storage clips just forward
of these plates. Although the ramp winch hand crank has been removed, it would be inserted into the

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hole you see in the pontoon at the lower left corner of the picture, the winch drum and mechanism is
located inside the top of the pontoon on this left side.

Picture
5:
One of
the
vehicle

technical manuals provides this view of the drivers' area at the bow of the LVT(4). The access door
(D) along the side of the engine compartment is visible to the upper right and the driver's and
assistant driver/radio operator's seats are mounted on either side of the transmission (H). Notice the
seat belts on both seats and the steering levers in front of the driver's seat on our right. On the
bulkhead behind them are two can-shaped oil-bath air filters (B); the cleaned air is then piped back
into the engine behind. Below the air cleaners is a vent from the engine compartment (E) providing
some heat and air circulation to the cab, and the radio operator's radio cabinet and radio set (L) are
visible to his immediate right. The electrical junction box (K) for the radio is also labeled. The
gearshift lever is mounted on the left side of the transmission case, but curves over the case as it rises
to its handle, allowing either crewman to shift the gears. This allows the radio operator to assist with
the driving chores when things get busy in the cab. Other items of interest that can be seen in this
illustration include the large black Navy compass (F) and the electric panel to the driver's left that
houses switches for driving lights, bilge pumps, and the main fuses.

Picture 6:
The driver's seat is located on the left bow of the
LVT(4) and driving controls appear similar to land
driven armored vehicles of that time. "LVT" was the
Navy designation for the vehicle series and I am

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using that nomenclature rather than the Army's
"LVT-4" throughout our examination. Twin black
griped steering levers are located to either side of
the driver's seat and the gearshift lever is to the right
rear of the seat, at the driver's right elbow. It was not
necessary for the driver to hold the steering levers in
the same position for long periods; there were
ratchets on the floor at the base of each lever and
they could be locked in a certain position. On the
top of both steering levers is a release button that
releases the ratchet and allows the levers to move
again. The padded seat is covered with black
imitation leather and up front on the floor are pedals
for clutch on the left and accelerator on the right.

The instrument panel is a simple affair with large
speedometer and smaller engine oil temperature dial
to its left. Above these two dials are gages for
engine oil pressure, transmission oil pressure, and

ammeter. The two small, round, black handles to the right of the instrument panel includes the hand
throttle on the left, and primer pump on the right. The primary interior paint color for the front cab of
the LVT was gloss white with the floors and cargo compartment painted gray, although the cargo
compartment color seems to have varied with different service units. In US Army service the interior
of the cargo area and the exterior were probably painted olive drab green, although the cab was still
white.

Picture 7:
The assistant driver's seat was identical to the
driver's and a long handle for the auxiliary bilge
pump was located directly in front on the floor (the
pump itself was located under the floor). Off to his
right are water resistant storage lockers for radio,
batteries, intercommunication set, amplifier, and
dynamotor. Typically, a water jerry can was located
forward and to the right of these lockers near where
you see the auxiliary bilge pump discharge hose at
the lower left in the photo. A large black Navy
compass was mounted between the front seats on
top of the transmission hump, but it is not visible in
this image. I am very interested in details about this
compass and if you have something you would like
to share with us I would like to hear from you.

The first combat action for US Amtracs came with
the 1st Marine Division in August of '42 during the

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battles at Guadalcanal. These early Amtracs- mostly LVT(1)s- were used to transport supplies from
ship to shore and move troops inland, as well as provide perimeter defense for Henderson Field.
Shortly afterwards the Amtracs were used on the other side of the world in North Africa during the
Operation Torch landings. This was the beginning of the prominent role played by the Water Buffalo
during WWII and then later in Korea.

Picture 8:
Another photo of the driver's area of an
LVT(4), this time from a museum
preserved vehicle, shows a different
perspective of the driver's equipment and
controls. The connecting rods of the left
steering lever cross in front of the seat (just
out of view here) and are seen rising and
entering the left side of the controlled
differential/transmission case to our right.
The right steering lever connecting rods
pass under the transmission and connect on
the right side of the differential. The clutch
and accelerator pedals are also visible in

this image. The drive to the tracks comes directly from the transmission through the controlled
differential via drive shafts protected in large reinforced sleeves, the left one seen here. Again, this is
very similar to the design used in most US tanks (particularly the Light Tank M3/M5 series) of this
time.

The transmission was a Syncromesh type with 5 forward and 1 reverse speeds, and it was coupled to
a Continental W-670 7-cylinder, air-cooled, radial engine. The engine produced around 350hp at
2400rpm and moved the vehicle at speeds up to 20mph on land and around 5mph in water. Propulsion
and steering while in the water was also by these same track controls and the track shoes had special
"W" shaped aluminum grousers to propel the LVT through the water. Because the vehicles were often
used for landing on or through coral reefs, the grousers and track shoes were quickly worn down and
had to be replaced often. At the upper right you can once again see the two black pull knobs for the
throttle and primer pump.

Picture 9:
This is the view from the driver's seat
looking across the transmission to the
assistant driver/radio operator. If the
transmission looks familiar to you it is
because its very similar to the one used in
the US M3 Light Tank (Stuart), complete
with cooling vanes on its case and a long-
throw gearshift lever on the left rear corner

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of the unit. Across the way is the panel
door for the radio compartment; inside are
usually the dynamotor (transformer) and
amplifier on this bottom shelf. In Navy/

Marine Corps service the radio was typically the Navy's TCS and it included 6 interphone
connections located around the hull. In US Army service, the radio set was typically their SCR 508 or
528. Directly to the left rear of the driver was a large red 15lb CO2 fire extinguisher mounted in a
circular floor ring and directly left of the seat on the floor was a first aid kit. The cab was a large and
separate unit that could be unbolted and replace with another one if it was badly damaged. Because
there were a number of variations to the cab its interchangeability can lead to vehicle identification
confusion, since you might find any of a number of different cab and hull configurations by the end
of the war, especially in the Pacific where the LVTs were used most often.

Picture 10:
The Navy's TCS radio system included a number of models and improvements over the years, but this
picture provides a general view of the two main boxes in the basic setup. This is the way the radios
looked in a typical LVT(2), but they would be the same in our LVT(4) also. I believe the radios were
designed and manufactured by the Collins Radio Company, and they produced over 35,000 units
along with Stewart-Warner, King Radio, and other radio companies. This TCS system included the
Collins Model 51Q Receiver and the 50Q Transmitter which were both designed for use as portable
and mobile communications sets. The radio was particularly suitable for installations where severe
vibration was present, such as in trucks, ambulances, ships/boats, and Amtracs. The radios were
mounted in water-resistant steel boxes and usually painted with a black crinkle-type finish.

The transmitter on the right used one of four crystals or a master oscillator frequency control and had
a frequency range of 1,500kc to 12,000kc. It was a voice and CW operation unit and cranked out
around 30WPM in master oscillator mode and 20WPM maximum in crystal oscillator mode. The
microphone used was a carbon type (100ohm) and the transmitter could provide a maximum power

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output of 20watts voice and 40watts CW.

The receiver on the left used a Superheterodyne circuit and had both crystal and master oscillator
frequency control. Frequency range was 1,500kc to 12,000kc while audio power output was said to be
1.5watt maximum. The receiver was normally fitted with a 20ft whip antenna and that is what you
will find most often in photos of vehicles in WWII. A remote control unit provided a loudspeaker,
power on/off switch, emission selection (AM/CW), speaker/headphones selection switch, audio
output level to speaker/headphones, a microphone input jack, a telegraph key input jack, and a
headphone jack. The labeling of the different components is poor; starting from the left, from the top
down, the labels are Receiver, Receiver Ground Strap, Transmitter Ground Strap, and Water Tank.
The water tank you see here at the left is just a US style jerry can. On the right side of the illustration
the labels are, again from top to bottom, Loading Coil, Transmitter, Assistant Driver's
Intercommunication Set, Amplifier, Dynamotor, and Radio Junction Box.

Picture 11:
In this interior photo of the LVT
(4) the engine access panel has
been removed from the cargo side
of the engine compartment in the
same museum preserved vehicle
we saw previously. The drivers'
area is directly in front of the
engine and as we saw before
access to their two seats is via the
small passage to the left of the
engine compartment. By the way,
this engine is the same power
plant used in the M3 Stuart light
tank and this rear view shows

some of the engine details. The other side of this air-cooled engine is covered by a large black shroud
and fan (as it was on the tank also) to help blow cooling air across the seven radially mounted
cylinders that surround the central crank.

This end of the crank is seen as the centrally located lighter colored drive pulley and it is connected to
the black generator at the lower left by a drive belt. Up above the drive pulley (to either side) are the
lighter colored twin magnetos (there are two spark plugs per cylinder) and directly above them, in
line with the drive pulley, is the starter motor for the engine. Although difficult to see here, the engine
mount is the same characteristic circular mount used in tanks, and it securely mounts the engine to
both sides of the engine compartment. Like all radial engines, this one must be hand cranked when it
is cold a few revolutions before starting to reduce the possibility of vapor lock and assure an even oil
distribution in all cylinders. Otherwise, you are in danger of blowing out one of the lower cylinders
that may have partly filled with oil.

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Picture 12:
From a TM comes this picture of the Continental W-670 7-cylinder, air-cooled, radial engine. The
cooling fan and shroud are obvious on the front side of the engine pack and the rear view shows the
engine support frame that is characteristic of most of the Continental engine mounts we have seen in
AFVs. Notice that there is another support for the engine on the front end that protrudes through the
engine shroud; it is called the "Steady Bar" in the left image. Most of the identification tags can be
read from the combined pictures and you may want to compare this image with the previous
photograph to identify some of the components on the front of the engine that are visible in that
photo.

Picture 13:
There is nothing
very exciting or
different about the
design of the cargo
compartment. The
floor is relatively
smooth and the rear
ramp has a series of
ridges to improve
traction during
loading/unloading.
The ramp is lowered
via a hand-powered
winch with cables
attached to both

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sides of the ramp,
and there is a fat
rubber seal

surrounding the opening that keeps most of the water from leaking in around the secured ramp while
under way. Notice the small floor drain in the center of the floor (near the bottom of the image).
Access to the side storage lockers was from the top, as you see here, and as I mentioned earlier the
smaller hatches closer to us provides access to the filler caps for the fuel tanks located down below.
Additional maintenance access panels to these fuel tanks are located near the floor and are identified
by arrows in this picture. The swivel type MG pintle mounts for the two .30cal Brownings are visible
next to the storage shelves on both sides of the hull. And as we have seen, ammo boxes for the MGs
were usually stowed within easy reach on these shelves. The cargo space inside the LVT(4) is larger
than it appears in these pictures.

Picture 14:
A US Army photo from the National Archives illustrates one of the interesting cargo configurations
attempted on the LVT(4). The 105mm howitzer just fits inside the bay, with its trails hanging out the
back. The inside walls of the cargo bay appear to be painted the same color as the exterior, perhaps
olive drab green on this Army vehicle, but appearing much lighter in this photograph. The floor is
darker, probably a dark gray. Notice the two open over-head hatches of the drivers' area and the
periscopes mounted in them; again, this is an early manufactured cab without the forward machine
gun mount in front of the assist driver. The over-head hatches had no assist springs and were very
heavy, so a welded lever bar handle is provided to help get them open and closed, similar to the

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driver's hatches we have seen in the US M8 Armored Car. The large hatches over the storage
sponsons are also clearly seen here, as well as the MG mounts next to the side storage shelves.

This concludes our brief tour of the LVT(4). Mr. Haydn Neal, who has been a long time supporter of
AFV INTERIORS, loaned us pictures 8, 9, and 11 that he took inside a museum preserved vehicle.
Thanks again for your help Haydn.

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