Looking for landing craft

**hardlec** · #1 10-03-2010, 06:16 AM

I am looking for a downloadable model of a Higgins boat, one I can scale or one that is 1:100 scale, to make a Flames-of-War D-Day game. Well, we may do the African Landings and Italian landings as well...

**Tapcho** · #2 10-03-2010, 06:28 AM

This is not free, but not expensive either. Scale is 1/72.

**Zakopious** · #3 10-03-2010, 06:48 AM

Oliver Bizer has a free LCM at Beepworld.

photos: Fotoalbum

download: LCM

Not sure of the scale.
It may be 1/72 because it fits on two sheets of card-stock.

Olli also designed an LCI which may be available on Zealot.

I cannot confirm this because Zealot will not let me sign in at this time.

**Don Boose** · #4 10-03-2010, 11:16 AM

Depends on what kind of Higgins Boat you are looking for. Zakopious pointed the way to one version of the LCM (Landing Craft, Mechanized, AKA tank lighter or Mike Boat). GPM also offers a large-scale version.

If you are looking for the LCVP (the most widely used and produced Higgins Boat, aka Pappa Boat or P-Boat), Paper Tiger Armaments offers a good one in 1/7nd. Go to Home and click on "Watercraft." Also available via Chris Gutzmer's superb ECardmodel site: ECardmodels.com Shop - We specialize in digital paper model downloads. - Downloadable models and, and specifically: Post-Dreadnought - ECardmodels.com Shop - Downloadable models and crafts for builders of all styles

The term "Higgins Boat" was originally applied to the first of the breed, the LCPL [Landing Craft, Personnel, Large] LCPL - Landing Craft, Personnel, Large I do not know of any paper models of this craft, but would love to hear about any. This was the one used at Guadalcanal, along with LCMs and a few of the next version, the LCPR (Landing Craft, Personnel, Ramped), which had a small bow ramp. Landing Craft, Personnel (Ramp) (LCP(R))

While the LCVP was the most versatile of the lot, because the wider ramp allowed the carriage and landing over the beach of small vehicles, the LCPL remained in service as a utility boat due to its great seakeeping qualities and the LCPR continued to be carried aboard a lot of fast amphibious transports (APDs) because it was faster and more nimble than the LCVP and was suitable for special operations. It was the preferred vessel for Underwater Demolition Teams. Again, I know of no paper model of the LCPR, but would love to see (and build) one.

Don Boose
Author of Over the Beach: U.S. Army Amphibious Operations in the Korean War, Fort Leavenworth, KS: Combat Studies Institute Press, 2008.