The model
| Merk: | Revell |
| Titel: | U.S. Navy Landing Ship Medium (early) |
| Nummer: | 05123 (Ook vermeld als 80-5123) |
| Schaal: | 1:144 |
| Type: | Volledig model |
| Uitgegeven: | 2014 | Eerste uitgave |
The real craft
Landing ships of the LSM-class (Landing Ship Medium) were used from the middle of 1944 by the US Navy in the fight against Japan in the Pacific. Totalling more then 550 ships they were the main component of the amphibious forces for landing troopsand vehicles on enemy beaches. The landing capacity of a LSM roughly correspondended to a mechanized platoon. The steel hull had nine watertight bulkheads. With an anchor located at the stern, the ships could withdraw from the beach without any assistance. Armour plating protected the superstructures against small arms fire. The early LSM were mostly equipped with six 20-mm Oerlikon guns for self defense. The open-top cargo area encompassed almost the entire length of the ship and was at maximum 7.9m (26 ft) wide. By the end of the war, nine ships were lost mainly due to kamikaze attacks. After the end of the war 2 ships went into service with allied armed forces. In 1958 NATO partner Germany received three LSM and two LSM(R).
