LVT-4 Water Buffalo
(BBX26)
includes two LVT-4 Water Buffalo with passengers & .30 cal, .50 cal or 20mm Polsten MG options.
The Landing Vehicle Tracked or LVT was a amphibious landing craft that first saw service during World War Two with the several different branches of the United States military. The LVT begun life as a transport vehicle originally intended to bring supplies ashore, however, its potential as an amphibious assault vehicle were quickly realised.
The LVT first saw action as an assault in the Pacific during the landings on Tarawa where they were able to ferry troops ashore despite the coral reef and shallows the LCVP were not able to negotiate. However, a large portion of the vehicles involved in the action were lost and it was concluded that the LVT was too lightly armoured therefore armour kit were soon issued to vehicles that would participate in any form of opposed landings.
Although strongly associated with the fighting in the Pacific, the LVT also served the Allied armies during the campaign in Europe. Taking part in the fighting the clear the Scheldt estuary in the later stages of 1944 and numerous other river crossing operations up until the end of the conflict in Europe.
The LVT-4 was by far the abundant version of the vehicle product, with 8351 vehicle delivered by the end of the war. Most were destined for service with US forces but several hundred were shipped to the United Kingdom as part of the Lend-Lease agreement. Many of the British versions of the LVT-4 were armed with a Polsten 20mm anti-aircraft gun and two .30 cal Browning machine-guns. The LVT-4 featured a large ramp door at the rear of the vehicle, this greatly improve the ability to offload cargo whether it be men or supplies vital to the Allied war machine.
Capable of travelling at six knots in the water and twelve miles per hour on land, a pair of Water Buffalos could move an entire platoon. During the Battle of the Scheldt they were invaluable, allowing Canadian infantry to conduct amphibious assaults and eventually reopen the port of Antwerp.
The LVT-4 Water Buffalo in Flames of War
LVT-4 Water Buffalo
Mobility: Slow tank
Armour Front: 1
Armour Side: 0
Armour Top: 0
.50 cal. AA MG, Hull MG, Two side-mounted MG, Amphibious, Carries 5 Passengers
With 20mm Polsten MG
Range: 16”/40cm
Rate of Fire: 3
Anti-tank: 5
Firepower: 5+
Amphibious
Amphibious vehicles are designed to swim, carrying their passengers across rivers or lakes.
Amphibious vehicles treat all Impassable water terrain as Difficult Going instead of Impassable. If Passengers are forced to Dismount for any reason while in Impassable water, they drown and count as Destroyed.
15mm, resin/metal
Battlefront Miniatures
