View source for LCM-8

{{Short description|United States Navy landing craft}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2024}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = [[File:Lcm-8 1972.jpg|300px|LCM-8 in March 1972]]
| Ship caption = LCM-8 in March 1972
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
| Name = LCM-8
| In service range = 1959 to present
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Ship class = 
| Ship type = [[Mechanized landing craft]]
| Ship displacement = *57.8 long tons (58.7 t) light
*111.4 long tons (113.2 t) loaded
| Ship length = {{convert|73|ft|7/12|in|m|abbr=on}}
| Ship beam = {{convert|21|ft|0|in|m|1|abbr=on}}
| Ship draft = *{{convert|4|ft|7/12|in|m|abbr=on}} light
*{{convert|5|ft|3|in|m|abbr=on}} loaded
| Ship propulsion = (original) 4, 2-twin-pak GMC 6-71 or Gray Marine 6-71 diesel paired to 2 hydrostatic transmissions [[Detroit Diesel|Detroit]] 12V-71 diesel engines, twin screws
| Ship speed = *{{convert|12|kn|km/h}} light
*{{convert|9|kn|km/h}} loaded
| Ship range = 
| Ship endurance = 
| Ship test depth = 
| Ship boats = 
| Ship capacity = [[M48 Patton]], [[M60 tank]] or 200 troops
| Ship troops = 
| Ship complement = 4–6
| Ship crew = 
| Ship time to activate = 
| Ship sensors = 
| Ship EW = 
| Ship armament = 2 × [[M2 Browning machine gun|.50 caliber M2 Browning machine guns]]
| Ship armour = 
| Ship armor = 
| Ship aircraft = 
| Ship aircraft facilities = 
| Ship notes = 
}}
|}
The '''LCM-8''' ("'''Mike Boat'''") is a [[river boat]] and [[Landing Craft Mechanized|mechanized landing craft]] used by the [[United States Navy]] and [[United States Army|Army]] during the [[Vietnam War]] and subsequent operations. They are currently used by governments and private organizations throughout the world.   The acronym stands for "Landing Craft Mechanized, Mark 8". (The "Mike Boat" term refers to the military phonetic alphabet, LCM being "Lima Charlie Mike".)

The vessel weighs 135,000&nbsp;pounds (61,200&nbsp;kg) and has a crew of four: a [[Boatswain's Mate (US Navy)|Boatswain's Mate]] petty officer, an [[Engineman]] petty officer, a non-rated fireman, and a seaman. US Army specifications call for a crew of six during 24-hour operations: two [[coxswain]]s, two seamen and two enginemen. The LCM-8s are constructed from welded steel and powered by four 6-71 or two 12V71 [[diesel engine]]s, twin propellers, and rudders. The ship can carry 60 [[short ton]]s of cargo.  It was designed by [[Fincantieri_Marinette_Marine|Marinette Marine Corp]].  It has a range of 190 miles at 9 knots with a full load.

== Modifications==
A modified version, the '''[[Zippo]] boat''', carries [[flamethrower]]s.<ref>{{cite web|title=Tango - Zippo Conversion |website=Warboats.org |url=http://www.warboats.org/zippo.htm |quote=The first Zippo boats were ATCs carrying an M132A1 flame-throwing armored personnel carrier |access-date=26 August 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150410024352/http://www.warboats.org/zippo.htm |archivedate=10 April 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|journal=Smithsonian Magazine |date=February 1999 |url=http://www.smithsonianmagazine.com/issues/1999/february/letters_feb99.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061129010823/http://www.smithsonianmagazine.com/issues/1999/february/letters_feb99.php |url-status=dead |archive-date=2006-11-29 |title=Letters |quote=Another type of boat carried a flamethrower that could shoot a stream of burning liquid several hundred yards. These boats&nbsp;... were called "Zippo" boats }}</ref> Another modified version, the '''LCM-8 Mod 2''', was used to fulfill command, personnel, salvage, and firefighting functions. There is also another version with an aluminum hull. This version was carried aboard all of the [[Charleston-class amphibious cargo ship|Charleston class LKA]] ships, as the steel version was too heavy to be lifted by the ship's 40 ton fore and aft booms, preventing more than two from being lowered (via the two 70 ton fore and aft cargo booms) at one time. They are now mostly carried by [[pre-positioned ships]].{{Clarify|date=February 2009}}

A third modification was as a transport for PBRs ([[Patrol Boat, River|patrol boat, river]]) from repair stations at [[Da Nang]] (YR-71) and [[Bắc Giang|Tan My]] (PBR Mobile Base 1) to outlying points at [[Cửa Việt Base|Cua Viet]], and the Cua Dai rivers. PBR main propulsion jet pumps were easily damaged by ocean [[Seawater|salt water]] which necessitated the boats being carried by another craft to their duty stations. These transport LCMs were classed as mini-docks and each had a boat ramp in the well deck. The voids (built-in float chambers under the well deck) would be systematically flooded, allowing the front end of the craft to sink, so a PBR could be floated in or out of the well deck. The pumping mechanism would then be reversed to clear the water out of the voids, restoring the craft to the normal floating position.

A fourth modification was the Army Version for Vietnam Rivers Logistic with a liveaboard cabin and crewed by six men consisting of Coxswain, Assist. Coxswain, Engineer and assistant and two deckhands. All crew could handle the two [[M2 Browning|M2 Browning .50 caliber machine gun]] turrets and other small arms and were frequently engaged by the Vietcong on the rivers and canals of the Mekong Delta. One unit, an Army Reserve Unit out of St. Petersburg, Florida, was called to active duty in 1968-69 received a Unit Commendation of merit for delivering record tonnage in their 12-month tour.<ref>http://combatvets.com/231st 182 Men came back alive.</ref>

== U.S. usage ==
They were used by the [[United States Navy]] and [[United States Army|Army]] during the [[Vietnam War]]. During the Vietnam War, there were two new aluminum LCM-8s on Johnston Island, which carried trucks and cargo between islands, and one being used as a rescue boat. They had the newer fluid shift transmissions, and 2-671's paired up to two props.

In I Corps (the northernmost military district in Vietnam) boats based at Da Nang, Tan My and [[Cửa Việt Base|Cửa Việt]] had three man crews of various rates and ranks. On U.S. Navy boats, the senior rate was usually a third-class petty officer or above, and the two crewmen could be E-2, E-3 or E-4 ranks (i.e. seaman apprentice, seaman, or petty officer third class). One of the two crewmen was almost always an Engineman and could be an ENFA, ENFN, or an EN3 in rank. The LCM-8s there all had two sets of the twin 6-71 Detroits paired up to a hydro transmission. Two [[air compressor]]s, port and starboard of the engine sets, provided air pressure to operate the air cylinders that raised and lowered the bow ramp. The air cylinders were below deck in the eighth void from the bow and stretched cables attached to the ramp to raise it. Lowering the ramp was accomplished by releasing the air and allowing gravity to bring the ramp down.

They also saw use during [[Operation Just Cause]] in [[Panama]] as well as [[Gulf War#Operation Desert Shield|Operation Desert Shield]] and [[Operation Desert Storm]]. Three Army LCM-8s served in the 1992–1993 US mission to [[Somalia]] (fictionalized in [[Christian Bauman]]'s 2002 novel ''The Ice Beneath You'', which is set in part on a US Army LCM-8 near Kismaayo, Somalia), and a platoon of LCM-8s from the 1098th Trans Co. deployed to Port-au-Prince for the [[Operation Uphold Democracy|Haitian invasion (1994)]]. The [[United States Army Reserve]]'s 464th Transportation Company assisted the [[United States Coast Guard]] in patrolling the [[Potomac River]] after the terrorist attacks on [[September 11 attacks|September 11, 2001]].

Some are currently deployed aboard [[Maritime Prepositioning ships]] to facilitate their mission of being able to unload all their cargo while still offshore with no outside assistance.

===Replacement===
{{Main article|Maneuver Support Vessel (Light)}}

The U.S. Army plans to replace the LCM-8 with the Maneuver Support Vessel (Light) (MSV(L)).  Two dozen boats are planned that will be larger and faster, with a longer range and twice the capacity over Mike Boats.  The MSV(L) will be roughly {{convert|100|ft|m}} long, with a draft of less than four feet, a speed of 18 knots and the capacity to carry either an [[M1 Abrams]] tank, two [[Stryker]]s with add-on armor, or four [[Joint Light Tactical Vehicle]]s.  It also may be used in defended waters, being fitted with a subsurface surveillance device, protection from small arms fire, two [[Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station]]s, and mitigated detection through reduction of thermal and [[acoustic signature]].  Testing of the new vessel is to take place until 2019.<ref>[http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/2015/08/26/us-army-choose-new-landing-craft-next-year/32424371/ US Army To Choose New Landing Craft Next Year] - Defensenews.com, 27 August 2015</ref> In September 2017, [[Vigor Industrial]] was awarded a nearly $1 billion contract for the MSV(L), which is planned for completion in 2027.<ref>[https://www.defensenews.com/breaking-news/2017/09/28/army-awards-billion-dollar-contract-for-small-transportation-boats/ Army awards billion-dollar contract for 100-foot landing ships] - Defensenews.com, 29 September 2017</ref>

==Australian service==
[[File:2 RAR soldiers practice a beah landing during Talisman Sabre 2019.jpg|thumb|An Australian Army LCM-8 showing the extended wheelhouse of the Australian vessels]]

The LCM-8 was constructed in [[Australia]] for the [[Australian Army]] from 1965 to 1967 and again in 1972 using a heavily modified design, crewed (four) and administered by the [[Royal Australian Corps of Transport]] and one engineer from the [[Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers]] (RAEME). The modification of the vessels included an extended enclosed wheelhouse with full [[Galley (kitchen)|galley]] facilities, chart table and storage space to aid in extended operations beyond the original design parameters. A [[water purification]] system allows the vessels to be somewhat independent for longer periods of time. A fully functioning toilet (head) and shower are also installed as part of the [[Bridge (ship)|wheelhouse]] extensions; external provision for bedding is also included for the full crew complement.

The extension of the wheelhouse increased rigidity of the craft leading to excessive vibration and [[cavitation]] with the original three-blade propeller. Further development included a more balanced and expensive five-blade propeller, negating the vibration and cavitation of the original. The prop change found a few negative effects in the beaching performance of the vessel but over time tactics have been changed to suit the new system.

The vessels are also installed with a full suite of electronics allowing the craft to navigate in all weather, day or night in military operations anywhere in the world with little to no special training requirements for an indefinite period.

During the mid-1990s, the Army LCM-8 received a life of type extension with a re-engine program. The original [[Series 71|twin-pac 6-71]] two-stroke [[Detroit Diesel]] engines and [[Allison Transmission|Allison]] mechanical transmissions were replaced with [[Series 92|8v-92 Silver Series]] Detroit Diesel engines and Allison Hydraulic Transmissions thus extending the life of the craft for another 20 years.

Two craft were utilized during the [[Australian contribution to the 2003 invasion of Iraq|invasion of Iraq]] in 2003, patrolling the shallow waters of the [[Khawr Abd Allah]] estuary using {{HMAS|Kanimbla|L 51|6}} as their base of operations. They were extensively used in [[East Timor]] for logistic operations in direct support of multinational peace keepers. Other deployments include [[peacekeeping]] and peace monitoring operations in [[Bougainville Province|Bougainville]] and the [[Solomon Islands]].

The LCM-8 fleet of fifteen was to be replaced by six Australian designed type [[LCM2000]] [[Pump-jet|waterjet]] propelled craft, however these craft were scrapped, after not meeting the required in-service specifications and being deemed not fit for use for the intended [[Kanimbla-class landing platform amphibious|''Kanimbla''-class]].<ref>{{cite journal |last=Williams |first=Adam |date=March 2006 |title=Design and Construction of the Army Watercraft |journal=Navy Engineering Bulletin |publisher=Royal Australian Navy |issue=10 |pages=56–58 |url=https://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Navy_Engineering_Bulletin_March_2006.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160224201636/https://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Navy_Engineering_Bulletin_March_2006.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2016-02-24 |accessdate=26 August 2015 }}</ref><ref name="Million dollar craft">{{cite news|last1=Toune |first1=Rachel |title=Million dollar craft lay idle |url=http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2010/07/29/158461_defence.html |work=Townsville Bulletin |date=29 July 2010 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20121230202346/http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2010/07/29/158461_defence.html |archivedate=30 December 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="RACT Journal">{{cite journal|last1=Cole|first1=Captain G.S.|title=Will JP2048 provide Army with an amphibious capability for independent coastal and riverine operations?|journal=Australian Army Transport Journal|date=2014|issue=46|pages=83–87|url=http://www.ract.org.au/sites/default/files/RACT%20Journal%20Issue%2046%202014.pdf|accessdate=26 November 2016}}</ref> The Army will now continue to operate the LCM-8 until 2027.<ref name="Watercraft">{{cite news|last1=Morley|first1=Sgt Dave|title=Specialists rest easy|url=http://www.defence.gov.au/Publications/NewsPapers/Army/editions/1344/1344.pdf|work=Army: The Soldiers' Newspaper|edition=1344|date=12 February 2015|publisher=Department of Defence |location=Canberra, Australia|issn=0729-5685|accessdate=26 November 2016}}</ref><ref name="RACT Journal" /> A new project which aims to replace the Army's LCM-8 landing craft was initiated in early 2021.<ref>{{cite news |title=Defence announces amphibious fleet acquisition plan |url=https://www.australiandefence.com.au/news/defence-announces-amphibious-fleet-acquisition-plan |access-date=4 February 2021 |work=Australian Defence Magazine |date=4 February 2021}}</ref>

==Operators==
* {{Flag|Australia}} &ndash; [[Australian Army]]
* {{Flag|Cambodia}} &ndash; [[Khmer National Navy]]
* {{Flag|France}} &ndash; [[French Navy]] (as the ''[[Chaland de transport de matériel]]'')
* {{Flag|Honduras}} &ndash; [[Honduran Navy]]
* {{Flag|India}} &ndash; Indian Navy
* {{Flagicon|Laos|1952}} [[Kingdom of Laos]] &ndash; [[Royal Lao Navy]]
* {{Flag|Spain}} &ndash; [[Spanish Marine Corps]]
* {{Flag|Vietnam}} &ndash; [[Vietnam Navy]]
* {{Flag|Thailand}} &ndash; [[Royal Thai Navy]]
* {{Flag|Tonga}} &ndash; [[Tongan Maritime Force]]
* {{Flag|Turkey}} &ndash; [[Turkish Naval Forces]]
* {{Flag|United States}} &ndash; U.S. Navy; U.S. Army;<ref name="watercraft" >{{cite report |last=Maurer |first=Diana |date=16 October 2024 |title=Army Watercraft: Actions Needed to Optimize Small but Critical Fleet |url=https://files.gao.gov/reports/GAO-25-106387/index.html |work=Government Accountability Association |access-date=16 September 2025}}</ref> National Park Service ([[Channel Islands National Park]], [[Isle Royale National Park]])

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|LCM-8}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060927172544/http://wrc.navair-rdte.navy.mil/warfighter_enc/SHIPS/shiptype/lcms.htm US Navy]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051013072040/http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/factfile/ships/ship-lcu.html US Navy]
* [https://www.logsa.army.mil/etms/data/A/013725.pdf US Army LCM-8 specification]{{dead link|date=April 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090523092844/http://www.transchool.eustis.army.mil/museum/Panama.htm LCMs in Panama]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081229192058/http://www.transchool.eustis.army.mil/Museum/DESERTSHIELD.htm LCMs in Desert Shield/Desert Storm]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050428200518/http://atiam.train.army.mil/soldierPortal/atia/adlsc/view/public/4837-1/fm/55-50/toc.htm US Army Watercraft Operations Field Manual]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070625022223/http://www.belvoir.army.mil/news.asp?id=deploy 464th TC Deployment]
* [http://combatvets.net/231st Army Reserves 231st Med Boat Unit Vietnam 1968-69] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150512082208/http://www.combatvets.net/231ST/ |date=12 May 2015 }}

[[Category:Landing craft]]
[[Category:Landing craft of the United States Navy]]