LVT (A)1 Alligator

LVT (A)1 Alligator
U.S. ARMY and US MARINES - WW2
1/35 scale

plastic modelkit
ref: Italeri 6384

LVT(A)-1 was designed to provide fire support to the carrier amtracs on beach landings. The open compartment of the base vehicle was roofed over and the vehicle armed with a small turret mounting a 37mm gun plus two machine guns in open mountings. First used in February 1944, they were not that common as only 500 were built but these served in the Pacific island-hopping campaign with Army and US Marine units for the rest of the war, often alongside the later and more common LVT(A)-4 series which mounted a 75mm gun with its better firepower. Note that far more (A)-1 and (A)-4 went to the Army than to the Marines.