Landing Craft are boats and seagoing vessels, used to convey a landing force (infantry or vehicles) from sea to the shore, during amphibious assaults. The USS Joseph T. Dickman had on board 36 Landing Craft. Thirty One were designated LCVP ,along with four LCM’s. and one that was converted for use as a Captains Gig. She was the largest Amphibious Assault Ship in the fleet. designated APA13.

Landing Craft  had evolved over the years. The first were boats that were rowed ashore. These rowing boats were sufficient but inefficient. During WWI, mobilization of troops with rapid firing weapons made such boats obsolete. Many designs of motorized craft were introduced.The British built and used powered lighters as early as 1926 . Were they were used to land men and horses in the Gallipoli Campaign .

Andrew Higgins with a company based in New Orleans, was the main supplier of U.S. landing craft. He built boats for the private sector but when the Navy expressed an interest, he worked full time to design barges they could use. No less an authority as Supreme Allied Commander Dwight Eisenhower declared Higgens Boats to be crucial to an Allied victory. Higgens kept improving his design. It was found that the Japanese were using a shallow draft  Daihatsu class landing barge, which had features Higgins incorporated.

The Dickman barges were two types, LCVP and LCM’s. The LCVP, to which I was assigned, was made of Plywood,  36 ft. long, with a 10 ft. beam and propelled by a Gray Marine 225 HP Diesel engine. Had a flat bottom with forward draft of 2ft. and 3 ft. aft. It’s top speed was 12 Knots ( 14 MPH ) ,designed to accommodate 36 troops. in it’s cargo well and had a steel ramp. The LCM was made of steel,  56 ft long, with a 14 ft. beam and powered by twin 225 HP Gray Marine Diesel engines. Could accommodate a 25 ton Army Tank in it’s cargo well.

My main assignment, as a member of the Dickman crew, was to see that my barge was ready to go in a minutes notice. I became  proficient with a paint brush and very good with a wash bucket. Also assigned to each barge was a Motor Mac. Ed Lynch of Youngstown, Ohio. was with me for all landings and he did an outstanding job. Aboard ship were a group of Carpenters and Mechanics that were ready to replace a stern section or an entire engine in a barge and did just that, on several occasions. While under weigh, the boat crews had to also stand watches, I could be found standing watch at  No 1 40 MM anti-aircraft gun  or as a lookout, from the ends of the bridge.

While in port, each ship had to send ashore Petty Officers for Shore Patrol duty,  to help  those permanently assigned that duty in a Liberty Town. . Being s Boatswains Mate I got that duty many times, it wasn’t one of my favorite assignments. While the ship was in Norfolk I got my first Shore Patrol assignment. I had to report to the Shore Patrol Station located on Granby St. which was Wall to Wall saloons, a favorite hang out for many servicemen. The Officer in Charge told me to sit and wait, I would be given something to do in a bit. In a few minute the phone rang and the caller said there were some sailors fighting,  inside one of the saloons. The O C called one of his Permanent SP’s and introduced me. He was a huge fellow, in civilian life a Chicago policeman. We got in the Paddy Wagon and he drove to the saloon , he knew each one by name. As we entered, there were six sailors going at it but when they saw us all but one left and went outside. The one that stayed became belligerent , using some foul language and threatening us. My partner and I tried to calm him with no success. Finally my partner grabbed the sailor, spun him around and held his arm up his back. He handed the sailor over to me and then unlocked the Paddy Wagon’s rear door. My pardner then grabbed the sailor and threw him into the wagon. When the guy turned to get out, he hit his head on the door window and cracked the glass. On our way to the station our passenger continued ranting. We arrived at the station and placed him in a cell . My pardner then took down a clip board and wrote down the charges. There were many listed and each charge had a number. Number 1, using profanity, 2 resisting arrest, he went on and on, till came to number 10, which was destroying Government Property,  because of the cracked door glass. I often wondered how much time he spent in Portsmouth Prison.