Sayers, Ken W. U.S. Navy Amphibious Warfare Vessels

A History and Directory from World War I to Today

In times of global conflict and international crisis, the United States has leveraged the impressive amphibious warfare capabilities of its Navy to project large contingents of troops, equipment, and materiel from sea to shorewhether to defeat adversaries or to provide disaster relief and humanitarian aid to allied nations. In short: The United States and its allies would not have prevailed in World War II without the indispensable landing craft, transports, and cargo ships of the American "Gator Navy." This book documents the history, operational deployments, and technical specifications of approximately 1,000 amphibious warships spanning 29 different classifications; furthermore, it describes the function and capabilities of a wide array of smaller amphibious craft belonging to some 40 additional classesall units that have served in the Gator Navy from the era of World War I to the present day. "Amphibs" of all varietiesranging from 12-foot inflatable rubber landing boats to 855-foot amphibious assault ships, and every vessel type in betweenare depicted in more than 120 photographs. Selected ship biographies illustrate the unique role that U.S. amphibious forces have played over the past century, in times of both war and peace. All of this extensive content, compiled from a multitude of sources, is presented to the reader in a single volume.