Landing Vehicle, Tracked, Personnel, Mark 51-7

LVTP5: General
Date of first acceptance 1956 Total acceptances 1,123
Manufacturers
  • Ingersoll
  • St. Louis Car Co.
  • Food Machinery Corp.
  • Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton
  • Pacific Car and Foundry Co.
Crew
37 men:
  • Commander in hull right front
  • Driver in hull left front
  • Assistant driver
  • 34 passengers
LVTP5: Dimensions
Combat weight (land) 87,780lbs
39,820kg
Height over cupola 120.5"
306.1cm
Length 356"
904cm
Gun overhang forward 0"
Width 140.5"
356.9cm
Tread 116.7"
296.4cm
Ground clearance, sides 11"
28cm
Ground pressure, zero penetration 9.2psi
.65kg/cm²
LVTP5: Armament
Type Mount Ammunition Traverse Elevation
.30cal M1919A4 MG Cupola mount G-1 2,000 rounds
(250 ready)
360°
(manual)
+60° to -15°
(manual)
Aiming equipment
Periscope M25C for gunner
LVTP5: Armor
Assembly
Welding
Hull
Rolled homogeneous steel
Maximum .625"
1.59cm
Minimum .25"
.64cm
LVTP5: Automotive
Engine Continental LV-1790-1; 12 cylinder, 4 cycle, 90° vee gasoline
Horsepower Net: 704@2,800rpm
Gross: 810@2,800rpm
Torque Net: 1,440 ft-lb@2,000rpm
Gross: 1,610 ft-lb@2,200rpm
Fuel capacity 456gal
1,730L
Transmission Allison CD-850-4A or -4B, 2 ranges forward, 1 reverse
Steering Mechanical, wobble stick
Brakes Multiple plate, oil cooled
LVTP5: Suspension
Type Road wheels Track return rollers
Torsilastic 9 pairs of dual/track 5 dual/track
Drive sprockets Idlers Shock absorbers
17-tooth rear drive Dual compensating at front of track None
LVTP5: Track
Center guide, single pin, steel with inverted grouser
Width 20.75"
52.71cm
Pitch 5"
13cm
Shoes/track 134 Ground contact length 229.25"
582.30cm
LVTP5: Performance
Max level road speed 30mph
48kph
Max water speed 6.8mph
11kph
Max trench 144"
366cm
Max grade 70%
Max sideslope 60% Max vertical obstacle 36"
91cm
Min turning diameter Pivot Max fording depth Floats
Cruising range ~190mi, roads
~57mi, water
~306km, roads
~92km, water

The LVTP5 was a large vehicle with an inverted V-shaped bow that made for more efficient water operation, and it broke with previous LVT designs by having the tracks set low in the hull with an internal return channel rather than the all-round track design of its predecessors. Infantry access was via a bow ramp, and the crew and passenger compartment was at the front of the vehicle, with the powerplant to the rear. There were one large and two smaller access hatches over the passenger compartment, and two more small hatches provided access to the engine. The vehicle tracks were made with inverted grousers which propelled the LVTP5 in the water and also served as center guide teeth. There were two track pins, inner and outer, on each shoe, which left a hole in the middle of the track block that allowed the grouser to operate more efficiently in the water. The road wheels on the LVTP5 were paired on either side of the center guide teeth, giving a total of 36 wheels per track. One wheel was surrounded by a solid rubber tire, and these carried the vehicle under normal circumstances. The other wheel was steel-rimmed and helped absorb shock loads. When fitted, the machine gun cupola was installed at the front of the vehicle between the driver and commander. When operating in the water, weight for the LVTP5 was reduced to 81,780lbs (37,100kg), and it could then carry only 25 passengers. The ground clearance down the center of the vehicle was 18" (46cm), which tapered down toward the tracks. The fixed fire extinguisher system comprised three 5lb (2.3kg) CO2 extinguishers, and a portable 5lb (2.3kg) CO2 was also carried. Two sets of two 12-volt batteries were connected in series for the 24-volt electrical system.

Modifications to the LVTP5's engine air intake and exhaust system produced the LVTP5A1. The most obvious external difference was a large housing on the vehicle's rear roof above the engine.

Top

                                                                                                                       



References

  1. Hunnicutt, R.P. Bradley: A History of American Fighting and Support Vehicles. Navato, CA: Presidio Press, 1999. Reprinted with permission from Bradley, R.P. Hunnicutt ©1999, available from Presidio Press, 505B San Martin Drive, Suite 160, Navato, CA 94945.
  2. Research, Investigation and Experimentation in the Field of Amphibian Vehicles. Kalamazoo, MI: Ingersoll Kalamazoo Division, Borg-Warner Corp., Dec 1957.
  3. FMFM 9-2 Amphibian Vehicles. Washington, DC: Department of the Navy, Headquarters United States Marine Corps, 17 September 1964.
  4. Sola, Samuel, Vincent Bobkowski, and Kara Crocker. Weapon Mounts for Secondary Armament. Santa Monica, CA: G. O. Noville & Associates, Inc., April 1957.
  5. Crismon, Fred W. U.S. Military Tracked Vehicles. Osceola, WI: Motorbooks International, 1992.
  6. Estes, Kenneth W. Marines Under Armor. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 2000.
  7. Federation of American Scientists. "LVTP5A1 Landing Vehicle, Tracked." DOD 101. 14 Apr 2000. 12 Apr 2001 <http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/lvtp5.htm>. DOD 101
Last updated 8 Dec 2023.
Questions? Comments? Corrections? Email me
© Copyright 2001-23 Chris Conners