Hi everybody! Does anyone have information about the LCA, LCP(L), LCT(R) and LCT(G) pennant numbers for Sword Beach? Until now I could not find anything on the web. Thanks for your help. Johannes Visit: http://swordbeach1944.wordpress.com/
Johannes, Have you searched the 'Trux' area of this site? If anyone knows the pennant numbers for Sword it will probably be Mike. He has posted some huge spreadsheets with landing craft id but I don't know offhand if pennant numbers are included.
Mike, Thank you for your kind words but Johannes has already asked me and I am afraid that I failed miserably. I hope that someone can help. Johannes and his group are doing an amazing job and it would be a great pity if they could not find the correct numbers. Mike.
I suppose you want them just for the Assault Brigade? Here are the Pennants from the Green List, for the types of craft you mention and for Assault Group S3 only: LSI(L) HMS Glenearn - 535 & 543 Assault Flotillas - 24 LCA 535 Assault Flotilla -12 LCA LCA 171, 223, 318, 352, 471, 604, 664, 782, 784, 804, 868, 872 543 Assault Flotilla - 12 LCA LCA 337, 601, 896, 897, 899, 900, 901, 904, 979, 1216, 1383, 1491 LSI(L) SS Empire Battleaxe - 537 Assault Flotilla - 18 LCA LCA 429, 496, 524, 584, 611, 653, 770, 778, 779, 780, 781, 792, 840, 898, 1215, 1251, 1252, 1338 LSI(L) SS Empire Broadsword - 538 Assault Flotilla - 18 LCA LCA 387, 424, 635, 637, 638, 651, 652, 665, 673, 796, 870, 903, 905, 906, 1341, 1376, 1379, 1381 LSI(L) SS Empire Cutlass - 536 Assault Flotilla - 18 LCA LCA 341, 344, 485, 572, 589, 704, 757, 777, 791, 795, 866, 867, 902, 993, 1015, 1113, 1157, 1256 SUPPORT SQUADRON: 330 Support Flotilla LCF(4) 30, 34, 39, 42 LCG(L)(3) 9, 10, 11 LCT(5) 2237 321 LCT( R) Flotilla - 5 LCT( R)(3) LCT( R)(3) 331, 334, 419, 457, 458 592 Assault Flotilla - 9 LCA(HR) LCA(HR) 709, 719, 776, 829, 976, 977, 1001, 1064, 1070 704 Assault Flotilla - [edited 8 Nov 2013:] 4 LCP(L) & 2 LCP(SY) LCP(L) 21, 22, 51, 121; LCP(SY) 139, 289 707 Assault Flotilla - 12 LCP(L) LCP(L) 189, 197, 272, 279, 280, 282, 285, 286, 309, 310, 311, 312 [END of SUPPORT SQUADRON] [END of ASSAULT GROUP S3] A couple of comments on the markings of the craft: - The LTIN for SWORD were apparently painted YELLOW colour on a BLACK board. - LCT 2123 was an LCT(A), and thus probably marked LCTA2123, plus it should have the armour plate on the bows. See LCT(A) 2334 of the same Flotilla here: http://www.gahetna.nl/collectie/afbeeldingen/fotocollectie/zoeken/weergave/detail/q/id/a887ae0a-d0b4-102d-bcf8-003048976d84 or LCT(A) 2121: Michel
Michel, Thank you from me also, I wasn't aware that the numbers for the LCAs on the Empire LSIs were available, do you have others? Roy
Hi Michel, thank you very much. In the meantime I received LCA numbers from Danny Lovell as well. I wil check them and if there are numbers which aren't in your listing I wil post them here. Were the numbers painted red or black? I used a mixture of both colours as I was told, that the regulation for red numbers were issued at the beginning of 1944 and not all numbers of the craft were converted to the new colour. Thank you also for your hints on my mistakes. I will correct them shortly. Fortunately I have some spare LCT(A)s which I can provide with the correct numbers. For the rest of the LCT(A) support flotilla does this rule also count? I have seen photos of this kind of craft without the "A", that's why I painted them like that. Do you have also information on the DD Shermans of the 13th/18th Royal Hussars? I am just painting them and I was wondering if they have an allied star on top of the turret or elsewhere? I painted the checkerboard in green/white as I did not find specific information on the right colour. Some say blue, some say green. Thanks again Johannes
LSI(L) SS Empire Arquebus - 524 Assault Flotilla - 15 LCA & 3 LCS(M)(3) LCA 602, 654, 656, 663, 733, 920, 921, 926, 1005, 1008, 1009, 1010, 1026, 1254, 1384 LCS(M)(3) 78, 109, 112 LSI(L) SS Empire Spearhead - 525 Assault Flotilla - 15 LCA & 3 LCS(M)(3) LCA 732, 949, 951, 952, 994, 1013, 1024, 1043, 1046, 1047, 1048, 1055, 1060, 1148, 1149 LCS(M)(3) 77, 80, 99 LSI(L) SS Empire Halberd - 539 Assault Flotilla - 18 LCA LCA 282, 350, 358, 367, 393, 502, 510, 543, 591, 786, 907, 909, 1112, 1136, 1153, 1154, 1155, 1156 LSI(L) SS Empire Lance - 540 Assault Flotilla - 16 LCA & 2 LCS(M)(3) LCA 279, 613, 636, 731, 771, 930, 984, 999, 1011, 1041, 1065, 1132, 1133, 1147, 1210, 1380 LCS(M)(3) 79, 81 LSI(L) SS Empire Mace - 541 Assault Flotilla - 16 LCA & 2 LCS(M)(3) LCA 345, 372, 383, 466, 501, 628, 749, 798, 1000, 1027, 1052, 1056, 1062, 1139, 1141, 1143 LCS(M)(3) 75, 76 LSI(L) SS Empire Rapier - 542 Assault Flotilla - 17 LCA & 1 LCS(M)(3) LCA 409, 434, 588, 614, 789, 797, 848, 871, 928, 947, 1094, 1211, 1212, 1213, 1214, 1374, 1378 LCS(M)(3) 110 LSI(L) SS Empire Anvil - 550 Assault Flotilla - 18 LCA & 2 LCP(L) LCA 655, 657, 725, 787, 788, 849, 852, 913, 1028, 1030, 1074, 1079, 1080, 1081, 1082, 1088, 1134, 1144 LCP(L) 28, 37 LSI(L) SS Empire Javelin - 551 Assault Flotilla - 18 LCA & 2 LCP(L) LCA 724, 730, 832, 839, 853, 879, 910, 911, 922, 924, 1012, 1063, 1066, 1067, 1068, 1069, 1075, 1076 LCP(L) 20, 115 LSI(L) SS Empire Gauntlet - 552 Assault Flotilla - 18 LCA & 2 LCP(L) LCA 666, 727, 734, 799, 800, 846, 912, 923, 942, 943, 955, 957, 959, 991, 992, 998, 1042, 1135 LCP(L) 41, 47 LSI(L) SS Empire Crossbow - 553 Assault Flotilla - 15 LCA & 3 LCS(M)(3) LCA 500, 917, 954, 956, 997, 1023, 1032, 1050, 1053, 1058, 1061, 1152, 1158, 1174, 1385 LCS(M)(3) 108, 113, 114 Michel
I don't know. See this example where LCA 850 looks like it's in Black whereas the other LCA (13x6) looks like Red (IWM NA20049): I would suspect that most LCT had Red pennants. Many if not all LCT in the assault waves also had the 3 Infantry Division symbol painted at various places. Yes, all eight craft of 100 LCT(A) Flotilla were LCT(A), therefore they should look similar. There are however few photos of them, so the photos without the "A" that you've seen are most probably photos of standard LCT(5), i.e. without the armour. Yes, DD tanks also had the Allied Star on top of the turret. See Critical Past Clip 65675038172 Still 1150 for example: As you say, the colour of the chequerboard pattern is hotly debated but I would also think it was green/white. Michel
Folks, This still comes from the IWM’s website. It was taken from the deck of HMS Glenearn during Exercise Fabius in early May. It’s a remarkable shot in that almost all the information fits (whereas so often it doesn’t…). LCA 872 is on the Green List (thanks Michel) as belonging to the 535th Flotilla which was embarked on HMS Glenearn. This LCA’s LTIN, 126, can be checked against the 3rd Division’s landing table as an LCA from HMS Glenearn (ship serial No. S70), which was due to land C Company of the South Lancs on the left of Queen White beach at H-Hour. One technicality though - the LTIN in this case appears to be painted black on a yellow board… Arty
LCA 779 'AX' which must have broken free and strayed into German lines during the gale 19th-22nd June 1944, part of SS Empire Battleaxe's compliment.
