Has anyone a decent picture of a RHINO (The flat topped Barge one) Landing Craft used after D-Day for the heavy stuff. The Google ones are not great. Cheers Rob
"Rhino Ferry" Landing Craft off Normandy A "rhino ferry," designed by the U.S. Navy's Civil Engineering Corps to bridge the gap between ship and shore, is a pontoon powered by two outboard motors of 143 horsepower, complete with steering gear. English Channel, off Normandy, France, 1944.
Rob, a slightly different angle of view A loaded "Rhino" ferry approaches the invasion beaches on "D-Day", 6 June 1944. This ferry is RHF-3, with "Rhino" tug RHT-3 assisting. Note the name "Hell's Angels" on the RHT-3's conning station shields. A U.S. Coast Guard 83-foot rescue boat is in the distance. (June 6, 1944). SOURCE : http://z.about.com/d/history1900s/1/0/W/4/dday19.jpg
Allied troops continue to head towards the Normandy beachhead. Here is a loaded Rhino Ferry as seen from the bows of the landing craft between St Laurent and Vierville.
View through the open bow doors of LST 25 of a loaded Rhino Ferry as it lands heavy equipment near Isigny on the Normandy coast. Trucks and soldiers can be seen on board the Rhino.
Thanks Lads, lovely jubbly. The Regt came ashore on these, but you don't see much about them. ( "3ft wade, no drowns"), they say they were the bis for the heavy stuff. Cheers Rob
From Die Deutsche Wochenschau Nr. 722 at 07'55" in a sequence of D-Day debris on German-held beaches starting at 07' 30": http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=37130&stc=1&d=1285450907 From The War of the Landing Craft by Lund and Ludlam: Off the beaches at SWORD, enemy aircraft continued to strike back and one victim during a severe night air raid was a Rhino ferry. At one a.m. on the night of June 13, the Rhino, one of two lying fully laden alongside an offloading merchant ship was hit, setting the front vehicles alight and wounding several men. There was great danger of the blaze spreading to the vehicles behind and on to the merchant ship. LCVP 1250, with the senior officer ferry craft (Commander Ian Bockett-Pugh) aboard rushed to the rescue. The Rhino men were trying to evacuate their wounded up the merchant ship's side and it was some minutes before the ship's officers realized that the ferry had to be cast off for their own safety. As soon as the ropes were let go the LCVP was able to pull the burning fery clear - just in time, as one vehicle after another blew up, their petrol and ammunition exploding in all directions. After everyone, including the six wounded, had been taken off the blazing Rhino, it was allowed to drift away with the wind and tide and must have finished up right up the River Orne near Havre. As Commander Bockett-Pugh commented, 'The Germans must have thought we were going back to the times when Drake used his fire ships!' The LCVP's prompt and courageous action won the coxswain, Corporal Parceter, and the bowman, Marine Barningham, the DCM. Wonder if it's that Rhino?
Hi, Some great footage of Rhinos in operation on this IWM footage: SCENES OFF SWORD BEACH [Allocated Title] I also thought this report of a trial in Feb 44 might be of interest (WO171/147 - 21 Army Group Q(M) war diary): Col LEEPER MOST SECRET 21 AGp/9312/3/Q(M) 14 Feb 44 REPORT ON ATTENDANCE AT RHINO FERRY TRIALS, COXE, 12 FEB 44. 1. OBJECT. To study the performance of the RHINO ferry as a means of br the water gap. 2. SCOPE. The trial took place within the sheltered estuary of the river TORRIDGE. It consisted, in the absence of an LST, simply of the discharge over a beach of one RHINO load of tks. It was thus of an elementary nature, and is to be followed by further experiments during the next few weeks. 3. DETAIL OF TRIAL. The ferry was already loaded when the trial commenced, with a near-full lift consisting of 7 CHURCHILL tks and a 15-ton Bulldozer (295 tons). It discharged over a 1/180 beach on a retracting tide (tidal range approx 20 ft) without difficulty. The ramp was in posn 30 seconds after touching and the load was discharged without hitch 5 minutes later. The ferry ran up the beach a little and buckled slightly, so that wading depth was about 2 ft 6 ins but the normal forward draught was confirmed as 3 ft 2 ins. The load, consisting of heavy units, was speedily cleared, but with a load of wheeled vehs (when space and stowage rather than weight would be the limitation), no difficulty is anticipated under the conditions in question, as the gradual withdrawal of the RHINO from the beach was a straightforward operation. It may be a different matter in surf. (It is towed off by the tugs from about 50 yds astern). 4. OTHER INFM OBTAINED. (a) Securing to LCT/LST In order to receive the spectators, the RHINO tied up to the bows of an LCT(4). The ramp was in place within 7 minutes, and this should indicate the time required in the case of an LST, though again conditions of swell will present difficulties. It should be mentioned that most of the 7 minutes were occupied in lowering the heavy stern posts used for morning and centering [sic] the RHINO on the LCT, and that the replacement of these by lighter fittings is contemplated. A short ramped platform is provided to meet the end of the surface of the LCT/LST ramp – the exact nature of the fitting to be permanently adopted is under review. (b) Loading of dead tks on tptrs This is considered to be practicable except possibly as regards loading over the ramp, where the tptr may belly. This will have to form the subject of trials. (c) The Ramp The RHINO’s ramp is a 60 ton hand-operated one. The surface was quite badly splintered by the passage of the tks. (d) Propulsion Units The use of units built in to the main body of the RHINO is not contemplated. Tugs, working in pairs, are preferred, as these give flexibility of operation. The time taken to move /these - 2 - these from one end to another when the RHINO is presenting its bows to the beach and the stern to the LST, is causing some concern. In calm water it takes 5 minutes. The use of independent tug units reduces the incidence of the maint factor almost to nil, provided spare tugs are available. The tugs are pet-driven, and their fuel capacity is 70 gals (14 running hrs). (e) Round trip time This could not be adequately assessed, but 2 hrs is judged a fair average, and given good conditions this is considered generous. (f) Securing of vehs on board The securing of vehs on the RHINO is a simple matter: chains can readily be passed round the angle-iron linking the pontoon units. This assumes a proportion of the gaps between the units left uncovered, but even if this is not done, improvisation should be simple. (g) Data Existing data concerning dimensions, capacity etc was confirmed. 5. CONCLUSIONS This was a “nursery” trial of very limited scope. It is impossible to achieve a satisfactory evaluation of the RHINO until it is tested over an open beach, in surf. Apart from the problem of handling and manoeuvrability, the tugs as at present constructed have insufficient freeboard to prevent swamping, and no waterproofing. [sgd: ??] Copy to: Col LUCK. Regards Tom
