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
30mph48kph
Max water speed
6.8mph11kph
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.
Research, Investigation and Experimentation in the Field of Amphibian Vehicles. Kalamazoo, MI: Ingersoll Kalamazoo Division, Borg-Warner Corp., December 1957.
FMFM 9-2 Amphibian Vehicles. Washington, DC: Department of the Navy, Headquarters United States Marine Corps, 17 September 1964.
SL-4-00348A and SL-4-00511A Volume 2 Repair Parts List for Landing Vehicle, Tracked, Model LVTP5, Command Type ID 00348A FSN 2320-517-3812 and Model LVTP5 ID 00511A FSN 2320-141-8192. Washington, DC: Department of the Navy, Headquarters US Marine Corps, 15 February 1962.
Sola, Samuel, Vincent Bobkowski, and Kara Crocker. Weapon Mounts for Secondary Armament. Santa Monica, CA: G. O. Noville & Associates, Inc., April 1957.
Crismon, Fred W. U.S. Military Tracked Vehicles. Osceola, WI: Motorbooks International, 1992.
Estes, Kenneth W. Marines Under Armor. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 2000.
