Landing Craft Tank (A) 2428

[Ali Mayor]

Hi everyone,

I am new to this forum havingcommended as a possible source of information from members of WW2 talk. It's a bit of a long shot but I am hoping to trace records of some Canadian soldiers who would have been involved in the capsize and sinking of a Landing Craft Tank on the morning of 6 June 1944.

It's a bit of a long story...

I am a recreational scuba diver with Southsea Sub-Aqua Club, (Portsmouth, UK www.southseasubaqua.org.uk ) and last summer I lead project to survey the wrecks of 2 tanks and 2 armoured bulldozers 8 miles offshore in the English Channel. Part of the puzzle was how did they get there? - as there is no associated shipwreck nearby. As a result of the survey and lots of seaching through War diaries I was able to esatblish that the tanks were Centaur Tanks of the Royal Marines 2nd Armoured Support Group and that the tanks and D7 Armoured bulldozers were lost from LCT(A) 2428.

LCT(A) 2428 was part of the 105th flotilla, headed for Juno Beach as part of "J force", she loaded at Stokes Bay, Gosport, only a few miles from where I live. In addition to the RM Centaurs and 15 men from the 2nd RM ASG she also carried Canadian troops. I have been trying to find out some contact details for Canadian regiments involved see if there are any accounts/records of what happened.

According to the loading tables for LCT(A) 2428 (LTIN 1008) she also had on board -

4 members from "HQ RCE 3 Cdn Div (Special Bulldozer Inc)" - "2 D7 Bulldozers Armd"
14 members from "18 Cdn Fd Coy" - "Car 5Cwt 4x4"
6 members from the "8 Kings A Coy"

The tables also mention "1 Truck Airborne" but is not listed as a vehicle. I have no idea what a truck airborne is???

LCT(A) 2428 capsized whist under tow from HMT Jaunty on the 6 June 1944. Her cargo of tanks and armoured bulldozers were lost at sea but the LCT was reported to float upside down for some time afterwards - eventually being sunk by gunfire by HMT Jaunty.

I am hoping to find and identify the wreck of LCT(A) 2428 along the South Coast of England and I have identified a dive sites which may be the right one. However, after 65 years underwater and being upside down, the wreck will not be easy to identify.

After completing a scuba diving survey project on the Tanks & Bulldozers last year - I am now leading another project to locate/survey LCT(A)2428. Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Alison

[peter simundson]

Can you show some photos of the tanks and bulldozers?? Assuming of course you took some under water.

P Simundson

[Ali Mayor]

Originally Posted by peter simundson

Can you show some photos of the tanks and bulldozers?? Assuming of course you took some under water.

P Simundson

Here's a couple of images, one Centaur tank and one of a bulldozer. There is more detail on our diving club web site www.southseasubaqua.org.uk and also a link to the tv news coverage we received (on You Tube). The project is also going to feature on a BBC 2 programme called 'Coast' in the summer. We took about a thousand images in all, but as you can imagine the visibility in the English Channel can be a little difficult for photographs. The 2 bulldozers are lying on their side, one tank is almost completely upside down, the other is at an angle of approx 45 degrees.

Regards

Alison

[peter simundson]

I'd drop a cable or two off a barge and haul out one of those tanks pretty quick. At least the gun would come up. I couldn't sleep knowing they were 60 ft. away. Good luck

Peter Simundson

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally Posted by Ali Mayor

It's a bit of a long shot but I am hoping to trace records of some Canadian soldiers who would have been involved in the capsize and sinking of a Landing Craft Tank on the morning of 6 June 1944 ...

... also carried Canadian troops. I have been trying to find out some contact details for Canadian regiments involved see if there are any accounts/records of what happened ...

According to the loading tables for LCT(A) 2428 (LTIN 1008) she also had on board -

14 members from "18 Cdn Fd Coy"

Hi Alison;

Unfortunately No. 18 Field Company, Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers no longer exists, but their War Diary may hold information regarding the 14 members you say were onboard LCT(A) 2428.

Have you tried The National Archives, Kew? They hold a copy of the War Diary for No. 18 Field Company, R.C.E. The reference for their War Diaries for the period of January to December 1944 is WO 179/3128.

Here in Canada, Library and Archives Canada have the War Diary for No. 18 Field Company, R.C.E. on microfile and for the period in question, the reference is:

Reference: RG24 , National Defence , Series C-3 , Volume 14745 , Reel T-18395-18396
Serial : 717 , Access code: 90
File Title: No. 18 Field Company, Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers
Outside Dates: 1942/07-1944/09
Finding Aid number: 24-60

Some additional information on LCT(A) 2428:

Landing Craft Tank - LCT-428 / LCT-2428 / LCT(A)-2428

LCT-428 was started life as a ship of the United States Navy and was Lend-Lease to the United Kingdom:

- Landing Craft Tank (Mark 5)

- Laid down, date unknown, at New York Shipbuilding Corp., Camden, N.J.

- Launched, date unknown

- Delivered and transferred to the United Kingdom, under the Lend-Lease program for Mediterranean Theater service, redesignated LCT-2428

- Armor plating added in early 1944, redesignated LCT(A)-2428

- During the invasion of Normandy LCT(A)-2428 was assigned as 'Leader' of the 105th LCT(A) Flotilla of Assault Group J1 Support Squadron, assigned to Juno Beach in support of the 7th Infantry of the 3rd Canadian Division at Courseulles

- Struck from the Naval Register, 13 November 1944

- Final Disposition, recored as breaking down on passage the evening of 5 June 1944, at some point thereafter she was taken in tow by the tug Jaunty but she capsized and was it appears fired upon by the Royal Navy until she sank

Specifications:

Displacement 286 short tons
Length 114' 2" (ovl.)
Beam 32' 8"
Draft 3'
Speed 10 kts.
Range 700 nautical miles at 7 kts.
Complement 13
Cargo Capacity 150 short tons
Armament 1 single 20mm AA gun mount, 2 .50 cal. machine guns
Armor 2 1/2" wheelhouse, 2" gun shield
Propulsion 3 Grey Marine Diesels, 3 propellers, Shaft horsepower 675 per shaft

Hope this helps.

Cheers

[Ali Mayor]

Thank you Mark,

The references to the War Diaries are very useful. A friend of mine has kindly offered to have a look at them for me in the coming weeks.

I have consulted with the Landing Craft Association both here in the UK (Tony Chapman) and the US quite a bit over the last few months and they have been very helpful too. The details about LCT 2428 was added as a result of my investigations into the loss of the Tanks and Bulldozers here in the English Channel. Until that point she had been reported - lost in Normandy 6 June 44 - position unknown. I hope we can find 2428 and perhaps some reports from the Canadian troops on board.

Kind Regards

Alison

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Hi Ali and welcome to the Forum. With you, we now have access to land, sea and air (Keefy) perspectives of our hobby. We need you to go to Thistlegorm for close up images of all the underwater Bren Gun Carriers.

Bob

[Ali Mayor]

Originally Posted by Bob Moseley

Hi Ali and welcome to the Forum. With you, we now have access to land, sea and air (Keefy) perspectives of our hobby. We need you to go to Thistlegorm for close up images of all the underwater Bren Gun Carriers.

Bob

Hi Bob,

I dived the Thislegorm at least 6 times last year - afternoon, night and early morning dives. It is an awesome wreck though has too many divers for my liking. I'm sure we have some images of the bren gun carriers somewhere. The stern of the ship with it's large guns and propeller/rudder are the best bit for me.

Regards

Alison