10 Most Impressive Amphibious Military Vehicles Of All Time

Modern military conflict is rarely a straightforward engagement in which opposing armies face each other on the battlefield and march in the way wars had been conducted for centuries. Mechanized warfare brought with it the ability and necessity of attacking the enemy from any possible route. In the years following WWI, military leaders around the world sought to develop new fighting vehicles to give their troops an advantage in any way possible. The ability to approach hostile territory from the sea and gain access directly through the shore proved to be a valuable capability in the following years.

By the time WWII began, several vehicles from many countries were being built to traverse water and soil. These amphibious vehicles were built to aid in offensive operations moving troops onto shores, over rivers, and through wetlands in a single vehicle. Continued development of amphibious vehicles for transport and assault operations has resulted in vehicles of the modern day equipped with armor and armaments that rival other vehicles bound to the land or sea. Every modern military possesses these vehicles and the capabilities vary drastically from one to another. Looking back through the roughly 100-year history of amphibious military vehicles, these 10 are the most impressive.

Getting heavy armaments from sea to shore, especially in the days before heavy helicopters, has always been an arduous task. Supporting an expeditionary force such as the Marines with heavy firepower is necessary, and dragging howitzers and other heavy cannons from a landing craft while taking heavy fire is extraordinarily difficult and perilous. Therefore, the Landing Vehicle Tracked (LVT) was created by the United States Marines as a multi-purpose armored and armed amphibious vehicle.

The original design in the '30s developed into a vehicle capable of carrying cargo and troops along with mounted machine guns and was propelled by tracks that featured a patented oblique shape that also propelled the vehicle in water. This went through several variations throughout its service life and in 1956, resulted in the LVTP-5 amphibious armored personnel carrier.

The LVTP-5 saw extensive service during the Vietnam War. It was a large lightly armored vehicle with an expansive hull that was completely enclosed with enough space for around 20 soldiers or even a Jeep. They float mostly submerged and are capable of overcoming most rough terrain when emerging onto a beach, but their effectiveness dropped significantly once delivering troops to the front line — the 8mm armor was far too light to protect against most artillery fire. Most impressively, the Philippine Marines still operate these aged vehicles to this day.

While there is little to argue in favor of the political leadership of Germany during WWII, the engineers creating military machinery can be acknowledged for their ingenuity and the clever solutions they devised in building the machines to outfit the troops. The legacy of Volkswagen and its involvement in WWI is well-documented and the civilian Thing vehicle is directly related to the military Kübelwagen used during the war. But that military VW was also adapted for amphibious use as the Schwimmwagen, offering soldiers a robust and reliable small vehicle that helped to cross rivers and creeks throughout the war.

The Schwimmwagen looks a bit similar to the VW-based beach buggies of the late '60s, using the same frame and engine in the rear. It is all housed in a watertight tub with a small propeller in the rear, driven by a power takeoff connected to the transmission. The engine is located in a compartment in the rear with louvers in the lid providing airflow away from the waterline. To prevent damage to the propeller, it is attached with a hinged assembly allowing it to be lifted up away from the ground while on dry land and it can be lowered into the water from the driver's seat using a rod that extends over the rear decklid.

Schwimmwagens are durable and reliable vehicles that are equally capable on land and water. The front wheels provided steering in and out of the water, but reverse was only possible on land — paddles were included for reversing in water. With more than 14,000 units built before the end of the war, it was used extensively and has also led to it being a popular restoration project today.

While it entered service in 1952, the LARC-LX first saw use in 1967 during the Vietnam War. With hundreds of miles of coastline and a large portion of combat taking place very near the beaches, amphibious operations were integral to countless missions during the conflict. Among the vehicles used was the enormous LARC-LX, the largest amphibious vehicle ever created.

Most military vehicles are quite large, but the scale of the LARC-LX is difficult to convey in words. Listing the specifications may help to illustrate its size, though. This amphibious vehicle weighs in at 100 tons and is driven by four Detroit Diesel six-cylinder engines, one for each wheel. Combined output is 100 horsepower, and that propels it to a top speed of 15 mph on land or 7 knots on water thanks to a pair of propellers in the rear. It is 60 feet long and 26 feet wide, and the driver sits in a cab elevated from the ground at more than 20 feet. The payload capacity is 60 tons, which means it is capable of delivering tanks to the conflict zone, and that is indeed what it was used for. Payloads on this might be a combination of tanks, trucks, heavy artillery, or a couple hundred soldiers. To say its size is impressive might be an understatement.

While this giant has been retired from military service for many years, at least one lives on for public enjoyment. In 2005, Lane Motor Museum of Nashville had one transported from Florida and driven through downtown Nashville to reside as a permanent running display for the museum and is now a must-see attraction for all visitors to the Music City.

Built by Volvo for the Swedish Army, the Bandvagn 202 (Bv202) is the predecessor to the British Viking. This was developed in the early '60s and produced through 1981 for use by the Swedish military but was also exported to Canada, Norway, Finland, and the U.K. While it was developed for use in Arctic conditions and is fully amphibious, its capabilities have led to its use in other climates, such as in the Middle East.

Like the Viking, it is an articulated vehicle running four rubber tracks but is powered by either a 1.8 or 2.0-liter Volvo four-cylinder engine. The wide rubber tracks are largely responsible for its excellent mobility on the snow, as it provides very low ground pressure by widely distributing its weight. It can also move from land to water without any preparation and the tracks propel while floating.

While it is only powered by small four-cylinder engines producing less than 100 horsepower, the Bv202 is an extremely capable and relatively small vehicle. In the vast expanses of snow-covered lands around the Arctic Circle, a small but tough vehicle like this is ideal to get over the snow and through the thick forest, and that is likely why this vehicle has lasted through modern day.

Developed in Germany and used by several nations, the M3 is a highly agile mobile bridge and ferry rig that can ferry troops across rivers in minutes. When used in tandem with other units, the assembly of groups of M3s into a water crossing is an impressive feat to watch.

The M3 is driven by all four wheels on land and can reach speeds of up to 50 mph on land. It uses two hydro jets on the water that allow it to maneuver in any direction it needs. The jets are placed one on each end of the hull and rotate 360 degrees, allowing the giant craft to turn and swivel into place with surprising precision. It can deploy its pontoons while still on land and enter almost any unprepared surface into the water, transferring controls to the deck instantly. Once it is in the water, the wheels are tucked up into the hull and it can be connected to additional M3 Rigs to create a ferry or to still more units to create a bridge across even fast-moving rapids. With a properly trained team in place, two teams of four M3s can assemble a water crossing within 15 minutes.

Once assembled, 70-ton tanks can quickly and easily cross the river and head on to their objective. Once the crossing is complete, the powerful hydro jets allow the vulnerable unarmored M3 rigs to move downstream and out of harm's way. With the speed and precision this machine provides to a mobile force, a tank battalion can sneak up on the enemy before they even know what happened.