If landing craft are often overlooked when considering the Normandy Landings, the role of the landing barges is even less well known. Although minor landing craft such as LCVPs are sometimes informally referred to as ‘invasion barges’, the true landing barges were strictly speaking a separate category from landing craft, though they performed a closely related role.
The majority were converted from unpowered barges used on the River Thames, and were fitted with engines. Most numerous was the LBV or Landing Barge, Vehicle, which had a bow ramp for unloading vehicles.
A mix of other types of barge were formed into Supply and Repair Flotillas, and were towed to Normandy by fuelling trawlers rather than crossing under their own power. The LBO (Landing Barge, Oil) was specially designed rather than converted. Each had a thirty-foot-long cylindrical tank holding either petrol or diesel fuel, for refuelling landing craft and any other vessels. Similarly the LBW (Landing Barge, Water) carried water. LBE (Landing Barge, Emergency Repair) were mobile workshops for repairing damaged landing craft. Each had a workshop lorry on board, which could be landed via the barge’s ramp if necessary.
The ungainly-looking LBK (Landing Barge, Kitchen) had cooking facilities for feeding the crews of the many minor landing craft who would be working off the Normandy coasts for weeks after D-Day. The LBF (Landing Barge, Flak) carried two 40mm Bofors guns anti-aircraft defence during the Channel crossing and off the Normandy coast.
Landing barges were used at all five beaches, always with British crews, most of whom had considerable experience in civilian life in operating barges and similar craft on the River Thames and were now enlisted in the Royal Navy. Some barges had crews from Inland Water Transport units of the Royal Army Service Corps.
Landing barges did not make repeated crossings to Normandy, but crossed later on D-Day or on subsequent days, and remained off the French coast as part of the Ferry Service unloading large ships, or supporting such work.
Large dumb (unpowered) barges were used after D-Day in addition to the Landing Barges. Sixteen 1,000-ton barges (which had been towed across the Atlantic) were used by US forces to deliver an initial load of ammunition, food and fuel, and were then used as ferry craft.
Above: A very large barge, possibly one of the 1,000-ton types, in use by US forces at Normandy. (Photo: US Naval History & Heritage Command, US Navy photos at US National Archives)
Bolted section steel cargo barges were designed and built by the American Steel Dredge Company, and assembled in the United Kingdom. These were unpowered barges, at first glance visually similar to a Rhino ferry, but constructed by bolting steel components together, rather than welding as with a Rhino. Unlike a Rhino, which carried its cargo on its upper surface, these barges were designed to hold cargo inside their compartments.
Sources for more information:
Jarman, W.D. ‘Jim’, Those Wallowing Beauties. The Story of the Landing Barges in World War II (Lewes: Book Guild, 1997)