LOWERING LANDING CRAFT OFF GELA BEACH. Troops boarded the craft after it was afloat. (Foreground, landing craft, vehicle-personnel, LCVP; background, LCM.)] [Illustration: SICILY INFANTRY LANDING ON GELA BEACH (top). Unloading equipment and supplies from LCVP’s (bottom); in the background are two LST’s. The sea ran so high during the morning of the landings that many craft were washed up on the beach and could not be refloated in time for turn-around to mother ships. (LCVP in top picture.)] [Illustration] [Illustration: SICILY A BATTERY OF ANTIAIRCRAFT GUNS being unloaded from an L S T, the largest type landing craft used during the operation. The prototype of the landing ship, tank, was built by the British and used in the invasion of North Africa. The LST shown is a seagoing ship. Its payload was from 1,600 to 1,900 tons of which 400 tons were deck-loaded. The ship could carry on each side sectional ponton ramps for inaccessible landings (in use above). The first three vehicles are 6-ton 6 x 6 prime mover trucks. (90-mm. guns.)] [Illustration: SICILY LANDING CRAFT ON BEACH. Top picture from left to right: LCI, LCM, and LCVP; on beach is a ¼-ton 4 x 4 truck, jeep. Bottom picture: in middle distance is LST, with bow doors open, ramp down, and unloading onto a sectional ponton ramp; in the foreground are two LCT’s. (The LCI (L) (1-350) was an infantry carrier with side ramps which could be lowered for unloading directly on the beach. It carried a crew of 3 officers and 21 men.)] [Illustration] [Illustration: SICILY A LOADED DUKW COMING ASHORE ON THE BEACH (top). Prisoners loaded in a DUKW waiting to be evacuated (bottom). This amphibian truck, the DUKW, was one of the planned surprises of the operation. Until ports were captured and prepared for use, this means of moving all types of fighting equipment from ship to shore helped to solve a very pressing problem. (The term DUKW is the manufacturer’s (GMC) code serial number which has no meaning. The resemblance to the word duck and the purpose for which this vehicle was used quickly brought about the common name “duck.”)] [Illustration] [Illustration: SICILY AN LST DECK-LOADED WITH MEN AND EQUIPMENT off Gela awaiting signal to approach the beach, while a U. S. cruiser fires on an enemy strong point.] [Illustration: SICILY TROOPS ON THE BEACH. During the landing (top) and while troops were moving inland (bottom), the beaches were strafed sporadically. At one time, during the German tank-supported counterattack on D plus 1 in the Gela area, it looked as if the U. S. forces might be pushed back into the sea. (Top picture, left to right, center of beach, LCV, LCVP; offshore, LCVP. Bottom, a truck towing a 105-mm. howitzer is pulled through the sand by a diesel tractor with angledozer.)] [Illustration] [Illustration: SICILY