The American Automobile Industry in World War Two
An American Auto Industry Heritage Tribute by David D Jackson

Overview      Lansing Michigan in World War Two   The U.S. Auto Industry at the Normandy Invasion, June 6, 1944    The U.S. Auto Industry and the B-29 Bomber   U.S. Auto Industry Army-Navy "E" Award Winners   The Complete listing of All Army-Navy "E" Award Winners   Sherman Tanks of the American Auto Industry   Tank Destroyers of the American Auto Industry    M26 Pershing Tanks of the American Auto Industry   M36 Tank Destroyers of the American Auto Industry   Serial Numbers for WWII Tanks built by the American Auto Industry   Surviving LCVP Landing Craft    WWII Landing Craft Hull Numbers   Airborne Extra-Light Jeep Photos  The American Auto Industry vs. the German V-1 in WWII   American Auto Industry-Built Anti-Aircraft Guns in WWII   VT Proximity Manufacturers of WWII   World War One Era Motor Vehicles   National Museum of Military Vehicles  
Revisions   Links

 Automobile and Body Manufacturers:  American Bantam Car Company   Briggs Manufacturing Company   Checker Car Company   Chrysler Corporation   Crosley Corporation   Ford Motor Car Company   General Motors Corporation   Graham-Paige Motors Corporation   Hudson
Motor Car Company   Murray Corporation of America   Nash-Kelvinator   Packard Motor Car Company      Studebaker    Willys-Overland Motors

General Motors Divisions:  AC Spark Plug   Aeroproducts   Allison   Brown-Lipe-Chapin   Buick   Cadillac   Chevrolet   Cleveland Diesel   Delco Appliance   Delco Products   Delco Radio   Delco-Remy   Detroit Diesel   Detroit Transmission   Electro-Motive   Fisher Body   Frigidaire   GM Proving Grounds   GM of Canada   GMC   GMI   Guide Lamp   Harrison Radiator   Hyatt Bearings   Inland   Moraine Products   New Departure   Oldsmobile   Packard Electric   Pontiac   Saginaw Malleable Iron   Saginaw Steering Gear   Southern California Division   Rochester Products   Ternstedt Manufacturing Division   United Motors Service   Vauxhall Motors

 Indiana Companies:  Bailey Products Corporation   Chrysler Kokomo Plant   Continental Steel Corporation  Converto Manufacturing    Cummins Engine Company   Diamond Chain and Manufacturing Company   Delta Electric Company   Durham Manufacturing Company   Farnsworth Television and Radio Corporation   Haynes Stellite Company   Hercules Body Company   Horton Manufacturing Company   Howe Fire Apparatus   J.D. Adams Company   Kokomo Spring Company   Magnavox  
Muncie Gear Works   Pierce Governor Company   Portland Forge and Foundry   Reliance Manufacturing Company   Republic Aviation Corporation - Indiana Division   Ross Gear and Tool Company   S.F. Bowser & Co.   Sherrill Research Corporation   Tokheim Oil Tank and Pump Company   Warner Gear   Wayne Pump Company   Wayne Works

Commercial Truck and Fire Apparatus Manufacturers:  American LaFrance   Autocar  
Biederman Motors Corporation   Brockway Motor Company   Detroit General   Diamond T   Duplex Truck Company   Federal Motor Truck   Four Wheel Drive Auto Company(FWD)   International Harvester   John Bean   Mack Truck   Marmon-Herrington Company   Michigan Power Shovel Company   Oshkosh Motor Truck Corporation   Pacific Car and Foundry   "Quick-Way" Truck Shovel Company   Reo Motor Car Company  Seagrave Fire Apparatus   Sterling Motor Truck Company    Ward LaFrance Truck Corporation   White Motor Company

Aviation Companies:  Abrams Instrument Corporation   Hughes Aircraft Company   Kellett Aviation Corporation   Laister-Kauffman Aircraft Corporation   Naval Aircraft Factory   P-V Engineering Forum, Inc.    Rudolf Wurlitzer Company-DeKalb Division  Schweizer Aircraft Corporation   Sikorsky Division of United Aircraft Corporation   St. Louis Aircraft Corporation   Timm Aircraft Corporation

Other World War Two Manufacturers: 
Air King Products   Allis-Chalmers   American Car and Foundry   American Locomotive   American Stove Company   Annapolis Yacht Yard  
Andover Motors Company   B.F. Goodrich   Baker War Industries   Baldwin Locomotive Works   Blood Brothers Machine Company   Boyertown Auto Body Works   Briggs & Stratton   Caterpillar   Cheney Bigelow Wire Works   Centrifugal Fusing   Chris-Craft   Clark Equipment Company   Cleaver-Brooks Company   Cleveland Tractor Company   Continental Motors   Cushman Motor Works   Crocker-Wheeler   Dail Steel Products   Detroit Wax Paper Company   Detrola   Engineering & Research Corporation   Farrand Optical Company   Federal Telephone and Radio Corp.   Firestone Tire and Rubber Company   Fruehauf Trailer Company   Fuller Manufacturing   Galvin Manufacturing   Gemmer Manufacturing Company   General Railway Signal Company   Gibson Guitar   Gibson Refrigerator Company   Goodyear   Hall-Scott   Hanson Clutch and Machinery Company   Harley-Davidson   Harris-Seybold-Potter   Herreshoff Manufacturing Company   Higgins Industries    Highway Trailer   Hill Diesel Company   Holland Hitch Company   Homelite Company   Horace E. Dodge Boat and Plane Corporation   Huffman Manufacturing   Indian Motorcycle   Ingersoll Steel and Disk   John Deere   Johnson Automatics Manufacturing Company   Kimberly-Clark   Kohler Company   Kold-Hold Company   Landers, Frary & Clark  Lima Locomotive Works   Lundberg Screw Products   MacKenzie Muffler Company   Massey-Harris   Matthews Company   McCord Radiator & Mfg. Company   Metal Mouldings Corporation   Miller Printing Machinery Company   Morse Instrument Company   Motor Products Corporation   Motor Wheel Corporation   National Cash Resgister Company   Novo Engine Company   O'Keefe & Merritt Company   Olofsson Tool and Die Company   Oneida Ltd   Otis Elevator   Owens Yacht   Pressed Steel Car Company   Queen City Manufacturing Company   R.G. LeTourneau   R.L. Drake Company   St. Clair Rubber Company   Samson United Corporation   Shakespeare Company   Sight Feed Generator Company   Simplex Manufacturing Company   Steel Products Engineering Company   St. Louis Car Company   Twin Disc Company   Victor Adding Machine Company   Vilter Manufacturing Company   Wells-Gardner   W.L. Maxson Corporation   W.W. Boes Company   Westfield Manufacturing Company   York-Hoover Body Company   Youngstown Steel Door Company  
   

 Landing Craft Hull Numbers in World War Two

This page updated 3-13-2024.

An American Auto Industry in World War Two Special Edition

It may seem an inappropriate location for World War Two landing craft hull numbers to be located on a website that is entitled "The American Automobile Industry in World War Two."  From the strict standpoint of the title, landing craft hull numbers don't seem like a good fit.  But there is a direct connection between the American auto industry and landing craft.  Engines built by the American auto industry in Detroit, MI powered the majority of the American landing craft from the 36-foot wooden landing craft like the LCP(L) up to and including the LCT.  The engine of choice was the Gray 64H9/Detroit Diesel of GMC 6-71 diesel engine.  The next engine of choice was the Hall-Scott Invader gasoline engine built by the Hudson Motor Car Company of Detroit, MI.  Without the American automobile industry, there would not have been a sufficient number of engines for all of the landing craft that were produced.  Over 55,000 6-71  landing craft engines were produced by Detroit Diesel.  Hudson added another 4,000 Invader engines.

While doing my research on engine usage in landing craft, it became evident that information was lacking on landing craft production records for all of the companies that built them.  While the numbers of vehicles built by the American auto industry, and in many cases, the associated serial numbers are available, there is almost a complete absence of hull numbers by manufacturer. 

To me, this is a challenge.  Slowly, I am finding bits and pieces of information on Navy C hull numbers assigned during World War Two.  The results are below.  This page will continue to grow as I find new sources of information.

Table 1 - 36-foot Landing Craft C-Hull Numbers - LCP(L)
There were five companies that built the LCP(L).  Below are C-numbers from the one company whose data I have been able to find.
During World War Two there were a total of 2,250 LCP(L)s built.  To date, I have been able to identify 490 or 22% of the total C numbers.

Bureau of Ships Registry Number Number of Boats Company U.S. Navy Contract Number Source

Comments

C-4816 to C-4853 Inclusive 38 Chris-Craft NObs 97556 Maritime Museum, Newport News, VA Chris-Craft corporate records  
C-87239 to C-87463 Inclusive 225 Chris-Craft NObs 1972 Maritime Museum, Newport News, VA Chris-Craft corporate records  
C-87464 to C-87688 Inclusive 225 Chris-Craft NObs 2023 Maritime Museum, Newport News, VA Chris-Craft corporate records  
C-46329 1 Chris-Craft   Maritime Museum, Newport News, VA Chris-Craft corporate records  
C-54600 1 Chris-Craft   Maritime Museum, Newport News, VA Chris-Craft corporate records  
Total 490        

 

Table 2 - 36-foot Landing Craft C-Hull Numbers - LCP(R)
There were three companies that built the LCP(R).  Below are C-numbers from the one company whose data I have been able to find.
During World War Two there were a total of 2,635 LCP(R)s built.  To date, I have been able to identify 1,211 or 46% of the total C numbers.
Bureau of Ships Registry Number Number of Boats Company U.S. Navy Contract Number Source

Comments

C-4854 to C-4986 Inclusive, C-7560 to C-7588 Inclusive 162 Chris-Craft NObs 97556 Maritime Museum, Newport News, VA Chris-Craft corporate records  
C-8460 to C-8584 Inclusive, C-10155 to C-10174 Inclusive 175 Chris-Craft NObs 97556 Maritime Museum, Newport News, VA Chris-Craft corporate records  
C-9505 to C-10104 Inclusive 600 Chris-Craft NXs 718 Maritime Museum, Newport News, VA Chris-Craft corporate records  
C-46229 1 Chris-Craft   Maritime Museum, Newport News, VA Chris-Craft corporate record  
C-54346 1 Chris-Craft   Maritime Museum, Newport News, VA Chris-Craft corporate record  
C-71868 1 Chris-Craft   Maritime Museum, Newport News, VA Chris-Craft corporate records  
C-87922 1 Chris-Craft   Data Plate from the collection of C. Howie This LCP(R) is one of ten surplus landing craft that were purchased by Pacific Marine Supply in Vancouver, BC after World War Two.  The landing craft sold for $3,500 and were used by loggers to navigate the waterways of British Columbia.  It is unknown whether all the landing craft were also LCP(R)s.  C-87922 was purchased by an individual for recreational use.
C-87989 to C-88258 Inclusive 270 Chris-Craft NObs 1988 Maritime Museum, Newport News, VA Chris-Craft corporate records  
Total 1,211        

 

Table 3 - 36-foot Landing Craft C-Hull Numbers - LCV
There were three companies that built the LCV.  Below are C-numbers from the one company whose data I have been able to find.
During World War Two there were a total of 2,286 LCVs built.  To date, I have been able to identify 1,200 or 53% of the total C numbers.

Bureau of Ships Registry Number Number of Boats Company U.S. Navy Contract Number Source

Comments

C-10755 to C-11354 Inclusive 600 Higgins NObs 827 Mr. Alejandro Raigorodsky  
C-11555 to C-11954 Inclusive 400 Chris-Craft NObs 97556 Maritime Museum, Newport News, VA Chris-Craft corporate records  
C-11355 to C-11554 Inclusive 200 Chris-Craft NObs 97556 Maritime Museum, Newport News, VA Chris-Craft corporate records  
Total 1,200        

 

Table 4 - 36-foot Landing Craft C-Hull Numbers - LCVP - Updated 3-13-2023
There were seven companies that built the LCVP.  Below are C-numbers from the four of the companies whose data I have been able to find.
During World War Two there were a total of 23,397 LCVPs built.  To date, I have been able to identify
14,514 or 62% of the total C numbers.

Bureau of Ships Registry Number Number of Boats Company U.S. Navy Contract Number Source

Comments

C-20071 to C-20670 Inclusive   600 Chris-Craft NObs 827 Mr. Alejandro Raigorodsky Shipment was between 1-23-1943 and 8-23-1943.  The engines were:
987 Gray 64HN9 225 hp
585 Gray 64HN6 225 hp
127 Gray 64HN4 225 hp
1 Gray 64HN6 225 hp (Reclaimed engine)
C-20838 1 Richardson Boat Company   Mr. George Schneider Single Entry.
 C-22161 to C-23260 Inclusive 1,100 Chris-Craft NObs 827 Mr. Alejandro Raigorodsky Shipment was between 1-23-1943 and 8-23-1943.  The engines were:
987 Gray 64HN9 225 hp
585 Gray 64HN6 225 hp
127 Gray 64HN4 225 hp
1 Gray 64HN6 225 hp (Reclaimed engine)
C-25142 thru C-25215 Inclusive 74 Horace E. Dodge Boat and Plane Corporation U.S. Army Transportation Corps 2789-TC-161. It was noted in the September 4, 1945, issue of the Newport News, VA Daily Press that the company's first order for LCVPs was for 74 boats for the U.S. Army.  This group is a confirmed number of LCVPs.   Estimated from C-25142 thru C-25215.
C-31987 1 Higgins ? Owner of the LCVP This LCVP was recovered in December 2021 from Lake Shasta, CA.  C-31987 is carved into the boat's hull.
C-32238 1 Higgins ? Mr. Roberts of  Roberts Armory

LCVP Registry C-32238  was one of 3,600 boats built between February-April 1943. It is unknown to the author what the range of the C- numbers are that encompass the 3,600 LCVPs.

C-32782 thru C-34781 Inclusive 2,000 Chris-Craft NObs-997 Original Contract at the Algonac-Clay Township Community Museum Algonac, MI  
C-34823 thru C-35179 Inclusive 356 Horace E. Dodge Boat and Plane Corporation ? Mr. George Schneider DDJ Estimate of George Schneider Database
34980-35049 70 ?????      
C-35139 thru C-35255 Inclusive 117 Richardson Boat Company   Mr. George Schneider Estimated from C-3-5139, C-35211, C- 35217, and C- 35255.
C-39071 thru C-41870 Inclusive 2,800 Higgins NObs-1222 Higgins LCVP Engineering Drawing dated 6-17-1944 courtesy of C. Robert Gillmor.  
C-41988 thru C-42467 Inclusive 480 Horace E. Dodge Boat and Plane Corporation   Mr. George Schneider and as per comments. Estimated from C-41988, C-42013, C-42226, C-42338, C-42339, C-42348, C-42370, C-42420, C-42450, C-42455, and C-42467.

Boats C- 42409, C-42418, C-42419 are shown in the book "US Landing Craft of WWII, Vol. 1" by David Doyle.  Published 2019 by Schiffer Publishing. Ltd. 
Photos taken of these three boats on 7-25-1944, 8-2-1944, and 8-2-1944, respectfully.

 

C-43486 1 Richardson Boat Company   Mr. George Schneider Single Entry.
C-46020 1 Chris-Craft ?  Maritime Museum, Newport News, VA Chris-Craft corporate records Utility boat.  This appears to be a modification of the standard landing craft.
C-54671 thru C-54811 Inclusive 141 Horace E. Dodge Boat and Plane Corporation   Mr. George Schneider Estimated from C-54671, C-54781 C-54794, and C-54811.
C-54847 thru C-55046 Inclusive 200 Higgins NObs-1222 Higgins LCVP Engineering Drawing dated 6-17-1944 courtesy of C. Robert Gillmor.  
C-696964 thru C-70663 Inclusive 1,000 Higgins NObs-1222 Higgins LCVP Engineering Drawing dated 6-17-1944 courtesy of C. Robert Gillmor.  
C-70736 thru C-70789 Inclusive 54 Richardson Boat Company   Mr. George Schneider Estimated from C-70736 and C-70789.
C-70883 - C-70892 Inclusive 10 Horace E. Dodge Boat and Plane Corporation   Mr. George Schneider Estimated from C-70883 and C-70892
C-70999 thru C-71598 Inclusive 600 Higgins NObs-1222 Higgins LCVP Engineering Drawing dated 6-17-1944 courtesy of C. Robert Gillmor.  
C-72530 1 ? ? Photo of Registry Number This is a former landing craft converted into a houseboat in CA.
C-77944 thru C-78678 Inclusive 750 Higgins NObs-1950  "The Boat that Won the War - An Illustrated History of the Higgins LCVP" by Charles C. Roberts, Jr., Published 2017 by the Naval Institute Press.  
C-78769 to C-79518 Inclusive 750 Chris-Craft NObs-1951 Maritime Museum, Newport News, VA Chris-Craft corporate records  
C-79680 thru C-79772 Inclusive 93 Horace E. Dodge Boat and Plane Corporation   Mr. George Schneider Estimated from C-79680, C-79701 - C-79722, C-79725, C-79728, C-79748, and C-79772
C-79959 1 Owens Yacht Company NObs-2005  "US Landing Craft of WWII, Vol. 1" by David Doyle.  Published 2019 by Schiffer Publishing. Ltd.  
C-80007 thru C-80236 Inclusive 230 Richardson Boat Company   Mr. George Schneider Estimated from C-80007, C-80151, C-80179, and C-80236.
C-80299 to C-80953 Inclusive. 655 Chris-Craft NObs-2001 Maritime Museum, Newport News, VA Chris-Craft corporate records  
C-80958 - C-81027 Inclusive 72 Horace E. Dodge Boat and Plane Corporation   Mr. George Schneider Estimated from C-80958, C-80978, C-80993, C-80994, C-81018, C-81020, C-81024, C-81025, C-81027
C-81105 - C-81243 Inclusive 139 Horace E. Dodge Boat and Plane Corporation   Mr. George Schneider Estimated from C-81105, C-81105, C-81146, C-81161, C-81191, C-81243 
C-81268 thru C-81365 Inclusive 98 Richardson Boat Company   Mr. George Schneider Estimated from C-81268, C-81274, C-81292, C-81295, C-81316, C-81336, C-81339, and  C-81365.
C-81535 1 Matthews NObs-2008  "US Landing Craft of WWII, Vol. 1" by David Doyle.  Published 2019 by Schiffer Publishing. Ltd. July 1945 Photo.
C-81554 thru C-82528 Inclusive 975 Higgins NObs-2009  "The Boat that Won the War - An Illustrated History of the Higgins LCVP" by Charles C. Roberts, Jr., Published 2017 by the Naval Institute Press.  
C-82557 1 Owens Yacht Company NObs-2005  "US Landing Craft of WWII, Vol. 1" by David Doyle.  Published 2019 by Schiffer Publishing. Ltd.  
C-83862 - C-84275 Inclusive 1,014 Horace E. Dodge Boat and Plane Corporation   Mr. George Schneider Estimated from C-83862, C-83957, C-83973 C-83985 C-83986,C-83994 C-84011 C-84045, C-84046 C-84059 C-84091, C-84096 C-84250, C-84252, C-84275

 

C-85648 thru C-85774 Inclusive 127 Richardson Boat Company   Mr. George Schneider Estimated from C-85648, C-85661, C-85664, and C-85774.
Total 14,514        

 

LCM Landing Craft C-Hull Numbers
Below are a few numbers I have been able to find.

Bureau of Ships Registry Number Landing Craft Type Number of Boats Company U.S. Navy Contract Number Source

Comments

C-30481 LCM-3 1 Consolidated Steel Company, Wilmington, CA   "US Landing Craft of WWII, Vol. 1" by David Doyle.  Published 2019 by Schiffer Publishing. Ltd. Built 1-1944
C-52267 LCM-3 1 Consolidated Steel Company, Wilmington, CA    "US Landing Craft of WWII, Vol. 1" by David Doyle.  Published 2019 by Schiffer Publishing. Ltd. Built 10-1944
C-69541 LCM-6 1 Higgins Industries, New Orleans, LA NObs-2036  "US Landing Craft of WWII, Vol. 1" by David Doyle.  Published 2019 by Schiffer Publishing. Ltd. Built 7-1945
C-76297 LCM-6 1 Darby Products of Steel Plate Corporation, Kansas City, KS NObs-1800  "US Landing Craft of WWII, Vol. 1" by David Doyle.  Published 2019 by Schiffer Publishing. Ltd. Built 5-1945
C-76589 LCM-6 1 Gunderson Brothers, Portland, OR NObs-1803  "US Landing Craft of WWII, Vol. 1" by David Doyle.  Published 2019 by Schiffer Publishing. Ltd. Built 5-1945

 

 

 

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