LCT-376 Mark V
by Paul Helfrich

1/125 LCT-376 Mark V (Lindberg)

This is the Lindberg kit of a Landing Craft - Tank or LCT. LCTs used by the US were either Mark Vs (bow ramp only) or Mark VIs (both bow and stern ramps; there were a number of other differences in the layout as well.)

Although the kit doesn't specify, the model is much closer to a Mark V than a Mark VI. However, the hull number given in the decals that comes with the kit (1376, a high number) would go with a Mark VI. US LCTs 1 through 500 were Mark Vs, and 501 and up were Mark VIs.

To add to the confusion, Lindberg supplies a display stand with raised lettering reading "Landing Ship - Utility." Some LCTs were re-classed as LCUs after the war, but all of them were Mark VIs. The Mark Vs were all scrapped and none were ever called LCUs.

Anyway - once I realized that what I had was a Mark V, I re-numbered the ship with a more appropriate number for a Mark V, 376. Since the photos I could find of that ship were pretty grainy black-and-whites without a lot of detail, I took some license and painted the ship in a typical tropical camo schemed used on other LCTs, using Pale Green, Deck Green, and Ocean Green paints from White Ensign models.

The model is typical Lindberg, which is by no means all bad. There's a lot of nice detail in this kit, but there's also a lot of flash, mold separation marks, and fit problems. It's big enough to rig the railings with thread, and I did that, using stretched sprue for the mast rigging.

The finished product may not set a new standard in accuracy, but it's colorful and a nice contrast to other ships. I also have Lindberg's LST kit in 1/220 scale and hope to do that as a companion piece soon.