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A rhino ferry is a Chapter II: Utilization Of Naval Facilities In U. K. For Assembly And Outfitting Of Equipment For Installation On Invasion Beaches, And Selection And Training Of Seabee Crews For The Invasion
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US Navy footage of Rhino barges in action, Normandy, June 11, 1944.
Buoyancy devices Coastal construction Improvised watercraft Operation Overlord Allied logistics in the Western European Campaign (1944–1945) {{ship-type-stub
A rhino ferry is a barge
A barge is typically a flat-bottomed boat, flat-bottomed vessel which does not have its own means of mechanical propulsion. Original use was on inland waterways, while modern use is on both inland and ocean, marine water environments. The firs ...
constructed from several pontoons which are connected and equipped with outboard engines, used to transport people and heavy equipment. Rhino ferries were used extensively during the Normandy landings
The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on 6 June 1944 of the Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during the Second World War. Codenamed Operation Neptune and ...
and other theaters (Attu, Africa, Sicily
Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...
, Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
); their low draft
Draft, the draft, or draught may refer to:
Watercraft dimensions
* Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel
* Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail
* Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a v ...
was well-suited for shallow beaches, and they could also be used as piers when filled with water. An alternative to tank landing craft
The Landing Craft, Tank (LCT) (or tank landing craft, TLC) was an amphibious assault craft for landing tanks on beachheads. They were initially developed by the Royal Navy and later by the United States Navy during World War II in a series of ver ...
, they were operated by United States Navy Construction Battalions. They ferried their cargo from the outlying Landing Ships, Tank
A Landing Ship, Tank (LST) is a ship first developed during World War II (1939–1945) to support amphibious operations by carrying tanks, vehicles, cargo, and landing troops directly onto a low-slope beach with no docks or piers. The shallow d ...
to the shore.
For the Normandy invasion, components were shipped from the US. Initial construction in the UK was by the USN Construction battalions. Rhinos (and causeways, which used the same components) were also assembled by British Army
The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is the engineering arm of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces ...
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See also
* , similar device, 1960s to present day * * * *References
External links
US Navy footage of Rhino barges in action, Normandy, June 11, 1944.
Buoyancy devices Coastal construction Improvised watercraft Operation Overlord Allied logistics in the Western European Campaign (1944–1945) {{ship-type-stub