but maintained the same speed of on land and in water of the Mark 2, with an operational endurance of on land or in water. These vehicles were intended to provide fire support to the assaulting Marines in the early stages of establishing a beachhead. It was common, however, for the LVT(A)s to commence firing whilst still in the water. At Roi-Namur, the 24th Marines had support of LVT(A)-1s, but they could not close up enough to effectively support the troops from the beaches. Other LVT(A)-1s supported the 22nd Marines landing at Engebi. By mid-1944, all LVT(A)-1s had been replaced by much more capable 75mm gun armed LVT(A)-4s. This switch was primarily due to the LVT(A)-1 M6 gun lacking adequate bunker busting capabilities. The inability to neutralize bunkers on or near the beachheads was an inherent risk for Marines storming out of their landing craft. LVT(A)-2 Water Buffalo This was an armored version of the LVT-2, following the US Army's request for an armored variant of the LVT-2. Service in the South Pacific soon indicated more protection was needed. This version had the driver's cab protected by of armor plate, and the rest of the hull with armor plate. By 1944, shields were added to protect the front gunners. Surprisingly the additional of armor, added to the weight of the unarmored LVT-2, had no impact on performance and only caused the craft to draw an additional of water when afloat. The LVT(A)-2 had a capacity of 18 troops. 450 units produced. LVT-4 Water Buffalo, British designation Buffalo IV FMC modified an LVT-2 in August 1943 by moving the engine forward and adding a large ramp door in the rear, allowing troops to exit from the rear of the vehicle. Capacity went from 16 troops in the LVT-2 to 30, making earlier LVTs largely obsolete. This innovation also greatly facilitated the loading and unloading of cargo. Some vehicles received armor kits. It was by far the most numerous version of the LVT, with 8,348 units delivered; the US Army received 6,083, and the British Army 500. Many of the British LVT-4 were armed with a 20 mm Polsten cannon and two .30 in (7.62 mm) Browning machine guns. Removable 20 lb and 10 lb armor kits could be fitted. Since no major changes were made to the engine and transmission of the LVT-2, the LVT-4 was completed much quicker than the