Z Craft in Burma

A Z Craft beached on the Myebon Peninsula loaded with 25-pdr guns used to fire on the Japanese lines less than 6 miles away, 13-18 January 1945

To support our operation we had some Z-craft with four 25 pounders of 18th Field Regiment Royal Artillery.  They were going to move up and down the Chaung and fire from a moving Z-landing craft. [https://burmastarmemorial.org/archive/stories/1405841-the-battle-for-hil-60?q=]

The term "Z-craft" refers to flat-bottomed, pontoon-style landing craft that were extensively used by the Royal Marines and other British forces in the Burma Campaign during World War II. 

Z lighters, simple shallow-draft ramped vessels similar to LCM/LCUs designed and built by the Royal Engineers Inland Water Transport section, were typically ship to shore connectors. They were 135-feet long (excluding the ramp) with a 30-foot beam and a 2-to-4-foot sloping draft. They had a deck “the size of a tennis court,” accommodations for a crew of 8-10, and a speed on a pair of light diesels of 8-10 knots.

Role and Use in Burma

• Amphibious Operations: Z-craft were essential assets for the Royal Marines and the wider 3 Special Service Brigade in the South-East Asian theatre. They played a crucial role in a series of combined operation and amphibious landings along the Arakan coastline and up inland waterways.

• Logistics and Transport: Due to their design (flat deck and front ramp), they were ideal for transporting troops, vehicles, and heavy equipment, such as 25-pounder field guns, from ship to shore and along rivers.

• Fire Support: Some Z-craft were fitted with artillery (e.g., 25-pounder guns) or machine guns and used as floating gun platforms to provide mobile fire support for ground troops during assaults, navigating the various chaungs (tidal creeks) in the region.

• Mobile Naval Base Defence Organisation (MNBDO): Royal Marine units within the MNBDO, such as the 1st RM Anti-Aircraft Brigade, included personnel designated for operating these craft and manning anti-aircraft "Z" Batteries. 

I was on a Z-craft Lighter which took part in two landings on the West Coast of Burma, one 35 miles between the Japanese front line. We sailed in at H+180 at Kangaw and fixed our guns which were attached to the deck of the lighten. We moved forward periodically and tied up to trees in the jungle swanps. This lasted for about nineteen days.

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Post-War Use

The utility of Z-craft continued after World War II. For example, in the 1962 Limbang raid during the Brunei Revolt, Royal Marines of 42 Commando used Z-craft for their audacious amphibious assault to rescue the hostages. 

Royal Marines of Company L, 42 Commando, with their two converted Z-craft, attacking Limbang against strong opposition. Painting by Terence Cuneo

The use of these craft highlights the Royal Marines' expertise in amphibious warfare and their significant, though often overlooked, contributions to the "Forgotten Army" in the Burma Campaign.

The tanks were significantly heavier than the trucks that the LCM (Landing Craft, Mechanised) typically ferried so, once the ramp opened, water flooded in at such a rate that the vessel risked being swamped. This was solved by using the tank to ‘open’ the ramp by force. The tank powered straight into it with a clang and bounced into the water in seconds, while the landing craft shot back in the opposite direction like a great steel tiddlywink.

Related Royal Marines 'Dits':

• Royal Marines Engineer Commando - Burma

• A Brief History of 44 Royal Marine Commando at The Battle of Hill 170

• 42 Commando Raid on Limbang - Hostage Rescue - 12th December 1962

References/ Further Reading:

1. BLACK MUD & GREEN BERETS: Burma Commando: Part II

2. Combined Operations - Burma