Andrew J. Higgins & Higgins Boats - Part A
Many of us know of the Higgins Boats and the pivotal role they played in World War II. In one of Stephan Ambrose’s interviews with General Dwight Eisenhower for his biography, Eisenhower said, “Andrew Higgins…is the man who won the war for us…If Higgins had not designed and built those LCVPs (the landing craft, vehicles and people), we never could have landed over an open beach.” Such a statement is particularly significant considering the fact that Eisenhower was the WWII Supreme Allied Commander. Like Charles Morgan but militarily rather than domestically, Andrew Higgins was a dynamic, energetic innovator who overcame significant barriers and obstacles to achieve historical accomplishments in boat design, fabrication, and production.
Higgins (1886-1952) was born in Columbus, Nebraska, the son of a Chicago attorney and journalist who relocated to Nebraska where he served as a judge. Tragically, when Higgins was only seven years old, his father died as the result of a fall. The family relocated to Omaha, Nebraska, where Higgins only completed three years of high school before being expelled for fighting. Subsequently, he served in the Nebraska Army National Guard-first in the Infantry and later with the Engineers. While serving, Higgins achieved the rank of First Lieutenant. Given his age and incomplete education at the time, such an achievement is an early indication of his intelligence and leadership skills. It was during his service in the National Guard that Higgins was first exposed to boat building and moving troops on the water as a part of military maneuvers on the Platte River.
In 1906, at the age of 20, Higgins relocated to Mobile, Alabama, where he worked in a variety of jobs related to boat building, shipping, and lumber. After only four years, he moved to New Orleans to manage a German-owned lumber importing firm. Some twelve or so years later, Higgins formed his own company, the Higgins Lumber and Export Company. This company engaged in both importing and exporting lumber. To facilitate the shipment of lumber, he acquired and maintained a fleet of sailing vessels. For the latter function, Higgins established a shipyard (Note: I have not been able to identify the location of this shipyard.) that both built and maintained the vessels required for his operations. Understanding his need for boat design and fabrication knowledge and skills, Higgins undertook a correspondence course in naval architecture from the National University of Sciences in Chicago for which he was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree. This academic education in combination with the practical knowledge he gained managing the shipyard seemingly prepared Higgins for the future challenges he would face in the design and manufacture of military vessels under difficult and time-constrained circumstances.
In 1926, drawing on his academic and practical knowledge, Higgins designed a unique craft for the oil drilling industry and trappers operating in the shallow waters of the lower Mississippi River and the Gulf Coast. Termed the “Eureka boat”, it was designed to facilitate shallow water operations and avoid damage from collisions with flotsam and submerged objects. To achieve this goal, the propeller was recessed in a semi-tunnel incorporated into the hull. Further, the bow was designed and built to facilitate beaching and re-floating the boat. Subsequently, this boat was to become Higgins’ inspiration for the design of landing craft.
Higgins’ activities over the next 10 years or so are somewhat vague but various headwinds caused him to shut down his lumber importing/exporting business. However, he did manage to maintain the viability of Higgins Industries, the boatbuilding company he established in 1930. The company constructed motorboats, tugs, and barges for the private sector and the US Coast Guard. Now in his early 40’s, Higgins’ initiated his efforts to promote the Eureka boat as a possible amphibious landing craft for the US Marine Corps. Specifically, in 1938, Higgins was able to demonstrate the superior performance of the Eureka boat for amphibious landings. The craft designed by Higgins was found to perform far better than the US Navydesigned craft. In February 1939, the Higgins craft, designated as the LCPL (landing craft personnel, large), was tested in a major fleet landing exercise. Later, this version of the landing craft was used in the invasions of North Africa and Guadalcanal in 1942. With exception of the disembarking methodology (i.e., over the sides of the vessel), the performance of the craft was judged to be satisfactory. To address this deficiency Higgins drew upon the characteristics of a Japanese landing craft that incorporated a ramp in the bow of craft to redesign the LCPL. In less than a month, a prototype LCPL with a bow ramp had been constructed and satisfactorily tested in Lake Pontchartrain. As a result, the newly modified landing craft was re-designated as a LCVP (landing craft, vehicles, and personnel). This is the landing craft that is commonly known as the “Higgins boat.” In the case of personnel only, it could carry 36 soldiers, slightly less than the number of personnel in a platoon. In terms of armament, the boat was armed with 2- 30 caliber Browning machine guns. It was manned by a crew of four- a coxswain, engineer, bowman and sternman. The craft was just over 36-ft. in length and had a beam of 11-ft. Powered by a 225-hp Gray Marine 6-71 diesel engine, it was capable of a top speed of 12 knots (13.8 mph). Normally, it approached the beach landing at 9 knots (10.4 mph).
To address the need to transport and land equipment, a larger version of the Higgins boat was developed. This landing craft was designated as a LCM (2) (landing craft, mechanized). Its design was based the LCM (1) designed and built by the British. Dimensionally, the LCM (2) had the following characteristics:
Displacement: 29 tons
Length: 45 ft.
Beam: 14 ft.
Draft: 3 ft.
The craft could achieve a top speed of 8.5 knots (almost 10 mph). It carried a crew of 4 and had a capacity of 100 troops or one 13.5-ton tank or 15 tons of cargo. For armament, the craft carried two 50-cal M2 Browning machine guns. Approximately, 150 were built through the combined efforts of the American Car and Foundry and Higgins Boats.
The Higgins boats provided armed forces with new options relative to points of attack. Previously, attacks were primarily directed at ports by naval vessels. Given the Higgins boats, attacks could be directed at beaches allowing the attacking force to be spread widely thus making it more difficult for the defenders to concentrate their firepower.
In addition to the landing crafts, Higgins Industries developed a Patrol Torpedo (PT) boat and supplied a total of 199 of these craft to the US Navy during WWII. However, prior to the acceptance of the Higgins design by the Navy, Higgins PT boats (Higgins actually provided three boats for consideration) along with boats produced by the Philadelphia Naval Yard, ELCO, and Huckins participated in an open competition starting in July 1941 and ending in August 1941. The Navy judged the ELCO and Huckins boats acceptable along with the 82.5-ft. long submission of Higgins. However, at the request of the Navy, the Higgins PT boat was subsequently slightly downsized to 78-ft. The PT boats from all of the manufacturers used 3- Packard 2500 series 12-cylinder gasoline engines for propulsion. This powerplant allowed the PT boats to achieve speeds ranging from 30-40 knots (34.5- 46 mph). Many of the early Higgins PT boats were delivered to Great Britian and the Soviet Union as a part of the Lend Lease Program but were later used at the Battle of the Aleutian Islands, against the German Navy in the Mediterranean, and during the D-Day Invasion. The dominant manufacturer of PT boats for the Navy was ELCO. They produced a total of 326 boats. Almost identical in length, the ELCO boat 80-ft. in length and the Higgins boat 78-ft. in length, both boats were deployed and used in the European and Pacific Theaters of WWII.
Higgins Industries also produced 100 FS (Freight Supply) Coastal Freighters for the US Army. These ships, 170- 180 ft in length, varied somewhat in design dependent on their specific intended function. Additional vessels produced for the Army included J Boats, 36-ft. CL Landing Boats, Barges, Small Tugs, and other small boats. In total, Higgins Industries’ total production of boats for the US Army totaled approximately 900 boats. Of that number, 300 or so were J Boats and another 300 or so were Barges. J Boats were shallow draft vessels and came in three lengths- 27, 36, and 37 feet. They were used in a variety of ways including utility, patrol, and fireboat.
Having developed and improved both the LCVP and LCM landing craft and the PT boat, the need was now to develop and implement a manufacturing effort and infrastructure that could produce the crafts in the numbers, rates, and quality required for the Allied war effort. Already noted is Higgins Industries’ production of 199 PT boats but that number pales in comparison to the more than 20,000 landing craft produced during essentially the same period of time. Part B of this Brief will detail the manner in which Higgins developed and managed the production of these craft over a period of 5 years (1941-1945).