The Landing Craft Infantry (Large) began as a fast raiding concept intended to carry about 200 fully equipped troops. British planners wanted 17 knots, but the production type displaced roughly 384 tons and made about 14 knots with a 24-person crew. Because building it in Britain would compete with destroyer construction, the design went to American yards. The result could deliver a commando force, but its size and speed reveal how difficult it was to combine heavy lift, ocean passage, and surprise in one raider.
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The Landing Craft Infantry as a giant raider
See how a fast 200-man raiding requirement became the nearly 400-ton Landing Craft Infantry (Large), with American construction protecting British destroyer capacity.