Q&A · 1:24:17-1:26:15

Could a capital ship land an armoured car?

Aircraft spaces, heavy derricks, planned landing craft, and shipboard engineering skill made landing a vehicle technically plausible.

Question

How could a capital ship carry and put a Rolls-Royce armoured car ashore?

Short answer

The ship had suitable space and heavy lifting gear, while landing craft or an improvised barge could provide the ship-to-shore link.

Notes

The particular capital ship had been prepared for aircraft, giving it useful handling space and petrol storage. Capital ships also carried cranes or derricks capable of moving heavy loads over the side. Royal Navy plans already envisaged lowering landing craft from warships and merchant ships during amphibious operations. Even without a purpose-built craft aboard, a motivated engineering department could plausibly improvise a barge-like platform and use a motor launch to move the vehicle ashore.