Assault boat


An Assault boat is a boat used for making a landing in combat. Meant for inland waters, assault boats were light enough to be carried by several men and paddled, or fitted with an outboard motor for hi-speed operation, manually portable or not.

WWII

U.S. military

Assault boats in the U.S. military during World War II were typically the property of Combat Engineer Battalions, whose combat engineers also deployed and crewed them.
The Americans deployed two types of assault boat: the "storm boat" was an 8 man hi speed Assault Boat with a 55 HP Outboard Motor, designed to beach at speed, thus allowing the soldiers on board to "storm the shore"; the M2 was a ten-man boat that was paddled.

British

Similarly, the British fielded two types of assault boat: a "storm boat" and a lower performance canvas boat, The Goatley boat.

Overview of the differences between British and American Storm and Assault Boats

Section 8. Comparison of River Crossing Equipment, From the Engineer chapter of A Military Encyclopedia Based on Operations in the Italian Campaigns, 1943-1945

Assault Boats

a. British Canvas Boats.
b. U.S. Plywood Boat, M-2.
c. Conclusions:

Storm Boats

a. British Storm Boat.
b. American Storm Boat.
c. Conclusions: