King & Country DD138 Normandy LCVP PA26-22: A Second Boat with More Than a New Number

Vehicle and personnel in one design

The National Museum of the United States Army’s LCVP background describes a plywood-hulled craft capable of carrying 36 combat-loaded troops, or a jeep and 12 men. Its shallow-water approach and front ramp made the boat a link between offshore shipping and an open beach.

Those are full-size historical capacities, not a guarantee that any arbitrary group of miniature figures will fit this model.

Two craft need not form a parade

A slight difference in angle and ramp position can make a pair of boats feel like separate arrivals. The saved image of DD138 already shows how the lowered ramp extends the composition beyond the hull.

Keep enough space for that projection when measuring a shelf or display base. The length of the closed boat alone can underestimate the room needed.

Why preserve the second version?

DD138 records a particular numbered craft and crew treatment. It gives collectors a reference for identifying an unboxed example and gives a larger landing scene variety without inventing an undocumented individual voyage. Additional soldiers, cargo or vehicles remain separately catalogued companions.

Release record and collecting notes

Sager’s archived DD138 product record lists a release date of July 2010 and a retirement date of April 2012. These are catalog dates, rather than a statement about today’s secondhand availability. Compare the seller’s actual photographs with the reference image here, including any projecting equipment and the base; a familiar box title alone is not a condition report.