Stock Photo - 1972 - This Is The Barc The U.S. Army Transportation Corps operating from their supply base at Le Verdon, at the path of the Gironde River, 65 miles from Bordeaux, have put into operation their massive 60 ton landing craft 'Barc' for the first time. The word 'Barc' is an abbreviation of 'Barge, Amphibious, Re-Supply, Cargo' and the massive land and sea machine is for bringing from ship to shore heavy items of military equipment when it is impossible for a supply ship to duck and discharge. The over all length is 61.8 feet, width 27.9 feet and the height is 17.9 feet. The wheel base is 29 feet. The weight of the Barc with fuel is 197,000 LBS. Each of its four massive wheels are powered independently by one 165 H.P. diesel engine. On entering the water the Barc is propelled by twin screws, each powered by one pair of the same diesel engines used for driving on land. In spite of the tremendous size and weight the Barc can move easily over soft sand and sharp coral, with loads up to 100 tons. (Credit Image: © Keystone Pictures USA/ZUMAPRESS.com)