This redesigned version of the amphibian support vehicle LVT-(A) 1 was developed for the American Marines. In the course of numerous actions during the Pacific Campaign, the Marines became aware of the need for a vehicle more heavily armed than its predecessor which had a 37 MM cannon. This improvement was necessary to better counteract the Japanese fortifications and tanks which grew in number as the War progressed. Equipped with a new tower housing a short 75 MM howitzer, this vehicle was widely used in the battles for the conquest of Iwo Jima and Okinawa.