In times of global conflict and international crisis the United States has employed the Navy's formidable amphibious warfare capabilities to deliver large numbers of troops, equipment and materiel from the sea to the shore to defeat its adversaries and to provide disaster relief and humanitarian assistance to its friends. Simply put: the United States and its allies would not have prevailed in World War II without the essential landing craft, transports and cargo ships of America's "Gator Navy." This book provides the histories, operations and characteristics of some 1,000 amphibious warfare ships in 29 classifications and outlines the function and capabilities of a plethora of smaller amphibious craft in about 40 classifications--all of which have served in the Gator Navy from World War I to today. "Amphibs" of all types--from 12-foot inflatable rubber landing craft to 855-foot amphibious assault ships, and everything in between-- are illustrated in more than 120 photographs. Selected histories of various vessels demonstrate the unique role of the U.S. amphibious force in both war and peace during the past 100 years. All of this substantial content gathered from multiple sources is provided to readers in just one volume.