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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

LST-3


USS LST-3 transferred to the Royal Navy in December 1944 for the duration of World War II
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal
LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 29 June 1942, at Dravo Corp., Pittsburgh, PA.
  • Launched, 19 September 1942
  • Commissioned USS LST-3, 8 February 1943
  • During World War II USS LST-3 was assigned to the European theater and participated in the:
    European Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Sicilian occupation
    July to August 1943     		Invasion of southern France
    August to September 1944

  • Decommissioned, 23 December 1944, at Bizerte, Tunisia
  • Royal Navy History
  • Commissioned into the Royal Navy, 24 December 1944, at Bizerte, as HM LST-3
  • Known to have visited Messina, Taranto Brindisi, Bari, Venice, Trieste, Naples, Piraeus, Malta and Gibraltar
  • Was at Taranto from, 28 September 1945, for repairs
  • Sailed back to the United States by Royal Navy crew in April 1946
  • Returned to US Naval custody, 12 May 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 19 June 1946
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 10 September 1947, to Boston Metals Co., Baltimore, MD.
  • USS LST-3 earned two battle stars for World War II service
    Specifications: (as reported by Office of Naval Intelligence-1945)
    Displacement 1,625 t.(lt), 4,080 t.(fl) (sea-going draft w/1675 ton load)
    Length 328' o.a.
    Beam 50'
    Draft
    (light) - 2' 4" fwd, 7' 6" aft
    (sea-going) 8' 3" fwd, 14' 1" aft
    (landing) 3' 11" fwd, 9' 10" aft (landing w/500 ton load)
    Speed 12 kts. (maximum)
    Endurance 24,000 miles @ 9kts. while displacing 3960 tons
    Complement
    9 officers, 120 enlisted
    Troop Accommodations
    14 officers, 131 enlisted
    Boats 6 LCVP
    Cargo Capacity (varied with mission - payloads between 1600 and 1900 tons)
    Typical loads
    One Landing Craft Tank (LCT), tanks, wheeled and tracked vehicles, artillery, construction equipment and military supplies. A ramp or elevator forward allowed vehicles access to tank deck from main deck
    Additional capacity included sectional pontoons carried on each side of vessel amidships, to either build Rhino Barges or use as causeways. Married to the bow ramp, the causeways would enabled payloads to be delivered ashore from deeper water or where a beachhead would not allow the vessel to be grounded forward after ballasting
    Armament (varied with availability when each vessel was outfitted. Retro-fitting was accomplished throughout WWII. The ultimate armament design for United States vessels was
    2 - Twin 40MM gun mounts w/Mk. 51 directors
    4 - Single 40MM gun mounts
    12 single 20MM gun mounts
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USS LST-3
    LST-3 91k LST-3 beached, date and place unknown. William J. Smith, Jr. for his father-in-law
    William R. Bruce LST-3
    LST-3 54k LST-3 ships officers (William R. Bruce, standing left, LT. Bruce E. Roberts engineering officer second from right back row, other officers unidentified, date unknown.. William J. Smith, Jr. for his father-in-law
    William R. Bruce LST-3
    LST-3 52k Aboard LST-3, William R. Bruce (left), J.H. Herron (center), Lt. Bruce E. Roberts (right). William J. Smith, Jr. for his father-in-law
    William R. Bruce LST-3
    LST-3 60k Aboard LST-3, (Kneeling L-R) C.A. Scott, A. Destefano, A. Panico, A.F. Prince, W.P. Smieskil. (Standing L-R) W. Watts, R.L. Zipperian, E.W. Kibbler, T.E. Donaghy, I. Kavas, W.R. Bruce, J.M. Herron William J. Smith, Jr. for his father-in-law
    William R. Bruce LST-3
    LST-3 61k LST-3 off-loading, date and place unknown. William J. Smith, Jr. for his father-in-law
    William R. Bruce LST-3
    LST-3 46k LST-3 underway in convoy during gunnery drill, date unknown. William J. Smith, Jr. for his father-in-law
    William R. Bruce LST-3
    LST-3 66k LST-3 underway in convoy, date unknown. William J. Smith, Jr. for his father-in-law
    William R. Bruce LST-3
    LST-3 51k LST-3 beached in southern France in September 1944. Douglas W. Ashton for his father David Ashton
    View the LST-3
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center web site
    View a partial ships Roster of the LST-3 crew, submitted by William J. Smith, Jr. for his father William R. Bruce USS LST-3
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    LST Home Port
    State LST Chapters
    United States LST Association
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    This page is created by David W. Almond and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 9 June 2006