Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

LST-4


USS LST-4 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 (4) - World War II Victory Medal
LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 4 July 1942, at Dravo Corp., Pittsburgh, PA.
  • Launched, 9 October 1942
  • Commissioned USS LST-4, 14 February 1943
  • During World War II USS LST-4 was assigned to the European theater and participated in the:
    European Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Sicilian occupation
    July 1943     		West Coast of Italy operations
    Anzio-Nuttuno advanced landings, January and February 1943
    Salerno landings
    September 1943     		Invasion of southern France
    August and 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-4
  • Struck a mine, 14 January 1945, while on passage between Taranto and Piraeus, was able to make Piraeus, Greece
  • Remained at Piraeus about June when she went to Alexandria, Egypt
  • In Malta for repairs, 10 to 24 October 1945
  • Sailed back to the United States by a Royal Navy crew early in 1946
  • Port screw lost en-route, towed to Norfolk, VA. by another LST
  • Returned to US Naval custody
  • Struck from the Naval Register in June 1946
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping in September 1947
  • USS LST-4 earned four 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 Source
    USS LST-4
    LST-4 65k LST-4 unloading supplies off Gela, Sicily, 10 July 1943.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-74826, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    LST-4 80k LST-4 approaches Yellow Beach, Pampelonne Bay, France, 16 August 1944.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-256424, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    View the LST-4
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center web site
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    LST Homeport
    State LST Chapters
    United States LST Association
    Back to the Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Tank Landing Ship (LST) Photo Index
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 9 June 2006