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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

LST-76

LST-76 transferred to the Royal Navy in 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, 19 January 1943, at Jeffersonville Boat and Machine Co., Jeffersonville, IN.

Launched, 14 April 1943

Commissioned USS LST-76, 26 June 1943. During World War II LST-76 was assigned to the European Theater and participated in the following operations

**European Campaigns**
Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Convoy UGS-37, 11 to 12 April 1944	Invasion of southern France, August and September 1944

Decommissioned and transferred to the United Kingdom, 24 December 1944

Royal Navy History
Commissioned into the Royal Navy ad HM LST-76, 24 December 1944
Noted at Taranto for docking, 2 February to 10 March 1945
Repairs at Rosyth and on the Clyde during 1945
Devonport for repairs 19 to 25 February 1946
Transferred to US Naval custody, 23 April 1946, at Norfolk, VA.

Returned to the United States Naval custody, 23 April 1946

Struck from the Naval Register, 19 June 1946

Final Disposition, sold for conversion to merchant service, 21 April 1948, to Southern Trading Co., Philadelphia, PA., named MV Southern Isles

Final Disposition, lost at sea off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, 5 October 1951

LST-76 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

7 officers, 104 enlisted
Troop Accommodations

16 officers, 147 enlisted
Boats 2 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
	82k	HN LST-76 partial crew photo at Taranto, Italy in 1945.		Robert Hurst

View the LST-76
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 Home Port
State LST Chapters
United States LST Association

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Last Updated 2 March 2007