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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

HM LST-159
ex
 USS LST-159 (1943)


LST-159 transferred to the Royal Navy for the duration of World War II
LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship
  • Laid down, 19 July 1942, at Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Co., Evansville, IN.
  • Launched, 21 November 1942
  • Commissioned USS LST-159, 13 February 1943
  • LST-159 never saw active service with the United States Navy
  • Decommissioned, 3 March 1943 and transferred to the United Kingdom
  • Royal Navy History
  • Commissioned into the Royal Navy as HM LST-159, 4 March 1943
  • Sailed from New York in convoy UGS 9, 28 May 1943
  • During World War II HM LST-159 was assigned to the European Theater and participated in the following campaigns
    Sicilian occupation, July 1943
    Anzio advanced landings, January to March 1944
    Invasion of Normandy, June 1944
  • Selected for conversion to LSE(LC)-54, but conversion canceled
  • Returned to US Naval custody, 23 April 1946, at Norfolk, VA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 19 June 1946
  • Final Disposition, sold for conversion to merchant service, 27 April 1948, to Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Newport News, VA
    Specifications:
    Displacement
    1,625 t.(lt)
    4,080 t.(fl) (sea-going draft w/1675 ton load)
    2,366 t. (beaching displacement)
    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)
    limiting 11' 2"
    maximum navigation 14' 1"
    Speed 11.6 kts. (trial)
    Endurance 24,000 miles @ 9kts. while displacing 3960 tons
    Complement
    13 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 - US Varied with availability when each vessel was outfitted. Retro-fitting was accomplished throughout WWII. The ultimate armament design for United States vessels was
    two - Twin 40MM gun mounts w/Mk. 51 directors
    four - Single 40MM gun mounts
    twelve single 20MM gun mounts
    Armament - UK Lend Lease built vessels were to be outfitted with armament after convoying across Atlantic and included
    one - 12 Pounder anti-aircraft multi-barrel mount
    six - 20MM single gun mounts
    four - Fast Aerial Mine (FAM) mounts
    Fuel Capacity
    Diesel 4,300 Bbls
    Propulsion
    two General Motors 12-567A, 900hp Diesel engines
    single Falk Main Reduction Gears
    three Diesel-drive 100Kw 230V D.C. Ship's Service Generators
    two propellers, 1,700shp
    twin rudders
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source
    LST-159
    1016015901    		 1063k HM LST-159 unloading heavy artillery at the Anzio, Italy beachhead while beached alongside the Greek LST HN LST-35
    TimeLife_image_600707 by George Silk, LIfe Magazine. For personal non-commercial use only.    		 David Upton
    LST-159
    1016015902    		 230k HM LST-159 on the Anzio, Italy beachhead in April 1944
    TimeLife_image 116353408 by George Silk Life Magazine. For personal non-commercial use only.    		 David Upton
    LST-159
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS) web site
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    This page is created by David W. Almond and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 8 October 2021