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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

LST-280

USS LST-280 transferred to the Royal Navy in October 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 (1) - World War II Victory Medal

LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:

Laid down, 16 July 1943, at American Bridge Co., Ambridge, PA.

Launched, 26 September 1943

Commissioned USS LST-280, 2 November 1943

During World War II LST-280 was assigned to the European Theater and participated in the:

Invasion of Normandy, June 1944

Transferred to the United Kingdom, 26 October 1944

Royal Navy History
Commissioned into the Royal Navy as HM LST-280, 26 October 1944
Under repair in Thames from 8 July 1944 to 18 January 1945
Loaded LCT-2124 aboard for Far East service
Visited Gibraltar, Malta, Port Said, Port Tewfik, Massawa, Aden, Bombay, Cochin, Trincomalee, Vizagapatam, Madras, Malaya, Rangoon, Thailand and Singapore
Paid off and returned to US Navy custody at Subic Bay, Philippines, 13 April 1946

Returned to United States Navy custody, 11 April 1946

Decommissioned, 13 April 1946

Struck from the Naval Register, 5 June 1946

Final Disposition, sold, 5 December 1947, to Bosey, Philippines, fate unknown

LST-280 earned one battle star 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
Propulsion two General Motors 12-567, 900hp diesel engines, two shafts, twin rudders

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description		Source
	177k	*LST-280* beached at Normandy while unloading trucks, date unknown.		Alex L. McGinnis MAC, USN Ret. for his father Roland T. McGinnis USS LST-280 bow gunner wounded on a return trip to England, when the ship was torpedoed, and for his uncle SSGT Alexander McGinnis, killed in action in Europe 45 days after D-Day

View the LST-280
DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center web site

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
Fleet Reserve Association

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
The USS LST Ship Memorial
LST Home Port
State LST Chapters
United States LST Association

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Last Updated 27 October 2006