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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

HM LST-320

LST-320 was transferred to the United Kingdom for the duration of World War II

LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:

Laid down, 10 August 1942, at Philadelphia Navy Yard. Philadelphia, PA.

Launched, 5 November 1942

Transferred to the United Kingdom under terms of the Lend-Lease Act

Royal Navy History
Commissioned into the Royal Navy as HM LST-320, 28 December 1942
HM LST-320 sailed from New York as part of the 1st Flotilla, 27 January 1943
Broke down enroute and returned to New York
HM LST-320 sailed, 23 February 1943 from New York for the Mediterranean via Bermuda
HM LST-320 participated in the following European campaigns

Sicilian occupation
Salerno landings
West Coast of Italy operations-1944 - Anzio-Nettuno advanced landings
Invasion of Normandy

Operated in the shuttle service between Tilbury, Ostend and Antwerp
Participated in the Relief of Norway
Paid off and returned to US Navy custody, 23 April 1946, at Norfolk, VA.

Struck from the Naval Register, 19 June 1946

Sold, 4 October 1947, to Southern Trading Co., Wilmington, DE.

Final Disposition, fate unknown

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)

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
	94k	HM LST-320 with bow doors open unloading a landing craft recovery tractor (modified Caterpillar D6) onto a Rhino ferry, date and place unknown.	Robert Hurst
	95k	HM LST-320 unloading lorry-towed artillery piece being driven from her tank deck across her ramp and onto a Rhino ferry at Normandy, June 1944. The stern of HM LST-412 is just visible beyond HM LST-320.	Robert Hurst
	75k	HM LST-320 unloading an army vehicle across her ramp and onto a Rhino ferry at Normandy, June 1944.	Robert Hurst
	72k	Rhino ferry F94 moves away from HM LST-320 heading for the Normandy beachhead along the port side of HM LST-412, June 1944.	Robert Hurst
	92k	HM LST-320 heading for the Normandy beachhead with a crowded deck, June 1944.	Robert Hurst
	68k	HM LST-320 high and dry on the beach at Normandy while unloading trucks, June 1944.	Robert Hurst
	56k	HM LST-365 center ,and HM LST-320 right, high and dry on 'Sword' beach, Normandy, while unloading, June 1944	Robert Hurst
	114k	HM LST-320 on the beach at Normandy loading wounded Allied soldiers for the return trip to England, June 1944.	Robert Hurst
	68k	HM LST-320 and HM LST-415 on the beach at Normandy ready to return to England carrying wounded Allied soldiers, June 1944.	Robert Hurst
	86k	HM LST-320 officers keeping a careful watch as they return to England for another load, June 1944.	Robert Hurst
	45k	HM LST-320 approaching a Mulberry Harbor at Normandy, June 1944.	Robert Hurst
US National Archives photo # 80-G-46817	370k	LSTs land invasion supplies on "Utah" Beach, shortly after the 6 June 1944 "D-Day" assault. LSTs on the beach include from (right to left): USS LST-312 HM LST-320 HM LST-321 USS LST-72 USS LST-51? last digit not visible) HM LST-324 USS LST-311 USS LST-49 USS LST-373 USS LST-47 and two unidentified LSTs. Note: bow numbers of the British ships enclosed in colored blocks; crowd of shipping offshore; barrage balloons over many of the ships. Photo was released for publication, 23 October 1944 US National Archives photo # 80-G-46817 a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives. Note: This image is labeled as Omaha Beach but is actually taken on Utah Beach. [See - The movie *"A Newsreel Camaraman's View if D-Day"* in color by Jack Lieb. About 15 minutes into the film Jack Lieb pans the beach one can see that this is Utah Beach showing LSTs 72, 324, 311, 46, 47 in the same sequence as in the NARA photo 80-G-46817.]	Riley R. Re Qua MoMM3/C USS LST-49 and Arthur L Long MoMM2/C USS LST-49 Marilyn Smith for her father Coastguardsman Jack Davenport USCGC Blackhaw (WLB-390)
US National Archives photo	180k
	88k	HM LST-320 drydocked at Portsmouth, England, summer 1944.	Robert Hurst