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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-323
ex
 HM LST-323 (1943 - 1946)

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
American Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal

LST-323 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, 18 January 1943
  • Royal Navy History
  • Commissioned into the Royal Navy as HM LST-323, 18 January 1943 HM LST-323 sailed from New York for the Mediterranean in convoy USG 6A, 19 March 1943 HM LST-323 participated in th following campaigns:
    Sicilian occupation
    Invasion of Reggio
    Salerno landings
    West Coast of Italy operations-1944 - Anzio-Nettuno advanced landings
    Invasion of Normandy
  • Fitted with rails for the carriage of rolling stock
  • Operated in the shuttle service between Tilbury, Ostend and Antwerp
  • Paid off and returned to US Navy custody at Plymouth, England, 26 January 1946
  • Commissioned USS LST-323, 9 January 1946, LTjg. William H. Appel, USNR, in command
  • Decommissioned, 5 June 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 19 June 1946
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 9 October 1947, to Luria Bros. and Co., Philadelphia, PA.
    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 (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
    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-381 126k From left to right; HM LST-323, USS LST-1, USS LST-381 and USS LST-351 being loaded with reversed DUKWs at Salerno Harbor in preparation for the Anzio Landings scheduled for January 20-21, 1944.
    Imperial War Museum War Office Second World War Official Collection, by Dawson (Sgt), Photo No. © IWM (NA 11079)    		 Mike Green
    LST-323 98k HM LST-323 unloading US Army rolling stock at Cherbourg, France, date unknown. Robert Hurst
    LST-323
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LTjg. Appel, William H., USNR9 January 1946 - April 1946
    02LTjg. Smith, R. T., USNApril 1946 - 30 April 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
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    This page is created by David W. Almond and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 5 August 2016